Unified Device Descriptor Management for Network Connected Devices
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Managing network connected devices associated with multiple management domains is inefficient due to duplicate device descriptors, leading to increased operational costs and resource consumption, as each domain may have unique identifiers and supported actions.
Innovation Solution
A system and method that produce unique device descriptors for network connected devices, allowing domain identification queries across management domains to merge duplicate descriptors, reducing the number of management entities and eliminating redundant operations by identifying a unified set of actions supported by the device across multiple domains.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If duplicate device descriptors are maintained for each management domain, then domain-specific management operations can be performed, but operational costs and resource consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges duplicate device descriptors from multiple management domains into a single unified descriptor. The system identifies that the same physical device may be described multiple times across different domains (e.g., AWS, Active Directory) and consolidates these descriptors by matching device identifiers, thereby reducing redundant management operations and lowering operational costs while preserving domain-specific management capabilities
Solution Approach 2:
The unified device descriptor structure is designed to be universal across multiple management domains. It incorporates domain-specific identifiers and supported actions from various domains (AWS instance IDs, Active Directory device IDs, etc.) into a single descriptor that can serve multiple management functions simultaneously, eliminating the need for separate descriptors for each domain
2Loss of information
If duplicate device descriptors are maintained for each management domain, then complete device information across domains is preserved, but the number of management entities increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system combines multiple device descriptors representing the same physical device into a single unified descriptor. By matching device identifiers across domains (AWS instance IDs, Active Directory device IDs, device names), the system consolidates redundant management entities while preserving all domain-specific information attributes in the unified descriptor structure
3Measurement precision
If domain identification queries are executed for each unsupported management domain, then accurate device descriptor merging is achieved, but processing time and resources increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary matching of device descriptors using available identifiers (device names, known device IDs) before executing domain identification queries. This preliminary filtering reduces the number of queries needed by pre-identifying potential duplicate descriptors, thereby maintaining merging accuracy while reducing processing time and resource consumption
Data Source
AI summary
A system for managing network connected devices, comprising at least one hardware processor adapted to produce a plurality of unique device descriptors, each describing one of a plurality of network connected devices, by: for each of a plurality of device descriptors, each having a plurality of supported actions, and one or more domain device identifiers, each identifier associating the device descriptor with one of a plurality of management domains: for each of the plurality of management domains not associated with the device descriptor: and instructing execution on a network connected device described by the device descriptor a domain identification query according to the descriptor's plurality of supported actions, to determine a new domain device identifier.