Method and apparatus for providing multiple management interfaces to a network device
0 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method and apparatus for managing a network access device is provided. Embedded within the access device are three distinct software layers. The first layer is a combined text-interface generator and Hypertext Transport Protocol client. The second layer is a combined Hypertext Transport Protocol server and Simple Network Management Protocol manager. The third layer is a Simple Network Management Protocol agent that has direct access to the configuration data of the access device. A user can manage the device through the embedded text-interface generator, by using an external HTTP client to communicate with the embedded HTTP server, or by using an external SNMP manager to communicate with the embedded SNMP agent. Techniques are disclosed for embedding SNMP information in messages passed between HTTP clients and servers.
-
Citations
62 Claims
-
1-27. -27. (canceled)
-
28. A method comprising:
-
receiving from a hypertext transport protocol (HTTP) client a message that identifies a management information base (MIB) item;
reading MIB information to determine a type of said MIB item;
requesting a current value from a simple network management protocol (SNMP) agent for said MIB item;
automatically generating a hypertext mark-up language (HTML) page which, when decoded by the HTTP client, causes the HTTP client to generate a display that indicates the current value for said MIB item; and
transmitting the HTML page to the HTTP client. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
-
-
37. An access device comprising:
-
means for receiving from an hypertext transport protocol (HTTP) client a message that identifies a management information base (MIB) item;
means for reading MIB information to determine a type of said MIB item;
means for requesting a current value from a simple network management protocol (SNMP) agent for said MIB item;
means for automatically generating a hypertext mark-up language (HTML) page which, when decoded by the HTTP client, causes the HTTP client to generate a display that indicates the current value for said MIB item; and
means for transmitting the HTML page to the HTTP client. - View Dependent Claims (38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45)
-
-
46. A network device configured:
-
(a) to receive from a Hypertext Transport Protocol (HTTP) client a first message that identifies a management information base (MIB) item;
(b) to request a current value of the MIB item from a Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) agent;
(c) to automatically generate a second message which, when decoded by the HTTP client, causes the HTTP client to generate a display that indicates the current value of the MIB item; and
(d) to transmit the second message to the HTTP client. - View Dependent Claims (47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58)
-
-
59. A network device for managing a network device, the system comprising a network device configured:
-
(a) to receive a first message from a Hypertext Transport Protocol (HTTP) client;
(b) to request from a Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) agent a current value associated with at least one management information base (MIB) item;
(c) to generate a second message which, when decoded by the HTTP client, causes the HTTP client to display the current value of the at least one MIB item; and
(d) to transmit the second message to the HTTP client. - View Dependent Claims (60, 61, 62)
-
Specification