Method and apparatus for detecting changes to network elements

A method of reporting updates and new network elements, comprising:

• receiving a list of newly found elements for components and associated configuration data;
• comparing a plurality of attributes of each of the newly found elements with attributes of old network elements for attribute matches;
• and
• reporting one of the matches by listing a pair of matching elements as unresolved in response to one element of the pair not having a unique key.

A method of merging newly found and old network elements, comprising:

• receiving newly found elements and associated configuration data;
• deriving a potential key value for a first portion of the newly found elements from the configuration data and a key format;
• determining whether the elements of the first portion are keyed or unkeyed, an element being unkeyed if two newly found elements have the same potential key value;
• updating one old element for a component with the configuration data of one newly found keyed element if the one newly found and the one old element have the same key;
• comparing attributes a second portion of newly found elements for components with attributes of old elements for attribute matches;
• and
• reporting one of the matches by listing a pair of matching elements as unresolved in response to one element of the pair not having a unique key.

A program storage device readable by a computer, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the computer to perform a method of merging newly found and old network elements, the method comprising:

• receiving the list of newly found elements and associated configuration data;
• deriving a potential key value for a portion of the newly found elements from a portion of the configuration data associated therewith and a key format;
• determining whether each newly found element with a potential key value is a keyed or unkeyed, a particular newly found element being unkeyed if two of the newly found elements have the same potential key value;
• and
• updating one of the old elements with the configuration data of a specific newly found keyed element in response to the specific newly found and the one of the old elements having the same key.

A program storage device readable by a computer, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the computer to perform a method of reporting updates and new network elements, the method comprising:

• receiving a list of newly found elements for components and associated configuration data;
• comparing a plurality of attributes of each of the newly found elements with attributes of old network elements for attribute matches;
• and
• reporting one of the matches by listing a pair of matching elements as unresolved in response to one element of the pair not having a unique key.

A program storage device readable by a computer, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the computer to perform a method of merging newly found and old network elements, the method comprising:

• receiving newly found elements and associated configuration data;
• deriving a potential key value for a first portion of the newly found elements from the configuration data and a key format;
• determining whether the elements of the first portion are keyed or unkeyed, an element being unkeyed if two newly found elements have the same potential key value;
• updating one old element for a component with the configuration data of one newly found keyed element if the one newly found and the one old element have the same key;
• comparing attributes of newly found elements for components with attributes of old elements for attribute matches;
• and
• reporting one of the matches by listing a pair of matching elements as unresolved in response to one element of the pair not having a unique key.