MIB database and generic popup window architecture
First Claim
1. An apparatus for acquiring a plurality of values from an agent on a network, said plurality of values corresponding to a plurality of selected attributes of a device on which said agent is running, said agent being an agent of a given type, the apparatus comprising:
- a storage device that has stored thereon a plurality of agent identifiers, each of said plurality of agent identifiers corresponding to a particular type of agent, a plurality of management information base object identifiers, and a plurality of agent-to-object pointers connecting said plurality of agent identifiers to said plurality of management information base object identifiers;
a database access unit coupled to said storage device, said database access unit receiving an agent signal indicative of the type of said agent, said database access unit receiving a selected attribute signal indicative of said plurality of selected attributes, said database access unit selecting a selected plurality of management information base object identifiers of said plurality of management information base object identifiers responsive to said agent signal, said selected attribute signal and said plurality of agent-to-object pointers, said selected plurality of management information base object identifiers corresponding to a plurality of objects associated with said plurality of selected attributes, said database access unit generating an object identification signal indicative of said selected plurality of management information base object identifiers; and
an information retrieval unit coupled to said database access unit, said information retrieval unit receiving said object identification signal from said database access unit, said information retrieval unit transmitting an information request over said network to said agent responsive to said object identification signal, said information retrieval unit receiving a response to said information request over said network from said agent, said response including data indicative of said plurality of values.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus for acquiring a plurality of values from an agent on a network is provided. The apparatus may be accessed through a predefined interface by various network management station applications. Because the apparatus is independent from the network management applications, the functionality provided by the apparatus need not be duplicated in each network management station application. The apparatus generally includes an agent identification unit, a display mechanism, a database access unit, a storage device and an information retrieval unit. The storage device stores a database containing data representing agents, management information bases, objects and attribute groups. When a network management station application requires values from an agent, the network management station application sends the apparatus a signal identifying the agent and specifying an information category, such as performance, status, or diagnostic. The agent identification unit identifies the type of the agent. The database access unit accesses the database to determine a plurality of objects which correspond to the specified information category according to the type of the agent. The information retrieval unit sends an information request to the agent based on the plurality of objects determined by the database access unit, and receives a response containing the plurality of values from the agent. The plurality of values are sent to the display unit, which displays the values visually in a pop-up window.
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Citations
25 Claims
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1. An apparatus for acquiring a plurality of values from an agent on a network, said plurality of values corresponding to a plurality of selected attributes of a device on which said agent is running, said agent being an agent of a given type, the apparatus comprising:
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a storage device that has stored thereon a plurality of agent identifiers, each of said plurality of agent identifiers corresponding to a particular type of agent, a plurality of management information base object identifiers, and a plurality of agent-to-object pointers connecting said plurality of agent identifiers to said plurality of management information base object identifiers; a database access unit coupled to said storage device, said database access unit receiving an agent signal indicative of the type of said agent, said database access unit receiving a selected attribute signal indicative of said plurality of selected attributes, said database access unit selecting a selected plurality of management information base object identifiers of said plurality of management information base object identifiers responsive to said agent signal, said selected attribute signal and said plurality of agent-to-object pointers, said selected plurality of management information base object identifiers corresponding to a plurality of objects associated with said plurality of selected attributes, said database access unit generating an object identification signal indicative of said selected plurality of management information base object identifiers; and an information retrieval unit coupled to said database access unit, said information retrieval unit receiving said object identification signal from said database access unit, said information retrieval unit transmitting an information request over said network to said agent responsive to said object identification signal, said information retrieval unit receiving a response to said information request over said network from said agent, said response including data indicative of said plurality of values. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A method for determining for which objects to request values from an agent, the agent having a particular agent type, the method comprising the computer-implemented steps of:
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receiving input that indicates a plurality of attributes; selecting an agent identifier record that corresponds to the particular agent type from a plurality of agent identifier records that correspond to a plurality of types of agents, the selected agent identifier record being connected to a plurality of management information base object identifier records by a plurality of agent-to-object pointers; selecting a selected plurality of management information base object identifier records of said plurality of management information base object identifier records based on said plurality of attributes, and said plurality of agent-to-object pointers; and selecting the objects that correspond to said selected plurality of management information base object identifier records as the objects for which values are to be requested from said agent. - View Dependent Claims (22)
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23. A method for displaying to a user information about attributes of a device on a network, the method comprising the steps of
receiving input that indicates a plurality of attributes; -
determining which objects supported by an agent on said device correspond to said plurality of attributes; transmitting a request to said agent for values that correspond to said objects; receiving said values from said agent in response to said request; generating information about attributes of said device based on said values; selecting a selected plurality of management information base object identifier records that correspond to said objects from a plurality of plurality of management information base object identifier records that correspond to a plurality of objects, said plurality of management information base object identifier records being connected to a plurality of syntax identifier records by a plurality of object-to-syntax pointers; selecting a selected plurality of syntax identifier records from said plurality of syntax identifier records, said selected plurality of syntax identifier records being those syntax identifier records that are connected to said selected plurality of management information base object identifier records; and displaying said information about attributes of said device in a format that is based on syntax indicated by said selected plurality of syntax identifier records. - View Dependent Claims (24)
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25. A computer-readable medium for use in a network, the computer-readable medium having stored thereon a database that includes:
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a plurality of agent records, each of said plurality of agent records corresponding to a particular type of agent; a plurality of management information base object records, each of said plurality of management information base object records corresponding to a particular type of management information base object; a plurality of group records, each group record of said plurality of group records representing a predefined attribute category; a plurality of agent-to-object pointers connecting said plurality of agent records to said plurality of management information base object records, said plurality of agent-to-object pointers including a set of agent-to-group pointers and a set of group-to-object pointers; said set of agent-to-group pointers connecting said plurality of agent records to said plurality of group records, and each agent record of said plurality of agent records to one or more corresponding group records of said plurality of group records; and said set of group-to-object pointers connecting said plurality of group records to said plurality of management information base object records, and each group record of said plurality of group records to a corresponding set of management information base object records of a given group record corresponding to said predefined attribute category represented by said given group record.
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Specification