Patent Application
20250217012
The present disclosure relates to visualizing nodes of a topology based on tags applied to the nodes.
Existing network simulation tools provide an annotation feature that allows a user to draw an annotation on a display canvas to group nodes that represent network elements. The visible annotation is not linked or otherwise associated to the nodes, and is typically created manually. Therefore, the visible annotation is static and does not easily accommodate topological changes of the nodes.
In an embodiment, a method performed by a computer device with a display comprises: generating a graphical user interface (GUI) that presents a layout of nodes on a display canvas; tagging each node in a subset of the nodes with a tag that identifies a common node property that the subset of the nodes share in common, to produce tagged nodes; and responsive to tagging, visually grouping the tagged nodes into a visible annotation on the display canvas, wherein the visible annotation is configured as a polygon that has vertices formed by the tagged nodes and sides extending between the vertices to form a perimeter around the tagged nodes, and that encloses an area filled with a fill characteristic to indicate the common node property.
In another embodiment, a computer-implemented method comprises: storing configurations that define node properties of nodes; displaying the nodes on a display canvas presented by a graphical user interface (GUI); discovering the node properties and which of the node properties are allocated to which of the nodes; creating tags that define respective ones of the node properties found by discovering; tagging the nodes with the tags to match how the node properties are allocated to the nodes, to produce tagged nodes; and responsive to tagging, visually grouping the tagged nodes into visible annotations based on the tags such that each visible annotation encompasses commonly tagged nodes of the tagged nodes that share a common tag that define a common node property.
In the example of
Controller 110 employs network simulation utilities to control and monitor virtual network 103 and network simulations performed on the virtual network. For example, controller 110 may scan/search the node configurations in database 114 for various node properties, execute network simulations, detect operations performed by the nodes during the network simulations, discover protocols that the nodes are capable of using and detect when the nodes actually use (i.e., execute or invoke) the protocols during network simulations, implement traffic sniffers and filters to monitor/filter traffic to and from the nodes, assign tags to the nodes (as described below), and use the traffic filters to discover node operations and properties that match the tags, and so on.
Using GUI 116, the user assigns or applies to nodes 104 tags that identify node properties or features of (i.e., allocated to) the nodes. The tags may be employed for purposes of filtering and searching the node properties of the nodes that are tagged, as included in their node configurations. The embodiments presented herein extend the use of the tags beyond filtering and searching. According to the embodiments, the tags trigger automatic visual grouping of the nodes that are tagged by drawing visible annotations (e.g., areas shaded with a distinct visible fill characteristic) around the nodes on a display canvas (i.e., a visual display area) of GUI 116. A distinct visible annotation is drawn around all nodes that have/share the same tag (i.e. that share a common tag). Multiple tags may be assigned to each node. Nodes to which multiple tags are assigned may be included in multiple visible annotations, simultaneously. This provides distinct visual groupings of the nodes that share the common tags (like overlapping Venn diagrams around the nodes). The tags and the corresponding visible annotations can be enabled (i.e., turned ON) and disabled (i.e., turned OFF) on a per tag basis.
A visible annotation is dynamically drawn around the commonly tagged nodes based on their current positions, such that the visible annotation automatically follows the nodes (i.e., reforms the size and shape of the visible annotation) as the user drags/moves one or more of the commonly tagged nodes around the display canvas. When a tagged node is moved beyond a threshold distance, the visible annotation fragments into multiple visible annotations that separately encompass the tagged nodes that did not move and the tagged node that moved. When the visible annotation encompasses a node that is not commonly tagged, a visible exclusion zone is formed around that node. These and other features will become apparent from the description below.
Tag configuration information 300 links or associates the tags to corresponding ones of the nodes to which the tags are assigned and to corresponding visible annotations. Tag configuration information 300 includes entries of rows corresponding to tags TAG1, TAG2, TAG3, and TAG4 that have been assigned to the nodes. Each row includes fields or columns that include various information associated with each tag. In the example, moving left-to-right, the columns include node properties, node IDs, tag ID, and tag properties for each tag. The node property identifies a node property or feature of a node (or nodes) that is indicated/identified by, and thereby associated with, a tag. The node properties may include a network/routing protocol (e.g., transaction control protocol (TCP)/IP (IP/TCP), open shortest path first (OSPF) protocol, border gateway protocol (BGP), enhanced interior gateway routing protocol (EIGRP), and so on), a node name, a node domain, a node location/region, and the like. The node IDs list the one or more nodes that have been tagged by the tag. The tag ID/name is the identifier of the tag. The tag properties include user definable/configurable features of the tag and the visible annotation associated with the tag.
