JP7590249B2 - NETWORK MANAGEMENT DEVICE, NETWORK MANAGEMENT SYSTEM, PROGRAM AND NETWORK MANAGEMENT METHOD - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a network management device, a network management system, a program, and a network management method.

Patent Document 1 discloses an installation device that installs a specific program on multiple computers, characterized in that the installation device has a backup data holding means for holding backup data that can be restored to the multiple computers and that includes the specific program, a setting information holding means for holding setting information of a first computer related to the multiple computers and the backup data, a difference setting information creation means for extracting differences by comparing the setting information of the first computer with the setting information of a second computer selected from the multiple computers and creating the difference setting information as difference setting information for the second computer, a restore means for restoring the backup data to the second computer, and a difference setting means for setting the difference setting information created by the difference setting information creation means to the second computer to which the backup data has been restored.

JP 2015-191344 A

The technology described in Patent Document 1 above allows for configuration of personal computers, server devices, etc. based on setting files, but it has a command system that uses a unique tree-structured command syntax, and is not suitable for network devices that perform command-based configuration.

The objective of the present invention is to provide a technology that allows for easy and accurate network management of network devices that are configured using commands that use a unique tree-structured syntax.

The present application includes a number of means for solving at least part of the above problems, examples of which are as follows. In order to solve the above problems, a network management device according to one aspect of the present invention is characterized in that it includes a parameter sheet receiving unit that receives a parameter sheet, which is a spreadsheet file containing setting values to be set in a managed network device, a configuration information acquiring unit that issues a predetermined status display command to the network device to acquire the setting values already set in the network device, a command assembling unit that reads parameters to be given to a setting value change command described using a command syntax having a tree structure from the setting values in the parameter sheet and assembles the setting value change command, a command issuing unit that issues the setting value change command, a change result verifying unit that verifies the results of the change made by the setting value change command, and a parameter sheet generating unit that generates the parameter sheet using the results verified by the change result verifying unit.

In the above network management device, the change result verification unit may use the setting value acquired by the configuration information acquisition unit as the result.

In addition, in the above network management device, when it is necessary to use the setting values that have already been set when assembling the setting value change command, the command assembly unit may assemble the command using the setting values that have already been set and that have been acquired by the configuration information acquisition unit.

The network management device may further include a storage unit that stores a configuration model that describes the command syntax according to the version of the setting value change command, and the command assembly unit may assemble the setting value change command by retrieving the configuration model according to the version of the setting value change command adopted by the network device.

In the above network management device, the configuration model may be a text file having tag information indicating the tree structure of the command syntax.

In addition, in the above network management device, the change result verification unit may receive an instruction to perform recovery processing to replace the parameters of the issued setting value change command with the setting value before the change and re-execute the command if the change result is not normal.

In addition, a network management system according to another aspect of the present invention is characterized in that it includes a parameter sheet receiving unit that receives a parameter sheet, which is a spreadsheet file including setting values to be set in a managed network device; a configuration information acquiring unit that issues a predetermined status display command to the network device to acquire the setting values already set in the network device, and acquires the set setting values; a command assembling unit that reads parameters to be given to a setting value change command described using a command syntax having a tree structure from the setting values in the parameter sheet and assembles the setting value change command; a command issuing unit that issues the setting value change command; a change result verifying unit that verifies the results of the change made by the setting value change command; and a parameter sheet generating unit that generates the parameter sheet using the results verified by the change result verifying unit.

In addition, a program according to another aspect of the present invention is a program that causes an information processing device to function as a network management device, and is characterized in that it causes a processor of the information processing device to execute a parameter sheet receiving step of receiving a parameter sheet, which is a spreadsheet file including setting values to be set in a network device to be managed, a configuration information acquiring step of issuing a predetermined status display command to the network device to acquire the setting values already set in the network device, a command assembling step of reading parameters to be given to a setting value change command described using a command syntax having a tree structure from the setting values in the parameter sheet and assembling the setting value change command, a command issuing step of issuing the setting value change command, a change result verifying step of verifying the results of the change made by the setting value change command, and a parameter sheet generating step of generating the parameter sheet using the results verified by the change result verifying step.

