Centralized Setting Management for Multi-Interface Communication Devices

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Solution Overview

Problem

In communication devices, inconsistencies in setting information occur due to the use of multiple interfaces such as CLI, HTTP, OpenFlow, and REST, leading to challenges in maintaining consistent settings across different management devices and interfaces.

Innovation Solution

A setting device and method that includes a monitoring or proxy unit to acquire necessary information from external devices, default values, or past setting histories to ensure consistent settings across multiple interfaces, reducing inconsistencies by performing settings for other interfaces when necessary information is missing.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If multiple interfaces (CLI, HTTP, OpenFlow, REST) are used for setting communication devices, then versatility and functionality are improved, but inconsistency in setting information occurs

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveinterface compatibilityVSAvoidsetting consistency

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a setting management device as an intermediary between management devices and communication devices. This mediator receives setting information from multiple interfaces (CLI, HTTP, OpenFlow, REST), manages the settings centrally, and distributes them to the communication device, ensuring consistency across all interfaces while maintaining versatility.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The setting management device provides a universal setting management function that handles multiple interface types (CLI, HTTP, OpenFlow, REST) through a single centralized system. This multi-functional approach allows the system to maintain versatility in supporting different interfaces while ensuring consistent setting information through unified management.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Adaptability or versatility

If settings are performed through multiple management devices via different interfaces, then functional coverage is improved, but setting information inconsistency increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemanagement coverageVSAvoidsetting information consistency

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges multiple setting management operations into a single centralized setting management device. Instead of allowing separate management devices to independently configure communication devices through different interfaces (which causes inconsistency), the system combines all setting operations through one unified management point, ensuring that setting information remains consistent while maintaining broad management coverage.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The setting management device acts as a mediator that receives setting information from multiple management devices through various interfaces, processes it centrally, and distributes consistent settings to communication devices. This intermediary function preserves information consistency while allowing multiple management devices to operate with different interface preferences.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Ease of operation

If a single communication device receives inputs from multiple interfaces, then interface flexibility is improved, but setting inconsistency occurs depending on setting order

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveinterface flexibilityVSAvoidsetting information consistency

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The setting management device performs preliminary actions by collecting and managing all setting information from multiple interfaces before actually applying settings to the communication device. This preliminary consolidation ensures that regardless of the order in which settings arrive through different interfaces, the final setting application is consistent and coordinated.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The setting management device serves as an intermediary buffer between multiple interfaces and the communication device. It receives settings from various interfaces in any order, manages them centrally to ensure consistency, and then applies them to the communication device in a coordinated manner, eliminating the inconsistency problem that would otherwise depend on setting order.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS11803502B2Setting apparatus and setting method

Publication Date: 2023.10.31 NIPPON TELEGRAPH & TELEPHONE CORP

AI summary

There is provided a setting device including a setting unit configured to, based on setting content input/output to/from some interfaces among a plurality of interfaces, when the setting content includes setting content related to other interfaces, perform setting for the other interfaces.