Common synchronization of device command into multiple synchronized single device tasks

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2023027999-A1
Application number	US-202117509438-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 25, 2021
Priority date	Jul 22, 2021
Publication date	Jan 26, 2023
Grant date	—

Abstract

Methods are provided for synchronizing task execution and/or data collection on multiple network devices. The methods involve obtaining a command to be executed on a plurality of target network devices and splitting the command into a plurality of single device execution tasks. Each single device execution task is for a respective network device of the plurality of target network devices. The methods further involve providing each of the plurality of single device execution tasks, via a command line interface or an application programming interface, to a respective one of the plurality of target network devices. The plurality of single device execution tasks being provided within a bounded time interval.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method comprising:
obtaining a command to be executed on a plurality of target network devices; splitting the command into a plurality of single device execution tasks, each for a respective network device of the plurality of target network devices; and providing each of the plurality of single device execution tasks, via a command line interface or an application programming interface, to a respective one of the plurality of target network devices, the plurality of single device execution tasks being provided within a bounded time interval.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
establishing a communication channel to each of the plurality of target network devices, wherein at least one communication channel is established using a different protocol than used on another communication channel.

3 . The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
halting providing one of the plurality of single device execution tasks until the communication channel is established with each of the plurality of target network devices.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the command includes a plurality of parameters that are to be collected by the plurality of target network devices, and further comprising:
obtaining the plurality of parameters that are output by the plurality of target network devices, the plurality of parameters being generated by the plurality of target network devices performing the plurality of single device execution tasks substantially simultaneously.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein obtaining the command to be executed on the plurality of target network devices includes:
obtaining, from a client device, a request comprising a list of the plurality of target network devices that are to execute the command and an execution timeout that defines the bounded time interval.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the command includes a marker indicating that execution is to be synchronized among the plurality of target network devices, and further comprising:
storing the plurality of single device execution tasks into a plurality of device queues such that each of the plurality of device queues is dedicated to a respective network device from the plurality of target network devices.

7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the plurality of single device execution tasks are placed at an end of the plurality of device queues, and further comprising:
based on detecting that a first single device execution task from the plurality of single device execution tasks reached a front of a first device queue among the plurality of device queues, halting providing, to a first network device from the plurality of target network devices, the first single device execution task until remaining ones of the plurality of single device execution tasks reach a front of remaining ones of the plurality of device queues.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein providing each of the plurality of single device execution tasks includes:
substantially simultaneously dispatching the plurality of single device execution tasks to the plurality of target network devices for synchronous execution of the plurality of single device execution tasks on the plurality of target network devices.

9 . An apparatus comprising:
a memory; a network interface configured to enable network communications; and a processor, wherein the processor is configured to perform operations comprising:
obtaining a command to be executed on a plurality of target network devices;
splitting the command into a plurality of single device execution tasks, each for a respective network device of the plurality of target network devices; and
providing each of the plurality of single device execution tasks, via a command line interface or an application programming interface, to a respective one of the plurality of target network devices, the plurality of single device execution tasks being provided within a bounded time interval.

10 . The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the processor is further configured to perform an additional operation comprising:
establishing a communication channel to each of the plurality of target network devices, at least one communication channel is established using a different protocol than used on another communication channel.

11 . The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the processor is further configured to perform another additional operation comprising:
halting providing one of the plurality of single device execution tasks until the communication channel is established with each of the plurality of target network devices.

12 . The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the command includes a plurality of parameters that are to be collected by the plurality of target network devices, and the processor is further configured to perform an additional operation comprising:
obtaining the plurality of parameters that are output by the plurality of target network devices, the plurality of parameters being generated by the plurality of target network devices performing the plurality of single device execution tasks substantially simultaneously.

13 . The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the processor is configured to perform obtaining the command to be executed on the plurality of target network devices by:
obtaining, from a client device, a request comprising a list of the plurality of target network devices that are to execute the command and an execution timeout that defines the bounded time interval.

14 . The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the command includes a marker indicating that execution is to be synchronized among the plurality of target network devices, and the processor is further configured to perform an additional operation comprising:
storing the plurality of single device execution tasks into a plurality of device queues such that each of the plurality of device queues is dedicated to a respective network device from the plurality of target network devices.

15 . The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the plurality of single device execution tasks are placed at an end of the plurality of device queues, and the processor is further configured to perform an additional operation comprising:
based on detecting that a first single device execution task from the plurality of single device execution tasks reached a front of a first device queue among the plurality of device queues, halting providing, to a first network device from the plurality of target network devices, the first single device execution task until remaining ones of the plurality of single device execution tasks reach a front of remaining ones of the plurality of device queues.

16 . One or more non-transitory computer readable storage media encoded with instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to execute a method comprising:
obtaining a command to be executed on a plurality of target network devices; splitting the command into a plurality of single device execution tasks, each for a respective network device of the plurality of target network devices; and providing each of the plurality of single device execution tasks, via a command line interface or an application programming interface, to a respective one of the plurality of target network devices, the plurality of single device execution tasks being provided within a bounded time interval.

17 . The one or more non-transitory computer readable storage media of claim 16 , wherein the method further comprises:
establishing a communication channel to each of the plurality of target network devi

Assignees

• Cisco Tech Inc

Inventors

• Detienne Frédéric René Philippe
• Kupisiewicz Piotr Jerzy
• Honoré Alexandre
• Slenders Jonathan Maria Jan

Classifications

• H04L41/22 Primary

  comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI] · CPC title

• H04L67/1095 Primary

  Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes · CPC title