Mutual Monitoring System, Mutual Monitoring Apparatus, Mutual Monitoring Method and Program

• US 20070088682A1
• Filed: 06/07/2006
• Published: 04/19/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Kitamura, Toshikazu
• Granted Patent: US 7,734,769 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3476 Data logging G06F11/14, G06F11/2205 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/065 related to network devices

Abstract

A system includes a plurality of apparatuses connected to a network, wherein each apparatus monitors the occurrence of trouble in a monitoring object apparatus which is one of the apparatuses in the system. Further, each apparatus is monitored for the occurrence of trouble in the apparatus by a monitor apparatus which is another one of the apparatuses in the system. The system enables adding and subtracting apparatuses to the system, as well as restoring apparatuses which were previously subtracted due to detected troubles which have been corrected.

Claims

1. A system comprising a plurality of apparatuses connected to a network, wherein each apparatus in said plurality of apparatuses comprises:

a management information storing portion in which a monitoring object identifier and a monitor identifier are registered;

a monitoring unit that monitors said monitoring object apparatus indicated by said monitoring object identifier; and

a responding unit that responds to the monitor apparatus indicated by said monitor identifier.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein each apparatus in said plurality of apparatuses further comprises a separation processing unit comprising:

a searching unit that searches for a search target apparatus in said plurality of apparatuses in said system; and

a management information changing unit that changes said monitoring object identifier registered in said apparatus to an identifier of said search target apparatus, and changes said monitor identifier registered in said search target apparatus to an identifier of said apparatus.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein said searching unit

searches for said search target apparatus by requesting other apparatuses in said plurality of apparatuses in said system to send back a monitor identifier registered in each apparatus;

and

determines said search target apparatus to be a responding apparatus which sends back a monitor identifier which indicates said monitoring object apparatus of said apparatus.

4. The system according to claim 3, wherein

requesting is performed sequentially and begins with said monitor apparatus of said apparatus and then is sequentially made to said monitor apparatus of succeeding apparatuses in said plurality of apparatuses until an apparatus sends back said monitor identifier which indicates said monitoring object apparatus of said apparatus in response to a request.

5. The system according to claim 3, wherein said searching unit

searches for said search target apparatus by requesting by broadcast other apparatuses of said plurality of apparatuses in said system to send back a monitor identifier registered in each apparatus of said plurality of apparatuses.

6. The system according to claim 2, wherein each apparatus in said plurality of apparatuses further comprises

a log information storing portion in which log information of said monitoring object apparatus is registered, and

a log collecting unit that collects log information of said apparatus, and

said responding unit sends back said log information of said apparatus collected by said log collecting unit to said monitor apparatus in response to a log acquirement request from said monitor apparatus, and said monitoring unit sends said log acquirement requests to said monitoring object apparatus and registers said log information sent back in said log information storing portion, and if said log information is not sent back, determines that trouble has occurred in said monitoring object apparatus, and said separation processing unit of said apparatus further comprises

a log information updating unit that updates said log information registered in said log information storing portion with said log information received from said monitoring object apparatus.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein each apparatus of said plurality of apparatuses further comprises:

a selection unit that selects a first apparatus and a second apparatus from said plurality of apparatuses in said system; and

a management information managing unit that registers an identifier of said apparatus of said plurality of apparatuses as a monitor identifier of said first apparatus and as a monitoring object identifier of said second apparatus, and that registers an identifier of said first apparatus as said monitoring object identifier of said apparatus of said plurality of apparatuses, and registers an identifier of said second apparatus as said monitor identifier of said apparatus of said plurality of apparatuses.

8. An apparatus for use in a system comprising a plurality of said apparatuses connected to a network comprising:

a management information storing portion in which a monitoring object identifier and a monitor identifier are registered;

a monitoring unit that monitors said monitoring object apparatus indicated by said monitoring object identifier; and

a responding unit that responds to said monitor apparatus indicated by said monitor identifier.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising:

a separation processing unit comprising;

a searching unit that searches for a search target apparatus in said plurality of apparatuses in said system; and

a management information changing unit that changes said monitoring object identifier registered in said apparatus to an identifier of said search target apparatus, and changes said monitor identifier registered in said search target apparatus to an identifier of said apparatus.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said searching unit

searches for said search target apparatus by requesting other apparatuses in said plurality of apparatuses in said system to send back a monitor identifier registered in each apparatus in said plurality of apparatuses;

and

determines said search target apparatus to be a responding apparatus which sends back a monitor identifier which indicates said monitoring object apparatus of said apparatus.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein

requesting is performed sequentially and begins with said monitor apparatus of said apparatus and then is sequentially made to said monitor apparatus of succeeding apparatuses in said plurality of apparatuses until an apparatus sends back said monitor identifier which indicates said monitoring object apparatus of said apparatus in response to a request.

12. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said searching unit

searches for said search target apparatus by requesting by broadcast other apparatuses of said plurality of apparatuses in said system to send back a monitor identifier registered in each apparatus of said plurality of apparatuses.

