INTELLIGENT NETWORK MANAGEMENT PLATFORM FOR IKVM SERVERS

• US 20110161405A1
• Filed: 12/31/2009
• Published: 06/30/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ATEN International Company Limited
• Original Assignee: ATEN International Company Limited
• Inventors: HE, Xu
• Granted Patent: US 8,862,697 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/042 comprising distributed management centres cooperatively managing the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0803 Configuration setting

Abstract

An IP-based KVM (IKVM) switch system includes a plurality of control centers connected by a network via respective routers. A group of IKVM switches is connected to each router. Each IKVM switch is connected to a plurality of remote computers. Each control center stores system configuration information regarding all other control centers, including their IP addresses, port information, information about the IKVM switches managed by them, and (optionally) the remote computers connected to each IKVM switch. The control centers use a master-slave scheme to share the configuration information among them. When a client logs on to any control center, all IKVM in the system are displayed on a UI so that the client can select any IKVM or (optionally) remote computer for access. The control centers perform necessary functions to facilitate the access to the select IKVM or remote computer by the client.

Claims

1. A method implemented on a first control computer for establishing connections between a client and a plurality of network-based devices, the first control computer and the client being connected via a first network, the first control computer being connected to one or more second control computers via a second network, each network based device being associated with either the first control computer or one of the second control computers, the method comprising:

(a) obtaining and storing system configuration information, the system configuration information including, for each of the first and second control computer, address and port information, and identification information of all network-based devices associated with that control computer;

(b) communicating with the client using a user interface (UI), wherein the UI displays all network-based devices connected to the first control computer and all second control computers;

(c) receiving from the client an input indicating a selected one of the network-based devices; and

(d) if the selected network-based device is associated with one of the second control computers, enabling communication between the client and the second control computer.

2. The method of claim 1, where step (d) comprises:

(d1) transmitting a request to the second control computer, the request identifying the selected network-based device;

(d2) receiving data from the second control computer;

(d3) transmitting the data received from the second control computer in step (d2) to the client;

(d4) receiving data from the client; and

(d5) transmitting the data received from the client in step (d4) to the second control computer.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein step (d) comprises:

transmitting a request to the second control computer, the request identifying the selected network-based device, the request further indicating an address of the client and requesting the second control computer to directly communicate with the client.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising, before step (d),

(e) based on the system configuration information stored in step (a), determining whether the selected network-based device is associated with the first control computer or with one of the second control computers.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising, after step (e):

(f) if the selected network-based device is associated with the first control computer, communicating with the selected network-based device and transmitting data between the client and the selected network-based device.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

(g) receiving a request from one of the second control computers, the request identifying a selected network-based device associated with the first control computer;

(h) communicating with the selected network-based device; and

(i) transmitting data between the selected network-based device and the second control computer.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein step (a) comprises:

(a1) determining whether the first control computer is a master control computer or a slave control computer;

if it is the master control computer,

(a2) receiving, from each second control computer, address and port information for that second control computer and identification information of all network-based devices associated with that second control computer, and generating the system configuration information based on the received information; and

(a3) transmitting the system configuration to each second control computer; and

if it is a slave control computer,

(a4) transmitting, to one of the second control computers which acts as a master control computer, address and port information for the first control computer and identification information of all network-based devices associated with the first control computer; and

(a5) receiving the system configuration information from the master control computer, and storing the received system configuration information.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein step (a) further comprises:

(a6) if the first control computer is a slave control computer, detecting whether the master control computer has failed;

(a7) if the master control computer has failed, determining whether the first control computer is a new master control computer;

(a8) if the first control computer is the new master control computer, repeating steps (a2) and (a3); and

(a9) if the first control computer is not the new master control computer, repeating steps (a4) and (a5).

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first network is the Internet, and wherein the second network is the Internet or a WAN (wide area network), and wherein the address is an IP address.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the network-based devices are IP-based KVM (keyboard, video, mouse) switches each connected to a plurality of remote computers.

11. A first control computer having a memory storing a computer readable program code, the computer readable program code being configured to cause the first control computer to execute a process for establishing connections between a client and a plurality of network-based devices, the first control computer and the client being connected via a first network, the first control computer being connected to one or more second control computers via a second network, each network based device being associated with either the first control computer or one of the second control computers, wherein the process comprises:

(a) obtaining and storing system configuration information, the system configuration information including, for each of the first and second control computer, address and port information, and identification information of all network-based devices associated with that control computer;

(b) communicating with the client using a user interface (UI), wherein the UI displays all network-based devices connected to the first control computer and all second control computers;

(c) receiving from the client an input indicating a selected one of the network-based devices; and

(d) if the selected network-based device is associated with one of the second control computers, enabling communication between the client and the second control computer.

12. The first control computer of claim 11, where step (d) comprises:

(d1) transmitting a request to the second control computer, the request identifying the selected network-based device;

(d2) receiving data from the second control computer;

(d3) transmitting the data received from the second control computer in step (d2) to the client;

(d4) receiving data from the client; and

(d5) transmitting the data received from the client in step (d4) to the second control computer.

13. The first control computer of claim 11, wherein step (d) comprises:

transmitting a request to the second control computer, the request identifying the selected network-based device, the request further indicating an address of the client.

14. The first control computer of claim 11, wherein the process further comprises, before step (d),

(e) based on the system configuration information stored in step (a), determining whether the selected network-based device is associated with the first control computer or with one of the second control computers.

15. The first control computer of claim 14, wherein the process further comprises, after step (e):

(f) if the selected network-based device is associated with the first control computer, communicating with the selected network-based device and transmitting data between the client and the selected network-based device.

16. The first control computer of claim 11, wherein the process further comprises:

(g) receiving a request from one of the second control computers, the request identifying a selected network-based device associated with the first control computer;

(h) communicating with the selected network-based device; and

(i) transmitting data between the selected network-based device and the second control computer.

17. The first control computer of claim 11, wherein step (a) comprises:

(a1) determining whether the first control computer is a master control computer or a slave control computer;

if it is the master control computer,

(a2) receiving, from each second control computer, address and port information for that second control computer and identification information of all network-based devices associated with that second control computer, and generating the system configuration information based on the received information; and

(a3) transmitting the system configuration to each second control computer; and

if it is a slave control computer,

(a4) transmitting, to one of the second control computers which acts as a master control computer, address and port information for the first control computer and identification information of all network-based devices associated with the first control computer; and

(a5) receiving the system configuration information from the master control computer, and storing the received system configuration information.

18. The first control computer of claim 17, wherein step (a) further comprises:

(a6) if the first control computer is a slave control computer, detecting whether the master control computer has failed;

(a7) if the master control computer has failed, determining whether the first control computer is a new master control computer;

(a8) if the first control computer is the new master control computer, repeating steps (a2) and (a3); and

(a9) if the first control computer is not the new master control computer, repeating steps (a4) and (a5).

19. A remote management system, comprising:

a first server, located in a first local network, for managing a first group of remote management devices which manages a first group of target computers; and

a second server, located in a second local network, for managing a second group of remote management devices which manages a second group of target computers;

wherein the first server executes remote management software for communicating with a client computer over a third network and for communicating with the second server, which enables the client computer to access a first target computer selected from the first group of target computers via the first server, or access a second computer selected from the second group of target computers via the first server.

20. The remote management system of 19, wherein the first server and the second server exchange first information about the first group of remote management devices and second information about the second group of remote management devices with each other, and

wherein the remote management software of the first server generates a user interface listing the first group of target computers and the second group of target computers based on the first information and the second information.