NETWORK EQUIPMENT MANAGEMENT DEVICE, NETWORK EQUIPMENT MANAGEMENT METHOD, NETWORK EQUIPMENT, AND PROGRAM USED THEREIN

• US 20070258369A1
• Filed: 07/12/2007
• Published: 11/08/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/27/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: KURITA, Toshihiko, YAMASHIMA, Hiroyuki
• Granted Patent: US 8,125,900 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/230
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/082 the condition being updates or upgrades of network functionality

Abstract

In order to perform update processing with high reliability while preventing occurrence of an error in the update order, reduce a load on a management device, and reduce the time required to complete the update processing, according to the present invention, there is provided a network equipment management program that allows a computer to execute: an order information creation step that creates order information which is information corresponding to the order of the network equipments in which setting information is to be set and according to which the setting information is sequentially transmitted from N (N=1,2, . . . )-th network equipment to (N+1)-th network equipment so as to be set in the respective network at its reception timing of the setting information; and a transmission step that transmits predetermined information including the order information created in the order information creation step to a first network equipment specified in the order information.

Claims

1. A network equipment management device that can be connected, through a network, to a plurality of network equipments connected to the network and allows the plurality of network equipments to set setting information according to a predetermined order, comprising:

an order information creation section that creates order information which is information corresponding to the order of the network equipments in which the setting information is to be set and according to which the setting information is sequentially transmitted from N (N=1,2, . . . )-th network equipment to (N+1)-th network equipment so as to be set in the respective network at its reception timing of the setting information; and

a transmission section that transmits predetermined information including the order information created in the order information creation section to a first network equipment specified in the order information.

2. The network equipment management device according to claim 1, wherein

the predetermined information includes setting information to be set in the respective network equipments together with the order information.

3. The network equipment management device according to claim 1, comprising

a common setting information transmission section that transmits, by multicast, common setting information to be set in common to the plurality of network equipments thereto, and

the predetermined information includes individual setting information to be individually set in the network equipments together with the order information.

4. The network equipment management device according to claim 1, wherein

if there are any branches in a network equipment management tree, the order information is created in correspondence with a plurality of routes formed by the branches.

5. The network equipment management device according to claim 1, wherein

in order to confirm/determine the information reception order of the respective network equipments, the order information includes at least either one of branch information concerning a network equipment installed at the branch point in the network equipment management tree and branch definition and merge information concerning a network equipment installed at the merge point in the network equipment management tree and merge definition.

6. A network equipment management device that can be connected, through a network, to a plurality of network equipments connected to the network and allows the plurality of network equipments to set setting information according to a predetermined order, comprising:

an order information creation section that creates order information which is information corresponding to the order of the network equipments in which the setting information is to be set and according to which trigger information for setting the setting information is sequentially transmitted from N (N=1,2, . . . )-th network equipment to (N+1)-th network equipment; and

a transmission section that transmits predetermined information including the order information created in the order information creation section to the plurality of network equipments as well as transmits, to a first network equipment, trigger transmission timing information for sequentially transmitting the trigger information to the subsequent network equipments according to the order information.

7. The network equipment management device according to claim 6, wherein

the trigger transmission timing information is formed at the timing at which common setting information to be set in common to the plurality of network equipments is transmitted to the first network equipment, and

the trigger information is constituted by the common setting information.

8. The network equipment management device according to claim 6, wherein

the trigger transmission timing information includes timer activation information for activating a timer in the first network equipment to allow the first network equipment to transmit, based on a count result of the timer, the trigger information to a second network equipment.

9. A network equipment management program allowing a computer that can be connected, through a network, to a plurality of network equipments connected to the network to allow the plurality of network equipments to set setting information according to a predetermined order, the program allowing a computer to execute:

an order information creation step that creates order information which is information corresponding to the order of the network equipments in which the setting information is to be set and according to which the setting information is sequentially transmitted from N (N=1,2, . . . )-th network equipment to (N+1)-th network equipment so as to be set in the respective network at its reception timing of the setting information; and

a transmission step that transmits predetermined information including the order information created in the order information creation step to a first network equipment specified in the order information.

10. The network equipment management program according to claim 9, wherein

the predetermined information includes setting information to be set in the respective network equipments together with the order information.

11. The network equipment management program according to claim 9, comprising

a common setting information transmission step that transmits, by multicast, common setting information to be set in common to the plurality of network equipments thereto, and

the predetermined information includes individual setting information to be individually set in the network equipments together with the order information.

