Verifying information stored on a managed network device

• US 20100318644A1
• Filed: 08/03/2010
• Published: 12/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sathyanarayana Nagendra Puttu, Swathi M. Koundinya
• Original Assignee: Sathyanarayana Nagendra Puttu, Swathi M. Koundinya
• Inventors: Puttu, Sathyanarayana Nagendra, Koundinya, Swathi M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,683,492 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 41/0213 Standardised network management protocols, e.g. simple network management protocol [SNMP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/046 comprising network management agents or mobile agents therefor

Abstract

A method and mechanism for verifying information on a managed device is provided. A request is received at a managed device that contains one or more values that comprise proposals for a correct value of a managed object of the managed device. The managed object may be a SNMP MIB object. The managed object may store information for any attribute for the managed device. Next, a determination is made as to whether any of the one or more values in the request match the correct value of the managed object. Thereafter, a notification message is transmitted from the managed device to a management station that indicates whether any of the one or more values in the request match the correct value of the managed object. The notification message may identify which one of the one or more values in the request matches the correct value of the managed object.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, from a requester that does not have a correct value for an SNMP MIB object and that is unable to read and write the SNMP MIB object directly, and unable to obtain MIB object specification information, a SNMP GET request identifying the SNMP MIB object and also containing a plurality of non-null values comprising proposals for a correct value of the SNMP MIB object, wherein the SNMP GET request requests a determination as to whether any of the values matches the correct value stored in the SNMP MIB object of a managed device;

determining whether any of the values matches the correct value stored in the SNMP MIB object;

completing execution of the SNMP GET request by;

transmitting a notification message indicating whether any of the values matches the correct value of the SNMP MIB object, wherein the notification message does not provide any indication of which proposed value is the correct value.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the SNMP MIB object stores a username or a password for one member of the following group consisting of:

a telnet protocol, a SSH protocol, a TFTP protocol, a RCP protocol, a SNMP protocol, a TACACS protocol, and a RADIUS protocol.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing, in a specified MIB object of the managed device, a notification value indicating whether any of the values matches the correct value of the SNMP MIB object.

4. A computer-readable non-transitory storage medium storing one or more sequence of instructions which when executed cause one or more processors to perform:

receiving, from a requester that does not have a correct value for an SNMP MIB object and that is unable to read and write the SNMP MIB object directly, and unable to obtain MIB object specification information, a SNMP GET request identifying the SNMP MIB object and also containing a plurality of non-null values comprising proposals for a correct value of the SNMP MIB object, wherein the SNMP GET request requests a determination as to whether any of the values matches the correct value stored in the SNMP MIB object of a managed device;

determining whether any of the values matches the correct value stored in the SNMP MIB object;

completing execution of the SNMP GET request by;

transmitting a notification message indicating whether any of the values matches the correct value of the SNMP MIB object, wherein the notification message does not provide any indication of which proposed value is the correct value.

5. The computer-readable non-transitory storage medium of claim 4, wherein the SNMP MIB object stores a username or a password for one member of the following group consisting of:

a telnet protocol, a SSH protocol, a TFTP protocol, a RCP protocol, a SNMP protocol, a TACACS protocol, and a RADIUS protocol.

6. The computer-readable non-transitory storage medium of claim 4, further comprising storing, in a specified MIB object of the managed device, a notification value indicating whether any of the values matches the correct value of the SNMP MIB object.

7. An apparatus, comprising:

one or more processors;

a computer-readable non-transitory storage medium storing one or more sequences of instructions which when executed by the one or more processors causes;

receiving, from a requester that does not have a correct value for an SNMP MIB object and that is unable to read and write the SNMP MIB object directly, and unable to obtain MIB object specification information, a SNMP GET request identifying the SNMP MIB object and also containing a plurality of non-null values comprising proposals for a correct value of the SNMP MIB object, wherein the SNMP GET request requests a determination as to whether any of the values matches the correct value stored in the SNMP MIB object of the managed device;

determining whether any of the values matches the correct value stored in the SNMP MIB object;

completing execution of the SNMP GET request by;

transmitting a notification message indicating whether any of the values matches the correct value of the SNMP MIB object, wherein the notification message does not provide any indication of which proposed value is the correct value.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the SNMP MIB object stores a username or a password for one member of the following group consisting of:

a telnet protocol, a SSH protocol, a TFTP protocol, a RCP protocol, a SNMP protocol, a TACACS protocol, and a RADIUS protocol.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, further comprising storing, in a specified MIB object of the managed device, a notification value indicating whether any of the values matches the correct value of the SNMP MIB object.

