Abstract:
A desired node is selected from a tree structure or list and then a number of levels from that node are displayed in a map. For edge nodes, the number of undisplayed links from that node is displayed. When another node is selected on the map, the number of levels is recalculated based on that node or the existing nodes remain and the desired level is additionally displayed from the selected node. Multiple nodes can be selected from the list, which may result in separated islands which join when an common node is displayed in each island. Filters can be applied to limit the number of nodes. The filtering may either remove nodes from the display or provide an indication of the number of undisplayed nodes meeting the filter and any displayed nodes meeting the filter. The technique can be used on most linked networks.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    The invention relates to graphical displays of linked items, and more particularly to maps of linked network devices. 
         [0003]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0004]    Map or topological displays provide better way to represent connected data because they provide easy to understand flat, visual views of data and provide high level overview and details when needed. However, for large networks, it is often not feasible to display all elements to a user in a single view. The connectivity between the nodes is simply too big for the user to grasp the information at a glance. Current solutions offer an entire map view, with tiering or condensing occurring at certain locations or levels, or provide overview map and a current view port which shows a small portion of the overall map. However, these solutions are not scalable and not straight forward for tracking connectivity between nodes. In some cases strategies to filter and/or navigate the map display and the connectivity have been used, but that still hampers tracking connectivity and the like. Therefore a method and system to allow large connected networks to be explored interactively is needed. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    A desired node is selected from a tree structure or list and then a number of levels from that node are displayed in a map. For edge nodes, the number of undisplayed links from that node is displayed to allow traversing a desired path. The number of levels is selectable. When another node is selected on the map, the number of levels is recalculated based on that node in one embodiment. In another embodiment the existing nodes remain and the desired level is additionally displayed from the selected node. Multiple nodes can be selected from the list, which may result in separated islands but the islands will join when a node is when the set number of levels of a node in the other map. 
         [0006]    Filters can be applied to limit the number of nodes. The filtering may either remove nodes from the display or provide an indication of the number of undisplayed nodes meeting the filter and any displayed nodes meeting the filter. 
         [0007]    The technique can be used on most linked networks, such as telecommunication networks, relationship networks and the like. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES 
         [0008]    The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate an implementation of apparatus and methods consistent with the present invention and, together with the detailed description, serve to explain advantages and principles consistent with the invention. 
           [0009]      FIG. 1  is a diagram illustrating a tree structure with selected nodes and the resulting map according to the present invention. 
           [0010]      FIG. 2  is a diagram of two islands of nodes according to the present invention. 
           [0011]      FIGS. 3A and 3B  are diagrams of an island of  FIG. 2  with additional nodes based on selection of an edge node. 
           [0012]      FIG. 4  is a diagram of an island of  FIG. 2  where a node has been removed. 
           [0013]      FIG. 5  is a block diagram of a management station connected to a communications network for operating according to the present invention. 
           [0014]      FIG. 6  is a flowchart of operations according to the present invention. 
           [0015]      FIG. 7  is a diagram of the island of  FIG. 4  illustrating an alternate embodiment according to the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0016]    Referring to  FIG. 1 , a map view according to the preferred embodiments starts with selected elements of interest. Two panes of a graphical interface are shown, a tree pane  102  and a map pane  104 . Nodes 8470 2  106  and BI  8   108  are selected. The two selected nodes  106  and  108  are shown in the map pane with one level of connectivity. This results in isolated islands as the nodes  106  and  108  are not that closely connected. 
         [0017]    The 8470 2 node  106  is shown connected to a FES  8  node  110 . A number or bubble  112  is located next to the node  110  symbol. This bubble  112  indicates the number of connections from that node that are not illustrated. In the example, node  110  has seven other connections besides the one to node  106 . If more levels of connectivity were selected, then these connections would be shown and the nodes at the edges of that island would similarly have connection numbers present. 
         [0018]    The BI  8  node  108  is shown connected to RFS4000 5 node  114 , FCX/STK  4  node  116 , BI  9  node  118  and 8000 5 node  120 . Each of those nodes has associated numbers or bubbles indicating their connections which are not illustrated. 
         [0019]      FIG. 2  illustrates a map view  200  have islands  202  and  204 . The island  202  is illustrated as showing two levels of connection from Mercury  167  node  206 . Island  204  is illustrated as showing one level of connectivity from SecureIron  6  node  208 . 
         [0020]    The map view responds to user interaction when the user needs more information about the elements and thus changes the map view.  FIG. 3A  illustrates a first embodiment where VDX 6730-60 5 node  210  has been selected, for example by double clicking or right clicking and selecting from an option list, and an additional one level of connectivity from node  210  is added to the island  204 . In this embodiment investigating from a given node expands the map view and existing nodes are not removed. This allows a user to easily map a path from one node to another node a number of levels away. 
         [0021]      FIG. 3B  illustrates a second embodiment where the node  210  has again been selected but this time only a desired level of connectivity from node  210  is shown, thus moving the center of the island from node  208  to node  210 . 
         [0022]      FIG. 4  shows the result of removing a node. Node  212 , which was directly connected to node  206  has been removed, preferably by right clicking and selecting a remove or delete option. Node  212  and the nodes farther from node  206  are removed from the map and a connection number of one is provided next to node  206  to indicate the presence of one connection that is not shown, in the illustrated case to node  212 . 
