Network Topology Planning and Validation System
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Solution Overview
Problem
Planning and implementing network topologies in large-scale datacenters is complex, requiring accurate calculation of equipment and cabling needs, and often results in mistakes that are difficult to detect until network usage begins, due to the complexity of understanding switches, hosts, racks, and networking requirements.
Innovation Solution
An information handling system configured with a processor and memory to receive equipment information, determine a network topology for communicatively coupling equipment to a data network, and transmit this topology to users, including a planning/validation tool for generating device topology maps and validating the implemented network design.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If manual network topology planning and implementation is performed, then flexibility and adaptability are maintained, but complexity increases and error detection is delayed until network usage begins
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by performing network topology validation before actual network deployment. The system generates a device topology map and validates the planned topology against the implemented network configuration in advance, allowing errors to be detected and corrected before the network goes live, thus improving reliability without adding operational complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses copying by creating a digital representation (device topology map) of the physical network topology. This digital copy can be automatically validated and compared against the actual implementation, enabling error detection without requiring manual inspection of the physical network, thereby reducing planning complexity while improving reliability
2Measurement precision
If detailed network topology planning is performed manually, then accuracy can be achieved, but time consumption increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual mechanical planning processes with automated electronic validation. The system automatically generates device topology maps, validates network configurations, and compares planned versus implemented topologies using computational algorithms, achieving high accuracy while dramatically reducing the time required for network planning compared to manual methods
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements self-service by enabling the network planning system to automatically validate its own topology configurations. The device topology map generation and validation processes are performed autonomously by the system without requiring extensive manual intervention, maintaining high accuracy while minimizing time investment from network planners
Data Source
AI summary
An information handling system may include at least one processor and a memory. The information handling system may be configured to: receive information regarding equipment that is to be communicatively coupled to a data network; determine a topology for communicatively coupling the equipment to the data network, wherein the topology includes information regarding which equipment ports of the equipment are to be coupled to data network ports of the data network; and transmit information regarding the topology to a user.