10. A method, comprising:

receiving, from a requester a first request identifying an SNMP MIB object and also containing a plurality of non-null values comprising proposals for a correct value of the SNMP MIB object, wherein the SNMP GET request requests a determination as to whether any of the values matches the correct value stored in the SNMP MIB object of a managed device;

determining whether any of the values matches the correct value stored in the SNMP MIB object and storing in a specified SNMP MIB object a notification value;

subsequent to receiving the first request, receiving a second request from said requester to read the notification value from the specified SNMP object;

responding to said second request by transmitting the notification value.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the notification value includes an indication of whether any of the values matches the correct value stored in the SNMP MIB object, and does not include any indication of which proposals match the correct value stored in the SNMP MIB.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the notification value includes an indication of whether any of the values matches the correct value stored in the SNMP MIB object, and also includes an indication as to which proposed values match the correct value stored in the SNMP MIB object.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the notification value includes one or more index positions corresponding to the position of the one or more proposed values in the first request, wherein the index positions indicate the position of the proposed values that match the correct value stored in the SNMP MIB object.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the first request contains one proposed value and the notification value includes a Boolean value indicating whether the one proposed value is the correct value for the SNMP MIB object.

15. A computer-readable non-transitory storage medium storing one or more sequence of instructions which when executed cause one or more processors to perform:

receiving, from a requester a first request identifying an SNMP MIB object and also containing a plurality of non-null values comprising proposals for a correct value of the SNMP MIB object, wherein the SNMP GET request requests a determination as to whether any of the values matches the correct value stored in the SNMP MIB object of a managed device;

determining whether any of the values matches the correct value stored in the SNMP MIB object and storing in a specified SNMP MIB object a notification value;

subsequent to receiving the first request, receiving a second request from said requester to read the notification value from the specified SNMP object;

responding to said second request by transmitting the notification value.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the notification value includes an indication of whether any of the values matches the correct value stored in the SNMP MIB object, and does not include any indication of which proposals match the correct value stored in the SNMP MIB.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the notification value includes an indication of whether any of the values matches the correct value stored in the SNMP MIB object, and also includes an indication as to which proposed values match the correct value stored in the SNMP MIB object.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the notification value includes one or more index positions corresponding to the position of the one or more proposed values in the first request, wherein the index positions indicate the position of the proposed values that match the correct value stored in the SNMP MIB object.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the first request contains one proposed value and the notification value includes a Boolean value indicating whether the one proposed value is the correct value for the SNMP MIB object.

20. An apparatus, comprising:

one or more processors;

a computer-readable non-transitory storage medium storing one or more sequences of instructions, wherein execution of the one or more sequences of instructions by the one or more processors causes the one or more processors to perform the steps of;

receiving, from a requester a first request identifying an SNMP MIB object and also containing a plurality of non-null values comprising proposals for a correct value of the SNMP MIB object, wherein the SNMP GET request requests a determination as to whether any of the values matches the correct value stored in the SNMP MIB object of a managed device;

determining whether any of the values matches the correct value stored in the SNMP MIB object and storing in a specified SNMP MIB object a notification value;

subsequent to receiving the first request, receiving a second request from said requester to read the notification value from the specified SNMP object;

responding to said second request by transmitting the notification value.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the notification value includes an indication of whether any of the values matches the correct value stored in the SNMP MIB object, and does not include any indication of which proposals match the correct value stored in the SNMP MIB.

22. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the notification value includes an indication of whether any of the values matches the correct value stored in the SNMP MIB object, and also includes an indication as to which proposed values match the correct value stored in the SNMP MIB object.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the notification value includes one or more index positions corresponding to the position of the one or more proposed values in the first request, wherein the index positions indicate the position of the proposed values that match the correct value stored in the SNMP MIB object.

24. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the first request contains one proposed value and the notification value includes a Boolean value indicating whether the one proposed value is the correct value for the SNMP MIB object.