13. The apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising:

1) a log information storing portion in which log information of said monitoring object apparatus is registered; and

a log collecting unit that collects log information of said apparatus, and wherein

2) said responding unit sends back said log information of said apparatus collected by said log collecting unit to said monitor apparatus in response to a log acquirement request from said monitor apparatus, and

3) said monitoring unit sends said log acquirement requests to said monitoring object apparatus and registers said log information sent back in said log information storing portion, and if said log information is not sent back, determines that trouble has occurred in said monitoring object apparatus; and

4) said separation processing unit of said apparatus further comprises

a log information updating unit which updates said log information registered in said log information storing portion with said log information received from said monitoring object apparatus.

14. The apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising:

a selection unit that selects a first apparatus and a second apparatus from said plurality of apparatuses in said system; and

a management information managing unit that registers an identifier of said apparatus of said plurality of apparatuses as a monitor identifier of said first apparatus and as a monitoring object identifier of said second apparatus, and that registers an identifier of said first apparatus as said monitoring object identifier, and registers an identifier of said second apparatus as said monitor identifier.

15. A method performed by an apparatus

in a system comprising a plurality of apparatuses connected to a network, and

with a management information storing portion in which a monitoring object identifier and a monitor identifier are registered;

comprising

monitoring a monitoring object apparatus indicated by said monitoring object identifier; and

responding to monitoring by a monitor apparatus indicated by said monitor identifier.

16. The method according to claim 15, further comprising:

a separation processing step which performs the steps of;

searching for a search target apparatus in said plurality of apparatuses in said system; and

a management information changing step for changing said monitoring object identifier registered in said apparatus to an identifier of said search target apparatus, and changing said monitor identifier registered in said search target apparatus to an identifier of said apparatus.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein said searching step

searches for said search target apparatus by requesting other apparatuses in said plurality of apparatuses in said system to send back a monitor identifier registered in each apparatus of said plurality of apparatuses;

and

includes the step of determining said search target apparatus to be an apparatus which sends back a monitor identifier which indicates said monitoring object apparatus of said apparatus.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein

requesting is performed sequentially and begins with said monitor apparatus of said apparatus and then is sequentially made to said monitor apparatus of succeeding apparatuses in said plurality of apparatuses until an apparatus sends back said monitor identifier which indicates said monitoring object apparatus of said apparatus in response to a request.

19. The method according to claim 17, wherein said searching step searches for said search target apparatus by requesting by broadcast other apparatuses of said plurality of apparatuses in said system to send back a monitor identifier registered in each apparatus of said plurality of apparatuses.

20. The method according to claim 15, further comprising:

selecting a first apparatus and a second apparatus from said plurality of apparatuses in said system; and

a management information managing step for registering an identifier of said apparatus of said plurality of apparatuses as a monitor identifier of said first apparatus and as a monitoring object identifier of said second apparatus, and for registering an identifier of said first apparatus as said monitoring object identifier of said apparatus of said plurality of apparatuses, and registering an identifier of said second apparatus as said monitor identifier of said apparatus of said plurality of apparatuses.

21. A signal-bearing medium tangibly embodying a program of machine-readable instructions executable by a digital programming apparatus,

in a system comprising a plurality of said apparatuses connected to a network, and

with a management information storing portion in which a monitoring object identifier and a monitor identifier are registered

to perform

a monitoring step for monitoring a monitoring object apparatus indicated by said monitoring object identifier;

and

a responding step for responding to a monitor apparatus indicated by said monitor identifier.

22. The signal-bearing medium according to claim 21 wherein said program further performing:

a separation processing step comprising;

a searching step for searching for a search target apparatus in said plurality of apparatuses in said system; and

a management information changing step for changing said monitoring object identifier registered in said apparatus to an identifier of said search target apparatus, and changing said monitor identifier registered in said search target apparatus to an identifier of said apparatus.

23. The signal-bearing medium according to claim 22 wherein said searching step

searches for said search target apparatus by requesting other apparatuses in said plurality of apparatuses in said system to send back a monitor identifier registered in each of said plurality of apparatuses;

and

includes the step of determining said search target apparatus to be an apparatus which sends back a monitor identifier which indicates said monitoring object apparatus of said apparatus.

24. A signal-bearing medium according to claim 23 wherein

requesting is performed sequentially and begins with said monitor apparatus of said apparatus and then is sequentially made to said monitor apparatus of succeeding apparatuses in said plurality of apparatuses until an apparatus sends back said monitor identifier in which indicates said monitoring object apparatus of said apparatus response to a request.

25. A signal-bearing medium according to claim 23 wherein said searching step

searches for said search target apparatus by requesting by broadcast other apparatuses of said plurality of apparatuses in said system to send back a monitor identifier registered in the requested apparatus of said plurality of apparatuses.

26. A signal-bearing medium according to claim 21 wherein said program further performing:

a selection step for selecting a first apparatus and a second apparatus from said plurality of apparatuses in said system; and

a management information managing step for registering an identifier of said apparatus of said plurality of apparatuses as a monitor identifier of said first apparatus and as a monitoring object identifier of said second apparatus, and for registering an identifier of said first apparatus as said monitoring object identifier of said apparatus of said plurality of apparatuses, and registering an identifier of said second apparatus as said monitor identifier of said apparatus of said plurality of apparatuses.