Managing a remote device

• US 20030055931A1
• Filed: 09/18/2001
• Published: 03/20/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Automatos, Inc. (Automatos Participações SA)
• Original Assignee: Automatos, Inc. (Automatos Participações SA)
• Inventors: Villela, Agostinho De Arruda, Alves Da Silva Filho, Nelson, Cravo De Almeida, Marcio, Araujo Da Fosenca, Andre, Salim Da Silva, Marcelo
• Application Number:
  US09/954,819
• Publication Number:
  US 20030055931A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/04 for providing a confidential data exchange among entities communicating through data packet networks

Abstract

An agent obtains data from a device by receiving a plug-in containing system calls for obtaining the data from the device, loading the plug-in into the agent, obtaining the data from the device using the system calls, and transmitting the data over an external network using one or more of a plurality of protocols. The data is provided to a client by formatting the data, and making the formatted data accessible to a client via the external network.

Claims

1. A method, for use by an agent, of obtaining data from a device, the method comprising:

receiving a plug-in containing system calls for obtaining the data from the device;

loading the plug-in into the agent;

obtaining the data from the device using the system calls; and

transmitting the data over an external network using one or more of a plurality of protocols.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the agent includes shared libraries containing system calls for obtaining other data from the device; and

the method further comprises loading the shared libraries into the agent when the plug-in is loaded.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the data is obtained from the device periodically.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the data is obtained every minute.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of protocols comprises simple mail transfer protocol (SMTP), hyper text transfer protocol (HTTP), and secure sockets layer (SSL) protocol.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein data transmission is effected using at least one of a proxy and socket.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the agent resides on an internal network that includes the device; and

the method further comprises selecting a machine on the internal network to transmit the data over the external network.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the external network includes the Internet.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the agent resides on the device.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the agent resides on a machine located on the internal network that is not the device.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the device comprises a network device located on an internal network; and

the agent resides on a server that is also on the internal network.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the data relates to one or more of the following:

a processor on the device, memory on the device, a hard drive on the device, an internal network on which the device is located, and software installed on the device.

13. A method of providing, to a client, data that was obtained by an agent from a remote device on an internal network, the method comprising:

receiving the data via an external network, at least some of the data being received periodically;

formatting the data; and

making the formatted data accessible to a client via the external network.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein formatting comprises generating a report based on the data.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the report comprises a natural language report.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein formatting comprises:

generating a display based on the data; and

updating the display periodically as new data is received periodically via the external network.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the data is received every minute.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein formatting comprises:

determining if the data indicates that an operational parameter of the device exceeds a preset limit; and

generating a report to a client indicating that the operational parameter exceeds the preset limit.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein the external network includes the Internet.

20. The method of claim 13, wherein making the formatted data accessible to the client comprises providing a World Wide Web site through which the data can be accessed by the client.

21. The method of claim 13, wherein the formatted data is made accessible to a wireless device using wireless application protocol.

22. A computer program stored on a machine-readable medium, the computer program comprising an agent for obtaining data from a device, the computer program comprising instructions that cause a machine to:

receive a plug-in containing system calls for obtaining the data from the device;

load the plug-in into the agent;

obtain the data from the device using the system calls; and

transmit the data over an external network using one or more of a plurality of protocols.

23. The computer program of claim 22, wherein:

the agent includes shared libraries containing system calls for obtaining other data from the device; and

the computer program further comprises instructions that cause the machine to load the shared libraries into the agent when the plug-in is loaded.

24. The computer program of claim 22, wherein the data is obtained from the device periodically.

25. The computer program of claim 24, wherein the data is obtained every minute.

26. The computer program of claim 22, wherein the plurality of protocols comprises simple mail transfer protocol (SMTP), hyper text transfer protocol (HTTP), and secure sockets layer (SSL) protocol.

27. The computer program of claim 22, wherein data transmission is effected using at least one of a proxy and socket.

28. The computer program of claim 22, wherein:

the agent resides on an internal network that includes the device; and

the computer program further comprises instructions that cause the machine to select another machine on the internal network to transmit the data over the external network.

29. The computer program of claim 28, wherein the external network includes the Internet.

30. The computer program of claim 28, wherein the agent resides on the device.

31. The computer program of claim 28, wherein the agent resides on a machine located on the internal network that is not the device.

32. The computer program of claim 22, wherein:

the device comprises a network device located on an internal network; and

the agent resides on a server that is also on the internal network.

33. The computer program of claim 22, wherein the data relates to one or more of the following:

a processor on the device, memory on the device, a hard drive on the device, an internal network on which the device is located, and software installed on the device.

34. A computer program stored on a machine-readable medium for providing, to a client, data that was obtained by an agent from a remote device on an internal network, the computer program comprising instructions that cause the machine to:

receive the data via an external network, at least some of the data being received periodically;

format the data; and

make the formatted data accessible to a client via the external network.

35. The computer program of claim 34, wherein formatting comprises generating a report based on the data.

36. The computer program of claim 35, wherein the report comprises a natural language report.

37. The computer program of claim 34, wherein formatting comprises:

generating a display based on the data; and

updating the display periodically as new data is received periodically via the external network.

38. The computer program of claim 34, wherein the data is received every minute.

39. The computer program of claim 34, wherein formatting comprises:

determining if the data indicates that an operational parameter of the device exceeds a preset limit; and

generating a report to a client indicating that the operational parameter exceeds the preset limit.

40. The computer program of claim 34, wherein the external network includes the Internet.

41. The computer program of claim 34, wherein making the formatted data accessible to the client comprises providing a World Wide Web site through which the data can be accessed by the client.

42. The computer program of claim 34, wherein the formatted data is made accessible to a wireless device using wireless application protocol.