The user definable features of the tag configure characteristics of the visible annotation associated with the tag, including a fill characteristic for the visible annotation, an ON-OFF tag control (e.g., toggle) associated with the visible annotation, and a tag-name show control. The fill characteristic may specify for the visible annotation one or more of a color (e.g., blue, yellow, red, and so on), a shading (e.g., dark or light), a fill pattern (e.g., a type of cross-hatching), no fill, and so on. The ON-OFF tag control has a first value or state that turns ON the tag and a second value that turns OFF the tag. When the ON-OFF tag control is set to ON to turn ON the tag, GUI 116 presents the visible annotation associated with the tag (i.e., the visible annotation is also turned ON). When the ON-OFF tag control is set to OFF to turn OFF the tag, GUI 116 suppresses the visible annotation associated with the tag (i.e., the visible annotation is also turned OFF); however, the tag remains linked to the nodes to which the tag is assigned. The tag-name show control, when set to ON, causes the name of the tag to be presented with the visible annotation. The tag-name show control, when set to OFF, causes the name of the tag to be hidden (i.e. not shown). Other tag properties are possible.
As described above in connection with
As shown in
The visible annotation may be dynamically reformed responsive to movement of one or more of the nodes of the annotation. For example, the user may select a node encompassed by the visible annotation, and drag the node across the display canvas. While the node is being moved (i.e., responsive to the movement), network simulator 102 dynamically detects and tracks the movement (i.e., the change in position of the node) and automatically reforms (e.g., resizes and reshapes) the visible annotation in real-time such that the node remains encompassed by the visible annotation while the node is being moved. To do this, network simulator 102 adjusts lengths of adjoining sides (e.g., stretches or shrinks the lengths) of the polygon that are incident to the node and also adjusts the area. Adjusting/reforming the perimeter in real-time responsive to movement of the nodes, so that the perimeter is always stretched around the nodes, gives the perimeter an clastic appearance, as if the perimeter were formed as a rubber-band stretched around moving pegs on a board.
In addition, while the node is being moved, network simulator 102 detects when the position of the node moves a threshold distance away from the perimeter of the visible annotation (or from some other reference position encompassed by the visible annotation) as initially configured. In an example, the threshold distance may be configured as a property of the tag associated with the visible annotation. When the position of the moving node crosses or exceeds the threshold distance, network simulator 102 breaks the visible annotation into a first annotation that encompasses the nodes that did not move and a second annotation that encompasses the node that has moved. Breaking the visible annotation into separated visible annotations avoids stretching the visible annotation across display canvas 402 and helps reduce clutter.
An example of the dynamic nature of the visible annotation responsive to user action is provided in connection with
Depending on the tagging pattern of the nodes in a topology, it is possible that a visible annotation encompassing commonly tagged nodes (i.e., nodes tagged with a common tag) may also surround a node that is not tagged with the common tag. For example, the node may be untagged or may be tagged with a tag that differs from the common tag. When network simulator 102 detects that the area of the visible annotation surrounds a node that does not share the common tag, network simulator 102 generates for display a limited-radius visible exclusion zone (also referred to as a “negative space”) around the untagged node and from which the fill characteristic of the visible annotation for the common tag is omitted, which differentiates the node from the commonly tagged nodes and the visible annotation, as is shown by way of example in
As mentioned above, network simulator 102 may perform dynamic tagging of nodes, now described in connection with
At 1202, the user enters into GUI 116 user configurable search criteria (or an API provides the search criteria as an input) defining one or more node properties of interest (or other network properties of interest) to which tags are to be assigned dynamically. As used herein, a node property may also include a network traffic property (e.g., OSPF traffic). The user (or API) may also specify that all node properties are of interest. For example, search criteria may include “tag OSPF,” “tag all network protocols,” and so on. In this way, the user makes selections of (or the API provides an input that defines) node properties of interest, which are received by controller 110. The next operations may be performed without user intervention.
