Patent ID: 8145789
Filing Date: 2012-03-27
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A method comprising: receiving, at a single console control point for a network device cluster, user input specifying an operation to be performed concurrently on all active routers in a plurality of active routers as a whole and only on the plurality of active routers; automatically and concurrently performing the specified operation only on all the active routers in the plurality of active routers in the network device cluster by transforming the specified operation into one or more device-specific operations for each of the active routers in the plurality of active routers; wherein the user input specifies a configuration command for the network device cluster; automatically and concurrently communicating the configuration command to each of the active routers in the plurality of active routers; wherein the network device cluster comprises a first switch device, the plurality of active routers, one or more standby routers, and a second switch device; wherein the first and second switch devices are associated with different networks; concurrently reconfiguring each of the active routers in the plurality of active routers in the network device cluster based on reconfiguration information; wherein the reconfiguring causes a change of one or more connections between the active routers in the plurality of active routers and the switch devices; receiving, at a single console control point for the network device cluster, first user input requesting an operational overview of the cluster; generating and displaying an operational overview of the cluster, wherein the operational overview comprises a status indicator, connection information, failed device information, and a first access icon for accessing information about a stack; wherein the network device cluster further comprises the stack consisting of one or more active routers and one or more standby routers; receiving second user input that selects the first access icon; generating and displaying a device operational overview for devices in the cluster, wherein the device operational overview comprises, for each router in the stack of the cluster, a device status indicator, device connection information unique for each router within the cluster, failed connection information, and a second access icon for accessing information about connections of the first and second switch devices and the stack.