In addition, a network management method according to another aspect of the present invention is a network management method that causes an information processing device to function as a network management device, and is characterized in that the processor of the information processing device performs the following steps: a parameter sheet receiving step of receiving a parameter sheet, which is a spreadsheet file including setting values to be set in a network device to be managed; a configuration information acquisition step of issuing a predetermined status display command to the network device to acquire the setting values already set in the network device, and acquiring the setting values already set; a command assembly step of reading parameters to be given to a setting value change command described using a command syntax having a tree structure from the setting values in the parameter sheet and assembling the setting value change command; a command issuing step of issuing the setting value change command; a change result verification step of verifying the results of the change made by the setting value change command; and a parameter sheet generation step of generating the parameter sheet using the results verified by the change result verification step.

The present invention provides a technology that allows for easy and accurate network management of network devices that are configured using commands that use a unique tree-structured syntax. Problems, configurations, and advantages other than those described above will become clear from the description of the embodiments below.

1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of a network management system according to an embodiment of the present invention. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of the structure of data stored in a parameter pattern storage unit. FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of the structure of data stored in a configuration model storage unit; FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of a mechanism for applying a configuration model. FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of a config model structure. FIG. 2 illustrates an example of a hardware configuration of a network management device. FIG. 11 illustrates an example of a flow of a parameter setting process. FIG. 11 illustrates an example of a flow of a recovery process. FIG. 13 illustrates an example of the flow of a version update process.

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In all drawings for explaining the embodiment, the same components are generally given the same reference numerals, and repeated description will be omitted. In the following embodiment, the components (including element steps, etc.) are not necessarily essential, unless otherwise specified or considered to be obviously essential in principle. In addition, when it is said that "consists of A," "consists of A," "has A," or "includes A," it is needless to say that other elements are not excluded, except when it is specifically specified that only that element is included. Similarly, in the following embodiment, when referring to the shape, positional relationship, etc. of components, etc., it is intended to include those that are substantially similar or similar to the shape, etc., except when it is specifically specified or considered to be obviously not essential in principle.

In the following description, the input/output unit and display unit (not shown) of the network management device 100 and the information processing device 200 used by the administrator may be one or more interface devices. The one or more interface devices may be at least one of the following:
One or more I/O (Input/Output) interface devices. The I/O interface device is an interface device for at least one of the network management device 100 or the information processing device 200, which is remote from the I/O device. The I/O interface device for the network management device 100 or the information processing device 200 may be a communication interface device. The at least one I/O device may be a user interface device, for example, either an input device such as a keyboard and a pointing device, or an output device such as a display device.
One or more communication interface devices. The one or more communication interface devices may be one or more homogeneous communication interface devices (e.g., one or more NICs (Network Interface Cards)) or two or more heterogeneous communication interface devices (e.g., a NIC and an HBA (Host Bus Adapter)).

In the following description, "memory" refers to one or more memory devices, which are an example of one or more storage devices, and may typically be a primary storage device. At least one memory device in the memory may be a volatile memory device or a non-volatile memory device.

In the following description, the "storage unit" or "storage" may refer to either memory or a persistent storage device, or both. Specifically, the persistent storage device may be, for example, a hard disk drive (HDD), a solid state drive (SSD), a non-volatile memory express (NVME) drive, or a storage class memory (SCM).

In addition, in the following description, a "processing unit" or a "processor" may be one or more processor devices. At least one processor device may typically be a microprocessor device such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), but may also be other types of processor devices such as a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit). At least one processor device may be single-core or multi-core. At least one processor device may be a processor core. At least one processor device may be a broad processor device such as a circuit that is a collection of gate arrays written in a hardware description language that performs some or all of the processing (e.g., an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), a CPLD (Complex Programmable Logic Device), or an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit)).

In the following description, functions are sometimes described using the expression "yyy unit", but the functions may be realized by one or more computer programs being executed by a processor, or by one or more hardware circuits (e.g., FPGAs or ASICs), or by a combination thereof. When a function is realized by a program being executed by a processor, the function may be at least a part of the processor, since the specified processing is performed using a storage device and/or an interface device, etc., as appropriate. Processing described with a function as the subject may be processing performed by a processor or a device having the processor. A program may be installed from a program source. The program source may be, for example, a program distribution computer or a computer-readable recording medium (e.g., a non-transitory recording medium). The description of each function is an example, and multiple functions may be combined into one function, or one function may be divided into multiple functions.

In addition, in the following explanation, processing may be explained using a "program" or a "processing unit" as the subject, but processing explained using a program as the subject may also be processing performed by a processor or a device having that processor. Furthermore, two or more programs may be realized as one program, and one program may be realized as two or more programs.

