Load distribution system for monitoring device

• US 5,790,797 A
• Filed: 01/26/1996
• Issued: 08/04/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Shimada, Junichi, Kumano, Satoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Voeltz, Emanuel Todd
• Assistant Examiner(s): DAM, TUAN QUANG
• Application Number:
  US08/592,187
• Time in Patent Office: 921 Days
• Field of Search: 395/200.3, 395/200.31, 395/200.54, 395/183.01, 395/184.01, 395/185.01, 395/183.22, 364/514 B, 364/550, 364/551.01, 364/138, 364/146, 364/480, 364/481, 364/492, 364/DIG. 1, 364/DIG. 2, 340/825.02, 340/825.06, 340/825.08, 340/825.15, 340/825.16, 340/825.17, 340/506, 340/510, 340/635, 340/815.53, 379/37, 379/42, 379/90, 379/93, 379/106, 345/22-24, 345/27, 345/112, 345/115-117, 345/127, 345/139, 345/150, 455/557, 455/566, 455/115, 455/423, 358/448, 358/404, 358/400, 358/504
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/00 Arrangements for monitoring or testing data switching networks

Abstract

In order to lighten the processing load on each monitoring device and enable each monitoring device to recognize the operating condition of a network as a whole, each monitoring device monitors operating conditions of transmission devices in a subnetwork allocated thereto and reports the operating conditions to the other monitoring devices periodically or when there is a change in the operating condition. Further, in order to enable of a change of the monitoring zone by the monitoring device due to a trouble or the like, the monitoring device holds supervisory screen image data which corresponds to various monitoring zone, and when a predetermined monitoring zone is designated, the monitoring device displays a supervisory screen image on the basis of the supervisory screen image data which corresponds to the designated monitoring zone and also displays the operating conditions of the transmission devices in the monitoring zone.

Claims

1. A load distribution system for monitoring devices for monitoring operating condition of a network having a plurality of transmission devices for transmitting data, said load distribution system comprising:

a plurality of subnetworks into which said network is divided;

a plurality of monitoring devices each of which is provided in one-to-one correspondence with each of said subnetworks;

communication lines for connecting each of said monitoring devices with the transmission devices in the subnetwork which corresponds to said monitoring device; and

a communication means for communicating operating conditions of the respective subnetworks between said monitoring devices,

wherein each of said monitoring devices monitors the operating conditions of the transmission devices in the subnetwork allocated thereto and periodically reports the operating condition of the allocated subnetwork to all other monitoring devices through said corresponding communication means.

2. A load distribution system for a monitoring device according to claim 1, wherein said communication means is a communication line in said network or a public line.

3. A load distribution system for monitoring devices for monitoring operating condition of a network having a plurality of transmission devices for transmitting data, said load distribution system comprising:

a plurality of subnetworks into which said network is divided;

a plurality of monitoring devices each of which is provided in one-to-one correspondence with each of said subnetworks;

communication lines for connecting each of said monitoring devices with the transmission devices in the subnetwork which corresponds to said monitoring device, and

a communication means for communicating operating conditions of the respective subnetworks between said monitoring devices,

wherein each of said monitoring devices monitors the operating conditions of the transmission devices in the subnetwork allocated thereto and reports the operating condition of the allocated subnetwork to all other monitoring devices through the corresponding communication means when there is a change in the operating condition of a transmission device in said allocated network as an object of monitoring.

4. A load distribution system for a monitoring device according to claim 3, wherein said communication means is communication line in said network or a public line.

5. A load distribution system for monitoring devices for monitoring operating condition of a network having a plurality of transmission devices for transmitting data, said load distribution system comprising:

a plurality of subnetworks into which said network is divided;

a plurality of monitoring devices each of which is provided in one-to-one correspondence with each of said subnetworks;

communication lines for connecting each of said monitoring devices with the transmission devices in the subnetwork which corresponds to said monitoring device; and

a communication means for transmitting and receiving operating condition of the subnetwork allocated thereto and an inquiry about said operating condition between said monitoring devices;

wherein each of said monitoring devices periodically inquires of all other monitoring devices about the operating conditions of the transmission devices in said allocated subnetworks through said communication means so as to collect the operating condition of said network.

