Resource configuration change management

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9391802-B2
Application number	US-201514755682-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 30, 2015
Priority date	Jun 30, 2011
Publication date	Jul 12, 2016
Grant date	Jul 12, 2016

Abstract

Prior to a first configuration change of a first resource, such as a network resource of a network, a processor determines a first performance metric of a second resource, such as a second network resource of the network. The first configuration change does not result in complete failure or fault of the second resource. Subsequent to the first configuration change of the first resource, the processor determines a second performance metric of the second resource and compares the second performance metric to at least one of the first performance metric and a service objective to yield comparison results. Based on the comparison results, the processor can cause a second configuration change of the first resource. The second configuration change of the first resource can revert a configuration of the first resource to its state prior to the first configuration change.

First claim

We claim:

1. A method comprising:
only in response to a user indicating that a first configuration change is to be made to a first network resource and not to a second resource, determining before the first configuration change is made to the first network resource and not to the second resource, a first performance metric of only the second network resource of a network prior to the first configuration change, such that the first performance metric is not determined until the user has indicated that the first configuration change is to be made, and determining, after the first configuration change has been made and then after purposefully waiting for a length of time, a second performance metric of only the second network resource subsequent to the first configuration change of the first network resource;
comparing the second performance metric to at least one of a service objective and the first performance metric to yield comparison results; and
based on the comparison results, performing one of:
maintaining the first configuration change of the first network resource;
causing a second configuration change of the first network resource,

wherein the first configuration change does not result in complete failure or fault of the second network resource, wherein the second network resource is not a subject of the first configuration change,
wherein the comparison results indicate whether the second network resource has been adversely affected as a result of the first configuration change to just the first network resource,
wherein the first network resource is part of a different device than the second network resource,
and wherein determining the first performance metric responsive to the user indicating that the first configuration change is to be made and determining the second performance metric subsequent to the first configuration change permits determination of whether the second network resource has been adversely affected as a result of the first configuration change.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining the service objective associated with the second network resource; and
comparing the second performance metric to both the first performance metric and the service objective to yield the comparison results.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
maintaining the first configuration change of the first network resource where the second performance metric better satisfies the service objective than the first performance metric does; and
causing the second configuration change of the first network resource where the second performance metric does not better satisfy the service objective than the first performance metric does.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
maintaining the first configuration change of the first network resource where the second performance metric is better than the first performance metric; and
causing the second configuration change of the first network resource where the second performance metric is worse than the first performance metric.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second configuration change of the first network resource reverts a configuration of the first network resource to a state prior to the first configuration change having been made.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
explicitly and just in response to a user indicating that the first configuration change should be performed, automatically and without user interaction determining the first performance metric prior to permitting the first configuration change to be applied.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
subsequent and responsive to, and commencing at a time of, the first configuration change of the first network resource, purposefully waiting for a predetermined length of time, prior to determining the second performance metric of the second network resource.

8. A computer program product comprising:
a computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable code embodied therein, the computer-readable code executable by a processor, the computer-readable code comprising:
first computer-readable code to, only in response to a user indicating that a first configuration change is to be made to a first network resource and not to a second resource, determine before the first configuration change is made to the first network resource and not to the second resource, a first performance metric of only the second network resource of a network prior to the first configuration change, such that the first performance metric is not determined until the user has indicated that the first configuration change is to be made, and to determine, after the first configuration change has been made and then after purposefully waiting for a length of time, a second performance metric of only the second network resource subsequent to the first configuration change of the first network resource; and

second computer-readable code to compare the second performance metric to at least one of a service objective and the first performance metric to yield comparison results, and to based on the comparison results perform one of:
maintain the first configuration change of the first network resource;
cause a second configuration change of the first network resource,

wherein the first configuration change does not result in complete failure or fault of the second network resource, wherein the second network resource is not a subject of the first configuration change,
wherein the comparison results indicate whether the second network resource has been adversely affected as a result of the first configuration change to just the first network resource, wherein the first network resource is part of a different device than the second network resource,
and wherein determination of the first performance metric responsive to the user indicating that the first configuration change is to be made and determining the second performance metric subsequent to the first configuration change permits determination of whether the second network resource has been adversely affected as a result of the first configuration change.

9. The computer program product of claim 8 , wherein the processor is part of a device other than the first network resource and the second network resource.

10. The computer program product of claim 8 , wherein the second computer-readable code is further to determine the service objective associated with the second network resource, and is further to compare the second performance metric to both the first performance metric and the service objective to yield the comparison results.

11. The computer program product of claim 8 , wherein the second computer-readable code is to maintain the first configuration change of the first network resource where the second performance metric better satisfies the service objective than the first performance metric does,
and wherein the second computer-readable code is to cause the second configuration change of the first network resource where the second performance metric does not better satisfy the service objective than the first performance metric does.

12. The computer program product of claim 8 , wherein the second computer-readable code is to maintain the first configuration change of the first network resource where the second performance metric is better than the first performance metric,
and wherein the second computer-readable code is to cause the second configuration change of the first network resource where the second performance metric is worse than the first performance metric.

13. The computer program product of claim 8 , wherein t

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• George Randy
• Stern Edith H
• Tindal Glen

Classifications

• H04L41/085

  Retrieval of network configuration; Tracking network configuration history · CPC title

• H04L12/4641 Primary

  Virtual LANs, VLANs, e.g. virtual private networks [VPN] (LAN interconnection over a bridge based backbone H04L12/462; encapsulation techniques H04L12/4633; routing of packets H04L45/00; packet switches H04L49/00; virtual private networks for security H04L63/0272) · CPC title

• H04L41/0813

  characterised by the conditions triggering a change of settings · CPC title