Method and apparatus for data communication through composite network

• US 5,007,017 A
• Filed: 04/06/1987
• Issued: 04/09/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/1986
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Kobayashi, Hideaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Shaw, Gareth D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): KULIK, PAUL V
• Application Number:
  US07/035,030
• Time in Patent Office: 1,464 Days
• Field of Search: 364/200, 364/900, 340/825.06, 340/825.07, 340/825.03, 340/826, 340/827, 340/825.5, 340/825.05, 340/825, 340/825.01, 340/825.02, 340/825.52, 370/85
• US Class Current: 709/218
• 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 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

Data communication through a composite network constituted by a plurality of mutually connected individual networks. When a center connected to a first network such as a wide-area telephone network and DDX for collecting information such as maintenance/management information performs data communication with a plurality of work stations connected to a network such as LAN, the information collecting center transmits a composite command containing collectively assembled addresses of the object work stations and operation commands to these stations. The composite command is disassembled in the second network. According to one method, the command is executed by the relevant work station upon reception of the composite command which is subsequently transferred to the succeeding station.

Claims

1. A method of data communication through a composite network system in which a plurality of networks are connected to one another, wherein a center having an information collecting function connected to a first network performs data communication with a plurality of work stations connected to a second network, comprising the steps of:

formating at said center a composite command in the form of a data unit in which plural pairs of information including addresses of the work stations from which information is collected and commands to said work stations associated with said addresses are contained collectively;

transmitting said formated composite command to said second network through said first network; and

furnishing the composite command successively to work stations in said second network, and extracting respective commands to the work stations by individual work stations from the composite command on the basis of the addresses associated with the commands as contained in said composite command.

2. A method of data communication according to claim 1, wherein the furnishing step includes identifying and fetching a command from said composite command in a work station having the address associated with the command upon reception of said composite command, deleting the associated address and command fetched in said work station from said composite command on the basis of said identification, and successively transmitting said composite command thus processed by said deleting step through succeeding work stations.

3. A method of data communication according to claim 1, wherein said first network includes a publicly utilizable data communication network, said second network being connected to said first network through an inter-working unit, and said center including at least an inter-working unit for connecting said center to said first network.

4. A method of data communication according to claim 1, wherein response information from said work stations is transmitted individually or collectively to said first network in accordance with a request from said center.

5. A method of data communication according to claim 1, wherein said first network is a packet switching network, and said formating step includes assembling said composite command in a format according to a predetermined packet format for said second network.

6. A method of data communication according to claim 1, wherein said data unit comprises a data packet.

7. A composite network data communication system, in which a plurality of networks are connectable to one another, and wherein a managing center connected to a first network performs data communication with a plurality of work stations connected to a second network;

said center including formating means for forming a composite command including, collectively, information pairs comprising associated addresses and operation commands for respective work stations to be managed and means for sending out said composite command to said second network;

each work station in said second network including means for receiving and extracting an operation command for that work station from the received composite command on the basis of the address associated with the operation command, and means for transmitting a remaining portion of the received composite command to another work station.

8. A method of data communication through a composite network system in which a plurality of networks are connected to one another, wherein a center having an information collecting function connected to a first network performs data communication with a plurality of work stations connected to a second network, comprising the steps of:

formating at said center a composite command in the form of a data unit in which plural pairs of information including addresses of the work stations from which information is collected and commands to said work stations associated with said addresses are contained collectively;

transmitting said formated composite command to said second network through said first network; and

furnishing the composite command successively to work stations in said second network, and extracting respective commands to the work stations by individual work stations from the composite command on the basis of the addresses associated with the commands as contained in said composite command;

wherein said furnishing step includes identifying and fetching a command from said composite command in a work station having the address associated with the command upon reception of said composite command, deleting the associated address and command fetched in said work station from said composite command on the basis of said identification, and successively transmitting said composite command thus processed by said deleting step through succeeding work stations; and

wherein said composite command includes at least a field indicating a station transit command, a field indicating a number of stations subjected to collection of information, address fields for addresses of work stations subjected to collection of information, and operation command fields for work stations subjected to collection of information.

9. A method of data communication through a composite network system in which a plurality of networks are connected to one another, wherein a center having an information collecting function connected to a first network performs data communication with a plurality of work stations connected to a second network, comprising the steps of:

formating at said center a composite command in the form of a data unit in which plural pairs of information including addresses of the work stations form which information is collected and commands to said work stations associated with said addresses are contained collectively;

transmitting said formated composite command to said second network through said first network; and

furnishing the composite command successively to work stations in said second network, and extracting respective commands to the work stations by individual work stations from the composite command on the basis of the addresses associated with the commands as contained in said composite command;

wherein said information collecting center includes a program for testing work stations for maintenance to perform a management for said work stations.

10. A method of data communication through a composite network system in which a plurality of networks are connected to one another, wherein a center having an information collecting function connected to a first network performs data communication with a plurality of work stations connected to a second network, comprising the steps of:

formating at said center a composite command in the form of a data unit in which plural pairs of information including addresses of the work stations from which information is collected and commands to said work stations associated with said addresses are contained collectively;

transmitting said formated composite command to said second network through said first network; and

furnishing the composite command successively to work stations in said second network, and extracting respective commands to the work stations by individual work stations from the composite command on the basis of the addresses associated with the commands as contained in said composite command;

wherein said composite command includes at least a field indicating a station transit command, a field indicating a number of stations subjected to collection of information, address fields for addresses of work stations subjected to collection of information, and operation command fields for work stations subjected to collection of information.