Enhanced system and method for network usage monitoring

• US 20030110252A1
• Filed: 12/07/2001
• Published: 06/12/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Yang-Huffman, Siew-Hong
• Application Number:
  US10/012,713
• Publication Number:
  US 20030110252A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0213 Standardised network management protocols, e.g. simple network management protocol [SNMP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0233 Object-oriented techniques, for representation of network management data, e.g. common object request broker architecture [CORBA]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/046 comprising network management agents or mobile agents therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0803 Configuration setting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/00 Arrangements for monitoring or testing data switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0817 by checking functioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0829 Packet loss
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/10 Active monitoring, e.g. heartbeat, ping or trace-route
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/12 Network monitoring probes
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13003 Constructional details of switching devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13034 A/D conversion, code compression/expansion
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1305 Software aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13092 Scanning of subscriber lines, monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13097 Numbering, addressing
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13098 Mobile subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13103 Memory
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13106 Microprocessor, CPU
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13109 Initializing, personal profile
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13164 Traffic (registration, measurement,...)
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13166 : Fault prevention
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13175 : Graphical user interface [GUI], WWW interface, visual indication
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13204 : Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13216 : Code signals, frame structure
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1329 : Asynchronous transfer mode, ATM
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13298 : Local loop systems, access network
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13349 : Network management
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13389 : LAN, internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0087 : Network testing or monitoring arrangements

Abstract

A system and method for the collection of usage data from at least one node of a network is provided. In one embodiment, the present invention includes a computer program product having a computer readable medium having computer logic recorded thereon for the collection of usage data from at least one node of a network. The computer program product preferably includes code for receiving data from an administrative application, wherein such data identifies at least one node of a network. In addition, the computer program product includes code for configuring the computer program product to collect usage data from at least one of the one or more identified network nodes.

Claims

1. A computer program product having a computer readable medium having computer program logic recorded thereon for the collection of usage data from at least one node of a network, the computer program product comprising:

code for receiving data from an administrative application, wherein said data identifies at least one node of a network;

code for configuring said computer program product to collect usage data from at least one of the at least one identified network node.

2. The computer program product of claim 1 wherein said computer readable medium further includes:

code for collecting usage data from said at least one of the at least one identified network node;

code for processing the collected usage data; and

code for storing the processed usage data.

3. The computer program product of claim 2 wherein said code for collecting said usage data includes code for reading data streams.

4. The computer program product of claim 2 wherein said code for processing includes code for performing a processing step selected from the group consisting of filtering, summation, finding maxima, finding minima, and adornment.

5. The computer program product of claim 2 wherein said code for storing includes storing the processed usage data in an open format.

6. The computer program product of claim 1 wherein said code for configuring said computer program product includes:

code for generating at least one agent operable to collect usage data from said at least one of the at least one identified network node; and

code for configuring said at least one agent to collect usage data from said at least one of the at least one identified network node.

7. The computer program product of claim 6 wherein said at least one agent includes at least one collector.

8. The computer program product of claim 1 wherein said code for configuring said computer program product includes:

code for generating one agent operable to collect usage data from said at least one of the at least one identified network node; and

code for configuring said one agent to collect usage data from said at least one of the at least one identified network node.

9. The computer program product of claim 1 wherein said code for configuring includes code for specifying an IP address of said at least one of the at least one identified network node, as well as permission to access said at least one of the at least one identified network node.

10. The computer program product of claim 1 wherein said code for configuring said computer program product includes:

code for configuring said computer program product to collect usage data from a database of an agent residing on said at least one of the at least one identified network node.

11. The computer program product of claim 10 wherein said agent comprises a simple network management protocol (SNMP) agent and said database comprises a management information base (MIB).

12. The computer program product of claim 1 wherein said code for configuring said computer program product includes an agent object class.

13. A system for the collection of usage data from at least one node of a network, said system comprising:

means for generating data identifying at least one node of a network; and

means for collecting usage data from at least one of the at least one identified network node, wherein the usage data collection means includes;

means for receiving the identifying data from said generating means; and

means for configuring the usage data collection means to collect usage data from said at least one of the at least one identified network node.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the usage data collection means further includes:

means for processing usage data collected from said at least one of the at least one identified network node; and

means for storing the processed usage data.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the usage data collection means further includes:

means for making the stored data available to at least one administration application of said system.

16. The system of claim 13 wherein the usage data collection means includes:

means for generating at least one agent means for collecting usage data from said at least one of the at least one identified network node; and

means for configuring said at least one agent means to collect usage data from said at least one of the at least one identified network node.

17. The system of claim 13 wherein the usage data collection means includes:

means for collecting usage data from a database of an agent residing on said at least one of the at least one identified network node.

18. A method for the collection of usage data from at least one node of a network, the method comprising:

receiving data identifying at least one node of a network from an administrative application; and

configuring a usage data application to collect usage data from at least one of the at least one identified network node.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein said configuring includes:

generating at least one agent operable to collect usage data from said at least one of the at least one identified network node; and

configuring said at least one agent to collect usage data from said at least one of the at least one identified network node.

20. The method of claim 18 wherein said configuring includes:

configuring said usage data application to collect usage data from a database of an agent residing on said at least one of the at least one identified network node.