Responsive to the selections/API input, at 1204, controller 110 discovers which of the node properties of interest are allocated to which of the nodes. For example, controller 110 scans/searches the node configurations of the nodes for the one or more node properties of interest. Controller 110 may also scan virtual network 103 during a network simulation. In this case, controller 110 scans the nodes and the network traffic traversing the nodes using node property match filters to discover which of the nodes are using/implementing which of the one or more node properties of interest. Based on the discovery, controller 110 compiles mappings of which of the one or more node properties of interest are allocated to which of the nodes.
At 1206, controller 110 creates distinct tags as “dynamic” tags for corresponding ones of the one or more node properties of interest that are found during the discovery. At 1208, controller 110 assigns to the nodes the dynamic tags in accordance with the mappings such that the dynamic tags match how the one or more node properties are allocated to the nodes. A given node may receive multiple dynamic tags. This produces tagged nodes.
At 1210, controller 110 generates for display visible annotations corresponding to the tagged nodes in the manner described above.
Dynamic tagging can be used to update tags automatically without manual intervention as a network topology changes over time. For example, automatic tagging may be used to update a visible annotation to reflect when a node (e.g., node Cv-4 introduced above) moves (e.g., out of Area 0). In an embodiment, a special form of a dynamic tag (e.g., in the form “annotate:dynamic:ospf”) may be applied to nodes. When this tag is applied, the underlying network fabric (e.g., controller 110 monitoring the virtual network) listens for OSPF traffic and creates dynamic tags on the fly when it learns a node is “speaking” OSPF in a specific area. The dynamic tag is added in the form, e.g., “_annotate:ospf area 0.” The leading ‘_’ signifies they the dynamic tag is machine-created. The dynamic tagging is performed to maintain filtering and searching support in the virtual network. As described above, the dynamic tags can then be turned on or off manually (or made static).
The level to which dynamic tags depends on information learned from scanning the network topology. Examples of dynamic tags include “annotate:dynamic:routing,” “annotate:dynamic:vtp,” and “annotate:dynamic:ipv6.” In addition, a special “protoX:NAME” tag is available, whereby a protocol number X is used to filter on network traffic originating from a node. The “:NAME” argument then provides a mechanism to label the visible annotation.
For dynamic tagging, learning of network protocols may be performed at the fabric (i.e., virtual network) level using a packet filter. The fabric monitors all network traffic to and from the nodes, and packet sniffers may be used to match on the network traffic based on the specified dynamic tags. To facilitate a fully dynamic set of annotations, annotate:dynamic:all may be used to create all traffic-based annotations.
At 1302, a GUI is implemented by the network simulator, and a layout of nodes is presented on a display canvas of the GUI.
At 1304, a tag that identifies a node property (or other network property) is manually created, created by an API, or automatically created, and each node in a subset of the nodes is tagged with the tag to produce tagged nodes. That is, the tag is created responsive to the aforementioned input, and each node is tagged accordingly. The node property is commonly shared among the tagged nodes, which are considered commonly tagged nodes, and the tag is shared in common by the nodes in the subset.
At 1306, responsive to tagging, the tagged nodes are visually grouped into a visible annotation on the display canvas. The visible annotation is configured as a polygon that has vertices formed by the tagged nodes and sides extending between the vertices to form a perimeter around the tagged nodes. The perimeter encloses an area filled with a fill characteristic to indicate the common node property. The perimeter may be stretched tightly around the tagged nodes to minimize the area.
At 1308, responsive to a tagged node of the tagged nodes being moved, a shape of the visible annotation is dynamically reformed (e.g., stretched or shrunk) as/while the tagged node is moved. That is, the shape of the visual annotation closely follows the movement of the tagged node in real-time as the tagged node moves.
