Method and apparatus for providing information on a managed peripheral device to plural agents
First Claim
1. In a computer system having plural processing modules and at least one peripheral device coupled via a network, each processing module including a manager for managing the at least one peripheral device using a predetermined one of plural management protocols and the at least one peripheral device having plural agents each using a different one of the predetermined management protocols for exchanging management information with the managers over the network, apparatus for interfacing the plural agents with the managed peripheral device, comprising:
- receiving means for receiving an information request from the one of the plural agents operating under the same management protocol as the management protocol of a manager requesting information;
determining means for determining whether the information request is for local information stored on the apparatus or for information stored on the managed peripheral device;
sending means for sending a calling signal to the managed peripheral device for information on the managed peripheral device in a case that the information request is for information on the managed peripheral device;
receiving means for receiving information signals from the managed peripheral device in response to the calling signal;
generating means for generating data on the managed peripheral device in response to the information signals in the case that the information request is for information on the managed peripheral device; and
sending means for sending, to the one of the plural agents operating under the same management protocol as the requesting manager, (1) the data generated by the generating means in the case that the information request is for information on the managed peripheral device, and (2) local information in the case that the information request is for local information.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
In a system in which processing modules are coupled to each other and to peripheral devices through a network and wherein the operation of the peripheral device is managed by processing module managers employing different management protocols, the peripheral device includes plural agents each with a different management protocol to exchange data with the managers having the same management protocol. The plural agents are coupled to the managed device by an instrumentation interface which operates to translate request messages from the manager into calling signals for the managed device controller, to receive status and attribute signals from the managed device controller and to send data messages on the status and attribute signals to the requesting agent having the same management protocol as the requesting processing module manager. Alert signals from the managed device are sent to the instrumentation interface which provides data messages on the alert to the plural agents so that the processing module managers having different management protocols can interpret the alert condition of the managed device.
45 Citations
36 Claims
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1. In a computer system having plural processing modules and at least one peripheral device coupled via a network, each processing module including a manager for managing the at least one peripheral device using a predetermined one of plural management protocols and the at least one peripheral device having plural agents each using a different one of the predetermined management protocols for exchanging management information with the managers over the network, apparatus for interfacing the plural agents with the managed peripheral device, comprising:
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receiving means for receiving an information request from the one of the plural agents operating under the same management protocol as the management protocol of a manager requesting information; determining means for determining whether the information request is for local information stored on the apparatus or for information stored on the managed peripheral device; sending means for sending a calling signal to the managed peripheral device for information on the managed peripheral device in a case that the information request is for information on the managed peripheral device; receiving means for receiving information signals from the managed peripheral device in response to the calling signal; generating means for generating data on the managed peripheral device in response to the information signals in the case that the information request is for information on the managed peripheral device; and sending means for sending, to the one of the plural agents operating under the same management protocol as the requesting manager, (1) the data generated by the generating means in the case that the information request is for information on the managed peripheral device, and (2) local information in the case that the information request is for local information. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. In a computer system having plural processing modules and at least one peripheral device coupled via a network, each processing module including a manager for managing the at least one peripheral device using a predetermined one of plural management protocols and the at least one peripheral device having plural agents each using a different one of the predetermined management protocols for exchanging management information with the managers over the network, a method for use with an apparatus that interfaces the plural agents with the managed peripheral device, comprising the steps of:
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receiving an information request from one of the plural agents operating under the same management protocol as the management protocol of a manager requesting information; and determining whether the information request is for local information stored on the apparatus or for information stored on the managed peripheral device; wherein, in a case that the determining step determines that the request is for information on the managed peripheral device, the method comprises; sending a calling signal to the managed peripheral device calling for information on the managed peripheral device; receiving information signals from the managed peripheral device in response to the calling signal; generating data corresponding to the information signals from the managed device; and sending the generated data to the one agent operating under the same management protocol as the management protocol of the requesting manager; and wherein, in a case that the determining step determines that the request is for local information, the method comprises providing the local information to the one agent operating under the same management protocol as the management protocol of the requesting manager. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. In a computer system having plural processing modules and at least one peripheral device coupled via a network, each processing module including a manager for managing the at least one peripheral device using a predetermined one of plural management protocols and the at least one peripheral device having plural agents each using a different one of the predetermined management protocols for exchanging management information with the managers over the network, apparatus for interfacing the plural agents with the managed peripheral device, comprising:
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receiving means for receiving signals from the managed peripheral device corresponding to predetermined events occurring in the managed device; generating means for generating data corresponding to the predetermined events occurring in the managed device in response to the signals received from the managed peripheral device; and sending means for sending event corresponding data to more than one of the plural agents, each agent operating under the same management protocol as the management protocol of the processing module manager with which the agent exchanges management information, and each agent providing event corresponding data to its corresponding processing module manager. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13)
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14. In a computer system having plural processing modules and at least one peripheral device coupled via a network, each processing module including a manager for managing the at least one peripheral device using a predetermined one of plural management protocols and the at least one peripheral device having plural agents each using a different one of the predetermined management protocols for exchanging management information with the managers over the network, a method for interfacing the plural agents with the managed peripheral device, comprising the steps of:
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receiving signals from the managed peripheral device corresponding to predetermined events occurring in the managed device; generating data corresponding to the predetermined events occurring in the managed peripheral device in response to the received signals from the managed peripheral device; and sending event corresponding data to more than one of the plural agents, each agent operating under the same management protocol as the management protocol of the processing module manager with which the agent exchanges management information, and each agent providing the event corresponding data to its corresponding processing module manager. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16)
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17. In a computer system having plural processing modules and at least one peripheral device coupled via a network, each processing module including a manager for managing the at least one peripheral device using a predetermined one of plural management protocols, apparatus for interfacing the managed peripheral device to the network comprising:
