METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR MANAGING NETWORK DEVICES OF GENERIC VENDORS AND MANUFACTURES

• US 20130016628A1
• Filed: 07/10/2012
• Published: 01/17/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/11/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tanaza S.r.l.
• Original Assignee: Tanaza S.r.l.
• Inventors: Bertani, Sebastiano, Piacente, Cristian, Rincon Ray, Andrea
• Granted Patent: US 8,891,404 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/255
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication

Abstract

A method of remote management in a network having a plurality of nodes to be managed by a remote controller has an agent device that makes initial contact with the remote controller in order to establish a connection with the remote controller. After the connection is established, the remote controller executes a discovery procedure through intermediation of the agent device for discovering the plurality of nodes. After executing the discovery procedure, the remote controller executes an identification procedure through intermediation of the agent device for identifying the discovered nodes, including identification of at least one characterizing parameter such as model, vendor, manufacturer, software version, hardware version, firmware version, serial number and MAC address.

The remote controller manages the discovered and identified nodes through intermediation of the agent device, by using managing procedures specific for the identified nodes.

Claims

1. A method of remote management in a network, the network comprising a plurality of nodes to be managed by a remote controller and at least one agent device, the at least one agent device being in number lower than the plurality of nodes, wherein:

the at least one agent device makes initial contact with the remote controller in order to be authenticated by the remote controller and to establish a connection with the remote controller;

after the connection is established, the remote controller executes a discovery procedure through intermediation of the at least one agent device for discovering the plurality of nodes;

after executing the discovery procedure, the remote controller executes an identification procedure through intermediation of the at least one agent device for identifying the discovered nodes, including identification of at least one characterizing parameter selected from;

a model, vendor, a manufacturer, a software version, a hardware version, a firmware version, a serial number and a MAC address, wherein in the identification procedure the remote controller;

selects a specific node from the discovered nodes;

retrieves from a database of the remote controller a specific connection procedure for connection to the specific node;

uses the retrieved specific connection procedure for connecting to the specific node, through the intermediation of the at least one agent device, and for obtaining from the specific node said at least one characterizing parameter;

the remote controller manages the discovered and identified nodes through intermediation of the at least one agent device, by retrieving from a database managing procedures specific for each identified node.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the connection established with the remote controller is a tunnel connection.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the tunnel connection is established by the at least one agent device according to a tunnelling procedure including the step of trying in sequence a predetermined plurality of tunnelling protocols for establishing tunnel connection with the remote controller till a tunnel connection is successfully established.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the predetermined plurality of tunnelling protocols are tried in sequence following a selection criterion adapted to minimize resources required on at least one of the at least one agent device or the remote controller in order to execute the tunnelling protocols.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the discovery procedure includes trying to establish a connection with the plurality of nodes, through intermediation of the at least one agent device, by using at least one of a predetermined IP address or a MAC address, or by using a scanning procedure scanning a predetermined multitude of IP addresses.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the predetermined multitude of IP addresses comprises at least one of IP addresses included in at least one subnet corresponding to at least one interface of at least one of the at least one agent device, or generic IP addresses corresponding to IP addresses set by default by at least one of a predetermined manufacturers or vendors.

7. The method according to claim 5, wherein when the at least one agent device comprises more than one interface, the scanning procedure is executed for each interface.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein when the database does not include a specific connection procedure associated with the specific node, the identification procedure includes trying in sequence a plurality of connection procedures for connecting to the specific node till connection is successfully established, the plurality of connection procedures being selected in sequence according to a predetermined selection criterion.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein, when a connection to a specific node with a specified IP address and MAC address has to be established, and in case of IP address conflict between the specific node and at least one other node of the plurality of nodes, the at least one agent device executes an IP conflict'"'"' avoidance procedure making use of ARP protocol and ARP table, the IP conflict avoidance procedure comprising:

i. sending into the network a request according to ARP protocol in order to translate the specified IP address into a MAC address;

ii. after executing i., checking if the ARP table includes the specified IP address;

iii. in the positive case of ii., checking if the specified IP address is associated in the ARP table with the specified MAC address;

iv. in the positive case of iii., trying to establish a connection with the specific node by using the specified IP address;

v. in the negative case of iii., modifying the ARP table so as to associate the specified IP address with the specified MAC address, then trying to establish a connection with the specific node by using the specified IP address.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein, when a connection to a specified IP address through a specified interface of the at least one agent device has to be established, and in at least one of the case of an IP address conflict between the specified IP address and the IP address of the specified interface, or the case that the specified IP address is not included in a subnet corresponding to the specified interface, the at least one agent device executes a subnet conflict avoidance procedure comprising:

I. checking if the specified IP address is included in the subnet corresponding to the specified interface and if the specified IP address is different from the IP address of the specified interface,

II. in the affirmative case of I., the at least one agent device tries to establish a connection by using the specified IP address,

III. in the negative case of I., the at least one agent devices temporally assigns to the specified interface both a subnet including the specified IP address and an IP address included is said subnet, which is different from the specified IP address.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein, when the at least one agent device comprises a plurality of interfaces, step III also comprises a step of temporarily making out of use any other interface of the plurality of interfaces, other than the specified interface, which corresponds to a subnet including the specified IP address.

