Network Device Cluster Management via NAT IP Channels
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current network device management methods face challenges in efficiently managing a large number of TCP/IP network devices, particularly in telecom networks, where IP address resource management is inefficient and maintenance workloads are high, especially due to the need for public IP addresses and limited openness in managing devices from different manufacturers.
Innovation Solution
A cluster management method where a network device is designated as a cluster management device with a public IP address, configuring and updating other devices with private IP addresses and routes, allowing for concentrated management through IP data channels, and utilizing standard Network Address Translation (NAT) for message forwarding, enabling unified management across different manufacturers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If network devices are managed directly via serial ports, then management simplicity is improved, but maintenance difficulty and workload increase due to large network scale
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the network management system into multiple cluster management devices, each managing a specific cluster of network devices. This segmentation allows the overall management complexity to be divided into smaller, more manageable units, reducing the maintenance burden on individual devices while maintaining simplicity through standardized cluster-based management.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces cluster management devices as intermediaries between the network administrator and the actual network devices. These cluster management devices aggregate multiple network devices into clusters, providing a simplified management interface while handling the complexity of individual device management internally, thus reducing both operational complexity and maintenance difficulty.
2Adaptability or versatility
If remote management via SNMP or TELNET is implemented, then management flexibility is improved, but IP address resource consumption increases due to allocation of public IP addresses
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple network devices into clusters, where each cluster is represented by a single cluster management device with a public IP address. This merging allows multiple devices to be managed remotely through one IP address, significantly reducing public IP address consumption while maintaining management flexibility through the cluster management interface.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates virtual representations of network devices through cluster management devices. Instead of requiring direct IP addresses for each physical device, the system uses cluster management devices that represent and manage groups of devices, effectively copying the management function at a higher abstraction level and reducing IP address requirements.
3Quantity of substance
If device serial numbers are used for management, then IP address resource consumption is reduced, but protocol openness and universal management capability deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a universal cluster management device that can manage multiple types of network devices from different manufacturers through standardized protocols. The cluster management device provides multi-functional capability, supporting both IP-based remote management and serial port management, while maintaining protocol openness through adherence to standard management protocols like SNMP and TELNET.
Data Source
AI summary
An object of the present invention is to provide a management method of network device, which can implement concentrate management of a large number of network devices with a small amount of IP resources, and thereby reducing maintenance workload and facilitating network management. In the management method of network devices according to the present invention, the plurality of network devices compose a cluster, wherein at least one network device is designated as the cluster management device and is configured with a public IP address; other network devices are configured and updated with private IP addresses and routes by said cluster management device; the network management device manages the network devices in the cluster through the following steps: (A) establishing IP data channels via said cluster management device between the network devices in the cluster and said network management device by said cluster management device; and (B) managing the network devices in the cluster through said IP data channels by said network management device.