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plural agents each operating under a different one of the predetermined protocols; means coupled between the plural agents and the managed device for exchanging signals with the managed device and for exchanging data with the plural agents; means for sequentially activating the agents and the exchanging means, wherein, when one of the plural agents is activated and receives an information request from a requesting manager operating under the same management protocol, the activated agent generates a signal calling for information signals from the managed device, the exchanging means when activated sends the calling signal to the managed device, receives information signals from the managed device and generates data corresponding to the information signals, and the one of the plural agents when reactivated receives the data generated by the exchanging means and forms a response message in the same management protocol as the management protocol of the requesting manager. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19)
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20. In a computer system having plural processing modules and at least one peripheral device coupled via a network, each processing module including a manager for managing the at least one peripheral device using a predetermined one of plural management protocols and the at least one peripheral device having plural agents each using a different one of the predetermined management protocols for exchanging management information with the managers over the network, computer-executable process steps stored on a computer-readable medium of an apparatus which interfaces the plural agents with the managed peripheral device, the computer-executable process steps to interface the plural agents with the managed peripheral device, the computer-executable steps comprising:
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code to receive an information request from one of the plural agents operating under the same management protocol as the management protocol of a manager requesting information; and code to determine whether the information request is for local information stored on the apparatus or for information stored on the managed peripheral device; wherein, in a case that it is determined that the request is for information on the managed peripheral device, the process steps comprise; code to send a calling signal to the managed peripheral device calling for information on the managed peripheral device; code to receive information signals from the managed peripheral device in response to the calling signal; code to generate data corresponding to the information signals from the managed device; and code to send the generated data to the one agent operating under the same management protocol as the management protocol of the requesting manager; and wherein, in a case that it is determined that the request is for local information, the computer-executable process steps comprise code to provide the local information to the one agent operating under the same management protocol as the management protocol of the requesting manager. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. In a computer system having plural processing modules and at least one peripheral device coupled via a network, each processing module including a manager for managing the at least one peripheral device using a predetermined one of plural management protocols and the at least one peripheral device having plural agents each using a different one of the predetermined protocols for exchanging management information with the managers over the network, computer-executable process steps to interface the plural agents with the managed peripheral device, the computer-executable process steps comprising:
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code to receive signals from the managed peripheral device corresponding to predetermined events occurring in the managed peripheral device; code to generate data corresponding to predetermined events occurring in the managed peripheral device; and code to send event corresponding data to more than one of the plural agents, each agent operating under the same management protocol as the management protocol of the processing module manager with which the agent exchanges management information, and each agent providing the event corresponding data to its corresponding processing module manager. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27)
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28. In a computer system having plural processing modules and at least one peripheral device coupled via a network, each processing module including a manager for managing the at least one peripheral device using a predetermined one of plural management protocols and the at least one peripheral device having plural agents each using a different one of the predetermined management protocols for exchanging management information with the managers over the network, an apparatus including a computer-readable medium which stores computer-executable process steps to interface the plural agents with the managed peripheral device, the computer-executable process steps comprising:
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a receiving step to receive an information request from one of the plural agents operating under the same management protocol as the management protocol of a manager requesting information; and a determining step to determine whether the information request is for local information stored on the apparatus or for information stored on the managed peripheral device; wherein, in a case that the determining step determines that the request is for information on the managed peripheral device, the computer-executable process steps comprise; a first sending step to send a calling signal to the managed peripheral device calling for information on the managed peripheral device; a receiving step to receive information signals from the managed peripheral device in response to the calling signal; a generating step to generate data corresponding to the information signals from the managed device; and a second sending step to send the generated data to the one agent operating under the same management protocol as the management protocol of the requesting manager; and wherein, in a case that the determining step determines that the request is for local information, the computer-executable process steps comprise a providing step to provide the local information to the one agent operating under the same management protocol as the management protocol of the requesting manager. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32)
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33. In a computer system having plural processing modules and at least one peripheral device coupled via a network, each processing module including a manager for managing the at least one peripheral device using a predetermined one of plural management protocols and the at least one peripheral device having plural agents each using a different one of the predetermined management protocols for exchanging management information with the managers over the network, a computer-readable medium which stores computer-executable process steps, the computer-executable process steps to interface the plural agents with the managed peripheral device, the computer-executable process steps comprising:
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a receiving step to receive signals from the managed peripheral device corresponding to predetermined events occurring in the managed device; a generating step to generate data corresponding to the predetermined events occurring in the managed device in response to the received signals from the managed device; and a sending step to send event corresponding data to more than one of the plural agents, each agent operating under the same management protocol as the management protocol of the processing module manager with which the agent exchanges management information, and each agent providing the event corresponding data to its corresponding processing module manager. - View Dependent Claims (34, 35)
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36. An apparatus which interfaces a peripheral device to plural managers operating in plural respective processing modules, each of the plural managers operating under a predetermined management protocol, the apparatus comprising:
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a common interface, over which communications are exchanged with the plural managers over a common bus, the communications including requests for information and responses to the requests for information; plural agents, each of which operates under a same management protocol as one of the plural managers, each of the plural agents for receiving, over the common interface, a request for information from a requesting manager having a management protocol which corresponds to a management protocol of the agent, and for providing requested information, including data from the peripheral device, to the requesting manager over the common interface; and a peripheral interface which, in a case that the requesting manager requests information on the peripheral device, generates calling signals in response to the request for information from the requesting manager, sends the calling signals to the peripheral device, receives data from the peripheral device in response to the calling signals, and transmits the data from the peripheral device to the agent having the same protocol as the requesting manager.
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Specification