Representative Interface for Network Path Configuration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Configuring paths across multiple subdomains in network devices is complex and cumbersome due to the need to apply consistent configurations across multiple interfaces, which can be confusing and requires repeated entries for each interface, even if the configuration is the same.
Innovation Solution
A representative user visible interface is introduced, allowing users to configure paths using a single interface, with the system determining and applying the necessary configurations to individual interfaces across subdomains, while ensuring only compatible configurations are accepted and status replication maintains visibility of path status.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If users configure paths by manually setting each interface individually across multiple subdomains, then configuration precision and control are improved, but operation complexity and time consumption increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a path configuration interface that acts as an intermediary between the user and the multiple interfaces across subdomains. When a user configures a path through this interface, it automatically identifies and applies the necessary configurations to all relevant interfaces (both virtual and physical) across different subdomains, eliminating the need for users to manually configure each interface individually while maintaining configuration precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The path configuration interface provides universal configuration capability that works across multiple subdomains and interface types simultaneously. A single configuration action through this interface can affect multiple interfaces (virtual ports and physical ports) across different subdomains, making the configuration process independent of the number of subdomains or interfaces involved.
2Loss of information
If the system provides detailed visibility of all interfaces across subdomains, then configuration control is improved, but user confusion and operational difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the configuration process into two distinct layers: a simplified user interaction layer (path configuration interface) and an underlying detailed interface layer (virtual and physical interfaces across subdomains). The user interacts only with the path-level abstraction, while the system automatically handles the segmentation and distribution of configurations to the appropriate underlying interfaces, providing necessary visibility without overwhelming the user.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods that allow configuration of a path at a network device using a representative user visible interface for that path are disclosed. A feature of this path may thus be configured using this representative user visible interface through a configuration interface of the network device. When a feature for the path is configured by reference to its corresponding representative user visible interface, the interfaces of that path that correspond to that feature can be determined and the configuration for that feature can be applied to interfaces of the path, even where those interfaces reside in different subdomains.