In the following explanation, information that gives an output for an input may be described using expressions such as "xxx table" or "xxx memory unit", but the information may be a table of any structure, or may be a neural network that generates an output for an input, or a learning model such as a genetic algorithm or random forest. In the following explanation, the structure of each table is an example, and one table may be divided into two or more tables, or two or more tables may all or partly be one table.

In the following description, the "network management system" may be a system made up of one or more physical computers, or may be a system (e.g., a cloud computing system) implemented on a group of physical computing resources (e.g., a cloud infrastructure). When the network management system "displays" the display information, it may mean displaying the display information on a display device possessed by the computer, or the computer may send the display information to a display computer (in the latter case, the display information is displayed by the display computer).

In the following explanation, the network devices are assumed to be switches, routers, and firewalls, but are not limited to these and include any network device that has a command system that uses a unique tree-structured command syntax and performs command-based configuration.

In some cases, configuration values are defined and managed in a parameter sheet to manage the configuration of network devices. In such cases, command input is required when actually configuring the network device, and it is not easy to maintain consistency between the parameter sheet and the configuration values on the network device. For example, if the configuration value is a relative value (including cases where "decrement" or "increment" is specified), or if the command must be changed depending on the configured configuration value, a value that deviates from the parameter sheet may be set. In addition, different network devices may use different command versions, so it is not easy to maintain consistency between the parameter sheet and the configuration values on the device.

The inventors thought that if they could automate the work know-how of administrators (system engineers) into a flow, they could standardize the quality of work. To achieve this, they modeled commands (config model) and consolidated and defined various information such as tree-structured command syntax, management table format, and parameter sheet format, so that commands would be generated from parameter sheets according to the settings already configured in network devices. They also made it possible to generate commands simply by changing and adding config models, avoiding the need to design and manufacture database tables and processing modules when changing or adding command specifications.

More specifically, the information required for parameter sheets, database tables, and config parse templates is consolidated in the config model, and by assuming that the names of these change dynamically when accessed, it is possible to handle additions and changes such as command upgrades by modifying the config model.

The config model is data in a text file format that indicates the command indentation (hierarchy) and parent-child relationships of the command shell of a network device using tag information that shows a tree structure. For example, such a config model can be realized by writing in XML (Extensible Markup Language), JSON (Javascript Object Notation), or the like. Furthermore, by holding the config model in JSON format and making it available from within a program using a parser, etc., it becomes possible to use it as an object instance with actual data set, rather than simply as a template.

After changing the settings, it is necessary to verify whether the settings have been properly reflected. If this is neglected, the current settings may become unknown or may deviate from the ideal values for management. For this reason, the settings of network devices are read and output as parameter sheets for management. Again, by storing the configuration model in JSON format and making it available from within the program using a parser, etc., it is easy to store and update settings.

In addition, in the command shell of network devices, there are commands that require the old setting value to be erased and then a new value to be set when rewriting a value. However, in this case too, by including a deletion command in the config model when generating the command, it is possible to dynamically assemble it when the command is generated.

For example, a config model may include items such as general items related to the model, a model object that identifies parameters, commands to add/delete/terminate parameters, a parameter format object that specifies the format of the parameters, a choice object that lists options, dependent settings that list and specify the values of other parameters as parameters, components that list the parameters (model objects) in components when multiple parameters form a single configuration command, and child elements that specify model objects as child elements in cases where the parameters have a hierarchical structure. These examples depend on the command syntax system used by the network device, so other config models may also exist in multiple cases as long as there is no overlap in the parameter patterns.

The network management system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention can perform network management for network devices that are configured using commands that use a unique tree-structured syntax.

Fig. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a network management system according to an embodiment of the present invention. The network management system 1 includes a managed device group 99 that includes one or more network devices, routers, switches, etc. to be managed, a network management device 100 that communicates management information with the managed device group 99 via a network 10, and an information processing device 200 such as a personal computer or smartphone that serves as an interface for sending and receiving parameter sheets so as to be able to communicate with the network management device 100 via a network 20.

The parameter sheet uses a spreadsheet file (e.g., a spreadsheet such as an XLS file or an XLSX file) that is often used in spreadsheet software. However, it is not limited to this, and may be, for example, an XML file or a CSV (Comma Separated Values) file.

Networks 10 and 20 are wireless communication networks that use a specific frequency band (3.5 GHz (gigahertz) band, 4.5 GHz band, 28 GHz band, etc.) called, for example, LTE (Long Term Evolution) or 5G (five G), and communicatively connect a group of managed devices 99 to a network management device 100, and also connect the network management device 100 to an information processing device used by the administrator.

