Remote site management system

• US 20020059410A1
• Filed: 09/07/2001
• Published: 05/16/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Ayutthaya Limited (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Ayutthaya Limited (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Nakamura, Shinichi, Hara, Hiroyuki, Sato, Ryoichiro
• Granted Patent: US 7,444,400 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0226 Mapping or translating multiple network management protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/06 Management of faults, events, alarms or notifications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/00 Arrangements for monitoring or testing data switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0817 by checking functioning

Abstract

In order to integrally manage computers and peripheral devices at a user site, when a device monitoring server (203a) receives a trouble message from a device, it sends a message indicating this to a device center server (210) via a router (204). If the received message is a trouble message, the device center server (210) controls an event adapter to convert the received message into a format that a center server can process, and transfers the converted message to the center server (110). Upon receiving the message, the center server (110) displays occurrence of a trouble in an event list using an event monitor (110a). The user can simultaneously monitor the versatile computers and peripheral devices by observing the event monitor.

Claims

1. A remote site management system comprising:

a first center server which is connected via an external network to a first local server, which is connected to a first-class device via a network and acquires information unique to the first-class device in a first format, and acquires the information unique to the first-class device; and

informing means for informing a second center server which is connected via an external network to a second local server, which, in turn, is connected to a second-class device via the network and acquires information unique to the second-class device in a second format, of the information of the first-class device acquired by said first center server.

2. The system according to claim 1, further comprising display means for identifiably displaying information based on the information of the second-class device acquired by said second center server, and the informed information of the first-class device.

3. The system according to claim 1, further comprising format conversion means for converting the information of the first-class device acquired by said first center server in the first format into the second format that said second center server can interpret.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein said first local server comprises first discrimination means for discriminating in accordance with information acquired from the first-class device whether to inform said first center server of the acquired information by sending the information.

5. The system according to claim 4, wherein said first center server comprises second discrimination means for discriminating contents of the acquired information sent from said first local server, and

said informing means informs said second center server of the information of the first-class device acquired by said first center server based on a discrimination result of said second discrimination means.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein said first local server records history information of the first-class device and sends the history information to said first center server under a predetermined condition, and said first center server receives and stores the history information.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein said first center server sends setup parameter information for the first-class device to said first local server, and said first local server sends the setup parameter information to the first-class device to make the first-class device set up based on the received setup parameter information.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein said first center server requests said first local server to send state or operation information of the first-class device, and said first local server collects the state or operation information and sends the collected information to said first center server.

16. The system according to claim 1, wherein the first- and second-class devices are respectively a peripheral device and versatile computer or a versatile computer and peripheral device, the peripheral device includes at least a printer, and the versatile computer includes at least a personal computer.

9. A remote site management system comprising:

a first local server which is connected to a first-class device via a network, and acquires information of the first-class device in a first format; and

format conversion means for converting the information of the first-class device acquired by said first local server into a second format so as to inform a center server, which is connected via an external network to a second local server that acquires information of a second-class device in the second format via the network, of the information of the first-class device.

10. The system according to claim 9, further comprising:

discrimination means for discriminating if the information which is acquired as a message by said center server after being converted into the second format is information that pertains to the first-class device or information that pertains to the second-class device; and

second conversion means for, when said discrimination means determines that the acquired information is the information that pertains to the first-class device, converting the information acquired in the second format into the first format.

11. The system according to claim 9, further comprising:

first management means for managing the information of the first-class device received via the external network; and

informing means for informing a second management unit, that manages information of the second-class device, of the information that pertains to the first-class device acquired by said first management means.

12. The system according to claim 9, further comprising:

display means for identifiably displaying information based on the information informed by said informing means, and the information of the second-class device managed by the second management unit, and

wherein the second management unit is included in said center server.

13. The system according to claim 9, wherein said first local server records history information of the first-class device and requests said second local server to send the history information under a predetermined condition, and said second local server receives the request and sends the history information collected by said first local server.

14. The system according to claim 9, wherein said center server sends a setup parameter for the first-class device to said first local server via said second local server, and said first local server makes the first-class device set up.

15. The system according to claim 9, wherein said center server requests said first local server via said second local server to send state or operation information of the first-class device, and said second local server converts information collected by said first local server into a format that said center server can process and sends the converted information to said center server.

19. The apparatus according to claim 18, further comprising:

search means for searching for the information that pertains to the peripheral device received by said versatile computer local server from said center server, and

wherein said conversion means has a conversion function of converting information found by said search means from a format that said versatile computer local server can interpret into a format that said peripheral device management unit can interpret.

17. An information processing apparatus comprising:

acquisition means for acquiring, via an external network, information unique to a peripheral device from a peripheral device management apparatus that manages information unique to the peripheral device connected via a local area network; and

format conversion means for converting the information unique to the peripheral device acquired by said acquisition means into a predetermined format that a center server, which acquires information pertaining to a versatile computer connected via the local area network via the external network and has a display for displaying the acquired information, can interpret, so as to display the information unique to the peripheral device on the display.

18. An information processing apparatus comprising:

acquisition means for acquiring information unique to a peripheral device from a peripheral device management unit that manages information unique to the peripheral device connected via a local area network; and

format conversion means for converting the information unique to the peripheral device acquired by said acquisition means into a predetermined format for a versatile computer local server which manages information pertaining to a versatile computer connected via the local area network in the predetermined format, and informs a center server of the managed information in the predetermined format by sending the information.

