Network System

• US 20080126526A1
• Filed: 03/27/2007
• Published: 05/29/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/24/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Saito, Hiroshi, Kimura, Yuji, Uchida, Kunihito, Ogawa, Yukio
• Granted Patent: US 7,769,833 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/00 Arrangements for maintenance, administration or management of data switching networks, e.g. of packet switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0817 by checking functioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network

Abstract

A network system including a management device with both a status managing unit for collecting status information on a terminal status and a terminal instructing unit for transmitting a shift start message to the terminal to make transfer data to the server on the basis of the status information collected by the status managing unit. The terminal includes a determining unit for determining data transfer in response to the shift start message, a data transferring unit for transferring the data to the server when the determining unit determines the data transfer, a storage device control unit for erasing the data from a storage device after completion of data transfer, and a thin client shifting unit for causing the terminal to function as a thin client after erasure of data.

Claims

1. A network system having a management device, a server, and a terminal, which are connected through a network,

wherein said management device includes a status managing unit for collecting status information on a status of the terminal from the terminal and a terminal instructing unit for transmitting a shift start message to the terminal to instruct the terminal to transfer data to said server from the terminal on the basis of the status information collected by the status manager, said terminal includes a determining unit for determining whether or not to transfer said data when receiving said transferring start message, a data transferring unit for transferring said data to said server when the determining unit determines the data transfer, a storage device control unit for erasing said data from a storage device provided in the terminal when said data transferring unit completes the transfer of said data, and a thin client shifting unit for causing the terminal to function as a thin client after the data is erased from the storage device.

2. A network system according to claim 1, wherein said terminal further includes a quality measuring unit for measuring a quality of said network and a shift time calculating unit for calculating a transfer time of said data on the basis of the quality measured by said quality measuring unit, and said determining unit determines whether or not to transfer said data on the basis of the shift time calculated by said shift time calculating unit

3. A network system according to claim 1, wherein said determining unit determines whether or not to transfer said data on the basis of a time band.

4. A network system according to claim 1, wherein said management device further includes a terminal number managing unit for managing the number of terminals connected to said server and an upper limit number of terminals connected to said server, and said terminal instructing unit does not transmit said shift start message when said terminal number managed by said terminal number managing unit is not smaller than said upper limit number.

5. A network system according to claim 1, wherein said shift start message includes the transfer start time of said data, and said data transferring unit starts transferring said data at said transfer start time.

6. A network system according to claim 1, wherein said terminal instructing unit transmits a shift-back message to stop said data transfer, and said data transferring unit determines whether or not a predetermined time period elapses when receiving said shift-back message and stops said data transfer when said predetermined time period does not elapse.

7. A network system according to claim 1, wherein said management device stores therein an identifier for said terminal and a data transfer status for said terminal associated therewith.

8. A network system according to claim 7, wherein said management device includes a display unit, and said display unit displays thereon said identifier and said data transfer status associated therewith.

9. A network system according to claim 1, wherein said management device and said server form an identical computer.

10. A data transferring method comprising the steps of:

collecting status information indicative of a status of a terminal;

transmitting a shift start message to instruct said terminal to transfer data therefrom to a server on the basis of said status information;

determining whether or not to transfer said data on the basis of said shift start message;

transferring said data to said server when transfer of said data is determined;

erasing said data from a storage device provided to the terminal when transfer of said data is completed; and

causing the terminal to function as a thin client after said data is erased.

11. A data transferring method comprising the steps of:

collecting a status of a terminal in a management device connected to said terminal via a network;

transmitting a shift start message from said management device to instruct said terminal to transfer data from the terminal to a server connected to the terminal via the network on the basis of said status information;

determining in said terminal whether or not to transfer said data on the basis of said shift start message;

transferring said data from said terminal to said server when transfer of said data is determined;

erasing said data from a storage device provided to the terminal when transfer of said data is completed; and

causing the terminal to function as a thin client after said data is erased.