The managed device group 99, the network management device 100, and the information processing device 200 used by the administrator may be communicatively connected via a wired network (such as a LAN (Local Area Network)) taking into consideration communication stability, communication quality, security, maintenance costs, etc.

When each of the managed devices belonging to the managed device group 99 receives a specific command such as referencing, setting, changing, or deleting the setting value of the configuration information from another device, the network management device 100, via the network, it presents, sets, changes, or deletes the setting value of the configuration information according to the command. This command is, for example, a command group having a command system that uses a unique tree-structured command syntax, and may be a CLI (Command Line Interface) command used in Cisco's user EXEC mode, privileged EXEC mode, each configuration mode, etc.

The network management device 100 can log in to each of the managed devices 99 via CLI to issue commands and obtain results. The network management device 100 can also send and receive parameter sheets from the information processing device 200 using SCP (Secure Copy Protocol), FTP (File Transfer Protocol), etc.

The information processing device 200 can log in to the network management device 100 as an administrator via the network 20 and send and receive parameter sheets using FTP or the like. The information processing device 200 can also log in to the network management device 100 using terminal software and send CLI commands to the network devices in the managed device group 99.

The network management device 100 includes a memory unit 110, a processing unit 120, and a communication unit 130. The memory unit 110 includes a parameter pattern memory unit 111 and a configuration model memory unit 112.

Figure 2 is a diagram showing an example of the structure of data stored in the parameter pattern storage unit. The parameter pattern storage unit 111 stores information that specifies the parameter patterns (configuration models) of commands employed by each of the managed devices belonging to the managed device group 99. The parameter pattern storage unit 111 includes a system identifier 111a, a device type 111b, a device version 111c, and a parameter pattern 111d.

The system identifier 111a is information that identifies a managed system that belongs to the managed device group 99. The device type 111b is information that specifies the elements (such as the model of the device) that make up the managed system identified by the system identifier 111a. The device version 111c is information on the OS version related to the device type 111b of the managed device group identified by the system identifier 111a. The parameter pattern 111d is a value that specifies the parameter pattern (command syntax) adopted in the combination of the device type 111b and device version 111c of the managed device group identified by the system identifier 111a.

3 is a diagram showing an example of the structure of data stored in the configuration model storage unit. The configuration model storage unit 112 includes items such as general items 112a related to the model, a model 112b that specifies parameters, a command 112c that adds/deletes/terminates parameters, a parameter format object 112d that specifies the format of the parameters, a choice object 112e that lists options, a dependency setting 112f that lists and specifies the values of other parameters as parameters, a component 112g that lists the parameters (model objects) in a component when multiple parameters form one setting command, and a child element 112h that specifies a model object as a child element when the parameters have a hierarchical structure. Note that the storage unit 110 includes one or more configuration model storage units 112. One configuration model storage unit 112 is stored for one or more parameter patterns. In other words, if a parameter pattern is identified, the configuration model storage unit 112 is identified, but even if the configuration model storage unit 112 is identified, the parameter pattern is not necessarily uniquely identified.

Figure 4 is a diagram showing an example of a mechanism for applying a config model. A config model instance 112' is generated based on the information in the config model storage unit 112. This can be generated by dynamically allocating memory within a program via a JSON parser or the like. The parameter sheet 115a, setting value database 115b, and config parse template 115c are each generated in the version update process (described below) based on the information in the config model storage unit 112 when a config model is added.

The setting values entered in the parameter sheet 115a are read and stored in the setting value database 115b by process A, and the setting values stored in the setting value database 115b are read and incorporated into the configuration model instance 112' to generate a configuration command 115d in process B. In addition, the setting value obtained by issuing a specific status display command to the network device to obtain the setting value already set in the network device among the configuration command 115d and obtaining the already set setting value is parsed using the configuration parse template 115c in process C and stored in the setting value database 115b. The setting value stored in the setting value database 115b is then embedded in the parameter sheet 115a and output by process D. By describing the configuration model in JSON format, processes A to D in these application mechanisms can be easily realized using existing program components.

Figure 5 is a diagram showing an example of a config model structure. The config model has a hierarchical structure 116, and can indicate the multiplicity of components for each layer. The hierarchical structure 116 in Figure 5 shows that there are zero or more elements "0-1" (multiplicity N), and that its child elements include one "1-1", zero or more "1-2", zero or more pairs of "1-3" and "1-4", and zero or more "1-5". It also shows that element "1-5" has at most one child element "2-1". In this way, the config model is a text file that has tag information that indicates the tree structure of the command syntax.

