Method of operating a network management station

• US 20060168184A1
• Filed: 01/23/2006
• Published: 07/27/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hirschmann Automation & Control GmbH (Belden Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hirschmann Automation & Control GmbH (Belden Inc.)
• Inventors: Rentschler, Markus
• Application Number:
  US11/337,931
• Publication Number:
  US 20060168184A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/223
• 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 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/34 Signalling channels for network management communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/00 Reducing energy consumption in communication networks

Abstract

A network management station connected to a network infrastructure is configured for the acquisition and registration of at least a [portion of the network infrastructure. A selected region only of the network infrastructure is displayed graphically on the screen of the network management station.

Claims

1. A method of operating a network management station connected to a network infrastructure and configured for the acquisition and registration of a network infrastructure to be accessed, said method comprising the steps of determining a selected region of the network infrastructure;

and acquiring and graphically displaying the network infrastructure of the selected region.

2. The method defined in claim 1, further comprising the steps of monitoring the network infrastructure of the selected region for correctness or defects, and displaying graphically detected defects.

3. The method defined in claim 2, further comprising the step of determining data and identifications from communications from network nodes of the network infrastructure of the selected region or by interrogation of network nodes of the network infrastructure of the selected region to which devices of the network infrastructure are connected.

4. The method defined in claim 3 wherein the interrogation of network nodes of the network infrastructure of the selected region to which devices of the network infrastructure are connected is effected in accordance with a Discovery Protocol.

5. The method defined in claim 4 wherein the Discovery Protocol is LLDP.

6. The method defined in claim 4 wherein the Discovery Protocol is CDP.

7. The method defined in claim 1 wherein a non-IEEE-Multicast address is used for LLDP packets which are sent in addition to packets with IEEE addresses.