Automated SAN network topological diagram and point-to-point cabling creation for customers environments
A method of presenting a network architecture includes identifying two or more network devices for interconnection analysis, collecting information describing communications paths between two or more network devices, and converting the collected information into a markup language format. The method further includes generating, from the markup language format, a listing of the network devices and a listing of connections between the network devices. The method also includes instantiating, based on the listing of the network devices, one or more images depicting each of the two or more network devices. The method further includes instantiating, based on the listing of connections, one or more images depicting connections between the two or more network devices.
1. A method of presenting a network architecture, comprising:
identifying two or more network devices for interconnection analysis;
collecting information describing communications paths between two or more network devices;
converting the collected information into a markup language format;
generating, from the markup language format, a listing of the network devices and a listing of connections therebetween as a set of one or more records, each of the one or more records describing (i) a single point-to-point connection from a first network device to a second network device, (ii) a network device make and model associated with the single point-to-point connection, (iii) a network device port associated with the single point-to-point connection, (iv) a network device media type associated with the single point-to-point connection, (v) a media access control (MAC) address of the network device port associated with the single point-to-point connection;
instantiating, based on the markup language format of the listing of the network devices, one or more images depicting each of the two or more network devices; and
instantiating, based on the markup language format of the listing of connections therebetween, one or more images depicting connections between the two or more network devices.
2. The method of claim 1 , further including storing the collected information in a storage medium.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the storage medium is associated with a database.
4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the collecting information generates one or more log files.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the markup language is extensible markup language (XML).
6. The method of claim 1 , further including providing a graphical user interface upon which to instantiate the images depicting each of the two or more network devices and the images depicting connections between the two or more network devices.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein identifying two or more network devices further includes identifying one or more categories of network devices.
8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the one or more categories of network devices includes one or more of storage devices, host devices, switch devices and router devices.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein instantiating images depicting each of the two or more network devices further includes selecting the images from an image database.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein instantiating images depicting connections between the two or more network devices further includes rendering a trace from one of the two or more network devices to another of the two or more network devices, wherein the trace is characterized at least by a width.
11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the two or more network devices include components of a storage array network.
12. A tangible, non-transitory, computer readable medium for storing computer executable instructions for presenting a network architecture, with the computer executable instructions for:
identifying two or more network devices for interconnection analysis;
collecting information describing communications paths between two or more network devices;
converting the collected information into a markup language format;
generating, from the markup language format, a listing of the network devices and a listing of connections therebetween as a set of one or more records, each of the one or more records describing (i) a single point-to-point connection from a first network device to a second network device, (ii) a network device make and model associated with the single point-to-point connection, (iii) a network device port associated with the single point-to-point connection, (iv) a network device media type associated with the single point-to-point connection, and (v) a media access control (MAC) address of the network device port associated with the single point-to-point connection;
instantiating, based on the markup language format of the listing of the network devices, one or more images depicting each of the two or more network devices; and
instantiating, based on the markup language format of the listing of connections therebetween, one or more images depicting connections between the two or more network devices.
13. The tangible, non-transitory, computer readable medium of claim 12 , further including instructions for storing the collected information in a storage medium.
14. The tangible, non-transitory, computer readable medium of claim 12 , further including instructions for storing the collected information in a database system.
15. The tangible, non-transitory, computer readable medium of claim 12 , further including instructions for converting the collected information into an XML format.
16. The tangible, non-transitory, computer readable medium of claim 12 , further including instructions for providing a graphical user interface upon which to instantiate the images depicting each of the two or more network devices and the images depicting connections between the two or more network devices.
17. The tangible, non-transitory, computer readable medium of claim 12 , further including instructions for identifying one or more categories of network devices.
18. The tangible, non-transitory, computer readable medium of claim 12 , further including instructions for selecting the images from an image database.
19. The tangible, non-transitory, computer readable medium of claim 12 , further including instructions for rendering a trace from one of the two or more network devices to another of the two or more network devices, wherein the trace is characterized at least by a width.
20. The tangible, non-transitory, computer readable medium of claim 12 , further including instructions for identifying two or more storage area network components.