Network device management apparatus, management system, and management method, and network device

• US 20030055961A1
• Filed: 09/11/2002
• Published: 03/20/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Canon Ayutthaya Limited (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Ayutthaya Limited (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Torii, Minoru
• Application Number:
  US10/238,779
• Publication Number:
  US 20030055961A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/00 Arrangements for maintenance, administration or management of data switching networks, e.g. of packet switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]

Abstract

Disclosed is a network device management apparatus by which no timeout occurs even when device discovery over a broad area is requested, and the network traffic for device discovery is little. The network device management apparatus according to this invention includes, in each subnet, a discovery FSA 308 for retrieving and holding device information. A CSB LM 302 for network device management manages the address information of the device discovery FSA 308 present in the network. When device discovery is requested by a client 309, the address information of a device discovery FSA corresponding to the discovery area is returned. The client retrieves device information from each device discovery FSA by using the notified address information.

Claims

1. A management method of managing a network device present on a network, comprising:

a transmission step of transmitting to the network a discovery request for requesting discovery of a network device present on the network;

a response step of returning, in response to the discovery request, to the transmission source of the discovery request, access information for accessing a device information collecting apparatus for collecting device information concerning a network device present within a predetermined area of the network; and

a retrieval step of retrieving, on the basis of the access information, the device information from a device information collecting apparatus corresponding to the access information.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein

the response step comprises returning a plurality of pieces of access information, and

the retrieval step comprises retrieving device information from a plurality of device information collecting apparatuses which each of the plurality of pieces of access information corresponds to.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising a display step of displaying the device information retrieved in the retrieval step.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the device information collecting apparatus has the collection step of periodically collecting or updating the device information.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the device information collecting apparatus is installed in each subnet which constitutes the network, and collects device information of a network device present in the subnet.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the retrieval step comprises:

retrieving, by using inter-process communication, a pointer to a device information collecting process of collecting the device information; and

retrieving device information from the device information collecting process by using the retrieved pointer.

7. An information processing method comprising:

a reception step of receiving, from the network, a discovery request of requesting discovery of a network device present on the network; and

a response step of returning, in response to the discovery request, to the transmission source of the discovery request, access information for accessing a device information collecting apparatus for collecting device information concerning a network device present within a predetermined area of the network.

8. An information processing method comprising:

a transmission step of transmitting to the network a discovery request for requesting discovery of a network device present on the network;

a reception step of receiving access information for accessing a device information collecting apparatus for collecting device information concerning a network device present within a predetermined area of the network; and

a retrieval step of retrieving, on the basis of the access information, the device information from a device information collecting apparatus corresponding to the access information.

9. A information processing apparatus comprising:

storage means for storing access information for accessing a device information collecting apparatus for collecting device information concerning a network device present within a predetermined area of the network; and

responding means for returning the access information to the transmission source of the discovery request in accordance with a discovery request for requesting discovery of a network device present on the network.

10. An information processing apparatus comprising:

transmitting means for transmitting to the network a discovery request for requesting discovery of a network device present on the network;

receiving means for receiving access information for accessing a device information collecting apparatus for collecting device information concerning a network device present within a predetermined area of the network; and

retrieving means for retrieving, on the basis of the access information, the device information from a device information collecting apparatus corresponding to the access information.

11. A management system for managing a network device present on a network, comprising:

a device information collecting apparatus for collecting device information concerning a network device present within a predetermined area of the network;

a management apparatus for storing access information for accessing said device information collecting apparatus, and, in response to a discovery request for requesting discovery of a network device present on the network, returning the access information to the transmission source of the discovery request; and

an information processing apparatus for transmitting the discovery request, receiving the access information, and, on the basis of this access information, retrieving the device information from a device information collecting apparatus corresponding to the access information.

12. A program for managing a network device present on a network, wherein said program allows a computer to execute:

a reception step of receiving, from the network, a discovery request for requesting discovery of a network device present on the network; and

a response step of returning, in response to the discovery request, to the transmission source of the discovery request, access information for accessing a device information collecting apparatus for collecting device information concerning a network device present within a predetermined area of the network.

14. A computer-readable recording medium storing the program according to claim 12.

13. A program for retrieving information concerning a network device present on a network, comprising:

a transmission step of transmitting to the network a discovery request for requesting discovery of a network device present on the network;

a reception step of receiving access information for accessing a device information collecting apparatus for collecting device information concerning a network device present within a predetermined area of the network; and

a retrieval step of retrieving, on the basis of the access information, the device information from a device information collecting apparatus corresponding to the access information.

15. A computer-readable recording medium storing the program according to claim 13.