9270540

Method and Apparatus of Providing an Interface for Managing Network Switches

PublishedFebruary 23, 2016
Assigneenot available in USPTO data we have
Technical Abstract

Patent Claims
23 claims

Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.

1

1. A method comprising: presenting, via a graphical user interface, a plurality of selectable areas corresponding to a plurality of categories of switches and a plurality of options, wherein one of the options includes a search function for finding a desired one of the switches; automatically establishing a communication session with one of the switches as specified by a user through one of the selectable areas or the search function; receiving information from the one switch over the communication session, wherein the information is used for analyzing the one switch; presenting, via the graphical user interface, a text box that accepts alphanumeric text to modify the received information and add troubleshooting information regarding the one switch to the received information; and storing the communication session and the received information as part of a session profile unique to the user.

2

2. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the selectable areas are arranged as a plurality of tabs.

3

3. A method according to claim 2 , wherein another one of the options includes a list of communication sessions corresponding to corresponding ones of the switches.

4

4. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the session profile is stored locally.

5

5. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the information is stored in a network drive as read-only, the method further comprising: providing a firewall to selectively permit access to the stored information.

6

6. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the information includes configuration information and the troubleshooting information.

7

7. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the communication session is established according to a Telnet protocol or a Secure Shell protocol.

8

8. A method according to claim 1 , further comprising: modifying cases of text within one or more text strings included in the information stored with respect to the session profile according to all upper case, all lower case, proper case, or a combination thereof.

9

9. An apparatus comprising: a processor configured to present a plurality of selectable areas via a graphical user interface corresponding to a plurality of categories of switches and a plurality of options, wherein one of the options includes a search function for finding a desired one of the switches, to automatically establish a communication session with one of the switches as specified by a user through one of the selectable areas or the search function, to receive information from the one switch over the communication session, and to present, via the graphical user interface, a text box that accepts alphanumeric text to modify the received information and add troubleshooting information regarding the one switch to the received information, wherein the information is used for analyzing the one switch; and a database configured to store the communication session and the received information as part of a session profile unique to the user.

10

10. An apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the selectable areas are arranged as a plurality of tabs.

11

11. An apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein another one of the options includes a list of communication sessions corresponding to corresponding ones of the switches.

12

12. An apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the database is local to the user.

13

13. An apparatus according to claim 9 , further comprising: a firewall configured to selectively permit access to the stored information, wherein the information is stored as read-only.

14

14. An apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the information includes configuration information and the troubleshooting information.

15

15. An apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the communication session is established according to a Telnet protocol or a Secure Shell protocol.

16

16. An apparatus according to claim 9 , further comprising: modifying cases of text within one or more text strings included in the information stored with respect to the session profile according to all upper case, all lower case, proper case, or a combination thereof.

17

17. A non-transient computer-readable storage medium carrying one or more sequences of one or more instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, provide a graphical user interface comprising: a plurality of tabs corresponding to a plurality of categories of switches and a plurality of options, one of the options including a search function for finding a desired one of the switches, and a text box that accepts alphanumeric text to modify the received information and add troubleshooting information regarding the one switch to the received information, wherein a communication session is automatically established with one of the switches based on input by a user through one of the tabs or the search function, the communication session transporting information from the one switch; and the one or more sequences of the one or more instructions cause the one or more processors to store the communication session and the received information as part of a session profile unique to the user.

18

18. A non-transient computer-readable storage medium according to claim 17 , wherein the graphical user interface further comprises: a crunch button configured to remove extraneous characters within one or more text strings included in the information stored with respect to the session profile.

19

19. A non-transient computer-readable storage medium according to claim 17 , wherein the graphical user interface further comprises: a launch button configured to initiate the automatic establishment of the communication session with one of the switches resulting from the search function.

20

20. A non-transient computer-readable storage medium according to claim 17 , wherein another one of the options includes a list of communication sessions corresponding to corresponding ones of the switches.

21

21. A non-transient computer-readable storage medium according to claim 17 , wherein the information includes configuration information and the troubleshooting information.

22

22. A non-transient computer-readable storage medium according to claim 17 , wherein the communication session is established according to a Telnet protocol or a Secure Shell protocol.

23

23. A non-transient computer-readable storage medium according to claim 17 , wherein the categories include switch type, switch location, or a combination thereof.

Patent Metadata

Filing Date

Unknown

Publication Date

February 23, 2016

Inventors

Jimmy D. DILLON

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Cite as: Patentable. “METHOD AND APPARATUS OF PROVIDING AN INTERFACE FOR MANAGING NETWORK SWITCHES” (9270540). https://patentable.app/patents/9270540

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