Life cycle network management system for performing life cycle and maintenance management of distributed network devices
First Claim
1. A life cycle network management system for performing life cycle and/or maintenance management of distributed network devices of a network, said life cycle network management system comprising:
- a central network management unit for connecting to a network device of the distributed network devices via a communication link, the central network management unit including a processor for processing life cycle data of the network devices;
a transponder for attaching to the network device and comprising a data memory configured to store life cycle data of the network device updated by said network device; and
an interrogation unit comprising a reader for reading the life cycle data from the data memory and a transceiver for forwarding the life cycle data to the central network management unit,wherein, in response to the communication link between the network device and the central network management unit being at least temporarily unavailable;
the interrogation unit reads updated life cycle data of the network device stored in the data memory of the transponder and forwards the updated life cycle data of the network device to the central network management unit; and
the processing unit of the central network management unit processes the updated life cycle data of the network device to provide a life cycle and/or maintenance management result.
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Abstract
A life cycle network management system for performing life cycle management of distributed network devices, each network device comprising a communication link to a central network management unit and an attached transponder configured to store life cycle data of the network device updated by said network device, wherein if the communication link between the network device and the central network management unit is at least temporarily unavailable the updated life cycle data of the network device stored in the attached transponder is read by an interrogation unit of the life cycle network management system and processed to provide a life cycle management result.
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Citations
17 Claims
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1. A life cycle network management system for performing life cycle and/or maintenance management of distributed network devices of a network, said life cycle network management system comprising:
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a central network management unit for connecting to a network device of the distributed network devices via a communication link, the central network management unit including a processor for processing life cycle data of the network devices; a transponder for attaching to the network device and comprising a data memory configured to store life cycle data of the network device updated by said network device; and an interrogation unit comprising a reader for reading the life cycle data from the data memory and a transceiver for forwarding the life cycle data to the central network management unit, wherein, in response to the communication link between the network device and the central network management unit being at least temporarily unavailable; the interrogation unit reads updated life cycle data of the network device stored in the data memory of the transponder and forwards the updated life cycle data of the network device to the central network management unit; and the processing unit of the central network management unit processes the updated life cycle data of the network device to provide a life cycle and/or maintenance management result. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A network device of a network, said network device comprising:
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a communication link interface provided for communication between the network device and a central network management unit of a life cycle network management system of said network via a communication link; and said communication link interface comprising a transponder having a data memory, said data memory configured to store life cycle data of the network device updated by said network device, said updated life cycle data of the network device being readable by an interrogation unit of the life cycle network management system of said network, wherein, in response to the communication link between the network device and the central network management unit being at least temporarily unavailable, the updated life cycle data of the network device stored in the data memory of the transponder is read by the interrogation unit of the life cycle network management system, forwarded by the interrogation unit to the central network management unit and processed by a processing unit of the central network management unit to provide a life cycle and/or maintenance management result. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13)
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14. A method for performing life cycle management of distributed network devices of a network by a life cycle network management system of the network, the method comprising the steps of:
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monitoring a communication link between a network device and/or network device module of the network and a central network management unit of the life cycle network management system; reading, by an interrogation unit of the life cycle network management system, life cycle data of the network device and/or communication setup data from a data memory of a transponder of said network device and/or network device module; forwarding the read life cycle data and/or communication setup data by the interrogation unit to the central network management unit of the life cycle network management system for evaluation of the received life cycle data and/or for reestablishment of the communication link between the network device and/or the net-work device module and the network management unit on the basis of the forwarded communication setup data; and in response to the communication link between the network device and the central network management unit being at least temporarily unavailable; reading, by the interrogation unit of the life cycle network management system, updated life cycle data of the network device stored in the data memory of the transponder; forwarding, by the interrogation unit, the updated life cycle data of the network device to the central network management unit; and processing, by a processing unit of said central network management unit, the updated life cycle data of said network device to provide a life cycle and/or maintenance management result.
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15. An interrogation unit of a life cycle network management system, used for performing life cycle management of distributed network devices of a network, said interrogation unit comprising:
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a reader adapted to read life cycle data and/or communication setup data from a data memory of a transponder attached to a network device of the network; and a transceiver adapted to forward the read life cycle data and/or communication setup data to a central network management unit of the life cycle network management system, wherein, in response to a communication link between the network device and the central network management unit of said network being at least temporarily unavailable, the interrogation unit reads updated life cycle data of the network device stored in the data memory of the transponder and forwards the updated life cycle data to the central network management unit and a processing unit of the central network management unit processes the updated life cycle data to provide a life cycle and/or maintenance management result.
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16. A central network management unit of a life cycle network management system used for performing life cycle management of distributed network devices of a network, said central network management unit comprising:
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a communication link interface used for communication with at least one network device of said network via a communication link; a transceiver adapted to receive life cycle data and/or communication setup data of the network device from an interrogation unit of the life cycle network management system; and a processor for processing life cycle data of the network device, wherein, in response to the communication link between the network device and the central network management unit being at least temporarily unavailable, the central network management unit receives, from the interrogation unit, updated life cycle data of the network device stored in the data memory of the transceiver read by the interrogation unit, and the processor of the central network management unit processes the updated life cycle data to provide a life cycle and/or maintenance management result. - View Dependent Claims (17)
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Specification