# US 11,121,920 B2 · Cloud management connectivity assurance

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- Number: US 11,121,920 B2
- Document ID: US11121920B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/929,519
- Filed: 2020-07-15
- Published: 2020-11-05
- Granted: 2021-09-14
- Earliest claimed: 2018-04-06
- Assignees: Cisco Technology, Inc.
- Applicants: Cisco Technology, Inc.
- Inventors: Santosh Ramrao Patil; Kirti Yeshwant Barve
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11121920B2

## CPC

- H04L 41/0873: Checking configuration conflicts between network elements
- H04L 41/0631: using root cause analysis; using analysis of correlation between notifications, alarms or events based on decision criteria, e.g. hierarchy, tree or time analysis
- H04L 41/0686: Additional information in the notification, e.g. enhancement of specific meta-data
- H04L 41/0806: for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
- H04L 41/0816: the condition being an adaptation, e.g. in response to network events
- H04L 41/085: Retrieval of network configuration; Tracking network configuration history
- H04L 41/0859: by keeping history of different configuration generations or by rolling back to previous configuration versions
- H04L 43/0811: by checking connectivity
- H04L 41/12: Discovery or management of network topologies
- H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M)

## Abstract

The disclosed technology relates a system is configured to generate a protected configuration for a network device based on network connectivity data for a plurality of devices in a managed network associated with a cloud management system. The system is further configured to receive a configuration change for the managed network, determine that the configuration change is incompatible with the protected configuration, and generate a notification that the configuration change is incompatible with the protected configuration.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A computer-implemented method comprising:
receiving a first configuration change for a network;
determining whether the first configuration change is compatible with a protected configuration;
in response to the first configuration change being incompatible with the protected configuration, sending a notification that the first configuration change is incompatible with the protected configuration;
determining that at least one device of the plurality of devices in the network has lost connectivity;
identifying a second configuration change implemented;
determining whether the second configuration change is a cause of the lost connectivity; and
in response to the second configuration change causing the lost connectivity, sending a notification that the second configuration change is the cause of the lost connectivity.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the first configuration change and the second configuration change are different.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:
obtaining a first network state and a second network state for the network, the first network state is associated with the lost connectivity, and the second network state is associated with connectivity between the at least one device and a cloud management system;
identifying at least one difference between the first network state and the second network state; and
updating, based on the at least one difference, the protected configuration.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:
identifying a network path in the network from the at least one device to a cloud management system, wherein the network path includes at least one of the plurality of network devices.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The computer-implemented method of claim 4, further comprising:
aggregating the network connectivity data from the at least one of the plurality of network devices from the network path.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the first configuration change is incompatible with the protected configuration when the first configuration change includes at least one change to the protected configuration.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the first configuration change and the second configuration change are the same.

### Claim 8

A system comprising:
at least one processor; and
at least one memory storing instructions, which when executed by the at least one processor, causes the at least one processor to:
receive a first configuration change for a network;
determine whether the first configuration change is compatible with a protected configuration;
in response to the first configuration change being incompatible with the protected configuration, send a notification that the first configuration change is incompatible with the protected configuration;
determine that at least one device of the plurality of devices in the network has lost connectivity;
identify a second configuration change implemented;
determine whether the second configuration change is a cause of the lost connectivity; and
in response to the second configuration change causing the lost connectivity, send a notification that the second configuration change is the cause of the lost connectivity.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The system of claim 8, wherein the first configuration change and the second configuration change are different.

### Claim 10 (depends on 8)

The system of claim 8, comprising further instructions, which when executed by the at least one processor, causes the at least one processor to:
obtain a first network state and a second network state for the network, the first network state is associated with the lost connectivity, and the second network state is associated with connectivity between the at least one device and a system;
identify at least one difference between the first network state and the second network state; and
update, based on the at least one difference, the protected configuration.

### Claim 11 (depends on 8)

The system of claim 8, comprising further instructions, which when executed by the at least one processor, causes the at least one processor to:
identify a network path in the network from the at least one device to the system, wherein the network path includes at least one of the plurality of network devices.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The system of claim 11, comprising further instructions, which when executed by the at least one processor, causes the at least one processor to:
aggregate network connectivity data from the at least one of the plurality of network devices from the network path.

### Claim 13 (depends on 8)

The system of claim 8, wherein the first configuration change is incompatible with the protected configuration when the first configuration change includes at least one change to the protected configuration.

### Claim 14 (depends on 8)

The system of claim 8,
wherein the first configuration change and the second configuration change are the same.

### Claim 15

At least one non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions, which when executed by at least one processor, causes the at least one processor to:
receive a first configuration change for the network;
determine whether the first configuration change is compatible with a protected configuration;
in response to the first configuration change being incompatible with the protected configuration, send a notification that the first configuration change is incompatible with the protected configuration; determine that at least one device of the plurality of devices in the network has lost connectivity;
identify a second configuration change implemented;
determine whether the second configuration change is a cause of the lost connectivity; and
in response to the second configuration change causing the lost connectivity, send a notification that the second configuration change is the cause of the lost connectivity.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the first configuration change and the second configuration change are different.

### Claim 17 (depends on 15)

The at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, comprising further instructions, which when executed by the at least one processor, causes the at least one processor to:
obtain a first network state and a second network state for the network, the first network state is associated with the lost connectivity, and the second network state is associated with connectivity between the at least one device and a cloud management system;
identify at least one difference between the first network state and the second network state; and
update, based on the at least one difference, the protected configuration.

### Claim 18 (depends on 15)

The at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, comprising further instructions, which when executed by the at least one processor, causes the at least one processor to:
identify a network path in the network from the at least one device to a cloud management system, wherein the network path includes at least one of the plurality of network devices.

### Claim 19 (depends on 15)

The at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the first configuration change is incompatible with the protected configuration when the first configuration change includes at least one change to the protected configuration.

### Claim 20 (depends on 15)

The at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15,
wherein the first configuration change and the second configuration change are the same.