SYSTEM FOR DETERMINING REAL TIME NETWORK UP TIME

• US 20090265576A1
• Filed: 04/22/2008
• Published: 10/22/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ademco Inc. (Resideo Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Blum, William R.
• Granted Patent: US 8,291,267 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 714/2
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/026 using e-messaging for transporting management information, e.g. email, instant messaging or chat
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/06 Management of faults, events, alarms or notifications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0654 using network fault recovery ring fault isolation or reconfiguration in loop networks without recovery actions by a network management system H04L12/437
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/069 using logs of notifications; Post-processing of notifications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/10 Active monitoring, e.g. heartbeat, ping or trace-route
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/16 Threshold monitoring

Abstract

The inventive system and method for determining the availability of a computer network comprises a device operable to connect to at least the computer network using internet communications and using GSM, and an alarm service and/or a central server, wherein the device attempts to connect to the computer network using the internet communications and if the device fails to connect within a predetermined value, such as an amount of time or a number of tries, the device uses the GSM to notify the alarm service of the failure to connect. In one embodiment, after the device notifies the alarm service and/or central server of the failure to connect, the device continues to attempt to connect to the computer network, and if the device connects within another predetermined value, the device notifies the alarm service and/or central server of the restoral of service.

Claims

1. A system for determining the availability of a computer network, comprising:

a device operable to connect to a plurality of services using internet communications and using GSM, said plurality of services including at least the computer network; and

an alarm service, wherein the device attempts to connect to the computer network using the internet communications and if the device fails to connect within a predetermined value, the device uses the GSM to notify the alarm service of the failure to connect.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined value is one of an amount of time and a number of attempts.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein after the device notifies the alarm service of the failure to connect, the device continues to attempt to connect and if the device connects within an other predetermined value, the device notifies the alarm service of a restoral of service.

4. The system according to claim 3, wherein the other predetermined value is one of an amount of time and a number of attempts.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein the computer network is one of an intranet and a virtual private network.

6. The system according to claim 1, further comprising an email management service, wherein the device notifies the alarm service by emailing the email management service and the email management service notifies the alarm service.

7. A system for determining the availability of a computer network, comprising:

a device operable to connect to a plurality of services using internet communications and using GSM, said plurality of services including at least the computer network; and

a central server, wherein the device attempts to connect to the computer network using the internet communications and if the device fails to connect within a predetermined value, the device uses the GSM to notify the central server of the failure to connect.

8. The system according to claim 7, wherein the predetermined value is one of an amount of time and a number of attempts.

9. The system according to claim 7, wherein after the device notifies the alarm service of the failure to connect, the device continues to attempt to connect to the computer network and if the device connects within an other predetermined value, the device notifies the central server of a restoral of service.

10. The system according to claim 7, wherein the computer network is one of an intranet and a virtual private network.

11. The system according to claim 7, further comprising an email management service, wherein the device notifies the central server by emailing the email management service and the email management service notifies the central server.

12. The system according to claim 7, wherein the central server performs a notification function.

13. The system according to claim 7, wherein the central server comprises a database having failure information and restoral information.

14. A method for determining the availability of a computer network, comprising:

attempting to connect to the computer network using internet communications; and

notifying an alarm service of the failure to connect if attempting to connect fails to connect within a predetermined value, wherein said step of notifying is performed using the GSM.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the predetermined value is one of an amount of time and a number of attempts.

16. The method according to claim 14, wherein after notifying of the failure to connect, continuing to attempt to connect to the computer network and if connection is successful within an other predetermined value, notifying the alarm service of a restoral of service.

17. The method according to claim 14, wherein said step of notifying the alarm service is performed by emailing an email management service and the email management service notifies the alarm service.

18. A method for determining the availability of a computer network, comprising:

attempting to connect to the computer network using internet communications; and

notifying a central server of the failure to connect if attempting to connect fails to connect within a predetermined value, wherein said step of notifying is performed using the GSM.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein after notifying of the failure to connect, continuing to attempt to connect to the computer network and if connection is successful within an other predetermined value, notifying the alarm service of a restoral of service.

20. The method according to claim 18, wherein said step of notifying the alarm service is performed by emailing an email management service and the email management service notifies the central server.