Batch configuration mode for configuring network devices

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9367298-B1
Application number	US-201213432706-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Mar 28, 2012
Priority date	Mar 28, 2012
Publication date	Jun 14, 2016
Grant date	Jun 14, 2016

Abstract

In general, techniques are described for a batch configuration mode for configuring network devices. A network device comprising a committed data source and a control unit may implement the techniques. The control unit may receive a plurality of separate commit commands instructing the network device to commit configuration changes to the committed data source. Each of the plurality of commit commands instructs the network device to commit an associated portion of the configuration changes to the committed data source. The control unit then groups two or more of the plurality of separate commit commands to form a batch of commit commands and executes the batch of commit commands to commit the portions of the configuration changes associated with the grouped commit commands to the committed data source as if the grouped portions of the configuration changes were associated with a single commit command.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
establishing, with a network device, a plurality of sessions with a plurality of clients by which to receive a plurality of commands to configure a committed data source that stores current configuration data for the network device;
for each of the plurality of clients, creating, with the network device, a private data source from the committed data source in response to the commands, the private data source storing a separate copy of the current configuration data for the network device;
storing, with the network device, the configuration changes to the corresponding one of the private data sources,
receiving, with the network device, a plurality of separate commit commands via at least two or more of the plurality of sessions associated with two or more of the plurality of clients, the plurality of separate commit commands each instructing the network device to commit an associated portion of the configuration changes stored to the corresponding one of the private data sources to the committed data source;
grouping, with the network device, the portions of the configuration changes associated with the plurality of separate commit commands to form a batch job; and
executing the batch job to, at least in part, merge the portions of the configuration changes stored to those of the private data sources associated with plurality of separate commit commands into the committed data source as if the grouped portions of the configuration changes were associated with a single commit command.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
prior to receiving the plurality of commit commands, receiving a command to configure the network device to operate in a batch configuration mode for each of the plurality of sessions,
wherein receiving the plurality of separate commit commands comprises receiving the plurality of separate commit commands when the network device is configured to operate the batch configuration mode for each of the two or more of the plurality of sessions.

3. The method of claim 1 ,
wherein storing the configuration changes comprises storing the configuration changes to the corresponding one of the private data sources such that the private data sources store updated configuration data, and
wherein the method further comprises:
responsive to receiving the plurality of commit commands, determining a difference between the updated configuration data stored to each of the private data sources associated with the plurality of sessions and the current configuration data;
generating a plurality of patch files based on the determined differences between the updated configuration data stored to each of the private data sources and the current configuration data; and
storing the plurality of patch files to a commit queue,
wherein grouping the portions of the configuration changes associated with the plurality of separate commit commands to form the batch job comprises grouping the plurality of patch files together to form a batch patch file, and
wherein executing the batch job to, at least in part, merge the portions of the configuration changes comprises applying the batch patch file to the committed data source to commit the portions of the configuration changes associated with the plurality of separate commit commands to the committed data source.

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising receiving a configuration command specifying a maximum number of patch files to be grouped together when forming the batch patch file,
wherein grouping the two or more of the plurality of patch files comprises grouping the two or more of the plurality of patch files together to form the batch patch file such that the no more than the specified maximum number of patch files are grouped together to form the batch patch file.

5. The method of claim 3 , further comprising:
determining whether the execution of the batch of commit commands resulted in a commit error;
in response to the determination that the execution of the commit commands resulted in the commit error, removing any of the portions of the configuration changes committed to the committed data source prior to the commit error, associating each of the two or more of the plurality of patch files with a flag that indicates each of the two or more of the plurality of patch files are to be separately committed to the committed data source and storing each of two or more of the plurality of patch files to the commit queue.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving a configuration command specifying an asynchronous mode of execution for the batch of commit commands,
wherein executing the batch of commit commands to, at least in part, merge the portions of the configuration changes comprises executing the batch of commit commands in accordance with the asynchronous mode such that control is returned to a client prior to the completion of committing the portions of the configuration changes associated with the grouped plurality of separate commit commands to the committed data source.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving a configuration command specifying an synchronous mode of execution for the batch of commit commands,
wherein executing the batch of commit commands to, at least in part, merge the portions of the configuration changes comprises executing the batch of commit commands in accordance with the synchronous mode such that control is not returned to a client until all of the portions of the configuration changes associated with the grouped plurality of separate commit commands have been committed to the committed data source.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, prior to receiving each of the plurality of separate commit commands, receiving a configure batch command instructing the network device to enter a batch configuration mode in which any subsequent commands received after the configure batch command specify the portions of the configuration changes associated with the plurality of separate commit commands.

9. A network device comprising:
a committed data source that stores current configuration data for the network device; and
a control unit that establishes a plurality of sessions with a plurality of clients by which to receive a plurality of commands to configure a committed data source that stores current configuration data for a network device, and for each of the plurality of clients, creates a private data source from the committed data source in response to the commands, the private data source storing a separate copy of the current configuration data for the network device, stores the configuration changes to the corresponding one of the private data sources, and receives a plurality of separate commit commands via at least two or more of the plurality of sessions associated with two or more of the plurality of clients, the plurality of separate commit commands each instructing the network device to commit an associated portion of the configuration changes stored to the corresponding one of the private data sources to the committed data source, and
wherein the control unit groups the plurality of separate commit commands to form a batch of commit commands, wherein the batch of commit commands instructs the network device to commit the portions of the configuration changes associated with the grouped plurality of separate commit commands to the committed data source and executes the batch of commit commands to, at least in part, merge the portions of the configuration changes stored to those of the private data sources associated with the plurality of separate commit commands into the committed data source as if the grouped portions of the configuration changes wer

Assignees

• Eng Wing
• Sankar Sri Ram
• Mahajan Pallavi
• Juniper Networks Inc

Inventors

• Eng Wing
• Sankar Sri Ram
• Mahajan Pallavi

Classifications

• G06F8/71

  Version control (security arrangements therefor G06F21/57); Configuration management · CPC title

• G06F8/65 Primary

  Updates (security arrangements therefor G06F21/57) · CPC title

• G06F9/44505

  Configuring for program initiating, e.g. using registry, configuration files · CPC title