Network device management method, and network devices

• US 20020052938A1
• Filed: 09/05/2001
• Published: 05/02/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyocera Corporation
• Original Assignee: Kyocera Corporation
• Inventors: Kanemitsu, Shigenaka
• Granted Patent: US 7,194,526 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/220
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0253 using browsers or web-pages for accessing management information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0293 for accessing web services by means of a binding identification of the management service or element
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/082 the condition being updates or upgrades of network functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0846 based on copy from other elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0889 Techniques to speed-up the configuration process
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/025 for remote control or remote monitoring of applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/75 Indicating network or usage conditions on the user display
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

There is provided a technique capable of easily and suitably setting or updating the setting information or the firmware of a plurality of network devices. According to a network device management method, a device information managing section transmits identification information and device information A of a network device, collates identification information and device information B received from the other network device with the own identification information, generates approximation-level information, and stores this in an identification information database. A command receiving section that has received a setting/updating command C1 stores this setting/updating command in a command database. A setting/updating processing section carries out the setting or updating of the own network device. A command transfer section selectively transfers a setting/updating command to other network devices based on approximation-level information.

Claims

1. A network device management method for setting or updating setting information or firmware of a plurality of information devices installed on a network, the method comprising:

the processing that the information device transmits to other information devices on the network, identification information of the own information device and device information of a structure and functions and the like that reflect characteristics of a control/setting command of the own information device;

the processing that the information device that has received identification information and device information from the other information device collates the received device information with the own device information, generates approximation-level information that shows a level that the control/setting command of the other information device and the own control/setting command are in common, and stores the approximation-level information together with the identification information of the other information device;

the processing that the information device that has received a setting/updating command including any one of a setting/updating data for setting or updating a setting information or a firmware and position information of the setting/updating data stores this setting/updating command, and sets or updates the own setting information or the firmware based on the setting/updating command; and

the processing that the information device selectively transfers to other information devices the stored setting/updating command based on the approximation-level information.

2. The network device management method according to claim 1, wherein

at the time of generating the approximation-level information, a plurality of items of the device information are weighted.

3. The network device management method according to claim 1, wherein

the information device that has received the setting/updating command selectively stores the setting/updating command based on the approximation-level information of the information device that has transmitted the setting/updating command, and sets or updates the own setting information or the firmware based on this setting/updating command.

4. The network device management method according to claim 1, wherein

an identifier is added to the setting/updating command, and

the information device that has received the setting/updating command stores the identifier and the setting/updating command when an identifier that is the same as this identifier has not been stored, and sets or updates the own setting information or the firmware according to this setting/updating command.

5. A network device as an information device installed on a network, the network device comprising:

a device information managing section that transmits to other information devices on the network, identification information of the own information device and device information of a structure and functions and the like that reflect characteristics of a control/setting command of the own information device, receives identification information and device information from the other information device, collates the received device information with the own device information, and generates approximation-level information that shows a level that the control/setting command of the other information device and the own control/setting command are in common;

an identification information database that stores the approximation-level information together with the identification information of the other information device;

a command receiving section that receives a setting/updating command including any one of a setting/updating data for setting or updating a setting information or a firmware and position information of the setting/updating data;

a command database that stores the setting/updating command;

a setting/updating processing section that sets or updates the own setting information or the firmware based on the setting/updating command; and

a command transfer section that selectively transfers to other information devices the stored setting/updating command based on the approximation-level information.

6. The network device management method, wherein

when each of a plurality of information devices to be managed and having a server function on a network displays device information via the network,

each information device displays the device information in a hypertext format linked to other information devices connected to the network.

7. The network device management method according to claim 6, wherein

when each information device is started or when each information device is connected to the network, the information device simultaneously reports to other information devices on the network identification information for making access to the device information of this information device from the network, and

each information device that has received the identification information stores this identification information, and displays an anchor corresponding to this identification information together with the device information of the information device.

8. The network device management method according to claim 7, wherein

HTTP (hypertext transfer protocol) is used for the server function,

the device information is displayed in a format of a Web (WWW:

world wide web) page described in an HTML (hypertext markup language), and

the identification information is described in a URL (uniform resource locator) standard.