Patent ID: 9137251
Filing Date: 2015-09-15
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A computer-implemented method of provisioning and managing network devices comprising: via a user interface, enabling a network manager to (i) view and control virtualization of similar physical attributes, including different physical interfaces, of a plurality of intermediate network devices having identical function, the plurality of intermediate network devices associated with a private computer network that are logically interposed between client systems of the private computer network and an external computer network, (ii) enabling the network manager to set policies applicable to virtualized interfaces and (iii) enabling the network manager to cause the plurality of intermediate network devices to be installed on the private computer network; virtualizing a first physical interface of a first intermediate network device of the plurality of intermediate network devices and a second physical interface of a second intermediate network device of the plurality of intermediate network devices by creating a virtual interface to which both the first physical interface and the second physical interface correspond; receiving information regarding a policy applicable to the virtual interface; responsive to said receiving information regarding a policy applicable to the virtual interface, creating or modifying a first configuration file for the first intermediate network device while the first intermediate network device is offline and creating or modifying a second configuration file for the second intermediate network device while the second intermediate network device is offline, wherein one or more policies or rules contained within the first configuration file and the second configuration file are expressed in terms of the virtual interface; and during installation of the first intermediate network device and the second intermediate network device, resolving references to the virtual interface in the first configuration file into the first physical interface and resolving references to the virtual interface in the second configuration file into the second physical interface, whereby policy configurations can be applied to various of the plurality of intermediate network devices and physical interface configurations can be resolved upon installation.