Distributed network management system and method

• US 20040210632A1
• Filed: 03/01/2004
• Published: 10/21/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Internap Holding LLC
• Original Assignee: Internap Network Services Corporation
• Inventors: Carlson, John, Metcalf, Leigh, Hinderliter, Tim
• Granted Patent: US 7,490,144 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/22 using redundant apparatus to increase reliability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0213 Standardised network management protocols, e.g. simple network management protocol [SNMP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0817 by checking functioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/10 Active monitoring, e.g. heartbeat, ping or trace-route
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/103 with adaptive polling, i.e. dynamically adapting the polling rate
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/106 using time related information in packets, e.g. by adding timestamps
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/16 Threshold monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/40 for recovering from a failure of a protocol instance or entity, e.g. service redundancy protocols, protocol state redundancy or protocol service redirection management of faults, events, alarms or notifications in data switching networks H04L41/06

Abstract

A distributed network management system and method of operation. The system includes at least one hub server and at least one remote server, where the hub server and the remote server communicate with each other. The remote server additionally communicates with and monitors one or more network devices. In the event that the remote server becomes inoperational, the hub server assumes monitoring of the network device. For redundancy, primary and secondary hub servers can be provided, wherein the primary and secondary hub servers communicate with each other and are capable of communicating with the remote server. For further redundancy, primary and secondary remote servers can be provided, wherein the primary and secondary remote servers communicate with each other but independently monitor the network devices. In the peered remote configuration, the hub server is capable of communicating with either of the remote servers. Where both the hub servers and the remote servers are peered, each hub server is capable of communicating with each remote server.

Claims

1-14. -14 (Canceled).

16. A distributed network management system, comprising:

a network server capable of communicating with a network device; and

means associated with said network server for deriving state information from said network device using a paradigm (“

LTP”

) that includes polling said network device and using responses received from said network device to compute a weighted average over a plurality of time periods.

15. A system as recited in claim 16, further comprising:

a hub server,

wherein said network server is capable of communicating with said hub server; and

wherein configuration parameters for said network server to communicate with said network device can be propagated between said hub server and said network server bidirectionally.

17. A system as recited in claim 16, wherein said LTP comprises:

defining a polling interval;

sending, from an ICMP server, a plurality of pings to an interface address on said network device during said polling interval;

monitoring the number of pings returned from said network device and converting said number to a percentage based on the number of pings sent;

sending an SNMP query to said network device and determining operational status of said network device from said SNMP query, said operational status comprising “

up”

, “

down”

, and “

unknown”

;

using the percentage of pings returned and the SNMP status, generating a status percentage for the polling period by multiplying the percentage pings returned by a constant value associated with said operational status, said constant value comprising a first value if the operational status is “

up”

, a second value if the operational status is “

down”

, and a third value if the operational status is “

unknown”

; and

computing a weighted average of the status percentages for current and previous four polling periods and determining the state of the network device from the weighted average.

18. A system as recited in claim 16, further comprising:

means for defining a polling interval;

means for sending, from an ICMP server, a plurality of pings to an interface address on said network device during said polling interval;

means for monitoring the number of pings returned from said network device and converting said number to a percentage based on the number of pings sent;

means for sending an SNMP query to said network device and determining operational status of said network device from said SNMP query, said operational status comprising “

up”

, “

down”

, and “

unknown”

;

means for using the percentage of pings returned and the SNMP status, generating a status percentage for the polling period by multiplying the percentage pings returned by a constant value associated with said operational status, said constant value comprising a first value if the operational status is “

up”

, a second value if the operational status is “

down”

, and a third value if the operational status is “

unknown”

; and

means for computing a weighted average of the status percentages for current and previous four polling periods and determining the state of the network device from the weighted average.

19. A system as recited in claim 16, further comprising programming associated with said network server for carrying out the functions of:

defining a polling interval;

sending, from an ICMP server, a plurality of pings to an interface address on said network device during said polling interval;

monitoring the number of pings returned from said network device and converting said number to a percentage based on the number of pings sent;

sending an SNMP query to said network device and determining operational status of said network device from said SNMP query, said operational status comprising “

up”

, “

down”

, and “

unknown”

;

using the percentage of pings returned and the SNMP status, generating a status percentage for the polling period by multiplying the percentage pings returned by a constant value associated with said operational status, said constant value comprising a first value if the operational status is “

up”

, a second value if the operational status is “

down”

, and a third value if the operational status is “

unknown”

; and

computing a weighted average of the status percentages for current and previous four polling periods and determining the state of the network device from the weighted average.

