IP Library Granted Patent US 11,561,880
Granted Patent B2
US 11,561,880 · App. 16/804,921 · Granted Jan 24, 2023

Method to analyze impact of a configuration change to one device on other connected devices in a data center

Inventors: Parminder Singh Sethi (Ludhiana, IN); Sathish Kumar Bikumala (Round Rock, TX)
Assignee: Dell Products L.P.
G06F11/3495G06F9/44505G06F11/3006G06F11/3051G06F11/328H04L41/08H04L41/0873
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,561,880
App. No.
16/804,921
Granted
Jan 24, 2023
Kind
B2
Abstract

Various systems and methods are provided for analyzing the effect(s) that a configuration change to one device has on other connected devices. In one embodiment, the disclosed functionality includes determining connectivity information associated with a data center, where the data center comprises at least a first device and a second device; discovering one or more changes to a configuration of the first device; determining, based at least in part on the connectivity information, that the second device is impacted by the one or more changes to the configuration of the first device; and determining one or more impacts to the second device as a result of the one or more changes, where each of the one or more impacts indicates a positive impact to the second device, a negative impact to the second device, or no impact to the second device.

Claims (115)

1. A method comprising:

determining connectivity information associated with a data center, wherein

the data center comprises a plurality of connected devices, and

the plurality of connected devices comprises at least a first device and a second device;

discovering one or more changes to a configuration of the first device;

determining that the second device is impacted by the one or more changes to the configuration of the first device, wherein

the second device is connected to the first device, and

the determining that the second device is impacted is based, at least in part, on the connectivity information; and

determining one or more impacts to the second device as a result of the one or more changes, wherein

each of the one or more impacts indicates that at least one of the following occurred as a result of the one or more changes:

a positive impact to the second device,

a negative impact to the second device, or

no impact to the second device.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the connectivity information comprises port-level connectivity information.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein

determining that the second device is impacted comprises analyzing the port-level connectivity information.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising

determining one or more current key-value pairs related to the second device, wherein

each of the one or more current key-value pairs comprises a value that was determined subsequent to the one or more changes to the configuration of the first device, and

determining one or more previous key-value pairs from a previous configuration of the second device that was known to be working, wherein

each of the one or more previous key-value pairs comprises a value that was determined prior to the one or more changes being made to the configuration of the first device.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein:

the determining the one or more impacts comprises comparing each of the one or more current key-value pairs to a corresponding one of the one or more previous key-value pairs to determine a plurality of results of the analyzing, wherein

the plurality of results of the analyzing indicates, for each current key-value pair, that the change had one of:

a positive impact on the second device,

a negative impact on the second device, or

no impact on the second device.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:

generating a plurality of lists of impacts to the second device, wherein

the plurality of lists comprises a list of positive impacts and a list of negative impacts,

the list of positive impacts comprises information about one or more positive impacts to the second device as a result of any of the one or more changes to the configuration of the first device, and

the list of negative impacts comprises information about one or more negative impacts to the second device as a result of any of the one or more changes to the configuration of the first device; and

displaying at least a portion of the list of positive impacts and at least a portion of the list of negative impacts.

7. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:

subsequent to the determining one or more impacts to the second device as a result of the one or more changes, performing at least one remedial measure, wherein

the at least one remedial measure is identified based, at least in part, on the results.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the plurality of connected devices comprises at least one device that is connected to the first device but was not impacted by any of the one or more changes to the configuration of the first device.

9. A computing device comprising:

one or more processors; and

one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media to store instructions executable by the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

determining connectivity information associated with a data center, wherein

the data center comprises a plurality of connected devices, and

the plurality of connected devices comprises at least a first device and a second device;

discovering one or more changes to a configuration of the first device;

determining that the second device is impacted by the one or more changes to the configuration of the first device, wherein

the second device is connected to the first device, and

the determining that the second device is impacted is based, at least in part, on the connectivity information; and

determining one or more impacts to the second device as a result of the one or more changes, wherein

each of the one or more impacts indicates that at least one of the following occurred as a result of the one or more changes:

a positive impact to the second device,

a negative impact to the second device, or

no impact to the second device.

10. The computing device of claim 8 , wherein

the connectivity information comprises port-level connectivity information; and

determining that the second device is impacted comprises analyzing the port-level connectivity information.

11. The computing device of claim 9 , wherein the operations further comprise:

determining one or more current key-value pairs related to the second device, wherein

each of the one or more current key-value pairs comprises a value that was determined subsequent to the one or more changes to the configuration of the first device, and

determining one or more previous key-value pairs from a previous configuration of the second device that was known to be working, wherein

each of the one or more previous key-value pairs comprises a value that was determined prior to the one or more changes being made to the configuration of the first device.

12. The computing device of claim 11 , wherein

the determining the one or more impacts comprises comparing each of the one or more current key-value pairs to a corresponding one of the one or more previous key-value pairs to determine a plurality of results of the analyzing, wherein

the plurality of results of the analyzing indicates, for each current key-value pair, that the change had one of:

a positive impact on the second device,

a negative impact on the second device, or

no impact on the second device.

