Vendor-independent network configuration tool

• Main Authors: PUSATERI THOMAS J, HUBBARD CHARLES KEITH
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 11.01.2011
• Subjects: CALCULATING; COMPUTING; COUNTING; ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING; PHYSICS

Techniques are described for managing and configuring network devices from a plurality of vendors with a single network configuration tool. This vendor-independent network configuration tool may extract configuration information stored to devices from disparate vendors, and parse tags from extracted configuration information. Each tag defines a configuration property. The tool may further analyze the tags to determine relationships and present configuration information based primarily on the determined relationship and only secondarily on the devices. The tool may also perform analysis on the tags to detect one or more errors or configuration inconsistencies, as well as, update or change tags, which causes the tool to push any changes to the appropriate device. Furthermore, the tool by automatically share information related to the above described steps with other vendor-independent network configuration tools to more quickly propagate efficient extraction and updating techniques.