Network Configuration Temporal Classification
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current network and IT resource management systems face challenges in providing concise, accurate, and timely information about recent or planned configuration activities and policy compliance, especially in large and complex modern infrastructure environments, where understanding the impact of configuration changes on business services is crucial for efficient fault resolution.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus for temporally classifying and visually representing network and IT infrastructure configuration activities, allowing operators to gain at-a-glance visibility of configuration or policy compliance artifacts within historical and future temporal windows, by analyzing and monitoring planned and actual resource configurations, and updating network configuration status accordingly, with a focus on efficient processing and visualization of configuration data.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If comprehensive monitoring of all network resources is implemented, then complete configuration compliance information is obtained, but processing capacity requirements increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the network infrastructure into hierarchical groups (e.g., by device type, location, or functional category) and applies temporal classification to track configuration changes at different levels. This segmentation allows the system to monitor comprehensive configuration compliance information without requiring uniform high-level processing for all resources, thereby reducing overall processing capacity requirements while maintaining complete visibility of configuration compliance status.
2Measurement precision
If detailed configuration data for all resources is collected and analyzed, then complete policy compliance verification is achieved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary temporal classification of configuration data, organizing configuration artifacts into time-based categories (e.g., current, recent, historical) before compliance analysis. This preliminary organization structure enables precise policy compliance verification by allowing operators to focus analysis on relevant time windows, rather than processing all historical data uniformly, thereby achieving complete compliance verification with reduced system complexity.
3Loss of information
If operators analyze configuration changes across the entire network, then complete compliance status is determined, but time required for analysis increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by enabling operators to view configuration compliance information with different levels of detail and temporal scope based on specific needs. The system provides topologically-aware visibility that allows focused analysis on particular network segments, device groups, or time periods rather than requiring uniform comprehensive analysis of the entire network, thereby determining complete compliance status more efficiently.
Data Source
AI summary
Temporally classifying and visually representing network and IT infrastructure with planned or occurred configuration activities and/or policy compliance or non-compliance of network and IT resources, including a method, apparatus and computer program for gathering and classifying observable configuration aspects of resources and relationships in a network of resources, wherein the method comprises: analyzing the network of resources to collect planned configuration times and actual resource status; monitoring actual resource status to make determinations if planned configurations are executed; and updating a network configuration status with the determinations. Planned and actual configurations are collected and monitored over a defined time range extending before and/or after a time zero. Each planned or actual configuration is categorized with respect to one or more time windows in the defined time range.