Patent US5793362A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US5793362A
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Configurations tracking system using transition manager to evaluate votes to determine possible connections between ports in a communications network in accordance with transition tables
Assignee: CA Inc
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Filing: 1995-12-04
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Granted: 1998-08-11
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Expires: 2015-12-04
Abstract
Abstract A network is monitored for reports indicative of a connection state among ports of a communications network. Certain ports are designated as being in a transition, and a transition table is created for each transition. The transition table includes locations that directly relate the connectivity of a first port with respect to a second port, as well as locations that relate the connectivity of other ports. The contents of the transition table are evaluated to determine the likely configuration of the communications network. State machines may be used to resolve conflicting data within the transition table, by providing a likely connection output based upon different entries within the transition table. A voting scheme is used to evaluate the outputs of the state machines and update the transition table when appropriate, and the updated transition table may also be evaluated.
Inventors
- 👤 Wallace Matthews
- 👤 Vick Vaishnavi
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-02 10:06
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04L; H04L43/00; H04M; H04M3/00; H04M3/22; H04M3/2254; H04Q; H04Q3/00; H04Q3/0016; H04Q3/0062; H04L41/00; H04L43/08; H04L43/0805; H04L43/0811; H04Q2213/00; H04Q2213/13544; H04Q2213/13545
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 32
Claim 1
Independent Claim
173 words
An apparatus for tracking a configuration of a plurality of ports of a communications network, comprising: an event stream filter having an input that receives a plurality of reports from the communications network, and an output that provides data associated with at least one transition of the communications network; at least one transition table, each of which corresponds to a respective one of the at least one transition of the communications network; and a transition manager, having an input that receives data of the at least one transition table, and an output that provides a link list indicative of the configuration of the plurality of ports based upon the data of the at least one transition table; wherein the transition manager includes a transition analyzer that creates votes regarding a possible connection between a first port and a second port of the communications network based upon the at least one transition table, the transition analyzer evaluating the votes to determine a likelihood of a connection between the first port and the second port.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
173 words
An apparatus for tracking a configuration of a plurality of ports of a communications network, comprising: an event stream filter having an input that receives a plurality of reports from the communications network, and an output that provides data associated with at least one transition of the communications network; at least one transition table, each of which corresponds to a respective one of the at least one transition of the communications network; and a transition manager, having an input that receives data of the at least one transition table, and an output that provides a link list indicative of the configuration of the plurality of ports based upon the data of the at least one transition table; wherein the transition manager includes a transition analyzer that creates votes regarding a possible connection between a first port and a second port of the communications network based upon the at least one transition table, the transition analyzer evaluating the votes to determine a likelihood of a connection between the first port and the second port.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
110 words
The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the transition manager includes: a state machine having an input that receives data from locations of a first table of the at least one transition table that directly relates to a first port and a second port of the communications network, and an output that provides an indication of whether the first port is connected to the second port; and a transition analyzer, having a first input that receives data of the first transition table, a second input that receives the output of the state machine, and an output that represents a likelihood of a connection between the first port and the second port.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
112 words
The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the transition manager includes: a state machine having an input that receives data from locations of a first table of the at least one transition table that do not directly relate to a first port and a second port of the communications network, and an output that provides an indication of whether the first port is connected to the second port; and a transition analyzer, having a first input that receives data of the first transition table, a second input that receives the output of the state machine, and an output that represents a likelihood of a connection between the first port and the second port.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
51 words
The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the transition analyzer includes means for updating data within the at least one transition table based upon the votes to provide updated data, the transition analyzer evaluating the updated data to determine the likelihood of a connection between the first port and the second port.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
54 words
The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the transition manager includes a transition table manager having an output that creates a new transition table when the at least one transition table does not include an existing transition table that is associated with a port of the communications network included in one of plurality of reports.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
77 words
The apparatus of claim 1, wherein: the at least one transition table includes a first transition table associated with a first port included in one of the plurality of reports, and a second transition table associated with a second port included in the one of the plurality of reports; and the transition manager includes a transition table merger having an output creates a merged transition table by merging the first transition table with the second transition table.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
66 words
The apparatus of claim 1, wherein: the at least one transition table includes a plurality of locations, each of the plurality of locations containing a state value that represents a connection state of a first port of the communications network with respect to a second port of the communications network; and each of the plurality of locations is populated with one of at least three states.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
71 words
The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the at least three states includes: a first state indicative of a confirmed connection between the first port and the second port; a second state indicative of a confirmed lack of a connection between the first port and the second port; and at least one third state indicative of an uncertainty with respect to a possible connection between the first port and the second port.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
52 words
The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the transition manager includes a transition timer having an output that triggers initiating a transition analysis of a selected transition by the transition manager following a predetermined amount of time from when a report associated with the selected transition was received by the event stream filter.