12. The network equipment management program according to claim 9, wherein

if there are any branches in a network equipment management tree, the order information is created in correspondence with a plurality of routes formed by the branches in the order information creation step.

13. A network equipment management program allowing a computer that can be connected, through a network, to a plurality of network equipments connected to the network to allow the plurality of network equipments to set setting information according to a predetermined order, the program allowing a computer to execute:

an order information creation step that creates order information which is information corresponding to the order of the network equipments in which the setting information is to be set and according to which trigger information for setting the setting information is sequentially transmitted from N (N=1,2, . . . )-th network equipment to (N+1)-th network equipment; and

a transmission step that transmits predetermined information including the order information created in the order information creation step to the plurality of network equipments as well as transmits, to a first network equipment, trigger transmission timing information for sequentially transmitting the trigger information to the subsequent network equipments according to the order information.

14. A network equipment that can set setting information transmitted directly or through another network equipment from a network equipment management device to which the network equipment can be connected through a network, comprising:

an order information extraction section that extracts order information specifying the order of the network equipment that sets the setting information from information received from the network equipment management device or network equipment;

a determination section that determines the validity of the transmission source that transmits information to the own network equipment based on the order information extracted by the order information extraction section;

an information setting section that sets the setting information transmitted from the network equipment management device in the case where the determination result of the determination section is affirmative; and

a transmission section that transmits information including the order information to the next network equipment according to the order information.

15. The network equipment according to claim 14, comprising

an order information deletion section that deletes, from the order information received from the network equipment management device or network equipment, information concerning the network equipment management device or network equipment that has transmitted the order information to own equipment and transmits the resultant order information to the next network equipment.

16. The network equipment according to claim 14, comprising

a setting information deletion section that deletes, from setting information, a data part of the setting information to be set only in the own equipment in the case where the setting information concerning a plurality of network equipments is transmitted together with the order information and transmits the resultant setting information to the next network equipment.

17. A network equipment that can set setting information transmitted directly or through another network equipment from a network equipment management device to which the network equipment can be connected through a network, comprising:

a determination section that determines the validity of the transmission source specified in trigger information received from the network equipment management device or another network equipment based on order information which is received from the network equipment management device and specifies the transmission order of the trigger information which is transmitted, according to the order of the plurality of network equipments that set the setting information, directly or through another network equipment from the network equipment management device;

an information setting section that sets the setting information transmitted from the network equipment management device based on the trigger information in the case where the determination result of the determination section is affirmative; and

a transmission section that transmits the trigger information to the next network equipment according to the order information.

18. An information setting program for a network equipment, allowing a computer constituting a network equipment to set setting information transmitted directly or through another network equipment from a network equipment management device to which the computer can be connected through a network, the program allowing the computer to execute:

an order information extraction step that extracts order information specifying the order of the network equipment that sets the setting information from information received from the network equipment management device or network equipment;

a determination step that determines the validity of the transmission source that transmits information to the own network equipment based on the order information extracted by the order information extraction step;

an information setting step that sets the setting information transmitted from the network equipment management device in the case where the determination result of the determination step is affirmative; and

a transmission step that transmits information including the order information to the next network equipment according to the order information.

19. An information setting program for a network equipment, allowing a computer constituting a network equipment to set setting information transmitted directly or through another network equipment from a network equipment management device to which the computer can be connected through a network, the program allowing the computer to execute:

a determination step that determines the validity of the transmission source specified in trigger information received from the network equipment management device or another network equipment based on order information which is received from the network equipment management device and specifies the transmission order of the trigger information which is transmitted, according to the order of the plurality of network equipments that set the setting information, directly or through another network equipment from the network equipment management device;

an information setting step that sets the setting information transmitted from the network equipment management device in the case where the determination result of the determination step is affirmative; and

a transmission step that transmits the trigger information to the next network equipment according to the order information.

20. A network equipment management method that sequentially sets setting information in a plurality of network equipments connected to the network equipment management device through a network according to a predetermined order, comprising:

a step in which the network equipment management device sets the order according to which the plurality of network equipments set setting information therein and the order is transmitted as order information to a first network equipment; and

a step in which the first network equipment sets, upon receiving the order information, the setting information therefor and transmits the order information according to the order information to a second network equipment to allow the second network equipment to set the setting information therefor.