Method and Apparatus for Displaying Network Fabric Data

Abstract

The invention relates to graphical user interfaces for managing electronic networks, such computer networks, storage area networks (SANs), and the like. Specifically, the invention provides a simplified means of managing large numbers of parameters associated with devices in such networks. In a preferred embodiment, the invention provides a method of displaying devices forming a network. In a first step, a computer system associated with a graphical user interface queries the network to determine what devices are present in the network, and the interconnections of such devices. The results of this determination are stored, as is the time of this determination. Later, a second query is performed and the results are compared to the first query. Symbols representing elements of the network are displayed on the graphical user interface. When changes are detected between the first and second network query, the changes are indicated by altering the manner in which the symbols are displayed that represent the elements of the network that have changed.

1 . A method of displaying devices forming a network, comprising:
 determining, at a first time, said devices forming said network and the interconnections of said devices;   storing the results of the step of determining at a first time as a reference network arrangement;   determining, at a second time, said devices forming said network and the interconnections of said devices;   comparing the results of the step of determining at a second time with the reference network arrangement;   providing a graphical display of said devices forming said network and the interconnections of said devices in the reference network arrangement, with changes from the reference network arrangement to the second time being shown in an altered manner.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said devices and interconnections are shown using symbols, and the altered manner changes the translucency of the changed devices and interconnections. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein only removal of devices and interconnections at the second time is shown in an altered manner. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , further including:
 periodically repeating the steps of determining at a second time, comparing and providing.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further including:
 storing the changes in an event log.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , further including:
 storing the changes in an event log; and   rendering the event log as a portion of the graphical display.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of providing a graphical display of said devices forming said network includes rendering a diagram of said devices forming said network. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the step of providing a graphical display further includes showing changes from the reference network arrangement to the second time by altering a translucency of a portion of the diagram. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the step of providing a graphical display further includes showing changes from the reference network arrangement to the second time by altering a color of a portion of the diagram, and
 wherein a device in the network has a first state and a second state, further including:   rendering the altered portion of the diagram with a first color when the device has changed to the first state; and   rendering the altered portion of the diagram with a second color when the device has changed to the second state.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of providing a graphical display of said devices forming said network includes:
 rendering a table, the table having a list of the devices in a first column, the table having status values in a second column, the status values corresponding to said devices; and   showing changes from the reference network arrangement to the second time by altering a translucency of a portion of the table.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the step of providing a graphical display further includes showing changes from the reference network arrangement to the second time by altering a color of a portion of the diagram, and
 wherein a device in the network has a first state and a second state, further including:
 rendering the altered portion of the table with a first color when the device has changed to the first state; and 
 rendering the altered portion of the table with a second color when the device has changed to the second state. 
   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , further including:
 providing a menu of user selectable network parameters, wherein each of the steps of determining at a first time and determining at a second time includes determining the status of a parameter selected from the menu of user selectable network parameters.   
     
     
         13 . A method of displaying devices forming a network, comprising:
 determining at a first time the presence of a first device and the connection of a first set of devices to the first device;   determining at a second time the presence of the first device and the connection of a second set of devices to the first device;   comparing the first set of devices to the second set of devices;   determining a second device that is coupled to the first device at the first time, wherein the second device is not coupled to the first device at the second time;   displaying onto a graphical user interface a first symbol of the first device and a second symbol of the second device, wherein the second symbol comprises a graphical indication that the second device is not coupled to the first device at the second time.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the graphical indication includes a change in the translucency of the first and second symbols. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13 , further including:
 periodically repeating the steps of determining at a second time and comparing.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 13 , further including:
 storing the changes in an event log.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the step of displaying includes:
 rendering a diagram of said devices forming said network; and   altering a color of a portion of the diagram.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the step of displaying includes rendering a table, wherein the first device has a first state and a second state, further including:
 rendering a portion of the table with a first color when the first device is in the first state; and   rendering a portion of the table with a second color when the first device is in the second state.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 13 , the step of displaying further including:
 rendering an expandable symbol in a first window of the graphical user interface, the expandable symbol representing a group of said devices forming said network;   rendering a diagram of said devices forming said network in a second window of the graphical user interface; and   rendering a table in a third window of the graphical user interface, the table having a list of the first and second sets of devices in a first column, the table having status values in a second column, the status values corresponding to the first and second sets of devices.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 14 , further including:
 providing a menu of user selectable network parameters, wherein each of the steps of determining at a first time and determining at a second time includes determining the status of a parameter selected from the menu of user selectable network parameters.