At 1310, upon a determination being made that the tagged node has moved away from the visible annotation as initially configured and beyond a threshold distance from an initial position of the tagged node before it was moved, the visible annotation is fragmented into a first visible annotation that includes unmoved tagged nodes of the tagged nodes and a second visible annotation that includes the tagged node and that is separate from the first visible annotation. In another example, when a tag is removed from a node, the visible annotation for the tag is redrawn without the node.
At 1312, when a determination is made that the area of the polygon includes a node that is not tagged with the tag, a visible exclusion zone from which the fill characteristic is omitted is formed around the node, which indicates that the node does not share the common node property.
At 1314, when a user action that turns ON or turns OFF the tag is received through the GUI, the visible annotation is turned on or turned OFF, respectively
Operations 1304-1314 may be repeated with different tags to distinctly visualize multiple visible annotations (e.g., first, second, and third annotations) for multiple tags (e.g., first, second, and third tags) that identify multiple node/network properties (e.g., first, second, and third node/network properties).
In summary, embodiments presented herein employ “smart annotations” to simplify using visible annotations by automatically drawing visible annotations around nodes current locations of the nodes on a display canvas based on tags assigned manually or automatically to the nodes. The visible annotations can be visually hidden/shown and the tags can be dynamically generated based on a node configuration or state. Additionally, visible annotations follow the movement of the nodes, eliminating user actions to modify the annotation shape when node positions are updated, for example.
Referring to
In at least one embodiment, the computing device 1400 may be any apparatus that may include one or more processor(s) 1402, one or more memory element(s) 1404, storage 1406, a bus 1408, one or more network processor unit(s) 1410 interconnected with one or more network input/output (I/O) interface(s) 1412, one or more I/O interface(s) 1414, and control logic 1420. In various embodiments, instructions associated with logic for computing device 1400 can overlap in any manner and are not limited to the specific allocation of instructions and/or operations described herein.
In at least one embodiment, processor(s) 1402 is/are at least one hardware processor configured to execute various tasks, operations and/or functions for computing device 1400 as described herein according to software and/or instructions configured for computing device 1400. Processor(s) 1402 (e.g., a hardware processor) can execute any type of instructions associated with data to achieve the operations detailed herein. In one example, processor(s) 1402 can transform an element or an article (e.g., data, information) from one state or thing to another state or thing. Any of potential processing elements, microprocessors, digital signal processor, baseband signal processor, modem, PHY, controllers, systems, managers, logic, and/or machines described herein can be construed as being encompassed within the broad term ‘processor’.
In at least one embodiment, memory element(s) 1404 and/or storage 1406 is/are configured to store data, information, software, and/or instructions associated with computing device 1400, and/or logic configured for memory element(s) 1404 and/or storage 1406. For example, any logic described herein (e.g., control logic 1420) can, in various embodiments, be stored for computing device 1400 using any combination of memory element(s) 1404 and/or storage 1406. Note that in some embodiments, storage 1406 can be consolidated with memory element(s) 1404 (or vice versa), or can overlap/exist in any other suitable manner.
In at least one embodiment, bus 1408 can be configured as an interface that enables one or more elements of computing device 1400 to communicate in order to exchange information and/or data. Bus 1408 can be implemented with any architecture designed for passing control, data and/or information between processors, memory elements/storage, peripheral devices, and/or any other hardware and/or software components that may be configured for computing device 1400. In at least one embodiment, bus 1408 may be implemented as a fast kernel-hosted interconnect, potentially using shared memory between processes (e.g., logic), which can enable efficient communication paths between the processes.
In various embodiments, network processor unit(s) 1410 may enable communication between computing device 1400 and other systems, entities, etc., via network I/O interface(s) 1412 (wired and/or wireless) to facilitate operations discussed for various embodiments described herein. In various embodiments, network processor unit(s) 1410 can be configured as a combination of hardware and/or software, such as one or more Ethernet driver(s) and/or controller(s) or interface cards, Fibre Channel (e.g., optical) driver(s) and/or controller(s), wireless receivers/transmitters/transceivers, baseband processor(s)/modem(s), and/or other similar network interface driver(s) and/or controller(s) now known or hereafter developed to enable communications between computing device 1400 and other systems, entities, etc. to facilitate operations for various embodiments described herein. In various embodiments, network I/O interface(s) 1412 can be configured as one or more Ethernet port(s), Fibre Channel ports, any other I/O port(s), and/or antenna(s)/antenna array(s) now known or hereafter developed. Thus, the network processor unit(s) 1410 and/or network I/O interface(s) 1412 may include suitable interfaces for receiving, transmitting, and/or otherwise communicating data and/or information in a network environment.
