Proxy Software Application for Agent-Assisted Network Device Discovery
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Solution Overview
Problem
Enterprise network management tools face challenges in seamlessly integrating different software agents for device discovery due to varying query expressions and response formats, requiring users to spend significant time learning and converting data between formats.
Innovation Solution
A proxy software application translates discovery requests from a remote network management platform into query expressions supported by software agents and translates query responses back into discovery responses, using mapping data to integrate with multiple software agents and facilitate agent-assisted discovery.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If multiple different software agents are deployed for device discovery, then the scope and capability of discoverable devices is improved, but the complexity of learning and operating the tools increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a gateway component that acts as an intermediary between the network management system and multiple software agents. The gateway translates standardized discovery requests into agent-specific query expressions and converts agent-specific responses into standardized formats, enabling users to access capabilities of multiple agents without learning each agent's specific syntax or interface.
2Quantity of substance
If multiple software agents with different capabilities are used, then the variety of information that can be gathered is improved, but the time required to convert and integrate data from different formats increases
Solution Approach 1:
The gateway serves as a translation intermediary that automatically converts between standardized formats and agent-specific formats. This eliminates the need for manual data conversion and integration, as the gateway handles format transformation in the background, allowing users to access diverse information from multiple agents without spending time on format conversion.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary actions by pre-configuring the gateway with knowledge of multiple agent interfaces and query languages. The gateway is prepared in advance to handle translations between various agent-specific formats and the standardized format, so that when discovery operations are performed, the format conversion is already optimized and ready to execute efficiently.
3Ease of manufacture
If agentless discovery is used, then the ease of deployment is improved, but the capability to discover certain types of devices is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines agentless discovery capabilities with software agent capabilities through the gateway. The system can deploy lightweight agents on devices to enable deep discovery of specific device types, while maintaining agentless discovery for devices where agent deployment is not feasible. The gateway orchestrates both approaches, merging their capabilities to provide comprehensive device discovery coverage.
Data Source
AI summary
A computing system may include persistent storage disposed within a remote network management platform and a proxy software application disposed within a managed network that is associated with the remote network management platform. The proxy software application may be configured to: (i) receive, from the remote network management platform, a discovery request; (ii) determine that the discovery request targets a computing device and is to be performed by way of a software agent deployed on the computing device; (iii) based on the discovery request, generate, by way of query mappings, a query expression; (iv) transmit, to the software agent, the query expression; (v) receive, from the software agent, a query response specifying configuration information related to the computing device; (vi) generate, by way of response mappings, a discovery response representing the configuration information related to the computing device; and (vii) transmit, to the remote network management platform, the discovery response.