Returning to the explanation of FIG. 1, the processing unit 120 includes a parameter sheet receiving unit 121, a configuration information acquiring unit 122, a command assembling unit 123, a command issuing unit 124, a change result verifying unit 125, a parameter sheet generating unit 126, and a version upgrade processing unit 127.

The parameter sheet receiving unit 121 receives a parameter sheet, which is a spreadsheet file that contains the configuration values to be set for the managed network devices.

The configuration information acquisition unit 122 issues a specific status display command to the managed network device to acquire the setting values already set in the network device.

The command assembly unit 123 reads parameters to be given to the setting value change command, which is written using a command syntax having a tree structure, from the setting values in the parameter sheet and assembles the setting value change command. Furthermore, when it is necessary to use previously set setting values when assembling the setting value change command, the command assembly unit 123 assembles the setting value change command using the previously set setting values acquired by the configuration information acquisition unit 122. Furthermore, the command assembly unit 123 assembles the setting value change command by retrieving a configuration model according to the version of the setting value change command adopted by the managed network device.

The command issuing unit 124 issues a setting value change command to the managed network device.

The change result verification unit 125 verifies the results of the changes made by the setting value change command. If the verification shows that the setting value does not match the parameter sheet (is not normal), the change result verification unit 125 prompts the information processing device 200 to perform recovery processing for the inconsistent setting value. In addition, at this time, the change result verification unit 125 uses the setting value acquired by the configuration information acquisition unit 122 as the result. Specifically, the change result verification unit 125 causes the information processing device 200 to display a message prompting it to perform recovery processing again by replacing the parameters of the issued setting value change command with the setting value before the change.

The parameter sheet generation unit 126 generates a parameter sheet having the changed setting values using the results verified by the change result verification unit 125.

The version upgrade processing unit 127 updates the configuration model when the OS or command version of a network device in the managed device group 99 is changed. Specifically, the version upgrade processing unit 127 reconfigures the parameter sheet 115a, the setting value database 115b, and the configuration parse template 115c.

The communication unit 130 communicates between the managed device group 99 and the information processing device 200 via the network 10 and the network 20, respectively.

The information processing device 200 includes a parameter sheet creation unit 210. The parameter sheet creation unit 210 refers to, creates, modifies, and deletes parameter sheets. In this embodiment, since the parameter sheet is a spreadsheet software file, the parameter sheet creation unit 210 may be spreadsheet software. Note that the information processing device 200 may use a service provided by an external institution via a cloud service or the like, as long as it can handle spreadsheet files.

Figure 6 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of a network management device. The network management device 100 is an information processing device such as a personal computer or a server device, and transmits and receives information to and from other devices via the networks 10 and 20. Note that the network management device 100 is not limited to a personal computer, and may be other devices such as a smartphone or a tablet device.

The network management device 100 includes a processor 101 such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a memory 102 such as a RAM (Random Access Memory), a storage 103 such as a hard disk or SSD (Solid State Drive), a communication device 107 such as a SIM card for LTE communication or a NIC (Network Interface Card), and a bus connecting these.

The communication device 107 is a wireless communication device that performs wireless communication via an antenna. The communication device 107 performs wireless communication with other devices connected to the network 10 and the network 20. In this embodiment, or as described above, the communication device 107 may be a wired communication device that performs wired communication with other devices via a network cable.

The above-mentioned parameter sheet receiving unit 121, configuration information acquiring unit 122, command assembling unit 123, command issuing unit 124, change result verifying unit 125, parameter sheet generating unit 126, and version upgrade processing unit 127 are realized by a program that causes the processor 101 to perform processing. This program is stored in the memory 102, and is executed by the processor 101 when it is executed.

In addition, the parameter pattern storage unit 111 and the configuration model storage unit 112 stored in the storage unit 110 are realized by the memory 102 and the storage 103.

The communication unit 130 is realized by the communication device 107. The input/output unit and display unit (not shown) of the network management device 100 may be either an I/O interface device or a communication interface device, as described above.

The above is an example of the hardware configuration of the network management device 100 in this embodiment. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the network management device 100 may be configured using other hardware. Although not shown in the figure, the network management device 100 has well-known elements such as an OS, middleware, and applications.

Furthermore, the information processing device 200 basically has the same hardware configuration as the network management device 100. Note that the parameter sheet creation unit 210 is realized by a program that causes the processor of the information processing device 200 to perform processing. This program is stored in the memory of the information processing device 200 and is executed by the processor when it is executed.