         [0023]    If islands are formed as illustrated and the user traverses an island, it may be the case that eventually a node already present in another island is reached. In that instance the two islands are merged by the relevant connection. 
         [0024]    The tree structure of pane  102  is shown with all nodes that are currently visible in the map pane  104  highlighted. In a variation, only the selected nodes can be highlighted. 
         [0025]    Various controls can be used to limit the information shown in the topology view. These controls can be applied either globally, to the entire map pane  104 , or individually to each node, if appropriate. Exemplary controls include a maximum number of nodes to explored. For this control the number of nodes shown on a single operation is limited to a designated maximum to prevent the map from getting too cluttered or the nodes too small. For example, this maximum node control could have a value between 1 to 100, with 10 selected as default value. 
         [0026]    A second control is to limit neighbors. To limit the number of nodes shown in the topology view, a control is provided to remove nodes if the length of the shortest path from a node to any selected node is greater than a specified value. Examples of one and two levels are illustrated in the Figures. The option is turned on by default to limit the topology view. This control may be particularly appropriate to apply to individual nodes to override an overall value. For example, the control can have a value between 1 and 100, with a default value of 5. 
         [0027]    A third control is property-based filtering. For example, only nodes having selected properties, such as ports of a particular speed or type or nodes connected within the desired limit to nodes of a particular type, can be shown. Examples include 1) display the L 2  switches that are connected to hosts running Windows 2008 OS; 2) display the switches with offline devices, with the number or bubble adjacent the icon displaying the number of missing/offline end devices, with the connectivity between the device and the device being shown when the offline device is brought into the view; and 3) display the switches with top 10 power consuming connected end devices (like projectors, Ethernet phones, etc.,). Using the property-based filtering results in the display of a dynamic group of devices. A management program can take actions based on this dynamic group of devices without expanding the node. For example, if the filter criteria is switches running firmware version 5.2, the indication would be number of switches running version 5.2 and the action would be to upgrade the firmware on the group of devices to version 5.3. 
         [0028]    In an alternate embodiment shown in  FIG. 7 , the number of items corresponding to the filtered results is shown in a separate number or bubble  702  in addition to the normal number or bubble  704 . By providing these additional bubbles  702 , a potential problem of a limited display which may result if only items according to the filtered results are shown. For example, if only switches connected to switch  206  having firmware version 5.2 were shown, then in  FIG. 7 , only switches  206  and  708  would be shown. Switch  708  is shown as being version 5.2 by the bubble  706  with the asterisk inside, to indicate the filter condition applies to that displayed item. Thus a large portion of the display of  FIG. 7  would not be present. By using the controls other than property-based filtering to define the items displayed and then adding the filtering results in separate bubbles, then a more complete display is provided while still allowing the indication of the filter results. 
         [0029]    While a communications network, with switches, routers and the like, has been used as the example in the Figures, the present invention can be applied to many different types of connected networks. An interconnected social network, such as LinkedIn from LinkedIn Corporation, can readily be navigated using the present invention. For a network such as LinkedIn, the property-based filtering can be very extensive and quite helpful, particularly when frill text based searching is utilized. Examples include 1) display my connections with people connected to profiles with Java in skill set and are 3 hops away or less and 2) display connections who have a Masters in Computer Engineering degree. 
         [0030]      FIG. 5  illustrates an example communications fabric  500 , as illustrated including the island of  FIG. 3B . An exemplary server  502  and user workstation  504  are connected to the network  500 , it being understood that many more of each can be connected to the network in normal circumstances. A management station  506  is also connected to the network  500  to obtain the information about the connections of the network  500 . Management workstation hardware  508 , which includes a processor and memory as normal, is connected to a display  510  which is used to display the maps and panes according to the present invention. A storage medium  512 , such as a hard disk drive, contains an operating system  514 , database software  516  and management software  518 . The database software  516  can be used to maintain the basic connectivity data, while the management software  518  obtains the data from the database and provides the outputs provided to the display  510 . It is understood that this is an exemplary partitioning of the hardware and software used to implement embodiments according to the present invention and other variations are possible. For example, in a social networking embodiment, the database and management software can reside on servers connected to the network, the management or visualization software being accessed by a browser executing on a user workstation. 
         [0031]      FIG. 6  provides a high level flowchart of operations. In step  602  the tree pane  102  is presented on the display  510 . In step  604  the user selects the desired nodes and they are displayed in the map pane  104  on the display  510 . The islands are displayed according to the default levels of connectivity and the like. In step  606  the user selects a particular node and selects an option for that node, such as extending the island from that node, deleting the node from the display or running the selected filter parameters, and the option is performed, changing the map pane accordingly. 
         [0032]    The above description is intended to be illustrative, and not restrictive. For example, the above-described embodiments may be used in combination with each other. Many other embodiments will be apparent to those of skill in the art upon reviewing the above description. The scope of the invention should, therefore, be determined with reference to the appended claims, along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled. In the appended claims, the terms “including” and “in which” are used as the plain-English equivalents of the respective terms “comprising” and “wherein.”