I/O interface(s) 1414 allow for input and output of data and/or information with other entities that may be connected to computing device 1400. For example, I/O interface(s) 1414 may provide a connection to external devices such as a keyboard, keypad, a touch screen, and/or any other suitable input and/or output device now known or hereafter developed. In some instances, external devices can also include portable computer readable (non-transitory) storage media such as database systems, thumb drives, portable optical or magnetic disks, and memory cards. In still some instances, external devices can be a mechanism to display data to a user (e.g., display 112), such as, for example, a computer monitor, a display screen, or the like.
In various embodiments, control logic 1420 can include instructions that, when executed, cause processor(s) 1402 to perform operations, which can include, but not be limited to, providing overall control operations of computing device; interacting with other entities, systems, etc. described herein; maintaining and/or interacting with stored data, information, parameters, etc. (e.g., memory element(s), storage, data structures, databases, tables, etc.); combinations thereof; and/or the like to facilitate various operations for embodiments described herein.
The programs described herein (e.g., control logic 1420) may be identified based upon application(s) for which they are implemented in a specific embodiment. However, it should be appreciated that any particular program nomenclature herein is used merely for convenience; thus, embodiments herein should not be limited to use(s) solely described in any specific application(s) identified and/or implied by such nomenclature.
In various embodiments, any entity or apparatus as described herein may store data/information in any suitable volatile and/or non-volatile memory item (e.g., magnetic hard disk drive, solid state hard drive, semiconductor storage device, random access memory (RAM), read only memory (ROM), erasable programmable read only memory (EPROM), application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), etc.), software, logic (fixed logic, hardware logic, programmable logic, analog logic, digital logic), hardware, and/or in any other suitable component, device, element, and/or object as may be appropriate. Any of the memory items discussed herein should be construed as being encompassed within the broad term ‘memory element’. Data/information being tracked and/or sent to one or more entities as discussed herein could be provided in any database, table, register, list, cache, storage, and/or storage structure: all of which can be referenced at any suitable timeframe. Any such storage options may also be included within the broad term ‘memory element’ as used herein.
Note that in certain example implementations, operations as set forth herein may be implemented by logic encoded in one or more tangible media that is capable of storing instructions and/or digital information and may be inclusive of non-transitory tangible media and/or non-transitory computer readable storage media (e.g., embedded logic provided in: an ASIC, digital signal processing (DSP) instructions, software [potentially inclusive of object code and source code], etc.) for execution by one or more processor(s), and/or other similar machine, etc. Generally, memory element(s) 1404 and/or storage 1406 can store data, software, code, instructions (e.g., processor instructions), logic, parameters, combinations thereof, and/or the like used for operations described herein. This includes memory element(s) 1404 and/or storage 1406 being able to store data, software, code, instructions (e.g., processor instructions), logic, parameters, combinations thereof, or the like that are executed to carry out operations (including generating GUIs for display and interacting with the GUIs) in accordance with teachings of the present disclosure.
In some instances, software of the present embodiments may be available via a non-transitory computer useable medium (e.g., magnetic or optical mediums, magneto-optic mediums, CD-ROM, DVD, memory devices, etc.) of a stationary or portable program product apparatus, downloadable file(s), file wrapper(s), object(s), package(s), container(s), and/or the like. In some instances, non-transitory computer readable storage media may also be removable. For example, a removable hard drive may be used for memory/storage in some implementations. Other examples may include optical and magnetic disks, thumb drives, and smart cards that can be inserted and/or otherwise connected to a computing device for transfer onto another computer readable storage medium.
