Method for efficiently extracting status information related to a device coupled to a network in a multi-protocol remote monitoring system

• US 20040255021A1
• Filed: 06/13/2003
• Published: 12/16/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Motoyama, Tetsuro, Fong, Avery
• Granted Patent: US 7,533,167 B2
• 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 41/0273 using web services for network management, e.g. simple object access protocol [SOAP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0811 by checking connectivity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0817 by checking functioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/02 for separating internal from external traffic, e.g. firewalls

Abstract

A method, system, and computer program product for efficiently extracting status information related to a remotely monitored device communicatively coupled to a network, including determining requested first status values to be obtained from the device using a first communication protocol among a plurality of communication protocols; determining requested second status values to be obtained from the device using a second communication protocol among the plurality of communication protocols; accessing the device to extract the requested first status values using the first communication protocol; storing, in a device status map, each extracted first status value in association with a respective unique identifier; and accessing the device using the second communication protocol to extract those status values of the requested second status values not stored in the device status map.

Claims

1. A method of efficiently extracting status information related to a remotely monitored device communicatively coupled to a network, comprising:

determining requested first status values to be obtained from the device using a first communication protocol among a plurality of communication protocols;

determining requested second status values to be obtained from the device using a second communication protocol among the plurality of communication protocols;

accessing the device to extract the requested first status values using the first communication protocol;

storing, in a device status map, each extracted first status value in association with a respective unique identifier; and

accessing the device using the second communication protocol to extract those status values of the requested second status values not stored in the device status map.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first communication protocol is SNMP and the second communication protocol is HTTP.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing, in a first data structure, the requested first status values to be obtained from the device; and

storing, in a second data structure, the requested second status values to be obtained from the device.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the step of accessing the device using the second communication protocol comprises:

deleting, from the second data structure, those requested status values previously extracted from the device using the first communication protocol, and stored in the device status map; and

accessing the device using the second communication protocol to extract the requested second status values listed in the second data structure.

5. A system for efficiently extracting status information related to a remotely monitored device communicatively coupled to a network, comprising:

a first data structure configured to store requested first status values to be obtained from the device using a first communication protocol among a plurality of communication protocols;

a second data structure configured to store requested second status values to be obtained from the device using a second communication protocol among the plurality of communication protocols; and

a processor configured to (1) access the device to extract the requested first status values using the-first communication protocol, (2) store, in a device status map, each extracted first status value in association with a respective unique identifier, and (3) access the device using the second communication protocol to extract those status values of the requested second status values not stored in the device status map.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the first communication protocol is SNMP and the second communication protocol is HTTP.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the processor is further configured to delete, from the second data structure, those requested status values previously extracted from the device using the first communication protocol and stored in the device status map;

and to access the device using the second communication protocol to extract the requested second status values listed in the second data structure.

8. A computer program product having a computer usable medium for efficiently extracting status information related to a remotely monitored device communicatively coupled to a network, comprising:

instructions for determining requested first status values to be obtained from the device using a first communication protocol among a plurality of communication protocols;

instructions for determining requested second status values to be obtained from the device using a second communication protocol among the plurality of communication protocols;

instructions for accessing the device to extract the requested first status values using the first communication protocol;

instructions for storing, in a device status map, each extracted first status value in association with a respective unique identifier; and

instructions for accessing the device using the second communication protocol to extract those status values of the requested second status values not stored in the device status map.

9. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the first communication protocol is SNMP and the second communication protocol is HTTP.

10. The computer program product of claim 8, further comprising:

instructions for storing, in a first data structure, the requested first status values to be obtained from the device; and

instructions for storing, in a second data structure, the requested second status values to be obtained from the device.

11. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the instructions for accessing the device using the second communication protocol comprise:

instructions for deleting, from the second data structure, those requested status values previously extracted from the device using the first communication protocol, and stored in the device status map; and

instructions for accessing the device using the second communication protocol to extract the requested second status values listed in the second data structure.

12. A system for efficiently extracting status information related to a remotely monitored device communicatively coupled to a network, comprising:

means for determining requested first status values to be obtained from the device using a first communication protocol among a plurality of communication protocols;

means for determining requested second status values to be obtained from the device using a second communication protocol among the plurality of communication protocols;

means for accessing the device to extract the requested first status values using the first communication protocol;

means for storing, in a device status map, each extracted first status value in association with a respective unique identifier; and

means for accessing the device using the second communication protocol to extract those status values of the requested second status values not stored in the device status map.