Method for effecting web-based network manager using web configuration

• US 20030131086A1
• Filed: 01/09/2002
• Published: 07/10/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: D-Link Corporation
• Original Assignee: D-Link Corporation
• Inventors: Chen, Yung-Hsin
• Granted Patent: US 7,103,629 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0253 using browsers or web-pages for accessing management information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/046 comprising network management agents or mobile agents therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]

Abstract

A method for effecting Web-based network manager using Web configuration comprises the steps of establishing a manager process module and a manager database module on a workstation; operating the manager database module to use a Hyperlink feature of Hypertext contained in a HTML file to activate a Web browser; enabling a connection to each network device based on node information of each network device stored in the manager database module; and obtaining status information of each network device in a domain from an embedded Web agent in the network device, so as to directly manage network devices through Web browser without additionally installing a management module in the workstation.

Claims

1. A method for effecting a Web-based network manager using a Web configuration, the method comprising:

establishing a domain consisting of a workstation and at least one network device;

communicating between the workstation and a Web agent on each network device through a HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol);

enabling a manager database module and a manager process module of the workstation to communicate with each network device using a Web browser; and

displaying status information of all of the network devices in the domain on the workstation for facilitating a management by a Web manager.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the workstation is served as the Web manager and the manager database module acts to store status changes of the network devices in the domain and relevant query result and establish a domain structure diagram and a status diagram using information contained in the manager database module.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the manager process module acts to provide a management procedure required by nodes in each network device so as to obtain node data about each network device.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising a HTTP process module being operative to connect to the nodes in each network device through the HTTP.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the Web agent on each network device acts to process a Web server.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the workstation acts to issue request and polling message to each network device having the Web agent in the domain so as to obtain information about each node on each network device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein every predetermined period of time the HTTP process module acts to request each network device to read data about the Web agent thereof by polling and send back a required packet by the Web agent.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein after the manager process module has received the sent back packet, an analysis is performed on the packet for obtaining correct information about IPs of the nodes, status, throughput, and distribution of each network device in the domain, thereby updating the manager database module in the workstation.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the manager process module acts to read a HTML file from a specific directory in the manager database module and display the same on the workstation, whereby the Web manager is capable of using a Hyperlink of a Hypertext contained in a Web page to connect to a Web page associated with the network device for management.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the sent back packet comprises:

a basic information for containing data about the packets of the Web agent consisting of type, version, location, power on time, and device name;

an interface for containing data about the packets regarding the number of communication interfaces of the Web agent having a data structure of an array; and

a traffic for containing data about the packets regarding throughput, type, and count of the traffic of the Web agent having a data structure containing throughput and status of each communication interface on the Web agent.