Embodiments described herein may include one or more networks, which can represent a series of points and/or network elements of interconnected communication paths for receiving and/or transmitting messages (e.g., packets of information) that propagate through the one or more networks. These network elements offer communicative interfaces that facilitate communications between the network elements. A network can include any number of hardware and/or software elements coupled to (and in communication with) each other through a communication medium. Such networks can include, but are not limited to, any local area network (LAN), virtual LAN (VLAN), wide area network (WAN) (e.g., the Internet), software defined WAN (SD-WAN), wireless local area (WLA) access network, wireless wide area (WWA) access network, metropolitan area network (MAN), Intranet, Extranet, virtual private network (VPN), Low Power Network (LPN), Low Power Wide Area Network (LPWAN), Machine to Machine (M2M) network, Internet of Things (IoT) network, Ethernet network/switching system, any other appropriate architecture and/or system that facilitates communications in a network environment, and/or any suitable combination thereof.
Networks through which communications propagate can use any suitable technologies for communications including wireless communications (e.g., 4G/5G/nG, IEEE 802.11 (e.g., Wi-Fi®/Wi-Fi6®), IEEE 802.16 (e.g., Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX)), Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID), Near Field Communication (NFC), Bluetooth™ mm.wave, Ultra-Wideband (UWB), etc.), and/or wired communications (e.g., T1 lines, T3 lines, digital subscriber lines (DSL), Ethernet, Fibre Channel, etc.). Generally, any suitable means of communications may be used such as electric, sound, light, infrared, and/or radio to facilitate communications through one or more networks in accordance with embodiments herein. Communications, interactions, operations, etc. as discussed for various embodiments described herein may be performed among entities that may directly or indirectly connected utilizing any algorithms, communication protocols, interfaces, etc. (proprietary and/or non-proprietary) that allow for the exchange of data and/or information.
In various example implementations, any entity or apparatus for various embodiments described herein can encompass network elements (which can include virtualized network elements, functions, etc.) such as, for example, network appliances, forwarders, routers, servers, switches, gateways, bridges, loadbalancers, firewalls, processors, modules, radio receivers/transmitters, or any other suitable device, component, element, or object operable to exchange information that facilitates or otherwise helps to facilitate various operations in a network environment as described for various embodiments herein. Note that with the examples provided herein, interaction may be described in terms of one, two, three, or four entities. However, this has been done for purposes of clarity, simplicity and example only. The examples provided should not limit the scope or inhibit the broad teachings of systems, networks, etc. described herein as potentially applied to a myriad of other architectures.
Communications in a network environment can be referred to herein as ‘messages’, ‘messaging’, ‘signaling’, ‘data’, ‘content’, ‘objects’, ‘requests’, ‘queries’, ‘responses’, ‘replies’, etc. which may be inclusive of packets. As referred to herein and in the claims, the term ‘packet’ may be used in a generic sense to include packets, frames, segments, datagrams, and/or any other generic units that may be used to transmit communications in a network environment. Generally, a packet is a formatted unit of data that can contain control or routing information (e.g., source and destination address, source and destination port, etc.) and data, which is also sometimes referred to as a ‘payload’, ‘data payload’, and variations thereof. In some embodiments, control or routing information, management information, or the like can be included in packet fields, such as within header(s) and/or trailer(s) of packets. Internet Protocol (IP) addresses discussed herein and in the claims can include any IP version 4 (IPv4) and/or IP version 6 (IPv6) addresses.
To the extent that embodiments presented herein relate to the storage of data, the embodiments may employ any number of any conventional or other databases, data stores or storage structures (e.g., files, databases, data structures, data or other repositories, etc.) to store information.
Note that in this Specification, references to various features (e.g., elements, structures, nodes, modules, components, engines, logic, steps, operations, functions, characteristics, etc.) included in ‘one embodiment’, ‘example embodiment’, ‘an embodiment’, ‘another embodiment’, ‘certain embodiments’, ‘some embodiments’, ‘various embodiments’, ‘other embodiments’, ‘alternative embodiment’, and the like are intended to mean that any such features are included in one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, but may or may not necessarily be combined in the same embodiments. Note also that a module, engine, client, controller, function, logic or the like as used herein in this Specification, can be inclusive of an executable file comprising instructions that can be understood and processed on a server, computer, processor, machine, compute node, combinations thereof, or the like and may further include library modules loaded during execution, object files, system files, hardware logic, software logic, or any other executable modules.