20. A remote site management method comprising:

the acquisition step of acquiring information unique to a first-class device by a first center server which is connected via an external network to a first local server, which is connected to a first-class device via a network and acquires information unique to the first-class device in a first format; and

the informing step of informing a second center server which is connected via an external network to a second local server, which, in turn, is connected to a second-class device via the network and acquires information unique to the second-class device in a second format, of the information of the first-class device acquired in the acquisition step.

21. A remote site management method comprising:

the acquisition step of acquiring in a first format information of a first-class device by a first local server which is connected to the first-class device via a network; and

the format conversion step of converting the information of the first-class device acquired in the acquisition step into a second format so as to inform a center server, which is connected via an external network to a second local server that acquires information of a second-class device in the second format via the network, of the information of the first-class device.

22. An integrated management method comprising:

the acquisition step of acquiring, via an external network, information unique to a peripheral device from a peripheral device management apparatus that manages information unique to the peripheral device connected via a local area network; and

the format conversion step of converting the information unique to the peripheral device acquired in the acquisition step into a predetermined format that a center server, which acquires information pertaining to a versatile computer connected via the local area network via the external network and has a display for displaying the acquired information, can interpret, so as to display the information unique to the peripheral device on the display.

23. An integrated management method comprising:

the acquisition step of acquiring information unique to a peripheral device from a peripheral device management unit that manages information unique to the peripheral device connected via a local area network; and

the format conversion step of converting the information unique to the peripheral device acquired in the acquisition step into a predetermined format for a versatile computer local server which manages information pertaining to a versatile computer connected via the local area network in the predetermined format, and informs a center server of the managed information in the predetermined format by sending the information.

24. A computer readable storage medium storing a computer program having:

the acquisition step of acquiring information unique to a first-class device by a first center server which is connected via an external network to a first local server, which is connected to a first-class device via a network and acquires information unique to the first-class device in a first format; and

the informing step of informing a second center server which is connected via an external network to a second local server, which, in turn, is connected to a second-class device via the network and acquires information of the second-class device in a second format, of the information of the first-class device acquired in the acquisition step.

25. A computer readable storage medium storing a computer program having:

the acquisition step of acquiring in a first format information of a first-class device by a first local server which is connected to the first-class device via a network; and

the format conversion step of converting the information of the first-class device acquired in the acquisition step into a second format so as to inform a center server, which is connected via an external network to a second local server that acquires information of a second-class device in the second format via the network, of the information of the first-class device.

26. A computer readable storage medium storing a computer program having:

the acquisition step of acquiring, via an external network, information unique to a peripheral device from a peripheral device management apparatus that manages information unique to the peripheral device connected via a local area network; and

the format conversion step of converting the information unique to the peripheral device acquired in the acquisition step into a predetermined format that a center server, which acquires information pertaining to a versatile computer connected via the local area network via the external network and has a display for displaying the acquired information, can interpret, so as to display the information unique to the peripheral device on the display.

27. A computer readable storage medium storing a computer program having:

the acquisition step of acquiring information unique to a peripheral device from a peripheral device management unit that manages information unique to the peripheral device connected via a local area network; and

the format conversion step of converting the information unique to the peripheral device acquired in the acquisition step into a predetermined format for a versatile computer local server which manages information pertaining to a versatile computer connected via the local area network in the predetermined format, and informs a center server of the managed information in the predetermined format by sending the information.

28. A computer program for making a computer implement:

the acquisition step of acquiring information unique to a first-class device by a first center server which is connected via an external network to a first local server, which is connected to a first-class device via a network and acquires information unique to the first-class device in a first format; and

the informing step of informing a second center server which is connected via an external network to a second local server, which, in turn, is connected to a second-class device via the network and acquires information unique to the second-class device in a second format, of the information of the first-class device acquired in the acquisition step.

29. A computer program for making a computer implement:

the acquisition step of acquiring in a first format information of a first-class device by a first local server which is connected to the first-class device via a network; and

the format conversion step of converting the information of the first-class device acquired in the acquisition step into a second format so as to inform a center server, which is connected via an external network to a second local server that acquires information of a second-class device in the second format via the network, of the information of the first-class device.

30. A computer program for making a computer implement:

the acquisition step of acquiring, via an external network, information unique to a peripheral device from a peripheral device management apparatus that manages information unique to the peripheral device connected via a local area network; and

the format conversion step of converting the information unique to the peripheral device acquired in the acquisition step into a predetermined format that a center server, which acquires information pertaining to a versatile computer connected via the local area network via the external network and has a display for displaying the acquired information, can interpret, so as to display the information unique to the peripheral device on the display.

31. A computer program for making a computer implement:

the acquisition step of acquiring information unique to a peripheral device from a peripheral device management unit that manages information unique to the peripheral device connected via a local area network; and

the format conversion step of converting the information unique to the peripheral device acquired in the acquisition step into a predetermined format for a versatile computer local server which manages information pertaining to a versatile computer connected via the local area network in the predetermined format, and informs a center server of the managed information in the predetermined format by sending the information.