Serializable objects and a database thereof

Abstract

A technique to communicate data between a management layer and an interface layer of a network device having traffic modules and compute modules includes using a converter to convert a serializable object between file formats. The management layer is executed on at least one of the compute modules and the interface layer is executed on the one of the compute modules. Data is communicated between the interface layer and the management layer via invoking the converter to convert the data from a first format used in the interface layer to a serializable object in the management layer.

1 . A network device, comprising:
 a chassis including an interconnect;   a plurality of traffic modules installed in the chassis and coupled to the interconnect;   a plurality of compute modules installed in the chassis and coupled to the interconnect; and   software components distributed across the traffic and compute modules, the software components to execute on processing elements of the traffic and compute modules to perform operations including:
 execute a management layer on at least one of the compute modules; 
 execute an interface layer on the one of the compute modules; and 
 communicate data between the interface layer and the management layer via invoking a converter to convert the data from a first format used in the interface layer to a serializable object in the management layer. 
   
     
     
         2 . The network device of  claim 1 , further comprising a provisioning database communicatively linked to the management layer, wherein the software components include further components to perform operations including:
 invoking a write method of the serializable object;   converting field values of the serializable object into a flat contiguous memory structure with a database converter; and   storing the flat contiguous memory structures as a record in the provisioning database.   
     
     
         3 . The network device of  claim 2 , wherein the software components include further components to perform operations including:
 publishing a management layer application programming interface (“MLAPI”) into the interface layer;   invoking a get command published into the interface layer by the MLAPI; and   retrieving the data from the provisioning database.   
     
     
         4 . The network device of  claim 1 , wherein the software components include further components to perform operations including:
 executing a runtime layer across the traffic and compute modules; and   communicating the data in the serializable object in the management layer to a fixed length memory structure in the runtime layer by invoking a method of the serializable object.   
     
     
         5 . The network device of  claim 4 , further comprising a runtime database communicatively linked to the runtime layer, wherein the software components include further components to perform operations including:
 storing the fixed length memory structure into the runtime database.   
     
     
         6 . A method executed on a network device having a plurality of traffic modules interconnected with a plurality of compute modules, the method comprising:
 executing a management layer on at least one of the compute modules;   executing an interface layer on the one of the compute modules; and   communicating data between the interface layer and the management layer via invoking a converter to convert the data from a first format used in the interface layer to a serializable object in the management layer.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , further comprising:
 executing a provisioning database communicatively linked to the management layer;   invoking a write method of the serializable object;   converting field values of the serializable object into a flat contiguous memory structure with a database converter; and   storing the flat contiguous memory structures as a record in the provisioning database.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising:
 publishing a management layer application programming interface (“MLAPI”) into the interface layer;   invoking a get command published into the interface layer by the MLAPI; and   retrieving the data from the provisioning database.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 6 , further comprising:
 executing a runtime layer across the traffic and compute modules; and   communicating the data in the serializable object in the management layer to a fixed length memory structure in the runtime layer by invoking a method of the serializable object.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 executing a runtime database communicatively linked to the runtime layer; and   storing the fixed length memory structure into the runtime database.   
     
     
         11 . A computer-readable storage media that provide instructions that, if executed by a network device having a plurality of traffic modules interconnected with a plurality of compute modules, will cause the network node to perform operations comprising:
 executing a management layer on at least one of the compute modules;   executing an interface layer on the one of the compute modules; and   communicating data between the interface layer and the management layer via invoking a converter to convert the data from a first format used in the interface layer to a serializable object in the management layer.   
     
     
         12 . The computer-readable storage media of  claim 11 , further providing instructions that, if executed by the network node, will cause the network node to perform further operations, comprising:
 executing a provisioning database communicatively linked to the management layer;   invoking a write method of the serializable object;   converting field values of the serializable object into a flat contiguous memory structure with a database converter; and   storing the flat contiguous memory structures as a record in the provisioning database.   
     
     
         13 . The computer-readable storage media of  claim 12 , further providing instructions that, if executed by the network node, will cause the network node to perform further operations, comprising:
 publishing a management layer application programming interface (“MLAPI”) into the interface layer;   invoking a get command published into the interface layer by the MLAPI; and   retrieving the data from the provisioning database.   
     
     
         14 . The computer-readable storage media of  claim 11 , further providing instructions that, if executed by the network node, will cause the network node to perform further operations, comprising, further comprising:
 executing a runtime layer across the traffic and compute modules; and   communicating the data in the serializable object in the management layer to a fixed length memory structure in the runtime layer by invoking a method of the serializable object.   
     
     
         15 . The computer-readable storage media of  claim 14 , further providing instructions that, if executed by the network node, will cause the network node to perform further operations, comprising:
 executing a runtime database communicatively linked to the runtime layer; and   storing the fixed length memory structure into the runtime database.