12. Method of remote management in a network, the network comprising a plurality of nodes to be managed by a remote controller and at least one agent device, the at least one agent device being in number lower than the plurality of nodes, wherein:

the at least one agent device makes initial contact with the remote controller in order to be authenticated by the remote controller and to establish a tunnel connection with the remote controller;

after the connection is established, the remote controller executes a discovery procedure through intermediation of the at least one agent device for discovering the plurality of nodes;

after executing the discovery procedure, the remote controller executes an identification procedure through intermediation of the at least one agent device for identifying the discovered nodes, including identification of at least one characterizing parameter selected from;

model, vendor, manufacturer, software version, hardware version, firmware version, serial number and MAC address;

the remote controller manages the discovered and identified nodes through intermediation of the at least one agent device, by using managing procedures specific for the identified nodes,

wherein the tunnel connection is established by the at least one agent device according to a tunnelling procedure including the step of trying in sequence a predetermined plurality of tunnelling protocols for establishing tunnel connection with the remote controller till a tunnel connection is successfully established.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the predetermined plurality of tunnelling protocols are tried in sequence following a selection criterion adapted to minimize resources required on at least one of the at least one agent device or the remote controller in order to execute the tunnelling protocols.

14. Method of remote management in a network, the network comprising a plurality of nodes to be managed by a remote controller and at least one agent device, the at least one agent device being in number lower than the plurality of nodes, wherein:

the at least one agent device makes initial contact with the remote controller in order to be authenticated by the remote controller and to establish a connection with the remote controller;

after the connection is established, the remote controller executes a discovery procedure through intermediation of the at least one agent device for discovering the plurality of nodes;

after executing the discovery procedure, the remote controller executes an identification procedure through intermediation of the at least one agent device for identifying the discovered nodes, including identification of at least one characterizing parameter selected from;

model, vendor, manufacturer, software version, hardware version, firmware version, serial number and MAC address;

the remote controller manages the discovered and identified nodes through intermediation of the at least one agent device, by using managing procedures specific for the identified nodes,

wherein, when a connection to a specific node, among said plurality of nodes, with a specified IP address and MAC address has to be established, and in case of IP address conflict between the specific node and at least one other node of the plurality of nodes, the at least one agent device executes an IP conflict avoidance procedure making use of ARP protocol and ARP table, the IP conflict avoidance procedure comprising;

i. sending into the network a request according to ARP protocol in order to translate the specified IP address into a MAC address;

ii. after executing i., checking if the ARP table includes the specified IP address;

iii. in the positive case of ii., checking if the specified IP address is associated in the ARP table with the specified MAC address;

iv. in the positive case of iii., trying to establish a connection with the specific node by using the specified IP address;

v. in the negative case of iii., modifying the ARP table so as to associate the specified IP address with the specified MAC address, then trying to establish a connection with the specific node by using the specified IP address.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein, when a connection to a specified IP address through a specified interface of the at least one agent device has to be established, and in at least one of the case of IP address conflict between the specified IP address and the IP address of the specified interface, or the case that the specified IP address is not included in a subnet corresponding to the specified interface, the at least one agent device executes a subnet conflict avoidance procedure comprising:

I. checking if the specified IP address is included in the subnet corresponding to the specified interface and if the specified IP address is different from the IP address of the specified interface,

II. in the affirmative case of I., the at least one agent device tries to establish a connection by using the specified IP address,

III. in the negative case of I., the at least one agent devices temporally assigns to the specified interface both a subnet including the specified IP address and an IP address included is said subnet, which is different from the specified IP address.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein, when the at least one agent device comprises a plurality of interfaces, step III also comprises a step of temporarily making out of use any other interface of the plurality of interfaces, other than the specified interface, which corresponds to a subnet including the specified IP address.

17. Method of remote management in a network, the network comprising a plurality of nodes to be managed by a remote controller and at least one agent device, the at least one agent device being in number lower than the plurality of nodes, wherein:

the at least one agent device makes initial contact with the remote controller in order to be authenticated by the remote controller and to establish a connection with the remote controller;

after the connection is established, the remote controller executes a discovery procedure through intermediation of the at least one agent device for discovering the plurality of nodes;

after executing the discovery procedure, the remote controller executes an identification procedure through intermediation of the at least one agent device for identifying the discovered nodes, including identification of at least one characterizing parameter selected from;

model, vendor, manufacturer, software version, hardware version, firmware version, serial number and MAC address;

the remote controller manages the discovered and identified nodes through intermediation of the at least one agent device, by using managing procedures specific for the identified nodes.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein the discovery procedure include trying to establish a connection with the plurality of nodes, through intermediation of the at least one agent device, by using at least one of a predetermined IP address or a MAC address, or by using a scanning procedure scanning a predetermined multitude of IP addresses.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein the predetermined multitude of IP addresses comprises at least one of IP addresses included in at least one subnet corresponding to at least one of an interface of the at least one agent device, or a generic IP addresses corresponding to IP addresses set by default by at least one of a predetermined manufacturer or a vendor.

20. The method according to claim 18, wherein when the at least one agent device comprises more than one interface, the scanning procedure is executed for each interface.

21. A remote managing system comprising a remote controller and a network, the network comprising a plurality of nodes to be managed by the remote controller and at least one agent device, the at least one agent device being in number lower than the plurality of nodes, wherein the remote controller and the at least one agent device are configured such that:

the at least one agent device makes initial contact with the remote controller in order to be authenticated by the remote controller and to establish a connection with the remote controller;

after the connection is established, the remote controller executes a discovery procedure through intermediation of the at least one agent device for discovering the plurality of nodes;

after executing the discovery procedure, the remote controller executes an identification procedure through intermediation of the at least one agent device for identifying the discovered nodes, including identification of at least one characterizing parameter selected from;

a model, vendor, a manufacturer, a software version, a hardware version, a firmware version, a serial number and a MAC address, wherein in the identification procedure the remote controller;

selects a specific node from the discovered nodes;

retrieves from a database of the remote controller a specific connection procedure for connection to the specific node;

uses the retrieved specific connection procedure for connecting to the specific node, through the intermediation of the at least one agent device, and for obtaining from the specific node said at least one characterizing parameter;

the remote controller manages the discovered and identified nodes through intermediation of the at least one agent device, by retrieving from a database managing procedures specific for each identified node.