[Explanation of operation] Next, the operation of the network management device 100 in this embodiment will be explained.

Figure 7 is a diagram showing an example flow of the parameter setting process. The parameter setting process starts when the network management device 100 receives a parameter sheet from the information processing device 200 and receives a start instruction.

First, the parameter sheet reception unit 121 reads a parameter sheet (step S001). Specifically, the parameter sheet reception unit 121 identifies the network device to be managed from the system identifier, device type, and device version included in the received parameter sheet, and further identifies the parameter pattern 111d from the parameter pattern storage unit 111 and identifies the corresponding configuration model.

Then, the configuration information acquisition unit 122 collects setting information (step S002). At that time, the configuration information acquisition unit 122 issues a predetermined status display command to acquire the setting values already set in the managed network device identified in step S001, and acquires the setting values already set.

Then, the command assembly unit 123 performs the processing of steps S004 to S007 for each command in a predetermined command priority order (steps S003 and S008).

The command assembly unit 123 extracts the difference from the current setting information (step S004). Specifically, the command assembly unit 123 compares the setting information collected in step S002 with each setting value of the parameter sheet read in step S001, and identifies the setting value that has a difference. Note that if the setting value of the parameter sheet is a relative value (for example, an increment, etc.) or if it is a setting value to be deleted or initialized, the command assembly unit 123 identifies it as a setting value that has a difference.

Then, the command assembly unit 123 generates a configuration model object instance for the setting with a difference (step S005). Specifically, for the setting value with a difference identified in step S004, the command assembly unit 123 generates a configuration model object instance using a configuration model related to a command that changes the setting value.

Then, the command assembly unit 123 generates a command syntax by substituting parameters into the configuration model object instance (step S006). Specifically, the command assembly unit 123 substitutes parameters into the command syntax by setting the parameter sheet setting value into the generated configuration model object instance. At this time, if the parameter sheet setting value is a relative value (for example, increment, etc.), the command assembly unit 123 calculates and substitutes the setting value using the setting information collected in step S002 as a reference value. If a setting value has already been set, the command assembly unit 123 also generates a deletion command (initialization command) for a setting value that needs to be deleted and then reset.

Then, the command assembly unit 123 generates a command script by adding a delete command (initialization command) to the beginning and a set command to the end (step S007).

Then, the command issuing unit 124 applies the command (step S009). Specifically, the command issuing unit 124 issues a script of the command assembled by the command assembly unit 123 to the managed network device identified in step S001.

Then, the change result verification unit 125 recollects the setting information (step S010). Specifically, the change result verification unit 125 causes the configuration information acquisition unit 122 to collect setting information. The configuration information acquisition unit 122 issues a predetermined status display command to acquire the setting values already set in the managed network device identified in step S001, and acquires the setting values already set.

The change result verification unit 125 determines whether the setting value has been changed normally (step S011). Specifically, the change result verification unit 125 compares the setting information recollected in step S010 with each setting value of the parameter sheet read in step S001, and identifies setting values with differences. Note that if the setting value of the parameter sheet is a relative value (for example, an increment, etc.), or if the setting value is to be deleted or initialized, the change result verification unit 125 identifies the setting value as a setting value without differences. If the setting value has been set normally (if "Yes" is returned in step S011), the parameter sheet generation unit 126 generates a parameter sheet that reflects the new setting value, and ends the parameter setting process.

If the setting value was not set correctly (if the answer is "No" in step S011), the parameter sheet generation unit 126 generates a parameter sheet (for recovery) that reflects the setting value before the change, prepares for the recovery process described below, and ends the parameter setting process (step S012).

The above is an example of the flow of the parameter setting process. The parameter setting process allows for easy and accurate network management of network devices that are configured using commands that use a unique tree-structured syntax.

Figure 8 is a diagram showing an example of the flow of recovery processing. The recovery processing starts when the network management device 100 receives an instruction to start the recovery processing from the administrator via the information processing device 200.

First, the parameter sheet receiving unit 121 reads the parameter sheet (for recovery) (step S101). Specifically, the parameter sheet receiving unit 121 reads the parameter sheet (for recovery) generated in step S012.

Then, the configuration information acquisition unit 122 collects setting information (step S102). At that time, the configuration information acquisition unit 122 issues a predetermined status display command to acquire the setting values already set in the managed network device identified in step S001, and acquires the setting values already set.

