Network Service Configuration Validation via Discovery
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current network management systems do not consider existing configurations in network devices, leading to potential misconfigurations and conflicts when establishing new services, especially when connected to networks with existing service instances.
Innovation Solution
A network management system that discovers existing service instances by requesting configuration information from network devices, constructs partial service instances, merges them, and validates new or changed configurations against existing models, suggesting corrective actions to ensure consistency and populating required configuration attributes across devices.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a network management system configures new services without considering existing device-level configurations, then service deployment speed is improved, but configuration consistency and network reliability deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary discovery of existing service instances and their configurations before deploying new services. The service discovery engine queries network devices to identify currently running services, and this information is stored and used to guide subsequent configuration actions, preventing conflicts and misconfigurations
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback mechanisms where configuration changes are validated against discovered service models. The service model validator compares intended configurations with existing service patterns, providing feedback loops that ensure configuration consistency and prevent erroneous deployments
2Manufacturing precision
If the network management system discovers and validates all existing service configurations, then configuration accuracy is improved, but system complexity and processing time worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the network management functionality into distinct modular components: service discovery engine, service model validator, and service configuration manager. Each component handles specific tasks independently, making the overall complex system manageable and maintainable while achieving high configuration accuracy
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces service models as intermediary abstractions between raw device configurations and management operations. These models simplify complex device-level configurations into manageable service-level representations, reducing system complexity while maintaining configuration accuracy through standardized validation rules
3Reliability
If the network management system automatically validates configurations against existing models, then misconfiguration risk is reduced, but validation time and processing overhead increase
Solution Approach 1:
Service models are pre-defined and stored in the system before actual service deployments occur. These models contain validation rules and expected configuration patterns, allowing the validator to quickly check configurations against established standards rather than analyzing raw configurations from scratch each time
Solution Approach 2:
The validation mechanism uses parameter-based comparison where service configurations are checked against model parameters and constraints. This structured approach enables efficient validation by focusing on key configuration parameters rather than exhaustive analysis of all configuration details
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method for responding to exceptions in network services. A network management system (NMS) configures a first network service having an endpoint and a plurality of externally mapped attributes, the externally mapped attributes including one or more service level attributes and an endpoint attribute associated with the endpoint. The NMS detects an exception in the first network service, modifies the first network service in response to the exception, wherein modifying the first network service includes assigning the current value of the endpoint attribute of the first network service to the endpoint attribute of a second network service and validates the externally mapped attributes of the second network service.