13. The computing device of claim 12 , wherein the operations further comprise:

generating a plurality of lists of impacts to the second device, wherein

the plurality of lists comprises a list of positive impacts and a list of negative impacts,

the list of positive impacts comprises information about one or more positive impacts to the second device as a result of any of the one or more changes to the configuration of the first device, and

the list of negative impacts comprises information about one or more negative impacts to the second device as a result of any of the one or more changes to the configuration of the first device;

displaying at least a portion of the list of positive impacts and at least a portion of the list of negative impacts; and

subsequent to the determining one or more impacts to the second device as a result of the one or more changes, performing at least one remedial measure, wherein

the at least one remedial measure is identified based, at least in part, on the results.

14. The computing device of claim 9 , wherein

the plurality of connected devices comprises at least one device that is connected to the first device but was not impacted by any of the one or more changes to the configuration of the first device.

15. One or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media to store instructions executable by one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

determining connectivity information associated with a data center, wherein

the data center comprises a plurality of connected devices, and

the plurality of connected devices comprises at least a first device and a second device;

discovering one or more changes to a configuration of the first device;

determining that the second device is impacted by the one or more changes to the configuration of the first device, wherein

the second device is connected to the first device, and

the determining that the second device is impacted is based, at least in part, on the connectivity information; and

determining one or more impacts to the second device as a result of the one or more changes, wherein

each of the one or more impacts indicates that at least one of the following occurred as a result of the one or more changes:

a positive impact to the second device,

a negative impact to the second device, or

no impact to the second device.

16. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 15 , wherein

the connectivity information comprises port-level connectivity information; and

determining that the second device is impacted comprises analyzing the port-level connectivity information.

17. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 15 , wherein the operations further comprise:

determining one or more current key-value pairs related to the second device, wherein

each of the one or more current key-value pairs comprises a value that was determined subsequent to the one or more changes to the configuration of the first device, and

determining one or more previous key-value pairs from a previous configuration of the second device that was known to be working, wherein

each of the one or more previous key-value pairs comprises a value that was determined prior to the one or more changes being made to the configuration of the first device.

18. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 17 , wherein

the determining the one or more impacts comprises comparing each of the one or more current key-value pairs to a corresponding one of the one or more previous key-value pairs to determine a plurality of results of the analyzing, wherein

the plurality of results of the analyzing indicates, for each current key-value pair, that the change had one of:

a positive impact on the second device,

a negative impact on the second device, or

no impact on the second device.

19. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 18 , wherein the operations further comprise:

generating a plurality of lists of impacts to the second device, wherein

the plurality of lists comprises a list of positive impacts and a list of negative impacts,

the list of positive impacts comprises information about one or more positive impacts to the second device as a result of any of the one or more changes to the configuration of the first device, and

the list of negative impacts comprises information about one or more negative impacts to the second device as a result of any of the one or more changes to the configuration of the first device;

displaying at least a portion of the list of positive impacts and at least a portion of the list of negative impacts; and

subsequent to the determining one or more impacts to the second device as a result of the one or more changes, performing at least one remedial measure, wherein

the at least one remedial measure is identified based, at least in part, on the results.

20. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 15 , wherein

the plurality of connected devices comprises at least one device that is connected to the first device but was not impacted by any of the one or more changes to the configuration of the first device.

Assignments (13)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME (052851/0917) Recorded Jun 23, 2022
From: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
To: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
Reel/Frame 060436/0509 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME (052852/0022) Recorded Jun 23, 2022
From: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
To: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
Reel/Frame 060436/0582 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME (053311/0169) Recorded Jun 23, 2022
From: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
To: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC CORPORATION; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
Reel/Frame 060438/0742 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME (053546/0001) Recorded Jun 23, 2022
From: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
To: DELL MARKETING L.P. (ON BEHALF OF ITSELF AND AS SUCCESSOR-IN-INTEREST TO CREDANT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.); DELL INTERNATIONAL L.L.C.; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; DELL USA L.P.; EMC CORPORATION; DELL MARKETING CORPORATION (SUCCESSOR-IN-INTEREST TO FORCE10 NETWORKS, INC. AND WYSE TECHNOLOGY L.L.C.); EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
Reel/Frame 071642/0001 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME (052851/0081) Recorded Jun 23, 2022
From: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
To: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
Reel/Frame 060436/0441 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST AT REEL 052771 FRAME 0906 Recorded Nov 2, 2021
From: CREDIT SUISSE AG, CAYMAN ISLANDS BRANCH
To: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
Reel/Frame 058001/0298 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jun 5, 2020
From: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC CORPORATION; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
To: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 053311/0169 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jun 5, 2020
From: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC; THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 052851/0081 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jun 5, 2020
From: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
To: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 052851/0917 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jun 5, 2020
From: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
To: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 052852/0022 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded May 28, 2020
From: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
To: CREDIT SUISSE AG, CAYMAN ISLANDS BRANCH
Reel/Frame 052771/0906 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Apr 22, 2020
From: CREDANT TECHNOLOGIES INC.; DELL INTERNATIONAL L.L.C.; DELL MARKETING L.P.; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; DELL USA L.P.; EMC CORPORATION; FORCE10 NETWORKS, INC.; WYSE TECHNOLOGY L.L.C.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
To: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A.
Reel/Frame 053546/0001 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 28, 2020
From: SETHI, PARMINDER SINGH; BIKUMALA, SATHISH KUMAR
To: DELL PRODUCTS L. P.
Reel/Frame 051966/0031 →