Node detection method and node detector

• US 20060083252A1
• Filed: 08/19/2005
• Published: 04/20/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Yokogawa Electric Corporation
• Original Assignee: Yokogawa Electric Corporation
• Inventors: Sakuraba, Yuichi, Miyata, Yuji, Kataoka, Akira
• Application Number:
  US11/206,849
• Publication Number:
  US 20060083252A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/400
• 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 45/02 Topology update or discovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/246 Connectivity information discovery

Abstract

A node detection method and a node detector that enable selection of a node detection method in accordance with the structure and operation of a network are realized. A node detection method for detecting a node connected to a network comprises: a first step of interpreting a first script related to cycle to decide a detection cycle; a second step of interpreting a second script used for selecting information to select next information to be acquired, when node detection timing has come; a third step of gathering the selected information via the network by using a matching protocol; a fourth step of interpreting the acquired information and storing node information when it is judged that a new node has been detected; and a fifth step of causing all the nodes that have been detected by the last node detection, to perform the second to fourth steps.

Claims

1. A node detection method for detecting a node connected to a network, the method comprising:

upon setting an initial address list in advance;

a first step of interpreting a first script related to cycle to decide a detection cycle;

a second step of interpreting a second script used for selecting information to select next information to be acquired, when node detection timing has come;

a third step of gathering the selected information via the network by using a matching protocol;

a fourth step of interpreting the acquired information and storing node information when it is judged that a new node has been detected; and

a fifth step of causing all the nodes that have been detected by the last node detection, to perform the second to fourth steps.

2. The node detection method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first script is customizable.

3. The node detection method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second script is customizable.

4. A node detector for detecting a node connected to a network, the node detector comprising:

a communication unit that performs communication via the network;

a storage unit in which acquired node information, a first script related to cycle and a second script used for selecting next information to be acquired are stored; and

an arithmetic control unit that set an initial address list in advance, interprets the first script to decide a detection cycle, interprets the second script to select next information to be acquired when node detection timing has come, gathers the selected information via the network by using a matching protocol, interprets the acquired information and storing node information to the storage unit when it is judged that a new node has been detected, and causes all the nodes that have been detected by the last node detection, to gather information.

5. The node detector as claimed in claim 4, wherein a framework operated by the arithmetic control unit comprises:

a management function to manage the entirety;

a script interpretation function to interpret the first and second scripts;

an acquisition target information selection function to select next information to be acquired, on the basis of the second script;

a plurality of information acquisition functions prepared corresponding to types of information to be acquired;

a protocol implementation function to perform transmission and reception in accordance with a protocol used for acquiring information;

an acquired information interpretation function to interpret acquired information; and

a node information storage function to store the acquired information and information used at the time of selecting information to the storage unit, and

wherein the management function controls the script interpretation function and the acquisition target information selection function, the acquisition target information selection function controls each of the information acquisition functions, the information acquisition functions control the protocol implementation function and controls the acquired information interpretation function, the protocol implementation function performs communication using an implemented protocol, and the acquired information interpretation function controls the node information storage function.

6. The node detector as claimed in claim 5, wherein the information acquisition functions can be added to or deleted from the framework by plug-in.

7. The node detector as claimed in claim 5, wherein the protocol implementation function is provided in the framework for each protocol that is used.

8. The node detector as claimed in claim 4 or 5, wherein the first script is customizable.

9. The node detector as claimed in claim 4 or 5, wherein the second script is customizable.

10. The node detector as claimed in claim 4 or 5, wherein the node detector is applied to management of an application.

11. The node detector as claimed in claim 4 or 5, wherein the node detector is applied to detection of a node at which a web server is operating, among the nodes within the network.

12. The node detector as claimed in claim 4 or 5, wherein the node detector is applied for automatically detecting information of an installed device.