Device management system, device manager, relay management device, device management method, and recording medium

• US 10,515,033 B2
• Filed: 09/25/2018
• Issued: 12/24/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Kakio, Ryosuke, Iguchi, Masato, Imai, Toshie
• Primary Examiner(s): Tsai, Henry
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hassan, Aurangzeb
• Application Number:
  US16/140,969
• Publication Number:
  US 20190095367A1
• Time in Patent Office: 455 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/20 for access to input/output bus
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/14 Relay systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0213 Standardised network management protocols, e.g. simple network management protocol [SNMP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0226 Mapping or translating multiple network management protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00217 only involving computer data transmission protocols, e.g. SMTP, WAP or HTTP communication protocol aspects and techniques in packet data networks H04L69/00; network-specific arrangements or communication protocols supporting networked applications H04L67/00

Abstract

Provided is technology simplifying managing locally connected devices. A device management system configured to connect through a network a device manager and a relay manager that connects to multiple devices through a local communication path. The device manager sends to the relay manager through the network a first process request, the first process request conforming to SNMP, and containing device identification information identifying a device that connects to the relay manager. The relay manager acquires from the first process request target identification information identifying management information to process in the management information of a device, generate a second process request containing the target identification information, and send the second process request through the local communication path indicated by the device identification information contained in the first process request.

Claims

1. A device management system configured to connect through a network a device manager that manages a plurality of devices, and a relay manager that connects to, through a local communication path, a plurality of first devices of the plurality of devices;

the device manager including a first network communicator configured to send to the relay manager through the network a first process request, the first process request conforming to a specific network communication protocol used to manage management targets that are different from the plurality of first devices and that connect to the network without through the relay manager, and containing device identification information identifying one of the plurality of first devices that connects to the relay manager, the specific network communication protocol being Simple Network Management Protocol; and

the relay manager including

a second network communicator configured to receive the first process request through the network,

a generator configured to acquire from the first process request target identification information identifying management information to process in the management information of the one of the plurality of first devices, and generate a second process request that contains the target identification information and does not conform to the specific network communication protocol, and

a local communicator configured to send the second process request through the local communication path to the one of the plurality of first devices indicated by the device identification information contained in the first process request.

2. The device management system described in claim 1, wherein:

the local communicator receives through the local communication path from the one of the plurality of first devices, which is a destination device of the second process request, the management information identified by the target identification information; and

the second network communicator sends the management information the local communicator received through the network to the device manager.

3. The device management system described in claim 1, wherein:

the first network communicator sends as the first process request a communication packet having the device identification information written in a community name field in a communication packet conforming to the network communication protocol.

4. The device management system described in claim 1, wherein:

the first network communicator sends as the first process request the communication packet having the device identification information written in a management information field in a communication packet conforming to the network communication protocol.

5. The device management system described in claim 4, wherein:

the first network communicator sends as the first process request the communication packet having inserted to the management information field a command conforming to the network communication protocol and including the target identification information and a management information field corresponding to the target identification information; and

the generator generates the second process request including the command.

6. The device management system described in claim 1, wherein:

the device manager has a discovery device configured to acquire, by searching through the network, the version of the network communication protocol with which the one of the plurality of first devices that connects to the relay manager is compatible; and

the first network communicator sends the first process request including the device identification information according to the network communication protocol of the version with which the one of the plurality of first devices indicated by the device identification information is compatible.

7. The device management system described in claim 1, wherein:

the first network communicator sends a process request according to the network communication protocol through the network to a second device of the plurality of devices that connects to the network, and receives through the network a response to the process request from the second device.

8. The device management system described in claim 1, wherein:

the relay manager identifies multiple local communication paths by connection identification information; and

the device manager sends a request including the connection identification information through the network to the relay manager, and receives through the network from the relay manager the device identification information of the one of the plurality of first devices connected to the local communication path identified by the specified connection identification information.

9. A relay manager configured to connect to a plurality of first devices through a local communication path, and connect to a device manager that manages a plurality of devices that include the plurality of first devices, wherein:

the relay manager receives through the network from the device manager a first process request, the first process request conforming to a specific network communication protocol used to manage management targets that are different from the plurality of first devices and that connect to the network without through the relay manager, and containing device identification information identifying one of the plurality of first devices that connects to the relay manager, and

acquires from the first process request target identification information identifying management information to process in the management information of the one of the plurality of first devices,

generates a second process request that contains the target identification information and does not conform to the specific network communication protocol, and

send the second process request through the local communication path to the one of the plurality of first devices indicated by the device identification information contained in the first process request, and

the specific network communication protocol is Simple Network Management Protocol.

10. A non-transitory computer recording medium recording a relay manager program causing a computer that connects to a plurality of first devices through a local communication path to execute a process relaying communications for managing the plurality of first devices, the non-transitory computer recording medium causing executing:

a function of receiving through a network from a device manager a first process request, the first process request conforming to a specific network communication protocol used to manage management targets that are different from the plurality of first devices and that connect to the network without through the relay manager, and containing device identification information identifying one of the plurality of first devices, the network communication protocol being Simple Network Management Protocol;

a function of acquiring from the first process request target identification information identifying management information to process in management information of the one of the plurality of first devices, and generating a second process request that contains the target identification information and does not conform to the specific network communication protocol; and

a function of sending the second process request through the local communication path to the one of the plurality of first devices indicated by the device identification information contained in the first process request.