6. A load distribution system for a monitoring device according to claim 5, wherein said communication means is communication line in said network or a public line.

7. A load distribution system for monitoring devices for monitoring operating condition of a network having a plurality of transmission devices for transmitting data, said load distribution system comprising:

a plurality of subnetworks into which said network is divided;

a plurality of monitoring devices each of which is provided in one-to-one correspondence with each of said subnetworks;

communication lines for connecting each of said monitoring devices with the transmission devices in the subnetwork which corresponds to said monitoring device; and

a communication means for transmitting and receiving operating condition of the subnetwork allocated thereto and an inquiry about said operating condition between said monitoring devices;

wherein each of said monitoring devices monitors the operating conditions of the transmission devices in the allocated subnetwork and inquires of all other monitoring devices about the operating conditions of the transmission devices in said allocated subnetworks through said communication means so as to collect the operating condition of said network when there is a change in the operating condition of a transmission device in said allocated network as an object of monitoring.

8. A load distribution system for a monitoring device according to claim 7, wherein said communication means is communication line in said network or a public line.

9. A load distribution system for monitoring devices for monitoring operating condition of a network having a plurality of transmission devices for transmitting data, said load distribution system comprising:

a plurality of subnetworks into which said network is divided;

a plurality of monitoring devices each of which is provided in one-to-one correspondence with each of said subnetworks;

communication lines for connecting each of said monitoring devices with the transmission devices in the subnetwork which corresponds to said monitoring device; and

a communication means for communicating the operating conditions of the respective subnetworks between said monitoring devices,

wherein when one of said monitoring devices stops operation, an adjacent monitoring device monitors the operating conditions of the transmission devices in the subnetwork which have been monitored by said operation-stopped monitoring device as well as the operating conditions of the transmission devices allocated to said adjacent monitoring device, and periodically reports the collected information about the operating conditions of the two subnetworks to all other monitoring devices through said communication means.

10. A load distribution system for a monitoring device according to claim 9, wherein said communication means is communication line in said network or a public line.

11. A load distribution system for monitoring device for monitoring the operating condition of a network having a plurality of transmission devices for transmitting data, said load distribution system comprising:

a plurality of subnetworks into which said network is divided;

a plurality of monitoring devices each of which is provided in one-to-one correspondence with each of said subnetworks;

communication lines for connecting each of said monitoring devices with the transmission devices in the subnetwork which corresponds to said monitoring device; and

a communication means for communicating operating conditions of the respective subnetworks between said monitoring devices,

wherein when one of said monitoring devices stops operation, an adjacent monitoring device monitors the operating conditions of the transmission devices in the subnetwork which have been monitored by said operation-stopped monitoring device as well as the operating conditions of the transmission devices allocated to said adjacent monitoring device, and inquires of all other monitoring devices about the operating conditions of the transmission devices in the subnetworks allocated to said other monitoring devices through said communication means when there is a change in the operating condition of a transmission device in the two subnetworks as an object of monitoring.

12. A load distribution system for a monitoring device according to claim 11, wherein said communication means is communication line in said network or a public line.

13. In a network monitoring system including a plurality of monitoring devices provided in a network which have a plurality of transmission devices for transmitting data so that each of said monitoring devices monitors operating conditions of the transmission devices in a monitoring zone allocated thereto, a monitoring device comprising:

a supervisory screen image data holding means for holding supervisory screen image data which correspond to various monitoring zones;

a means for designating a predetermined monitoring zone as the object of monitoring; and

a displaying means for displaying a supervisory screen image on the basis of supervisory screen image data which corresponds to the designated monitoring zone.

14. A monitoring device according to claim 13, further comprising:

an operating condition controller for controlling operating conditions of the transmission devices in said monitoring zone as the object of monitoring;

wherein said displaying means displays, in said supervisory screen image, the operating conditions of said transmission devices in said monitoring zone as the object of monitoring which are controlled by said operating condition controller.

15. A monitoring device according to claim 14, wherein said operating condition controller discards supervisory information for indicating the operating condition transmitted from a transmission device outside of said monitoring zone as the object of monitoring.

