Electrical computers and digital processing systems: multicomput – Network computer configuring – Initializing
Reexamination Certificate
1998-08-17
2001-06-12
Meky, Moustafa M. (Department: 2153)
Electrical computers and digital processing systems: multicomput
Network computer configuring
Initializing
C709S220000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06247049
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of configuring computer networks.
2. Related Art
Currently, the design and configuration of computer networks, particularly wide area networks, is a long and complex procedure requiring specialist trained staff. For a complex network, it may take a specialist several weeks to design an appropriate solution for the customer's requirements, and to produce a fully costed recommendation. The customer is often not in a position to give approval until the fully costed recommendation has been received, and if at that stage the customer requests amendments to the design there may be significant delays before the designer can produce a revised proposal. Since each iteration/redesign may take several weeks, it will be understood that the entire process between the initial customer's query and the implementation of the final solution may take some considerable time.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the present invention there is provided a method of configuring a computer network, comprising the steps of:
(a) selecting a plurality of symbol objects, each symbol object being an object-based computer representation, having settable attributes, of a physical element in a computer network;
(b) defining associations between the selected symbol objects to produce an initial network configuration; and
(c) applying predefined rules to the selected symbol objects in the initial network configuration, the rules being arranged to alter the settable attributes of the symbol objects dependent upon predefined rule conditions, thereby automatically selecting specific hardware for the physical elements and updating the network configuration;
(d) reapplying the rules to the updated network configuration; and
(e) repeating step (d) until the network configuration becomes stable.
The symbol objects are preferably represented by display icons on screen, so that the selection of symbol objects and the defining of associations between objects may be effected by on-screen manipulation of the display icons.
The predefined rules, applied to the current configuration as displayed on screen, may update the object attributes which may in itself alter the on-screen display. This may be repeated for as many passes as may be necessary, until the configuration stablises.
Depending upon the complexity of the rules, the network configuration should rapidly converge to a self-consistent representation which will, by definition, be compatible with the user's requirements. Those user's requirements may be set initially by way of permanent object attributes, with the rules acting only on dynamic object attributes. Alternatively, the user may be permitted to set dynamic attributes manually as well, and a locking mechanism may be provided to prevent the firing of any rules which would alter an attribute that the user wishes to specify as remaining fixed.
In its preferred form, the method allows a model to be constructed which is capable of representing a computer network on several levels, for example both a WAN (Wide Area Network) and the LANs (Local Area Networks) at each physical site of the WAN. The user may set appropriate connections, defining the way in which the LANs talk to the WAN.
The invention in its broadest form further extends to software embodying a method as described above, or as set out in the claims. The invention further extends to a computer-readable media, such as disk or a CD-ROM, carrying such software.
In its preferred form, the present invention links graphics into a knowledge base (an external database), using a rule-based language which can act directly on the object model. Hence, the user can actually control functionality through screen icons. The preferred implementation is in the Lisp language, allowing the user full access to the power of the Common Lisp Object System.
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British Telecommunications public limited company
Meky Moustafa M.
Nixon & Vanderhye P.C.
Trim Nkosi N
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