Then, the command assembly unit 123 performs the processes of steps S104 to S107 for each command in a predetermined command priority order (steps S103 and S108).

The command assembly unit 123 extracts the difference from the current setting information (step S104). Specifically, the command assembly unit 123 compares the setting information collected in step S102 with each setting value of the parameter sheet (for recovery) read in step S101, and identifies the setting values that are different.

Then, the command assembly unit 123 generates a configuration model object instance for the setting with a difference (step S105). Specifically, for the setting value with a difference identified in step S104, the command assembly unit 123 generates a configuration model object instance using a configuration model related to a command that changes the setting value.

Then, the command assembly unit 123 generates a command syntax by substituting parameters into the configuration model object instance (step S106). Specifically, the command assembly unit 123 substitutes parameters into the command syntax by setting the setting values of the parameter sheet into the generated configuration model object instance. For setting values that have already been set and need to be deleted and then reset, the command assembly unit 123 also generates a deletion command (initialization command).

Then, the command assembly unit 123 generates a command script by adding a delete command (initialization command) to the beginning and a set command to the end (step S107).

Then, the command issuing unit 124 applies the command (step S109). Specifically, the command issuing unit 124 issues a script of the command assembled by the command assembly unit 123 to the managed network device identified in step S101.

Then, the change result verification unit 125 recollects the setting information (step S110). Specifically, the change result verification unit 125 causes the configuration information acquisition unit 122 to collect setting information. The configuration information acquisition unit 122 issues a predetermined status display command to acquire the setting values already set in the managed network device identified in step S101, and acquires the setting values already set.

The change result verification unit 125 compares the parameter sheet (step S111). Specifically, the change result verification unit 125 compares the setting information recollected in step S110 with each setting value of the parameter sheet (for recovery) read in step S101, and identifies setting values with differences. Note that if a setting value in the parameter sheet is a setting value to be deleted or initialized, the change result verification unit 125 identifies that setting value as a setting value with no differences. The parameter sheet generation unit 126 then generates a parameter sheet that reflects the recovered setting values, and ends the parameter setting process.

The above is an example of the recovery process flow. The recovery process allows for easy and accurate recovery even if there is a failure in network management.

Figure 9 shows an example of the flow of the version update process. The version update process is started in response to an instruction from an administrator when the OS or command version of a network device is changed. The version update process is primarily a process for updating the configuration model to keep up with the version upgrade.

First, the upgrade processing unit 127 reads the configuration model (JSON format) that has been modified in conjunction with the upgrade (step S201).

Then, the parameter sheet generation unit 126 generates a file of the parameter sheet 115a that reflects the modifications made in response to the changes to the tree structure of the configuration model (step S202).

Then, the version upgrade processing unit 127 generates a setting value database 115b (table) that reflects the modifications made in response to the changes to the tree structure of the configuration model (step S203).

Then, the version upgrade processing unit 127 generates a configuration parse template 115c that reflects the modifications made in response to the changes to the tree structure of the configuration model (step S204).

Then, the upgrade processing unit 127 adds a parameter pattern (step S205). Specifically, the upgrade processing unit 127 determines a new parameter pattern according to the OS and command version of the network device in response to the upgrade, and associates it with the configuration model.

The above is an example of the version update process flow. By performing the version update process, it becomes possible to support new command versions by adding a new configuration model without affecting systems that continue to use the existing version of commands. Furthermore, in this case, the only new thing that needs to be created is the command model (JSON) that corresponds to the command change, so the impact is localized and the amount of work and verification required for the response can be reduced. Furthermore, even if the version upgrade work is canceled, it can be handled by simply deleting the configuration model.

The above provides a specific description of the network management system 1 according to the embodiment, but the present invention is not limited to this embodiment and can be modified in various ways without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, the administrator sends and receives parameter sheets to the network management device 100 via the information processing device 200, but this is not limited to the above, and the parameter sheet may be operated by directly operating the network management device 100. Alternatively, the network management device 100 may be implemented as a cloud service and provide the information processing device 200 with a parameter sheet editing function via a screen.

Note that in the above embodiment, the configuration is described in detail to clearly explain the present invention, and the present invention is not necessarily limited to having all of the configurations described.

Furthermore, the above-mentioned configurations, functions, processing units, etc. may be realized in part or in whole in hardware, for example by designing them as integrated circuits. Furthermore, the control lines and information lines shown are those considered necessary for the explanation, and do not necessarily show all control lines and information lines in the product. In reality, it can be considered that almost all of the configurations are interconnected.