16. A monitoring device according to claim 14, further comprising:

a supervisory information storing means for storing supervisory information for indicating the operating conditions transmitted from said transmission devices in said network;

wherein said operating condition controller controls the operating conditions of said transmission devices in said monitoring zone as the object of monitoring and stores, in said supervisory information storing means, said supervisory information transmitted from all the transmission devices in said network.

17. A monitoring device according to claim 13, further comprising:

an operating condition controller for controlling the operating conditions of all the transmission devices in said network without limiting the transmission devices to the transmission devices in said monitoring zone as the object of monitoring;

wherein said displaying means displays, in said supervisory screen image, the operating conditions of said transmission devices in said monitoring zone as the object of monitoring which are controlled by said operating condition controller and also displays the operating conditions of the transmission devices outside of said monitoring zone in a predetermined area of said supervisory screen image in the form of a summarized display.

18. A monitoring device according to claim 13, further comprising:

a supervisory information storing means for storing supervisory information for indicating the operating conditions transmitted from said transmission devices in said network;

an operating condition controller for controlling the operating conditions of the transmission devices in said monitoring zone as the object of monitoring and storing said supervisory information transmitted form all the transmission devices in said network in said supervisory information storing means;

wherein said displaying means displays, in said supervisory screen image, the operating conditions of said transmission devices in said monitoring zone as the object of monitoring which are controlled by said operating condition controller;

said operating condition controller instructs said displaying means to display a supervisory screen image covering the entire network as monitoring zone when said operating condition controller detects a trouble caused in a transmission device outside of said monitoring zone as the object of monitoring; and

said displaying means displays the supervisory screen image covering the entire network as said monitoring zone and also displays the operating condition of each of said transmission devices in said supervisory screen image.

19. In a network monitoring system including a plurality of monitoring devices provided in a network which have a plurality of transmission devices for transmitting data so that each of said monitoring devices monitors operating conditions of the transmission devices in a monitoring zone allocated thereto, a monitoring device comprising:

a supervisory screen image data holding means for holding supervisory screen image data which correspond to various monitoring zones;

a means for holding information which designates a monitoring zone to be displayed in the form of a supervisory screen image when a trouble is caused in a transmission device; and

a displaying means for displaying a supervisory screen image which corresponds to said designated monitoring zone when said trouble is detected.

20. A monitoring device according to claim 19, further comprising:

an operating condition controller for controlling the operating conditions of said transmission devices on the basis of supervisory information transmitted from said transmission devices and detecting a trouble caused in a transmission device;

wherein said displaying means displays, in said supervisory screen image, the operating conditions of the transmission devices in said monitoring zone which are controlled by said operating condition controller and also displays a supervisory screen image which corresponds to said designated monitoring zone when said trouble is detected.

21. A monitoring device according to claim 20, wherein said operating condition controller controls the operating conditions of said transmission devices in said monitoring zone as the object of monitoring and discards the supervisory information transmitted from a transmission device outside of said monitoring zone as the object of monitoring.

22. A monitoring device according to claim 20, further comprising:

a supervisory information storing means for storing supervisory information transmitted from said transmission devices in said network;

wherein said operating condition controller controls the operating conditions of said transmission devices in said monitoring zone as the object of monitoring and stores, in said supervisory information storing means, said supervisory information transmitted from all the transmission devices in said network.

23. A monitoring device according to claim 20, wherein said operating condition controller controls the operating conditions of all the transmission devices in said network without limiting the transmission devices to the transmission devices in said monitoring zone as the object of monitoring;

and

said displaying means displays, in said supervisory screen image, the operating conditions of said transmission devices in said monitoring zone as the object of monitoring which are controlled by said operating condition controller and also displays the operating conditions of the transmission devices outside of said monitoring zone in a predetermined area of said supervisory screen image in the form of a summarized display.

