Method and apparatus for guided configuration of unconfigured network and internetwork devices

For a computer system having a system bus and a processor subsystem, a memory subsystem and a user interface respectively coupled to said system bus for bi-directional exchanges therebetween, an apparatus for constructing a network configuration map comprised of at least two interconnected network entities selected from a series of network entities, said apparatus comprising:

• a series of configuration scripts stored in said memory subsystem, each one of said series of configuration scripts corresponding to one of said series of network entities, and each one of said series of configuration scripts including a first section comprised of first and second portions;
• said first portion of each one of said series of configuration scripts containing an icon file for generating an icon representative of said corresponding one of said series of network entities;
• and
• said second portion of each one of said series of configuration scripts containing a set of connection rules for said corresponding one of said series of network entities, for each connection, said connection rules are selected from a plurality of connection rules corresponding to each network entity;
• and
• a first software module, executable by said processor subsystem, for constructing a network configuration map by generating a workspace, placing at least two icons on said workspace in response to a first input received from said user interface and connecting first and second ones of said at least two icons placed on said workspace in response to a second input received from said user interface if said set of connection rules contained in said second portion of said first section of said configuration scripts corresponding to first and second network entities represented by said first and second icons permit connection of said first and second network entities.

A method for constructing a configuration file for a network device, said configuration file suitable for upload to said network device to enable configuration thereof, said method comprising the steps of:

• providing a configuration script containing a series of executable instructions for constructing a configuration file for a first specified type of network device, said configuration script including a first section having a series of configuration commands and a second section containing a set of configuration rules for connecting said first specified type of network device to at least one other specified type of network device, for each connection interface, said connection rules are selected from a plurality of connection rules corresponding to each network device;
• generating request for information by executing said series of configuration commands contained in said first section of said configuration script;
• and
• constructing said configuration file using at least information received in response to said request for information generated by executing said series of configuration commands contained in said first section of said configuration script.

A method for constructing a network configuration map comprised of at least two interconnected network entities selected from a series of network entities, comprising the steps of:

• providing a series of configuration scripts, each of which corresponds to one of said series of network entities and includes a first section comprised of first and second portions;
• said first portion of each one of said series of configuration scripts containing an icon file for generating an icon representative of said corresponding one of said series of network entities;
• and
• said second portion of each one of said series of configuration scripts containing a set of connection rules for said corresponding one of said series of network entities, for each connection, said connection rules are selected from a plurality of connection rules corresponding to each network entity;
• generating a first icon representative of a first one of said network entities;
• generating a second icon representative of a second one of said network entities;
• and
• connecting said first and second icons if said set of connection rules contained in said second portion of said first section of said configuration scripts corresponding to first and second network entities represented by said first and second icons permit connection of said first and second network entities.

For a computer system having a processor subsystem and a memory subsystem coupled by a system bus for bi-directional exchanges therebetween, an apparatus for constructing a configuration file for a network device, comprising:

• a plurality of configuration scripts for various different types of network devices, said configuration scripts being stored in said memory subsystem, and each of the configuration scripts including
• at least one configuration script stored in said memory subsystem, said configuration script being executed to construct a configuration file for a first specified type of network device, said configuration script includes
• a first section containing a series of configuration commands which generate requests for information;
• and
• a second section containing a set of connection rules for connecting said first specified type of network device to at least one other specified type of network device, for each connection interface, said connection rules are selected from a plurality of connection rules corresponding to each network device;
• and
• first computer program code for enabling selection of a particular one of the various different types of network devices;
• and
• second computer program code for executing the one of said configuration scripts associated with the particular one of the various different types of network devices to produce a configuration file for the particular one of the various different type of network devices.