US6895414B2
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Method and apparatus for authorizing and reporting changes to device configurations
Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property II LP
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Filing: 2001-09-12
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Granted: 2005-05-17
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Expires: 2021-09-12
Abstract
Abstract A method and apparatus for tracking and reporting changes to configuration files as part of an overall system auditing function and as a measure of efficiency of change review board procedures. Changes in configuration of network devices made by submitters of such changes are recorded in a separate repository and, at appropriate intervals, forwarded to network administrators and subject matter experts both to verify the correctness of the literal change and to confirm that the changes have been previously approved.
Inventors
- 👤 Tobias Ford
- 👤 Greg Hayes
- 👤 Erik Dahl
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-08 23:10
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04L; H04L43/00; H04L41/00; H04L41/02; H04L41/0246; H04L41/0253; H04L41/026; H04L41/04; H04L41/046; H04L41/08; H04L41/085; H04L41/0853; H04L41/0866; H04L41/0869; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S707/00; Y10S707/99951; Y10S707/99952; Y10S707/99953; Y10S707/99954
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 5
Claim 1
Independent Claim
112 words
A method for authorizing and reporting configuration changes to devices in a network, the method comprising the steps of: accepting a change request specifying a device in the network and a proposed configuration change to the device; receiving notification when configuration files for devices in the network have been edited; writing configuration files to a version control repository; determining the version differences engendered by the editing of the configuration files; creating an HTML page visually depicting the version differences; and sending an email message with a URL referencing the HTML page, the recipients of the email message determined by consulting a lookup table mapping the names of configuration files to email addresses.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
112 words
A method for authorizing and reporting configuration changes to devices in a network, the method comprising the steps of: accepting a change request specifying a device in the network and a proposed configuration change to the device; receiving notification when configuration files for devices in the network have been edited; writing configuration files to a version control repository; determining the version differences engendered by the editing of the configuration files; creating an HTML page visually depicting the version differences; and sending an email message with a URL referencing the HTML page, the recipients of the email message determined by consulting a lookup table mapping the names of configuration files to email addresses.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
29 words
The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of: restoring a prior configuration in response to a request denying approval for a change request thereby effecting a rollback.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
20 words
The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of: certifying a change by tagging the change procedure as approved.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
35 words
The method of claim 1 comprising the step of: ascertaining that the email message containing version differences is sent to subject matter expert for the device configuration to be changed and to the system administrate.
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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) | 2008-05-16 | 2008-11-15 | 2009-05-17 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2012-05-16 | 2012-11-15 | 2013-05-17 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2016-05-16 | 2016-11-15 | 2017-05-17 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |