# US 11,115,281 B2 · Data analytics on internal state > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,115,281 B2 - Document ID: US11115281B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/808,264 - Filed: 2020-03-03 - Published: 2020-06-25 - Granted: 2021-09-07 - Earliest claimed: 2015-06-22 - Assignees: Arista Networks, Inc. - Applicants: Arista Networks, Inc. - Inventors: Benoit Sigoure - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11115281B2 ## CPC - H04L 41/0856: {by backing up or archiving configuration information} - H04L 41/046: comprising network management agents or mobile agents therefor - H04L 41/085: Retrieval of network configuration; Tracking network configuration history - H04L 41/0853: by actively collecting configuration information or by backing up configuration information - H04L 41/0895: Configuration of virtualised networks or elements, e.g. virtualised network function or OpenFlow elements - H04L 41/40: using virtualisation of network functions or resources, e.g. SDN or NFV entities - H04L 41/0863: {by rolling back to previous configuration versions} - H04L 67/1097: for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS] - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) ## Abstract Various embodiments are described herein to track and/or update the state of components within a network element. One embodiment provides for a network management system comprising a collector node including an ingest gateway to receive configuration and status data of a set of network elements coupled to the collector node via the network, the collector node further to store the configuration and status data from the set of network elements in a distributed database; a search engine to locate and retrieve the configuration and status data of a specified subset of the network elements at a specified time period; and an interface server to receive a request for the configuration and status data from an external requester, the interface server to facilitate provision of the configuration and status data in response to the request. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A non-transitory machine-readable medium storing instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations including: querying an interface server of a network management system to request a subscription to configuration state and operational status data associated with a set of network elements; monitoring state and status data associated with the set of network elements via the subscription; and predicting a future network failure based on the configuration state and operational status data associated with the set of network elements. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The medium of claim 1, wherein the monitoring includes monitoring one or more of control plane state, shared memory state, and data plane state of the set of network elements, wherein the data plane state includes one or more interface counters of a network element. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The medium of claim 2, wherein monitoring the one or more of control plane state, shared memory state, and data plane state of the set of network elements comprises watching for changes to an increase in errors counted on certain network interfaces. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The medium of claim 2, wherein monitoring the one or more of control plane state, shared memory state, and data plane state of the set of network elements comprises watching for changes to monitoring link status of one or more interface ports. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The medium of claim 1, wherein predicting the future network failure includes predicting a future thermal related failure based on a current operational status of a network element in the set of network elements. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The medium of claim 5, wherein the current operational status comprises an internal temperature reported by a temperature sensor associated with the network element, wherein the instructions further cause the one or more processors to perform operations including detecting a rise in the internal temperature reported by the temperature sensor associated with a network element. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The medium of claim 5, wherein the current operational status comprises a fan failure in a chassis of the network element. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The medium of claim 1, wherein predicting the future network failure includes predicting a future hardware component failure within the set of network elements based on a pattern of memory errors related to the hardware component. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The medium of claim 8, wherein the pattern of memory errors comprises a sequence of recoverable soft errors, wherein the instructions further cause the one or more processors to perform operations including detecting the sequence of recoverable soft errors. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The medium of claim 9, wherein the sequence of recoverable soft errors comprises a set of single-bit errors. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The medium of claim 1, wherein predicting the future network failure includes: retrieving state and status data for a network element via the interface server of the network management system; querying an error database for observed errors correlated with the state and status data; and predicting a set of potential failures for the network element based on the querying. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The medium of claim 1, wherein predicting the future network failure includes determining whether an interface failure on a network element reduces forwarding capacity to a level insufficient for a peak observed network load. ### Claim 13 A system comprising: one or more processors; and a non-transitory machine-readable medium storing instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations including: querying an interface server of a network management system to request a subscription to configuration state and operational status data associated with a set of network elements; monitoring state and status data associated with the set of network elements via the subscription; and predicting a future network failure based on the configuration state and operational status data associated with the set of network elements. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The system of claim 13, wherein the monitoring includes monitoring one or more of control plane state, shared memory state, and data plane state of the set of network elements, wherein the data plane state includes one or more interface counters of a network element. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The system of claim 13, wherein predicting the future network failure includes predicting a future thermal related failure based on a current operational status of a network element in the set of network elements. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The system of claim 15, wherein the current operational status comprises an internal temperature reported by a temperature sensor associated with the network element, wherein the instructions further cause the one or more processors to perform operations including detecting a rise in the internal temperature reported by the temperature sensor associated with a network element. ### Claim 17 (depends on 13) The system of claim 13, wherein predicting the future network failure includes predicting a future hardware component failure within the set of network elements based on a pattern of memory errors related to the hardware component. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The system of claim 17, wherein the pattern of memory errors comprises a sequence of recoverable soft errors, wherein the instructions further cause the one or more processors to perform operations including detecting the sequence of recoverable soft errors. ### Claim 19 (depends on 13) The system of claim 13, wherein predicting the future network failure includes: retrieving state and status data for a network element via the interface server of the network management system; querying an error database for observed errors correlated with the state and status data; and predicting a set of potential failures for the network element based on the querying. ### Claim 20 (depends on 13) The system of claim 13, wherein predicting the future network failure includes determining whether an interface failure on a network element reduces forwarding capacity to a level insufficient for a peak observed network load.