Claim 11
Independent Claim
218 words
A method for tracking a configuration of a plurality of ports of a communications network, comprising the steps of: (a) determining whether any of the plurality of ports are involved in a transition with respect to the configuration of the plurality of ports; (b) collecting data associated with the transition by receiving a report that includes an indication that a reporting port of the communications network has a particular connection state with respect to a neighbor port of the communications network and entering information from the report into a transition table associated with one of the reporting port and the neighbor port; and (c) analyzing the data associated with the transition by analyzing the transition table to determine the configuration of the plurality of ports, wherein the step of analyzing includes the steps of: providing a first number of votes based upon data within the locations of the transition table that directly relate to the reporting port and the neighbor port; providing a second number of votes based upon data within the locations of the transition table that do not directly relate to the reporting port and the neighbor port; and evaluating the first number of votes and the second number of votes to determine a likelihood of a connection between the reporting port and the neighbor port.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
218 words
A method for tracking a configuration of a plurality of ports of a communications network, comprising the steps of: (a) determining whether any of the plurality of ports are involved in a transition with respect to the configuration of the plurality of ports; (b) collecting data associated with the transition by receiving a report that includes an indication that a reporting port of the communications network has a particular connection state with respect to a neighbor port of the communications network and entering information from the report into a transition table associated with one of the reporting port and the neighbor port; and (c) analyzing the data associated with the transition by analyzing the transition table to determine the configuration of the plurality of ports, wherein the step of analyzing includes the steps of: providing a first number of votes based upon data within the locations of the transition table that directly relate to the reporting port and the neighbor port; providing a second number of votes based upon data within the locations of the transition table that do not directly relate to the reporting port and the neighbor port; and evaluating the first number of votes and the second number of votes to determine a likelihood of a connection between the reporting port and the neighbor port.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
45 words
The method of claim 10, wherein the step of analyzing includes determining a likelihood of a connection between the reporting port and the neighbor port based upon data within locations of the transition table that directly relate to the reporting port and the neighbor port.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
45 words
The method of claim 10, wherein the step of analyzing includes determining a likelihood of a connection between the reporting port and the neighbor port based upon location of the transition table that do not directly relate to the reporting port and the neighbor port.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
72 words
The method of claim 10, wherein the step of evaluating includes the steps of: updating the data within the locations of the transition table that directly relate to the reporting port and the neighbor port based upon the first number of votes and the second number of votes to provide updated data; and determining the likelihood of a connection between the reporting port and the neighbor port based upon the updated data.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
50 words
The method of claim 10, wherein: step (b) includes creating a transition table containing the data associated with the transition when a previous transition table associated with at least one of the reporting port and the neighbor port does not previously exist; and step (c) includes analyzing the transition table.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
29 words
The method of claim 14, wherein step (b) includes creating a transition table having locations populated with one of at least three states including a state indicative of uncertainty.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
44 words
The method of claim 10, wherein: step (b) includes creating a merged transition table by merging a first transition table associated with the reporting port with a second transition table associated with the neighbor port; and step (c) includes analyzing the merged transition table.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
41 words
The method of claim 10, wherein the step of receiving the report includes receiving a new neighbor report that includes an indication that a reporting port of the communications network has a connection to a neighbor port of the communications network.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
42 words
The method of claim 10, wherein the step of receiving the report includes receiving a lost neighbor report that includes an indication that a reporting port of the communications network has lost a connection with a neighbor port of the communications network.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
28 words
The method of claim 10, wherein step (c) includes waiting a predetermined amount of time subsequent to step (b) prior to analyzing the data associated with the transition.
