Centralized network monitoring device for monitoring devices via intermediate monitoring devices by means of polling and including display means displaying screens corresponding to heirarchic levels of the monitored devices in a network

• US 5,504,863 A
• Filed: 08/30/1994
• Issued: 04/02/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 02/07/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Yoshida, Kojun
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Hoa T.
• Application Number:
  US08/298,384
• Time in Patent Office: 581 Days
• Field of Search: 395/183.01, 395/183.02, 395/183.06, 395/183.07, 395/183.15, 395/183.22, 395/184.01, 395/153, 395/160, 395/161, 345/1, 345/2, 340/52 F, 340/52 R
• US Class Current: 714/47.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/24 Testing correct operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/06 Management of faults, events, alarms or notifications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/00 Arrangements for monitoring or testing data switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0817 by checking functioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/10 Active monitoring, e.g. heartbeat, ping or trace-route

Abstract

The fault occurrence statuses of each device being monitored and the intermediate monitoring device under which the devices at which faults have occurred are stored in a table, and when the desired screen is selected and displayed based on a map information file, the number of collected faults of each of the devices displayed on the selected screen is displayed in accordance with the above-noted fault occurrence status table. In addition, the invention has a verification status table into which is stored the information as to whether or not detailed fault information for the devices being monitored has been verified, with correspondence established with respect to the upstream intermediate monitoring devices, and displays whether or not faults of each of the devices at each of the heirarchical levels of the network have or have not been verified, in accordance with this verification status table. In addition, the existence of a fault state device which is not shown on the display screen is indicated within that display screen, and further the size of the display screen can be changed to bring that fault state device onto the display screen.

Claims

1. A centralized network monitoring device for use in a network which monitors devices via intermediate monitoring devices by means of polling, comprising:

polling means for collecting respective fault status of each of monitored devices via intermediate monitoring devices upstream from each of the devices being monitored;

means for storing the respective fault status of each said monitored device collected by said polling means, said means for storing including a fault occurrence status table wherein the respective fault status is stored with correspondence established, by said polling means, with the intermediate monitoring devices upstream from each of the devices being monitored;

displaying means corresponding to the polling means for displaying a plurality of display screens which correspond to hierarchic levels of the devices to be monitored, respectively, in the network;

means including a map information file for storing an address and coordinates of each said monitored device located on maps of each of the plurality of display screens that correspond to the hierarchic levels;

means including a verification status table for storing data indicating whether or not detailed fault information for devices being monitored corresponding to upstream intermediate monitoring devices has been verified;

wherein said display means is selected with a desired screen from said plurality of screens and displays said desired screen based on said information in said map information file;

wherein a number of collected faults of each of said monitored devices is displayed on said selected screen in accordance with information on said fault occurrence status table; and

whether or not detailed fault information for each said monitored device has been verified is displayed on the selected display screen in accordance with information on said verification status table.

2. A centralized network monitoring device according to claim 1, wherein said selected screen is displayed in an overlapping manner, and wherein any of the displayed frames can be selected for foreground display with a single action.

3. A centralized network monitoring device according to claim 2, wherein the existence of a fault state in a monitored device, although not within said desired screen is displayed within said desired screen.

4. A centralized network monitoring device according to claim 3, wherein the size of said display screen can be changed so that a monitored device with a fault state is displayed within said desired screen.

5. A centralized network monitoring device according to claim 1, wherein the existence of a fault state in a monitored device, although not within said desired screen is displayed within said desired screen.

6. A centralized network monitoring device according to claim 5, wherein the size of said display screen can be changed so that a monitored device with a fault state is displayed within said desired screen.