24. A monitoring device according to claim 20, further comprising:

a supervisory information storing means for storing supervisory information transmitted from said transmission devices in said network;

wherein said operating condition controller controls the operating conditions of said transmission devices in said monitoring zone as the object of monitoring and stores, in said supervisory information storing means, said supervisory information transmitted from all the transmission devices in said network;

said displaying means displays, in said supervisory screen image, the operating conditions of said transmission devices in said monitoring zone as the object of monitoring which are controlled by said operating condition controller;

said operating condition controller instructs said displaying means to display the supervisory screen image covering the entire network as a monitoring zone when said operating condition controller detects a trouble caused in a transmission device outside of said monitoring zone as the object of monitoring; and

said displaying means displays the supervisory screen image covering the entire network as said monitoring zone and also displays the operating condition of each of said transmission devices in said supervisory screen image.

25. In a network monitoring system including a plurality of monitoring devices provided in a network which have a plurality of transmission devices for transmitting data so that each of said monitoring devices monitors operating conditions of the transmission devices in a monitoring zone allocated thereto, a monitoring device comprising:

a supervisory screen image data holding means for holding supervisory screen image data which correspond to various monitoring zones;

a means for holding information which designates a supervisory screen image covering a predetermined monitoring zone as the object of monitoring at a designated time; and

a displaying means for displaying said designated supervisory screen image covering said monitoring zone as the object of monitoring at said designated time.

26. A monitoring device according to claim 25, further comprising:

an operating condition controller for controlling the operating conditions of said transmission devices on the basis of the supervisory information transmitted from said transmission devices;

wherein said displaying means displays said designated supervisory screen image covering said monitoring zone as the object of monitoring at said designated time and also displays, in said supervisory screen image, the operating conditions of the transmission devices in said monitoring zone which are controlled by said operating condition controller.

27. A monitoring device according to claim 26, wherein said operating condition controller controls the operating conditions of said transmission devices in said monitoring zone as the object of monitoring and discards the supervisory information transmitted from a transmission device outside of said monitoring zone as the object of monitoring.

28. A monitoring device according to claim 26, further comprising:

a supervisory information storing means for storing supervisory information transmitted from said transmission devices in said network;

wherein said operating condition controller controls the operating conditions of said transmission devices in said monitoring zone as the object of monitoring and stores, in said supervisory information storing means, said supervisory information transmitted from all the transmission devices in said network.

29. A monitoring device according to claim 26, wherein

said operating condition controller controls the operating conditions of all the transmission devices in said network without limiting the transmission devices to the transmission devices in said monitoring zone as the object of monitoring;

and

said displaying means displays, in said supervisory screen image, the operating conditions of said transmission devices in said monitoring zone as the object of monitoring which are controlled by said operating condition controller and also displays the operating conditions of the transmission devices outside of said monitoring zone in a predetermined area of said supervisory screen image in the form of a summarized display.

30. A monitoring device according to claim 26, further comprising:

a supervisory information storing means for storing supervisory information transmitted from said transmission devices in said network;

wherein said operating condition controller controls the operating conditions of said transmission devices in said monitoring zone as the object of monitoring and stores, in said supervisory information storing means, said supervisory information transmitted from all the transmission devices in said network;

said displaying means displays, in said supervisory screen image, the operating conditions of said transmission devices in said monitoring zone as the object of monitoring which are controlled by said operating condition controller;

said operating condition controller instructs said displaying means to display the supervisory screen image covering the entire network as a monitoring zone when said operating condition controller detects a trouble caused in a transmission device outside of said monitoring zone as the object of monitoring; and

said displaying means displays the supervisory screen image covering the entire network as said monitoring zone and also displays the operating condition of each of said transmission devices in said supervisory screen image.

31. A monitoring system for monitoring the operating conditions of a plurality of transmission devices which are provided in a network so as to transmit data, said system comprising:

a plurality of monitoring devices disposed in said network;

each of said monitoring devices including;

a supervisory screen image data holding means for holding supervisory screen image data which correspond to various monitoring zones;

a means for designating a predetermined monitoring zone as the object of monitoring at a designated time;

a displaying means for displaying a supervisory screen image on the basis of supervisory screen image data which corresponds to the designated monitoring zone and also displaying, in said supervisory screen image, the operating conditions of said transmission devices in said monitoring zone as the object of monitoring;

an operation controller for causing said display means to automatically switch and display said monitoring zone in accordance with a time basis.