NETWORK MONITOR AND CONTROL APPARATUS

• US 20100241907A1
• Filed: 03/05/2010
• Published: 09/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Nakamura, Hiroshi, Shiraga, Makoto, Matsuda, Hideki, Akazawa, Fumiaki
• Granted Patent: US 8,195,985 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 714/43
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0709 in a distributed system consisting of a plurality of standalone computer nodes, e.g. clusters, client-server systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0748 in a remote unit communicating with a single-box computer node experiencing an error/fault remote testing G06F11/2294
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0772 Means for error signaling, e.g. using interrupts, exception flags, dedicated error registers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0775 Content or structure details of the error report, e.g. specific table structure, specific error fields
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0213 Standardised network management protocols, e.g. simple network management protocol [SNMP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/06 Generation of reports
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0823 Errors, e.g. transmission errors

Abstract

A network monitor and control apparatus for controlling the monitoring of a network are provided. The network monitor includes an error monitor including an error information gatherer for gathering error information of a monitor target apparatus; and a monitor result notifier for notifying of monitor results, wherein if there are N types of monitor target functions, the error monitor includes N error information gatherers for the respective N types of monitor target functions (N=1, 2, 3, . . . ) and wherein each of the N error information gatherers gathers the error information from one of an existing monitor target apparatus and a newly added monitor target apparatus on a per monitor target function basis.

Claims

1. A network monitor and control apparatus for controlling the monitoring of a network, comprising:

an error monitor including an error information gatherer for gathering error information of a monitor target apparatus; and

a monitor result notifier for notifying of monitor results,

wherein if there are N types of monitor target functions, the error monitor includes N error information gatherers for the respective N types of monitor target functions (N=1, 2, 3, . . . ) and wherein each of the N error information gatherers gathers the error information from one of an existing monitor target apparatus and a newly added monitor target apparatus on a per monitor target function basis.

2. The network monitor and control apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a related database that maps an apparatus type identifier of the monitor target apparatus to a monitor target function identifier of the monitor target function to manage the apparatus type identifier and the monitor target function identifier,

wherein the error information gatherer recognizes the monitor target function of the monitor target apparatus in accordance with the mapping relationship between the apparatus type identifier and the monitor target function identifier.

3. The network monitor and control apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a function definition database that maps an error information identifier, according to which the monitor target apparatus manages the error information thereof, to each monitor target function to manage the error information identifier and the monitor target function,

wherein the error information gatherer recognizes the error information identifier responsive to the monitor target function managed by the monitor target apparatus in accordance with the mapping relationship between the error information identifier and the monitor target function.

4. The network monitor and control apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an error information selector,

wherein if a plurality of pieces of error information are gathered during the gathering of the error information by the error information gatherer, the error information selector selects from among the plurality of pieces of error information only the error information of which a maintenance person is to be notified with a high priority.

5. The network monitor and control apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an apparatus type identifier,

wherein if a fresh monitor target apparatus is added, the apparatus type identifier acquires from the fresh monitor target apparatus an apparatus type identifier for identifying the apparatus type of the fresh monitor target apparatus, and determines whether the fresh monitor target apparatus has been registered as an apparatus type as a monitor target.

6. The network monitor and control apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the error information gatherer attempts to gather from the fresh monitor target apparatus the error information on a per function basis and

wherein if the error information is gatherable on a per function basis, the error information gatherer automatically stores on a related database the apparatus type identifier of the fresh monitor target apparatus and a monitor target function identifier of the monitor target function of the gatherable error information, the related database mapping the apparatus type identifier of the monitor target apparatus to the monitor target function identifier of the monitor target function to manage the apparatus type identifier and the monitor target function identifier.

7. An apparatus, comprising:

a monitor for gathering error information of a target apparatus; and

a notifier for outputting monitor results,

wherein the monitor includes N error information gatherers for the respective N types of target apparatus functions (N=1, 2, 3, . . . ) for gathering error information from a respective one of an existing target apparatus and a newly-added target apparatus on a per target function basis.