It is also noted that the operations and steps described with reference to the preceding figures illustrate only some of the possible scenarios that may be executed by one or more entities discussed herein. Some of these operations may be deleted or removed where appropriate, or these steps may be modified or changed considerably without departing from the scope of the presented concepts. In addition, the timing and sequence of these operations may be altered considerably and still achieve the results taught in this disclosure. The preceding operational flows have been offered for purposes of example and discussion. Substantial flexibility is provided by the embodiments in that any suitable arrangements, chronologies, configurations, and timing mechanisms may be provided without departing from the teachings of the discussed concepts.
As used herein, unless expressly stated to the contrary, use of the phrase ‘at least one of’, ‘one or more of’, ‘and/or’, variations thereof, or the like are open-ended expressions that are both conjunctive and disjunctive in operation for any and all possible combination of the associated listed items. For example, each of the expressions ‘at least one of X, Y and Z’, ‘at least one of X, Y or Z’, ‘one or more of X, Y and Z’, ‘one or more of X, Y or Z’ and ‘X, Y and/or Z’ can mean any of the following: 1) X, but not Y and not Z; 2) Y, but not X and not Z; 3) Z, but not X and not Y; 4) X and Y, but not Z; 5) X and Z, but not Y; 6) Y and Z, but not X; or 7) X, Y, and Z.
Each example embodiment disclosed herein has been included to present one or more different features. However, all disclosed example embodiments are designed to work together as part of a single larger system or method. This disclosure explicitly envisions compound embodiments that combine multiple previously-discussed features in different example embodiments into a single system or method.
Additionally, unless expressly stated to the contrary, the terms ‘first’, ‘second’, ‘third’, etc., are intended to distinguish the particular nouns they modify (e.g., element, condition, node, module, activity, operation, etc.). Unless expressly stated to the contrary, the use of these terms is not intended to indicate any type of order, rank, importance, temporal sequence, or hierarchy of the modified noun. For example, ‘first X’ and ‘second X’ are intended to designate two ‘X’ elements that are not necessarily limited by any order, rank, importance, temporal sequence, or hierarchy of the two elements. Further as referred to herein, ‘at least one of’ and ‘one or more of’ can be represented using the ‘(s)’ nomenclature (e.g., one or more element(s)).
In summary, in some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a method performed by a computer device with a display, including: generating a graphical user interface (GUI) that presents a layout of nodes on a display canvas; tagging each node in a subset of the nodes with a tag that identifies a common node property that the subset of the nodes share in common, to produce tagged nodes; and responsive to tagging, visually grouping the tagged nodes into a visible annotation on the display canvas, wherein the visible annotation is configured as a polygon that has vertices formed by the tagged nodes and sides extending between the vertices to form a perimeter around the tagged nodes, and that encloses an area filled with a fill characteristic to indicate the common node property.
In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a method, further including: configuring the perimeter to minimize the area of the polygon.
In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a method, further including: responsive to a tagged node of the tagged nodes being moved, dynamically reforming a shape of the visible annotation as the tagged node is moved.
In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a method, wherein: reforming the shape of the polygon includes, while the tagged node is being moved, dynamically adjusting lengths of adjoining sides of the sides of the polygon that are incident to the tagged node, and adjusting the area.
In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a method, wherein: dynamically adjusting the lengths includes dynamically stretching or shrinking the adjoining sides while the tagged node is being moved.
In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a method, further including: upon determining that the tagged node has moved beyond a threshold distance from an initial position of the tagged node, fragmenting the visible annotation on the display canvas into a first visible annotation that includes unmoved tagged nodes of the tagged nodes and a second visible annotation that includes the tagged node and that is separate from the first visible annotation.
In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a method, further including: providing an ON-OFF tag control for the tag; upon receiving, through the GUI, a first action that sets the ON-OFF tag control to ON, turning ON the visible annotation; and upon receiving, through the GUI, a second action that sets the ON-OFF tag control to OFF, turning OFF the visible annotation, while the tagged nodes remain tagged.
