OPERATION MONITORING APPARATUS, OPERATION MONITORING METHOD, AND COMPUTER-READABLE RECORDING MEDIUM STORING OPERATION MONITORING PROGRAM

• US 20080294739A1
• Filed: 05/21/2008
• Published: 11/27/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Tanikawa, Yasutaka, Hikita, Tomohiro, Kimura, Yoshihiro, Hayashi, Toshiaki, Tachibana, Ikuko, Tanifuji, Takashi
• Granted Patent: US 8,037,172 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0811 by checking connectivity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0817 by checking functioning

Abstract

An operation monitoring apparatus monitors statuses of plural monitoring target apparatus connected to a network, by sending a connection confirmation mail, via a notification server located on the network, receiving the connection confirmation mail and an operation confirmation mail sent from each monitoring target apparatus, storing a scheduled transmission time of a next operation confirmation mail contained in the operation confirmation mail, as part of apparatus information of the monitoring target apparatus and judging, using the scheduled transmission time, whether the next operation confirmation mail has been received. The judgment is not made if a latest connection confirmation mail sent from the operation monitoring apparatus itself has not been received.

Claims

1. An operation monitoring apparatus monitoring operation statuses of plural monitoring target apparatus connected to the operation monitoring apparatus over a network, the operation monitoring apparatus comprising:

a sending unit sending a connection confirmation mail which is directed to the operation monitoring apparatus itself, via a notification server located on the network;

a receiving unit receiving the connection confirmation mail and an operation confirmation mail that is sent from a monitoring target apparatus;

a storing unit storing a scheduled transmission time of a next operation confirmation mail that is contained in the operation confirmation mail received by the receiving unit, as part of apparatus information of the monitoring target apparatus; and

a judging unit making, using the scheduled transmission time, a judgment as to whether the next operation confirmation mail has been received, the judging unit refraining from making the judgment if the receiving unit has not received a latest connection confirmation mail sent from the operation monitoring apparatus itself.

2. The operation monitoring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein if the receiving unit has not received the latest connection confirmation mail, the judging unit makes the judgment after waiting for a prescribed time.

3. The operation monitoring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein if the receiving unit has not received the next operation confirmation mail and a prescribed reprieve time has elapsed from the scheduled transmission time, the judging unit judges that the next operation confirmation mail has not been received.

4. The operation monitoring apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising operation status changing unit changing operation status information that is included in the apparatus information of the monitoring target apparatus corresponding to the next operation confirmation mail to information indicating that the monitoring target apparatus is not in operation, if the judging unit judges that the next operation confirmation mail has not been received.

5. An operation monitoring method for monitoring operation statuses of plural monitoring target apparatus connected to an operation monitoring apparatus over a network, the operation monitoring method comprising:

sending a connection confirmation mail which is directed to the operation monitoring apparatus itself, via a notification server located on the network;

receiving the connection confirmation mail and an operation confirmation mail that is sent from a monitoring target apparatus;

storing a scheduled transmission time of a next operation confirmation mail that is contained in the operation confirmation mail received from the monitoring target apparatus, as part of apparatus information of the monitoring target apparatus;

judging, using the scheduled transmission time, whether the next operation confirmation mail has been received; and

refraining from the judging, if a latest connection confirmation mail sent from the operation monitoring apparatus itself is not received.

6. A computer-readable recording medium in which an operation monitoring program for monitoring operation statuses of plural monitoring target apparatus connected to an operation monitoring apparatus over a network is stored, the operation monitoring program causing the computer to execute:

sending a connection confirmation mail which is directed to the operation monitoring apparatus itself, via a notification server located on the network;

receiving the connection confirmation mail and an operation confirmation mail that is sent from the monitoring target apparatus;

storing a scheduled transmission time of a next operation confirmation mail that is contained in the operation confirmation mail received by the receiving, as part of apparatus information of the monitoring target apparatus;

judging, using the scheduled transmission time, whether the next operation confirmation mail has been received; and

refraining from the judging, if a latest connection confirmation mail sent from the operation monitoring apparatus itself has not been received in the receiving.

7. An operation monitoring apparatus monitoring operation statuses of plural monitoring target apparatus connected to the operation monitoring apparatus over a network, the operation monitoring apparatus comprising:

a controller

sending a connection confirmation which is directed to the operation monitoring apparatus itself, via a notification server located on the network;

receiving the connection confirmation and an operation confirmation that is sent from each monitoring target apparatus;

storing a scheduled transmission time of a next operation confirmation that is contained in the operation confirmation received by the receiving, as part of apparatus information of each monitoring target apparatus;

judging, using the scheduled transmission time, whether the next operation confirmation has been received, and

refraining from the judging, if a latest connection confirmation sent from the operation monitoring apparatus itself has not been received.