Criteria-based expansion of group nodes in a network topology visualization

Abstract

Some embodiments provide a method for presenting a visualization of a topology for a logical network. In response to receiving a selection of a particular user interface (UI) item representing a particular group of logical elements, the method presents one or more filter UI items for the particular group of logical elements. Each filter UI item corresponds to a different attribute associated with the logical elements. Upon receiving selection of one or more attribute states for each attribute for which a filter UI item is presented, the method identifies logical elements in the group of logical elements that match the selected attribute states. The method presents, in the UI, an expanded version of the particular group of logical elements that emphasizes the identified logical elements that match the selected attribute states.

1 - 22 . (canceled) 
     
     
         23 . A method for presenting a visualization of a topology for a logical network, the method comprising:
 receiving a selection of a first user interface (UI) item presented in a UI that represents a first group of logical elements, wherein logical elements in the first group of logical elements are connected to logical elements in a second group of logical elements that are represented in the UI by a second UI item; and   in response to receiving the selection:
 presenting, in the UI, an expanded version of the first group of logical elements that represents at least a subset of the logical elements in the first group of logical elements as individual UI items; and 
 presenting, in the UI, an expanded version of the second group of logical elements that represents at least a subset of the logical elements in the second group of logical elements as individual UI items, wherein the subset of logical elements in the second group is based on logical network connections between the logical elements in the first group of logical elements and the logical elements in the second group of logical elements. 
   
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein:
 the first UI item is a first group node and the second UI item is a second group node; and   presenting the expanded version of the first group of logical elements comprises presenting, in the UI, (i) individual nodes representing the logical elements of the subset of the first group of logical elements and (ii) a third group node representing logical elements that are in the first group of logical elements but are not in the subset of the first group of logical elements.   
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the first group node specifies a first number of logical elements belonging to the first group and the second group node specifies a second, smaller number of logical elements that are in the first group of logical elements but are not in the subset of the first group of logical elements. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein presenting the expanded version of the second group of logical elements comprises:
 identifying the subset of the second group of logical elements as logical elements that are connected to logical elements in the subset of the first group of logical elements; and   presenting, in the UI, (i) individual nodes representing the logical elements of the subset of the second group of logical elements and (ii) a fourth group node representing the logical elements of the second group of logical elements that are not connected to any logical elements in the subset of the first group of logical elements.   
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein:
 the first group of logical elements comprises logical elements of a first type and the second group of logical elements comprises logical elements of a second type;   the UI presents a plurality of UI items including the first, second, third, and fourth group nodes;   each respective UI item in the plurality of UI items represents one or more logical elements of respective type;   the plurality of UI items are arranged in the UI hierarchically by type of logical element and based on logical network connections, with logical elements closer to an egress interface of the logical network arranged above logical elements further from the egress interface of the logical network; and   the second group of logical elements is above the first group of logical elements in the hierarchy.   
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein the plurality of UI items comprises at least a fifth group node representing a third group of logical elements of the first type of logical elements. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein presenting the expanded version of the second group of logical elements comprises:
 for each respective individual node representing a respective logical element of the first group of logical elements:
 determining whether a respective set of logical elements that are (i) in the second group of logical elements and (ii) connected to the respective logical element of the first group of logical elements comprises at least a threshold number of logical elements; 
 presenting the respective set of logical elements in the UI as individual nodes when the respective set comprises less than the threshold number of logical elements; and 
 presenting the respective set of logical elements in the UI as a group node when the respective set comprises at least the threshold number of logical elements. 
   
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein:
 the first group of logical elements comprises logical elements of a first type and the second group of logical elements comprises logical elements of a second type;   the UI presents a plurality of UI items including the first, second, third, and fourth group nodes;   each respective UI item in the plurality of UI items represents one or more logical elements of respective type;   the plurality of UI items are arranged in the UI hierarchically by type of logical element and based on logical network connections, with logical elements closer to an egress interface of the logical network arranged above logical elements further from the egress interface of the logical network; and   the first group of logical elements is above the second group of logical elements in the hierarchy.   
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 23  further comprising identifying the subset of logical elements in the first group of logical elements based on said logical elements having a particular set of attributes. 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein:
 the UI presents a plurality of UI items including at least the first and second UI items;   each respective UI item represents one or more logical elements of a respective type; and   the types of logical elements comprise at least virtual machine (VM), logical switch, tier-1 logical router that connects groups of logical switches, and tier-0 logical router that connects other logical elements in the logical network to external networks.   
     
