Deployment and upgrade of network devices in a network environment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016112252-A1
Application number	US-201414515365-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 15, 2014
Priority date	Oct 15, 2014
Publication date	Apr 21, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method for deployment and upgrade of network devices in a network environment includes comparing configuration settings executing on a switch with settings in a configuration file downloaded to the switch from a central configuration server in the network, identifying a difference between the configuration settings executing on the switch and the settings in the configuration file, synchronizing the difference by updating the configuration file at the configuration server if a sync up operation is selected, and synchronizing the difference by updating the configuration settings executing on the switch if a sync down operation is selected. The sync up operation can comprise updating the configuration file in its entirety; updating a template derived output appended to the configuration file; updating template instance variables feeding into the configuration file; and updating a template used to generate the configuration file.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method executed by a hardware processor of a switch in a network environment, comprising:
comparing configuration settings executing on the switch with settings in a configuration file downloaded to the switch from a central configuration server in the network; identifying a difference between the configuration settings executing on the switch and the settings in the configuration file; synchronizing the difference by updating the configuration file at the configuration server if a sync up operation is selected; and synchronizing the difference by updating the configuration settings executing on the switch if a sync down operation is selected.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the selection for the sync up operation and the sync down operation is specified in a script file downloaded to the switch from a script server.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the sync up operation comprises updating the configuration file in its entirety at the configuration server.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the sync up operation comprises updating a template derived output appended to the configuration file at the configuration server.

5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein configuration file without the appended template derived output is pushed to other switches in the network.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the sync up operation comprises updating template instance variables feeding into the configuration file at the configuration server.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the sync up operation comprises updating a template used to generate the configuration file at the configuration server.

8 . The method of claim 7 , further comprising generating the template based on the configuration settings executing on the switch.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the updated configuration file according to the sync up operation is pushed to other switches in the network environment.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the comparing is performed periodically according to a predetermined schedule.

11 . One or more non-transitory tangible media that includes instructions for execution, which when executed by a processor of a switch, is operable to perform operations comprising:
comparing configuration settings executing on the switch with settings in a configuration file downloaded to the switch from a central configuration server in the network; identifying a difference between the configuration settings executing on the switch and the settings in the configuration file; synchronizing the difference by updating the configuration file at the configuration server if a sync up operation is selected; and synchronizing the difference by updating the configuration settings executing on the switch if a sync down operation is selected.

12 . The media of claim 11 , wherein the sync up operation comprises updating the configuration file in its entirety at the configuration server.

13 . The media of claim 11 , wherein the sync up operation comprises updating a template derived output appended to the configuration file at the configuration server.

14 . The media of claim 11 , wherein the sync up operation comprises updating template instance variables feeding into the configuration file at the configuration server.

15 . The media of claim 11 , wherein the sync up operation comprises updating a template used to generate the configuration file at the configuration server.

16 . An apparatus, comprising:
a memory element for storing data; and a processor operable to execute instructions associated with the data, wherein the processor and the memory element cooperate, such that the apparatus is configured for:
comparing configuration settings executing on the apparatus with settings in a configuration file downloaded to the apparatus from a central configuration server in the network;
identifying a difference between the configuration settings executing on the apparatus and the settings in the configuration file;
synchronizing the difference by updating the configuration file at the configuration server if a sync up operation is selected; and
synchronizing the difference by updating the configuration settings executing on the apparatus if a sync down operation is selected.

17 . The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the sync up operation comprises updating the configuration file in its entirety at the configuration server.

18 . The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the sync up operation comprises updating a template derived output appended to the configuration file at the configuration server.

19 . The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the sync up operation comprises updating template instance variables feeding into the configuration file at the configuration server.

20 . The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the sync up operation comprises updating a template used to generate the configuration file at the configuration server.

Assignees

• Cisco Tech Inc

Inventors

• Notari Jason David

Classifications

• H04L41/082 Primary

  the condition being updates or upgrades of network functionality · CPC title

• H04L67/10

  in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network (software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46) · CPC title

• H04L41/0843

  based on generic templates · CPC title

• H04L41/0889

  Techniques to speed-up the configuration process · CPC title