Network management

• US 20070288554A1
• Filed: 02/06/2007
• Published: 12/13/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/26/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc.
• Original Assignee: The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc.
• Inventors: Komlenic, Todd M., Tharp, Thomas, Householder, David N.
• Granted Patent: US 7,761,550 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/046 comprising network management agents or mobile agents therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/065 involving logical or physical relationship, e.g. grouping and hierarchies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0681 Configuration of triggering conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/10 Active monitoring, e.g. heartbeat, ping or trace-route

Abstract

Methods of configuring a first agent for operation on a network. The methods may comprise the steps of receiving an indication that the first agent is active on the network and determining if the first agent is scheduled to become active on the network within a predetermined amount of time. The methods may also comprise the step of configuring the agent to send periodic status messages to a host if the first agent is scheduled to become active on the network within the predetermined amount of time.

Claims

1. A method of configuring a first agent for operation on a network, the method comprising:

receiving an indication that the first agent is active on the network;

determining if the first agent is scheduled to become active on the network within a predetermined amount of time; and

if the first agent is scheduled to become active on the network within the predetermined amount of time, configuring the first agent to send periodic status messages to a host.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising recording the appearance of the first agent if the first agent is not scheduled to become active on the network within the predetermined amount of time.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein configuring the first agent to send periodic status messages to the host comprises pushing configuration parameters to the first agent.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining if the first agent is scheduled to become active on the network within a predetermined amount of time comprises finding a scheduled activation date for the first agent.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising adding the first agent to a pending list.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing a plurality of agent data files, wherein each of the agent data files corresponds to a first group of agents selected from the plurality of agents;

upon receiving a status message from a first agent, updating an agent data file corresponding to the first agent;

periodically identifying agent data files from the plurality of agent data files that have not been updated for a predetermined amount of time; and

sending a request for response to a second agent corresponding to an agent data file that has not been updated for a predetermined amount of time.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

querying a router on a local portion of the network positioned to handle communications between components on the local portion of the network and components on a remote portion of the network;

receiving from the router an indication of a second group of agents selected from the plurality of agents that are communicating through the router;

comparing the first group of agents to the second group of agents; and

generating a list of agents communicating through the router from which periodic status messages are not being received.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 1, further comprising instructions that when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform the steps of:

storing a plurality of agent data files, wherein each of the agent data files corresponds to a first group of agents selected from the plurality of agents;

upon receiving a status message from a first agent, updating an agent data file corresponding to the first agent;

periodically identifying agent data files from the plurality of agent data files that have not been updated for a predetermined amount of time; and

sending a request for response to a second agent corresponding to an agent data file that has not been updated for a predetermined amount of time.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 19, further comprising instructions that when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform the steps of:

querying a router on a local portion of the network positioned to handle communications between components on the local portion of the network and components on a remote portion of the network;

receiving from the router an indication of a second group of agents selected from the plurality of agents that are communicating through the router;

comparing the first group of agents to the second group of agents; and

generating a list of agents communicating through the router from which periodic status messages are not being received.

8. A computer system comprising:

a plurality of agents;

a host in communication with the plurality of agents via a network, wherein the host is configured to;

receive an indication that the first agent is active on the network;

determine if the first agent is scheduled to become active on the network within a predetermined amount of time; and

if the first agent is scheduled to become active on the network within the predetermined amount of time, configure the first agent to send periodic status messages to a host.

9. The computer system of claim 8, wherein the host is further configured to record the appearance of the first agent if the first agent is not scheduled to become active on the network within the predetermined amount of time.

10. The computer system of claim 8, wherein configuring the first agent to send periodic status messages to the host comprises pushing configuration parameters to the first agent.

11. The computer system of claim 8, wherein the determining if the first agent is scheduled to become active on the network within a predetermined amount of time comprises finding a scheduled activation date for the first agent.

12. The computer system of claim 8, wherein the host is further configured to add the first agent to a pending list.

13. The computer system of claim 8, wherein the host is further configured to:

store a plurality of agent data files, wherein each of the agent data files corresponds to a first group of agents selected from the plurality of agents;

upon receiving a status message from a first agent, update an agent data file corresponding to the first agent;

periodically identify agent data files from the plurality of agent data files that have not been updated for a predetermined amount of time; and

send a request for response to a second agent corresponding to an agent data file that has not been updated for a predetermined amount of time.

14. The computer system of claim 13, wherein the host is further configured to:

query a router on a local portion of the network positioned to handle communications between components on the local portion of the network and components on a remote portion of the network;

receive from the router an indication of a second group of agents selected from the plurality of agents that are communicating through the router;

compare the first group of agents to the second group of agents; and

generate a list of agents communicating through the router from which periodic status messages are not being received.

15. A computer readable medium having instructions stored thereon that when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform the steps of:

receiving an indication that the first agent is active on the network;

determining if the first agent is scheduled to become active on the network within a predetermined amount of time; and

if the first agent is scheduled to become active on the network within the predetermined amount of time, configuring the first agent to send periodic status messages to a host.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 15, further comprising instructions that when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform the steps of recording the appearance of the first agent if the first agent is not scheduled to become active on the network within the predetermined amount of time.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein configuring the first agent to send periodic status messages to the host comprises pushing configuration parameters to the first agent.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the determining if the first agent is scheduled to become active on the network within a predetermined amount of time comprises finding a scheduled activation date for the first agent.