Switch Stack Configuration Guidance Through Resiliency Scoring
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Solution Overview
Problem
Users configuring switch stacks often lack awareness of how their decisions affect resiliency, and changes in connections can impact the stack's reliability without proper guidance.
Innovation Solution
A recommendation and guidance facility identifies network switches and existing connections, calculates resiliency scores, and provides configuration recommendations to enhance stack reliability by selecting configurations with the highest resiliency scores.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If users configure switch stack connections without guidance, then configuration flexibility is maintained, but resiliency awareness and reliability deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The system calculates and displays resiliency scores that provide feedback to users about how their configuration choices affect stack reliability. This feedback mechanism guides users toward more resilient configurations without requiring them to understand complex resiliency concepts, thus improving reliability while maintaining ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary software layer that sits between the user and the complex switch stack configuration space. This intermediary automatically calculates resiliency metrics, generates recommendations, and translates user-friendly actions into complex configuration changes, resolving the contradiction by shielding users from complexity while improving reliability.
2Reliability
If automated resiliency calculation and configuration recommendations are implemented, then switch stack resiliency improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a universal configuration system that performs multiple functions: it accepts user input, automatically calculates resiliency scores, generates optimization recommendations, and applies configurations. This multi-functional approach consolidates complexity into a single unified system rather than requiring separate tools for each function, thus improving reliability without proportionally increasing overall system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs self-service by automatically calculating resiliency metrics and generating configuration recommendations without requiring external expert intervention. The software autonomously analyzes the switch stack topology, computes resiliency scores, and provides actionable recommendations, thereby improving reliability while containing complexity within the automated system rather than requiring complex human expertise.
Data Source
AI summary
In one embodiment, techniques are provided to guide a user to configure a switch stack. A recommendation and guidance facility may identify one or more network switches to be added to the switch stack. It may further identify any existing connections among ports. Using this information, the recommendation and guidance facility may build a set of configurations for the switch stack. The recommendation and guidance facility may calculate a resiliency score, select a configuration based on the configuration's respective resiliency score, and display one or more stack connection recommendations that are implementable by a user to achieve the selected configuration and the possible resiliency score.