Patent US5832503A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US5832503A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Method and apparatus for configuration management in communications networks
Assignee: CA Inc
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Filing: 1995-02-24
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Granted: 1998-11-03
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Expires: 2015-02-24
Abstract
Abstract Apparatus and method for monitoring parameters that govern the operational characteristics of a network device, including the use of templates for generating configuration records of network devices of a selected model type. A database of models is provided, each model representing an associated network device and including attribute values for the parameters of the associated network device. Templates are used to screen a model in order to retrieve values for each of the attributes and create a configuration record. The configuration records may be stored in the configuration manager or other storage device, and/or transferred to the pre-existing model database for use by a network management system in reconfiguring the associated network devices. This system for configuration management is less time consuming, expensive, and error prone than prior systems.
Inventors
- 👤 Rajiv Malik
- 👤 Steve Sycamore
- 👤 Bill Tracy
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-29 12:31
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04L; H04L41/00; H04L41/20; H04L41/08; H04L41/0803; H04L41/084; H04L41/0846; H04L41/0866; H04L41/0893; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S707/00; Y10S707/99941; Y10S707/99944; Y10S707/99945
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 24
Claim 1
Independent Claim
84 words
A method for creating a configuration record for a network entity on a computer network, the configuration record having configuration management information for the operation of the network entity, the method including the steps of: selecting a model type and desired attributes for creating a configuration management template for setting a desired operation of the network entity; selecting values for the desired attributes to create the configuration record; and storing the configuration record for at least one model associated with the selected model type.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
84 words
A method for creating a configuration record for a network entity on a computer network, the configuration record having configuration management information for the operation of the network entity, the method including the steps of: selecting a model type and desired attributes for creating a configuration management template for setting a desired operation of the network entity; selecting values for the desired attributes to create the configuration record; and storing the configuration record for at least one model associated with the selected model type.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
37 words
A method as claimed in claim 1, further including the steps of: comparing actual model attribute values with configuration record attribute values; and generating an alarm when the comparing step determines the values are not the same.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
24 words
A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein creating a template includes selecting the model type and desired attributes from a pre-existing configuration record.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
26 words
A method as claimed in claim 1, further including: transferring the configuration record to a user interface; and displaying the configuration record on the user interface.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
31 words
A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step of selecting values for the desired attributes includes using the template to retrieve values for the desired attributes from a model.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
27 words
A method as claimed in claim 1, further including: transferring the configuration record to the associated model and generating an alarm when the transferring step is unsuccessful.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
18 words
A method as claimed in claim 1, further including: transferring the configuration record to multiple associated models simultaneously.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
28 words
A method as claimed in claim 1, further including: verifying the configuration of a device by comparing the attribute values of the associated model and the configuration record.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
39 words
A method as claimed in claim 1, further including: modifying the parameters of an associated network device to be the same as the attribute values of the configuration record and generating an alarm when the modifying step is unsuccessful.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
32 words
A method as claimed in claim 1, further including: modifying the parameters of a plurality of associated network devices simultaneously to be the same as the attribute values of the configuration record.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
30 words
A method as claimed in any one of claims 1-10, further including: maintaining a schedule for initiating one or more of the selecting, comparing, creating, transferring, verifying and modifying steps.
Claim 13
Independent Claim
134 words
A system for creating a configuration record for a network entity on a computer network, the configuration record having configuration management information for the operation of the network entity, the system comprising: a database of models, each model representing a network entity and including configurable attributes, wherein each model has an associated model type; and a configuration manager for creating and storing configuration records associated with a plurality of network entities, the configuration manager comprising: means for creating a configuration management template for setting a desired operation of the network entity by selecting the model type and desired attributes; means for creating a configuration record by selecting values for desired attributes in the configuration management template; and means for storing the configuration record for one or more models associated with the selected model type.
Claim 14
Independent Claim
134 words
A system for creating a configuration record for a network entity on a computer network, the configuration record having configuration management information for the operation of the network entity, the system comprising: a database of models, each model representing a network entity and including configurable attributes, wherein each model has an associated model type; and a configuration manager for creating and storing configuration records associated with a plurality of network entities, the configuration manager comprising: means for creating a configuration management template for setting a desired operation of the network entity by selecting the model type and desired attributes; means for creating a configuration record by selecting values for desired attributes in the configuration management template; and means for storing the configuration record for one or more models associated with the selected model type.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
22 words
The system as claimed in claim 12, further including: means for comparing the actual model attribute values with the configuration attribute values.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
29 words
The system as claimed in claim 13, further including: means for generating an alarm when the actual model attribute values are not the same as the configuration attribute values.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
27 words
The system as claimed in claim 12, wherein the means for creating a template includes selecting the model type and desired attributes from a pre-existing configuration record.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
17 words
The system as claimed in claim 12, further comprising: a user interface for displaying the configuration record.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
38 words
The system as claimed in claim 12, wherein the means for storing the configuration record further comprises: means for transferring the configuration record to the associated model; and means for generating an alarm when the transferring is unsuccessful.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
20 words
The system as claimed in claim 12, further including: means for transferring the configuration record to multiple associated models simultaneously.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
30 words
The system as claimed in claim 12, further including: means for verifying a configuration of a device by comparing the attribute values of the associated model and the configuration record.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
42 words
The system as claimed in claim 12, further including: means for modifying the parameters of an associated network device to be the same as the attribute values of the configuration record; and means for generating an alarm when the modifying is unsuccessful.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
34 words
The system as claimed in claim 12, further including: means for modifying the parameters of a plurality of associated network devices simultaneously to be the same as the attribute values of the configuration record.
Claim 24
Independent Claim
42 words
The system as claimed in any one of 12-21, further including: means for maintaining a schedule for initiating one or more of the means for selecting, means for comparing, means for creating, means for transferring, means for verifying and means for modifying.
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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) | 2001-11-02 | 2002-05-04 | 2002-11-03 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2005-11-02 | 2006-05-04 | 2006-11-03 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2009-11-02 | 2010-05-04 | 2010-11-03 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |