Network Device Snapshots for State Diagnosis
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Solution Overview
Problem
Network device states change over time, making it difficult to diagnose and troubleshoot network errors and performance issues, as existing technologies lack effective methods to capture and analyze comprehensive device states across different network devices.
Innovation Solution
Network device snapshots capture the overall device state, including logical and physical characteristics, which can be stored locally or externally, and reloaded for analysis, allowing for the recreation of a substantially identical device state for troubleshooting purposes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If network device state is captured and stored for analysis, then diagnostic capability is improved, but device complexity and storage requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a snapshot copy of the network device state at a specific point in time, storing configuration information, performance data, and operational parameters. This copy can be analyzed without affecting the live device, improving diagnostic capability while avoiding the need to modify or complicate the actual network device architecture.
2Measurement precision
If comprehensive device state information is captured, then troubleshooting accuracy is improved, but data storage requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the essential state information from the network device, including configuration parameters, performance metrics, and operational status. By selectively capturing only the relevant data needed for troubleshooting rather than storing all possible device data, the system achieves high troubleshooting accuracy while minimizing storage requirements.
3Measurement precision
If network device communication is interrupted for state capture, then snapshot accuracy is improved, but network productivity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary actions to prepare for state capture by identifying the optimal capture moment and pre-configuring the snapshot mechanism. This allows the system to capture accurate device state information with minimal interruption to network operations, as the capture process is initiated and prepared in advance to reduce downtime.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements periodic snapshot capture at predetermined intervals or triggered by specific events. This periodic approach ensures that device state is captured at meaningful moments without continuously interrupting network operations, balancing snapshot accuracy with maintained network productivity through scheduled rather than continuous capture.
Data Source
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AI summary
Network device snapshots may capture the overall device state of a network device. Individual snapshots or groups of related snapshots (e.g., from different network devices obtained at a common time period) may be used to diagnose, troubleshoot, or correct anomalies or errors within a computer network. The "device state" of a network device may change over time and therefore obfuscate information desired for trouble shooting (e.g., diagnoses) of network errors (or degraded performance periods). Device state may include logical and physical device characteristics at a given instant in time. Network device snapshots may be stored locally on a network device or may be transmitted to external storage on-demand or periodically to accommodate possible limitations of resources on the network device. Network device snapshots may be "re-loaded" onto devices, for example in a lab or clean-room type environment, for comprehensive analysis. Different types of interfaces into network device snapshots are disclosed.