Claim 22
Independent Claim
224 words
An apparatus for tracking a configuration of a plurality of ports of a communications network, the apparatus comprising: first means for determining whether any of the plurality of ports are involved in a transition with respect to the configuration of the plurality of ports; second means for collecting data associated with the transition by receiving a report that includes an indication that a reporting port of the communications network has a particular connection state with respect to a neighbor port of the communications network and entering information from the report into a transition table associated with one of the reporting port and the neighbor port; and third means for analyzing the data associated with the transition by analyzing the transition table to determine the configuration of the plurality of ports, the third means including: means for providing a first number of votes based upon data within the locations of the transition table that directly relate to the reporting port and the neighbor port; means for providing a second number of votes based upon data within the locations of the transition table that do not directly relate to the reporting port and the neighbor port; and means for evaluating the first number of votes and the second number of votes to determine a likelihood of a connection between the reporting port and the neighbor port.
Claim 23
Independent Claim
224 words
An apparatus for tracking a configuration of a plurality of ports of a communications network, the apparatus comprising: first means for determining whether any of the plurality of ports are involved in a transition with respect to the configuration of the plurality of ports; second means for collecting data associated with the transition by receiving a report that includes an indication that a reporting port of the communications network has a particular connection state with respect to a neighbor port of the communications network and entering information from the report into a transition table associated with one of the reporting port and the neighbor port; and third means for analyzing the data associated with the transition by analyzing the transition table to determine the configuration of the plurality of ports, the third means including: means for providing a first number of votes based upon data within the locations of the transition table that directly relate to the reporting port and the neighbor port; means for providing a second number of votes based upon data within the locations of the transition table that do not directly relate to the reporting port and the neighbor port; and means for evaluating the first number of votes and the second number of votes to determine a likelihood of a connection between the reporting port and the neighbor port.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
47 words
The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the means for analyzing includes means for determining a likelihood of a connection between the reporting port and the neighbor port based upon data within locations of the transition table that directly relate to the reporting port and the neighbor port.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
47 words
The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the means for analyzing includes means for determining a likelihood of a connection between the reporting port and the neighbor port based upon locations of the transition table that do not directly relate to the reporting port and the neighbor port.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
73 words
The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the means for evaluating includes: means for updating the data within the locations of the transition table that directly relate to the reporting port and the neighbor port based upon the first number of votes and the second number of votes to provide updated data; and means for determining the likelihood of a connection between the reporting port and the neighbor port based upon the updated data.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
56 words
The apparatus of claim 20, wherein: the second means includes means for creating a transition table containing the data associated with the transition when a previous transition table associated with at least one of the reporting port and the neighbor port does not previously exist; and the third means includes means for analyzing the transition table.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
32 words
The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the second means includes means for creating a transition table having locations populated with one of at least three states including a state indicative of uncertainty.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
50 words
The apparatus of claim 20, wherein: the second means includes means for creating a merged transition table by merging a first transition table associated with the reporting port with a second transition table associated with the neighbor port; and the third means includes means for analyzing the merged transition table.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
30 words
The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the report includes an indication that a reporting port of the communications network has a connection to a neighbor port of the communications network.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
31 words
The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the report includes an indication that a reporting port of the communications network has lost a connection with a neighbor port of the communications network.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
30 words
The apparatus of claim 20, further comprising means for triggering the third means a predetermined amount of time subsequent to the second means collecting the data associated with the transition.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2001-08-10 | 2002-02-09 | 2002-08-11 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2005-08-10 | 2006-02-09 | 2006-08-11 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2009-08-10 | 2010-02-09 | 2010-08-11 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |