System and method for managing network devices via e-mail

• US 20040093383A1
• Filed: 12/31/2002
• Published: 05/13/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Huang, Yu-Yuan, Lin, Cheng-Ling
• Application Number:
  US10/334,777
• Publication Number:
  US 20040093383A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0213 Standardised network management protocols, e.g. simple network management protocol [SNMP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0253 using browsers or web-pages for accessing management information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/026 using e-messaging for transporting management information, e.g. email, instant messaging or chat
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/34 Signalling channels for network management communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/065 related to network devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0811 by checking connectivity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0817 by checking functioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/00 User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/234 for tracking messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/029 Firewall traversal, e.g. tunnelling or, creating pinholes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/025 for remote control or remote monitoring of applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/565 Conversion or adaptation of application format or content adding application control or application functional data H04L67/561

Abstract

A system and method for managing network devices via e-mail that accomplishes sending management commands to the management proxy device (140) and receiving status information on the managed device (150) via e-mail in a network management system. The system for managing network devices via e-mail comprised: at least one management base (100) that runs an e-mail client side program (113) as a network management tool to send e-mails containing management commands; at least one management proxy device that runs an e-mail service module (146) for receiving and analyzing e-mails containing management commands, and for sending e-mails containing status information on a managed device, said e-mail service module comprising an e-mail receiving sub-module (1461), a decryption sub-module (1462), a status information reporting sub-module (1463) and an e-mail sending sub-module (1464); and an e-mail server (160) that receives e-mails from the management base and the management proxy device.

Claims

1. A system for managing network devices via e-mail, the system comprising at least one management base, at least one management proxy device, at least one managed device, and an e-mail server, wherein:

the at least one management base runs an e-mail client side program as a network management tool to send e-mails containing management commands;

the at least one management proxy device runs an e-mail service module for receiving and analyzing e-mails containing management commands, and for sending e-mails containing information on a status of a managed device;

each managed device corresponds with one management proxy device; and

the e-mail server receives e-mails from the at least one management base and the at least one management proxy device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the e-mail service module comprises an e-mail receiving sub-module that receives e-mails containing management commands from the e-mail server, determines validities of the received e-mails, and determines reserved times of valid e-mails.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the e-mail service module comprises a decryption sub-module that decrypts contents of e-mails containing management commands.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the e-mail service module comprises a status information reporting sub-module that receives current values of status information on the corresponding managed device, and generates a status information report.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the e-mail service module comprises an e-mail sending sub-module that generates e-mails containing status information on the corresponding managed device, and sends said generated e-mails to the e-mail server.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one management proxy device further comprises a data storage device that stores the e-mail service module.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising a network wherein the at least one management base, the at least one management proxy device and the e-mail server are connected as nodes.

8. A method for managing network devices via e-mail, the method comprising the following steps:

(a) running an e-mail client side program to send an e-mail containing management commands to an e-mail server;

(b) running an e-mail service module to receive the e-mail containing management commands from the e-mail server;

(c) determining a validity of the received e-mail, and determining a reserved time of the received e-mail in the e-mail server if the received e-mail is valid;

(d) executing management commands contained in the valid received e-mail if the valid received e-mail has not been read yet;

(e) receiving information on a status of a managed device returned by a management proxy device;

(f) generating an e-mail containing status information on the managed device, and sending the generated e-mail to the e-mail server; and

(g) running the e-mail client side program to receive the e-mail containing status information on the managed device from the e-mail server.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein step (a) further comprising the step of:

encrypting a content of the e-mail containing management commands before sending said e-mail to the e-mail server.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein step (c) further comprises the step of:

multiplying a predefined period of time between regular connections of the e-mail service module to the e-mail server by a number of times of receipt of the received e-mail to determine the reserved time of the received e-mail in the e-mail server.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein step (d) further comprises the step of:

decrypting the content of the valid received e-mail in order to obtain management commands contained in the valid received e-mail.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein step (f) further comprises the step of:

generating the e-mail containing status information on the managed device according to a reply letter format.

13. A method for managing network devices via e-mail, the method comprising the following steps:

(a) providing a system with one management base, one management proxy device, one managed device, and one e-mail server;

(b) sending e-mails, from said management base, containing management commands;

(c) receiving and analyzing said e-mails, one by one, via said management proxy device;

(d) deleting the e-mail if said e-mail is invalid, or

(e) decrypting content of said e-mail and executing said management command thereof if said e-mail is valid and has not been read, or

(f) updating time of said e-mail to see whether said e-mail exceeds time limit if said e-mail is valid and has been read; and

(g) deleting the e-mail if said e-mail exceeds time limit in step (f);

(h) generating a status information report on the managed device after executing step (e), and then followed by steps (f) and (g).