In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a method, further including: receiving manual selections of the subset of the nodes from the GUI, wherein tagging includes tagging responsive to the manual selections.
In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a method, further including: storing configuration information that defines node properties of the nodes; automatically searching the configuration information to discover the common node property; and responsive to finding the common node property by searching, performing tagging automatically.
In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a method, further including: when the area includes a node among the nodes that is not tagged with the tag, forming, around the node, a visible exclusion zone from which the fill characteristic is omitted to indicate that the node does not share the common node property.
In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a method, further including: presenting, on the display canvas, limited clearance zones around respective ones of the tagged nodes such that the sides of the polygon terminate at the limited clearance zones and do not touch the tagged nodes.
In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a method, wherein: the nodes represent network nodes and the tag defines a network related property; and the network related property includes one of a network protocol, a network domain, a network device type, and a network region.
In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to an apparatus including: a network input/output interface to communicate with a network; and a processor coupled to the network input/output interface and configured to perform: generating for display a graphical user interface (GUI) that presents a layout of nodes on a display canvas; tagging each node in a subset of the nodes with a tag that identifies a common node property that the subset of the nodes share in common, to produce tagged nodes; and responsive to tagging, visually grouping the tagged nodes into a visible annotation for presentation on the display canvas, wherein the visible annotation is configured as a polygon having vertices formed by the tagged nodes and sides extending between the vertices to form a perimeter around the tagged nodes, and wherein the perimeter encloses an area filled with a fill characteristic to indicate the common node property.
In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to an apparatus, wherein the processor is further configured to perform: configuring the perimeter to minimize the area of the polygon.
In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to an apparatus, wherein the processor is further configured to perform: responsive to a tagged node of the tagged nodes being moved, dynamically reforming a shape of the visible annotation as the tagged node is moved.
In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to an apparatus, wherein the processor is configured to perform: upon determining that the tagged node has moved beyond a threshold distance from an initial position of the tagged node, fragmenting the visible annotation into a first visible annotation that includes unmoved tagged nodes of the tagged nodes and a second visible annotation that includes the tagged node and that is separate from the first visible annotation.
In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to an apparatus, wherein the processor is configured to perform: providing an ON-OFF tag control for the tag; upon receiving, through the GUI, a first action that sets the ON-OFF tag control to ON, turning ON the visible annotation; and upon receiving, through the GUI, a second action that sets the ON-OFF tag control to OFF, turning OFF the visible annotation, while the tagged nodes remain tagged.
In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a computer-implemented method including: storing configurations that define node properties of nodes; displaying the nodes on a display canvas a graphical user interface (GUI); discovering the node properties and which of the node properties are allocated to which of the nodes; creating tags that define respective ones of the node properties found by discovering; tagging the nodes with the tags to match how the node properties are allocated to the nodes, to produce tagged nodes; and responsive to tagging, visually grouping the tagged nodes into visible annotations based on the tags such that each visible annotation encompasses commonly tagged nodes of the tagged nodes that share a common tag that define a common node property.
In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a computer-implemented method, further including: presenting each visible annotation as a polygon having vertices formed by the commonly tagged nodes and sides extending between the vertices to form a perimeter around the commonly tagged nodes, wherein the perimeter encloses an area filled with a distinct fill characteristic to indicate the common node property.
In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a computer-implemented method, further including: performing discovering, creating, and visually grouping automatically without manual intervention.
One or more advantages described herein are not meant to suggest that any one of the embodiments described herein necessarily provides all of the described advantages or that all the embodiments of the present disclosure necessarily provide any one of the described advantages. Numerous other changes, substitutions, variations, alterations, and/or modifications may be ascertained to one skilled in the art and it is intended that the present disclosure encompass all such changes, substitutions, variations, alterations, and/or modifications as falling within the scope of the appended claims.
The descriptions of the various embodiments have been presented for purposes of illustration, but are not intended to be exhaustive or limited to the embodiments disclosed. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the described embodiments. The terminology used herein was chosen to best explain the principles of the embodiments, the practical application or technical improvement over technologies found in the marketplace, or to enable others of ordinary skill in the art to understand the embodiments disclosed herein.