     
         33 . A non-transitory machine-readable medium storing a program which when executed by at least one processing unit presents a visualization of a topology for a logical network, the program comprising sets of instructions for:
 receiving a selection of a first user interface (UI) item presented in a UI that represents a first group of logical elements, wherein logical elements in the first group of logical elements are connected to logical elements in a second group of logical elements that are represented in the UI by a second UI item; and   in response to receiving the selection:
 presenting, in the UI, an expanded version of the first group of logical elements that represents at least a subset of the logical elements in the first group of logical elements as individual UI items; and 
 presenting, in the UI, an expanded version of the second group of logical elements that represents at least a subset of the logical elements in the second group of logical elements as individual UI items, wherein the subset of logical elements in the second group is based on logical network connections between the logical elements in the first group of logical elements and the logical elements in the second group of logical elements. 
   
     
     
         34 . The non-transitory machine-readable medium of  claim 33 , wherein:
 the first UI item is a first group node and the second UI item is a second group node; and   the set of instructions for presenting the expanded version of the first group of logical elements comprises a set of instructions for presenting, in the UI, (i) individual nodes representing the logical elements of the subset of the first group of logical elements and (ii) a third group node representing logical elements that are in the first group of logical elements but are not in the subset of the first group of logical elements.   
     
     
         35 . The non-transitory machine-readable medium of  claim 34 , wherein the first group node specifies a first number of logical elements belonging to the first group and the second group node specifies a second, smaller number of logical elements that are in the first group of logical elements but are not in the subset of the first group of logical elements. 
     
     
         36 . The non-transitory machine-readable medium of  claim 34 , wherein the set of instructions for presenting the expanded version of the second group of logical elements comprises sets of instructions for:
 identifying the subset of the second group of logical elements as logical elements that are connected to logical elements in the subset of the first group of logical elements; and   presenting, in the UI, (i) individual nodes representing the logical elements of the subset of the second group of logical elements and (ii) a fourth group node representing the logical elements of the second group of logical elements that are not connected to any logical elements in the subset of the first group of logical elements.   
     
     
         37 . The non-transitory machine-readable medium of  claim 36 , wherein:
 the first group of logical elements comprises logical elements of a first type and the second group of logical elements comprises logical elements of a second type;   the UI presents a plurality of UI items including the first, second, third, and fourth group nodes;   each respective UI item in the plurality of UI items represents one or more logical elements of respective type;   the plurality of UI items are arranged in the UI hierarchically by type of logical element and based on logical network connections, with logical elements closer to an egress interface of the logical network arranged above logical elements further from the egress interface of the logical network; and   the second group of logical elements is above the first group of logical elements in the hierarchy.   
     
     
         38 . The non-transitory machine-readable medium of  claim 37 , wherein the plurality of UI items comprises at least a fifth group node representing a third group of logical elements of the first type of logical elements. 
     
     
         39 . The non-transitory machine-readable medium of  claim 34 , wherein the set of instructions for presenting the expanded version of the second group of logical elements comprises sets of instructions for:
 for each respective individual node representing a respective logical element of the first group of logical elements:
 determining whether a respective set of logical elements that are (i) in the second group of logical elements and (ii) connected to the respective logical element of the first group of logical elements comprises at least a threshold number of logical elements; 
 presenting the respective set of logical elements in the UI as individual nodes when the respective set comprises less than the threshold number of logical elements; and 
 presenting the respective set of logical elements in the UI as a group node when the respective set comprises at least the threshold number of logical elements. 
   
     
     
         40 . The non-transitory machine-readable medium of  claim 39 , wherein:
 the first group of logical elements comprises logical elements of a first type and the second group of logical elements comprises logical elements of a second type;   the UI presents a plurality of UI items including the first, second, third, and fourth group nodes;   each respective UI item in the plurality of UI items represents one or more logical elements of respective type;   the plurality of UI items are arranged in the UI hierarchically by type of logical element and based on logical network connections, with logical elements closer to an egress interface of the logical network arranged above logical elements further from the egress interface of the logical network; and   the first group of logical elements is above the second group of logical elements in the hierarchy.   
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein the program further comprises a set of instructions for identifying the subset of logical elements in the first group of logical elements based on said logical elements having a particular set of attributes. 
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein:
 the UI presents a plurality of UI items including at least the first and second UI items;   each respective UI item represents one or more logical elements of a respective type; and   the types of logical elements comprise at least virtual machine (VM), logical switch, tier-1 logical router that connects groups of logical switches, and tier-0 logical router that connects other logical elements in the logical network to external networks.