Mechanisms to identify mismatches in layer 3 configuration in a network

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016337187-A1
Application number	US-201514710903-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 13, 2015
Priority date	May 13, 2015
Publication date	Nov 17, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention include systems and methods for identifying an error in a Layer 3 network configuration. The system for identifying an error includes ports for receiving information of network Layer 3 configurations from devices that are communicatively coupled to the system through a network, where each of the network configurations includes a parameter. Embodiments of the system also include compiling the information of network configurations into one or more tables, wherein the one or more tables include a list of values for the network configuration parameter(s) and numbers of devices or interfaces that match to the list of values. In embodiments, the value that corresponds to the highest number of devices or interfaces in the table may be selected as the correct value.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An information handling system for identifying an error in a network interface configuration, comprising:
a plurality of ports, at least one or more of the plurality of ports being communicatively coupled to one or more network devices; one or more processors that are communicatively coupled to the plurality of ports; and a memory that is communicatively coupled to the one or more processors and stores one or more sequences of instructions, in which execution of the one or more sequences of instructions by at least one of the one or more processors causes steps to be performed comprising:
receiving a Layer 3 configuration parameter for one or more ports of a network device from a set of network devices, wherein each of the one or more ports is identified as being a member of a communication network;
generating a Layer 3 configuration table that comprises the Layer 3 configuration parameters and numbers of the network devices that respectively match to the Layer 3 configuration parameters; and
responsive to having more than one Layer 3 configuration parameter for a same communication network, identifying a configuration mismatch.

2 . An information handling system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the memory further comprises one or more sequences of instructions, in which execution of the one or more sequences of instructions by at least one of the one or more processors causes additional steps to be performed comprising:
assigning a vote to each of the Layer 3 configuration parameters; and using the Layer 3 configuration parameter that corresponds to a highest number of votes as a correct Layer 3 configuration parameter.

3 . An information handling system as recited in claim 2 , wherein the memory further comprises one or more sequences of instructions, in which execution of the one or more sequences of instructions by at least one of the one or more processors causes additional steps to be performed comprising:
putting the port mapped to an incorrect Layer 3 configuration parameter into an error state.

4 . An information handling system as recited in claim 2 , wherein the memory further comprises one or more sequences of instructions, in which execution of the one or more sequences of instructions by at least one of the one or more processors causes additional steps to be performed comprising:
responsive to having two or more of the Layer 3 configuration parameters tie for the highest number of votes, identifying the two or more of the interface configuration parameters as incorrect Layer 3 configuration parameters.

5 . An information handling system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the information handling system is a router and wherein the memory further comprises one or more sequences of instructions, in which execution of the one or more sequences of instructions by at least one of the one or more processors causes additional steps to be performed comprising:
sending a Layer 3 configuration parameter for a port in the router to a set of the network devices.

6 . An information handling system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the information handling system is a router and wherein the step of receiving a Layer 3 configuration parameter includes:
receiving a Layer 3 configuration parameter that is forwarded by a switch communicatively coupled to the set of network devices.

7 . An information handling system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the memory further comprises one or more sequences of instructions, in which execution of the one or more sequences of instructions by at least one of the one or more processors causes additional steps to be performed comprising:
reporting the error message to a user.

8 . An information handling system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the communication network is a virtual local area network (VLAN).

9 . An information handling system as recited in claim 1 , wherein each of the one or more ports is a pure routing port.

10 . A computer-implemented method for identifying an error in a network interface configuration, comprising:
receiving a Layer 3 configuration parameter for one or more interfaces of a network device from a set of network devices, wherein each of the one or more interfaces is identified as being a member of a communication network; generating a Layer 3 configuration table that comprises the Layer 3 configuration parameters and numbers of the network devices that respectively match to the Layer 3 configuration parameters; and responsive to having more than one Layer 3 configuration parameter for a same communication network, identifying a configuration mismatch.

11 . A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 10 , further comprising:
assigning a vote to each of the Layer 3 configuration parameters, wherein the step of identifying a configuration mismatch comprises using the Layer 3 configuration parameter that corresponds to a highest number of votes as a correct Layer 3 configuration parameter for the one or more interfaces.

12 . A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 10 , wherein the step of identifying a configuration mismatch further comprises:
assigning a vote to each of the Layer 3 configuration parameters; identifying the Layer 3 configuration parameter that corresponds to a highest number of votes as a correct Layer 3 configuration parameter; and putting an interface mapped to an incorrect Layer 3 configuration parameter into an error state.

13 . A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 10 , wherein the step of identifying a configuration mismatch further comprises:
assigning a vote to each of the Layer 3 configuration parameters; and responsive to having two or more of the Layer 3 configuration parameters that tie for a highest number of votes, identifying the two or more of the Layer 3 configuration parameters as incorrect Layer 3 configuration parameters.

14 . A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 10 , further comprising:
sending a Layer 3 configuration parameter to a set of the network devices.

15 . A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 10 , wherein the step of receiving a Layer 3 configuration parameter includes:
receiving a Layer 3 configuration parameter that is forwarded by a switch communicatively coupled to the set of network devices.

16 . A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 10 , further comprising:
reporting an error message to a user.

17 . A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 10 , wherein the communication network is a virtual local area network (VLAN).

18 . A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 10 , wherein each of the one or more interfaces is a pure routing port.

19 . A computer-implemented method for identifying a mismatch in a network interface configuration, comprising:
receiving a Layer 3 configuration parameter for a set of ports of a network device from a set of network devices, wherein each of the set of ports is identified as being a member of a virtual local area network (VLAN); generating a Layer 3 configuration table that comprises the Layer 3 configuration parameters and numbers of the network devices that respectively match the Layer 3 configuration parameters; and identifying a mismatch in the Layer 3 configuration parameters responsive to determining that two or more Layer 3 configuration parameters are assigned to a same VLAN.

20 . A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 19 further comprising:
assigning a vote to each of the

Assignees

• Dell Products Lp

Inventors

• Gopalarathnam Sudharsan Dhamal
• Sundarababu Premnath

Classifications

• H04L49/351

  for local area network [LAN], e.g. Ethernet switches · CPC title

• H04L41/0873

  Checking configuration conflicts between network elements · CPC title

• H04L41/0816 Primary

  the condition being an adaptation, e.g. in response to network events · CPC title