Network Configuration Semantic Analysis via Structural Database

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing network configuration analysis systems face challenges in designing vendor-neutral database schemas, extracting information from configuration files without knowing the entire configuration language, and making extraction algorithms robust to changes in the language, often leading to complex structural analysis and removal logic errors.

Innovation Solution

A method that transforms configuration file commands into a structural database through non-grammatical analysis, allowing for the construction of a semantic database by querying the structural database, which reduces the need for removal logic and enhances robustness to language changes, using a structural analyzer to create a database of all commands and querying it to compute vendor-neutral schema tables.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a grammar-based parser is used to compute the abstract syntax tree, then the file structure can be recognized, but the system complexity increases and the grammar must account for every possible configuration language

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefile structure recognitionVSAvoidgrammar and parser complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts only the necessary structural information from configuration files using regex-based pattern matching, rather than building a complete grammar parser. This extracts the essential file structure data while discarding the complexity of comprehensive language recognition, resolving the contradiction between reliable structure recognition and system complexity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the approach from grammatical analysis to non-grammatical regex-based analysis. This parameter change in the analysis method simplifies the system while maintaining the ability to recognize file structure, as regex patterns can be selectively applied to extract needed information without accounting for every possible configuration language

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Productivity

If removal logic is incorporated to remove unnecessary commands, then the extraction can focus on needed information, but the removal logic becomes error-prone and must be updated as schemas evolve

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveextraction efficiencyVSAvoidextraction accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of removing unnecessary commands before extraction, the patent inverts the approach by keeping all commands and using regex patterns to selectively extract only the needed information. This eliminates the error-prone removal logic while maintaining extraction efficiency, as the regex patterns directly target the required data without requiring pre-processing removal steps

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces regex patterns as an intermediary between the configuration files and the extraction process. These patterns serve as a flexible mediator that can adapt to schema changes without requiring updates to removal logic, thereby maintaining both productivity and reliability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Productivity

If algorithmic methods are used to analyze the abstract syntax tree, then semantic database tables can be synthesized, but the complexity increases as the search features of databases must be re-implemented

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesemantic database constructionVSAvoidanalysis algorithm complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces the mechanical algorithmic analysis of abstract syntax trees with a database query-based approach. Instead of re-implementing database search features through complex algorithms, the system uses standard SQL queries to synthesize semantic database tables from the extracted structural data, significantly reducing analysis complexity while maintaining productivity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent uses a structural database as an intermediary between the configuration file extraction and the semantic database construction. This intermediary stores the extracted structural information in a standardized format that can be efficiently queried, eliminating the need for complex algorithmic analysis while enabling productive semantic database synthesis

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS8554796B2Query-based semantic analysis of ad hoc configuration languages for networks

Publication Date: 2013.10.08 PERSPECTA LABS INC

AI summary

A method is provided for analyzing the semantic content of network configuration files, comprising the steps of accessing configuration files associated with corresponding network components, the files containing commands that define the configuration of those components; transforming the commands into a structural database based, at least in part, on a non-grammatical analysis of the commands, wherein the structure of the commands is represented as the structural database; and constructing a semantic database of the configuration files by querying the structural database.