Furthermore, the above-mentioned configurations, functions, processing units, etc. may be realized in a distributed system by, for example, executing some or all of them on separate devices and integrating and processing them via a network.

In addition, the technical elements of the above-mentioned embodiments may be applied independently, or may be divided into multiple parts, such as program parts and hardware parts, and then applied.

The present invention has been described above, focusing on the embodiments.

1: network management system, 10, 20: network, 99: group of managed devices, 100: network management device, 110: memory unit, 111: parameter pattern memory unit, 112: configuration model memory unit, 120: processing unit, 121: parameter sheet reception unit, 122: configuration information acquisition unit, 123: command assembly unit, 124: command issuing unit, 125: change result verification unit, 126: parameter sheet generation unit, 127: version upgrade processing unit, 130: communication unit, 200: information processing device, 210: parameter sheet creation unit.

Claims (9)

a parameter sheet receiving unit that receives a parameter sheet, which is a spreadsheet file including setting values to be set in the network device to be managed;
a configuration information acquisition unit that issues a predetermined status display command to the network device to acquire the setting value that has already been set in the network device;
a command assembly unit that reads parameters to be given to a setting value change command described using a command syntax having a tree structure from the setting values in the parameter sheet and assembles the setting value change command;
a command issuing unit that issues the setting value change command;
a change result verification unit that verifies a result of the change made by the setting value change command;
a parameter sheet generating unit that generates the parameter sheet using a result verified by the change result verifying unit;
A network management device comprising: 2. The network management device according to claim 1,
the change result verification unit uses the setting value acquired by the configuration information acquisition unit as the result.
A network management device comprising: 3. A network management device according to claim 1, further comprising:
when it is necessary to use the setting value that has already been set in assembling the setting value change command, the command assembling unit assembles the setting value change command using the setting value that has already been set and that has been acquired by the configuration information acquisition unit.
A network management device comprising: A network management device according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
a storage unit that stores a configuration model that describes the command syntax according to a version of the setting value change command;
the command assembly unit assembles the setting value change command by retrieving the configuration model in accordance with a version of the setting value change command adopted by the network device;
A network management device comprising: 5. A network management device according to claim 4,
The config model is a text file having tag information indicating the tree structure of the command syntax.
A network management device comprising: A network management device according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
the change result verification unit accepts an instruction to perform a recovery process of replacing the parameters of the issued setting value change command with the setting values before the change and re-executing the recovery process if the result of the change is not normal;
A network management device comprising: a parameter sheet receiving unit that receives a parameter sheet, which is a spreadsheet file including setting values to be set in the network device to be managed;
a configuration information acquisition unit that issues a predetermined status display command to the network device to acquire the setting value that has already been set in the network device;
a command assembly unit that reads parameters to be given to a setting value change command described using a command syntax having a tree structure from the setting values in the parameter sheet and assembles the setting value change command;
a command issuing unit that issues the setting value change command;
a change result verification unit that verifies a result of the change made by the setting value change command;
a parameter sheet generating unit that generates the parameter sheet using a result verified by the change result verifying unit;
A network management system comprising: A program for causing an information processing device to function as a network management device,
A processor of the information processing device
a parameter sheet receiving step of receiving a parameter sheet which is a spreadsheet file including setting values to be set in the network device to be managed;
a configuration information acquisition step of issuing a predetermined status display command to the network device to acquire the setting value that has already been set in the network device;
a command assembling step of reading parameters to be given to a setting value change command described using a command syntax having a tree structure from the setting values in the parameter sheet and assembling the setting value change command;
a command issuing step of issuing the setting value change command;
a change result verification step of verifying a result of the change made by the setting value change command;
a parameter sheet generating step of generating the parameter sheet using a result verified by the change result verifying step;
A program for causing the user to carry out the above steps. A network management method for causing an information processing device to function as a network management device, comprising:
A processor of the information processing device
a parameter sheet receiving step of receiving a parameter sheet which is a spreadsheet file including setting values to be set in the network device to be managed;
a configuration information acquisition step of issuing a predetermined status display command to the network device to acquire the setting value that has already been set in the network device;
a command assembling step of reading parameters to be given to a setting value change command described using a command syntax having a tree structure from the setting values in the parameter sheet and assembling the setting value change command;
a command issuing step of issuing the setting value change command;
a change result verification step of verifying a result of the change made by the setting value change command;
a parameter sheet generating step of generating the parameter sheet using a result verified by the change result verifying step;
A network management method comprising:

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