32. A system as recited in claim 16, wherein said LTP comprises:

defining a polling interval;

sending, from an ICMP server, a plurality of pings to an interface address on said network device during said polling interval;

monitoring the number of pings returned from said network device and converting said number to a percentage based on the number of pings sent;

using the percentage of pings returned, generating a status percentage for the polling period by multiplying the percentage pings returned by a constant value; and

computing a weighted average of the status percentages for a current and a plurality of previous polling periods and determining the state of the network device from the weighted average.

33. A system as recited in claim 32, further comprising:

sending an SNMP query to said network device and determining an operational status of said network device from said SNMP query, said operational status comprising “

up”

, “

down”

, and “

unknown”

,

wherein said constant value comprises a first value if the operational status is “

up”

, a second value if the operational status is “

down”

, and a third value if the operational status is “

unknown”

.

20. A system for deriving state information from a network device, comprising:

(a) a computer; and

(b) programming associated with said computer for carrying out the operations of

(i) defining a polling interval;

(ii) sending, from an ICMP server, a plurality of pings to an interface address on said network device during said polling interval;

(iii) monitoring the number of pings returned from said network device and converting said number to a percentage based on the number of pings sent;

(iv) sending an SNMP query to said network device and determining operational status of said network device from said SNMP query, said operational status comprising “

up”

, “

down”

, and “

unknown”

;

(v) using the percentage of pings returned and the SNMP status, generating a status percentage for the polling period by multiplying the percentage pings returned by a constant value associated with said operational status, said constant value comprising a first value if the operational status is “

up”

, a second value if the operational status is “

down”

, and a third value if the operational status is “

unknown”

; and

(vi) computing a weighted average of the status percentages for current and previous four polling periods and determining the state of the network device from the weighted average.

21-27. -27 (Canceled).

29. A method for distributed network management, comprising:

providing a network server capable of communicating with a network device; and

deriving state information from said network device using a paradigm (“

LTP”

) that includes polling said network device and using responses received from said network device to compute a weighted average over a plurality of time periods.

28. A method as recited in claim 29, further comprising:

providing a hub server

wherein said network server is capable of communicating with said network device and said hub server; and

propagating configuration parameters for said network server to communicate with said network device between said hub server and said network server bidirectionally.

30. A method as recited in claim 29, wherein said LTP comprises:

defining a polling interval;

sending, from an ICMP server, a plurality of pings to an interface address on said network device during said polling interval;

monitoring the number of pings returned from said network device and converting said number to a percentage based on the number of pings sent;

sending an SNMP query to said network device and determining operational status of said network device from said SNMP query, said operational status comprising “

up”

, “

down”

, and “

unknown”

;

using the percentage of pings returned and the SNMP status, generating a status percentage for the polling period by multiplying the percentage pings returned by a constant value associated with said operational status, said constant value comprising a first value if the operational status is “

up”

, a second value if the operational status is “

down”

, and a third value if the operational status is “

unknown”

; and

computing a weighted average of the status percentages for current and previous four polling periods and determining the state of the network device from the weighted average.

34. A method as recited in claim 29, wherein said LTP comprises:

defining a polling interval;

sending, from an ICMP server, a plurality of pings to an interface address on said network device during said polling interval;

monitoring the number of pings returned from said network device and converting said number to a percentage based on the number of pings sent;

using the percentage of pings returned, generating a status percentage for the polling period by multiplying the percentage pings returned by a constant value; and

computing a weighted average of the status percentages for a current and a plurality of previous polling periods and determining the state of the network device from the weighted average.

35. A method as recited in claim 34, further comprising:

sending an SNMP query to said network device and determining an operational status of said network device from said SNMP query, said operational status comprising “

up”

, “

down”

, and “

unknown”

,

wherein said constant value comprises a first value if the operational status is “

up”

, a second value if the operational status is “

down”

, and a third value if the operational status is “

unknown”

.

31. A method for deriving state information from a network device, comprising:

(a) defining a polling interval;

(b) sending, from an ICMP server, a plurality of pings to an interface address on said network device during said polling interval;

(c) monitoring the number of pings returned from said network device and converting said number to a percentage based on the number of pings sent;

(d) sending an SNMP query to said network device and determining operational status of said network device from said SNMP query, said operational status comprising “

up”

, “

down”

, and “

unknown”

;

(e) using the percentage of pings returned and the SNMP status, generating a status percentage for the polling period by multiplying the percentage pings returned by a constant value associated with said operational status, said constant value comprising a first value if the operational status is “

up”

, a second value if the operational status is “

down”

, and a third value if the operational status is “

unknown”

; and

(f) computing a weighted average of the status percentages for current and previous four polling periods and determining the state of the network device from the weighted average.