Method and apparatus for managing an integrated router/hub

• US 5,825,775 A
• Filed: 03/27/1997
• Issued: 10/20/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nortel Networks Limited (Nortel Networks Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Bay Networks, Inc. (Nortel Networks Corporation)
• Inventors: Lee, Frank S., Chin, Jeffrey A., Leong, Leon Y.K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Safourek, Benedict V.
• Assistant Examiner(s): RAO, SEEMA SRINIVAS
• Application Number:
  US08/825,410
• Time in Patent Office: 572 Days
• Field of Search: 370/400, 370/401, 370/402, 370/246, 370/252, 370/463, 370/465, 370/469, 370/502, 370/911, 395/309, 395/200.11
• US Class Current: 370/401
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 370/911 Bridge, e.g. brouter, bus extender

Abstract

A method and apparatus for generating a display containing information about both the local and remote traffic handled by an integrated router/hub is provided. An integrated router/hub routes local messages between devices on a first local area network, and routes remote messages between the first local area network and a second local area network. The integrated router/hub stores a first set of values related to the local messages, and a second set of values related to the remote messages. A network management station executes a network management application the includes instructions which cause the network management station to generate a display of the information stored in the integrated router/hub. In response to user input, the network management station requests the information from the integrated router/hub, receives the information from the integrated router/hub, and generates the display of the information. The display may include charts that illustrate statistics derived from the information.

Claims

1. A network management station for use in a network system that includes a plurality of local area networks, wherein a first network of the plurality of local area networks includes the network management station and an integrated router/hub, the network management station comprising:

a memory containing a network management application, the network management application comprising a series of instructions;

a processor coupled to the memory, the processor executing the series of instructions;

a display device coupled to the processor;

a user input device coupled to the processor, the processor generating a display on the display device based on the series of instructions and user input on said user input device;

wherein the network management application causes the network management station to retrieve a first set of values and a second set of values from said integrated router/hub in response to a single command generated by a user;

wherein said display illustrates a plurality of statistics, including at least one statistic generated based on said first set of values and at least one statistic generated based on said second set of values;

wherein the first set of values relate to a first set of messages communicated between a plurality of stations in said first network through said integrated router/hub; and

wherein the second set of values relate to a second set of messages communicated between said first network and a second network of the plurality of local area networks through said integrated router/hub.

2. A network comprising:

a first integrated router/hub having a first set of one or more network stations coupled thereto to form a first local area network;

a second integrated router/hub coupled to a second set of one or more network stations to form a second local area network, wherein the first and second local area networks are coupled together;

a first network management station coupled to the first local area network that executes a first network management application to concurrently display a first set of values related to messages communicated between the first and second local area networks and a second set of values related to messages communicated within the first local area network, the first set of values and the second set of values being retrieved from the first integrated router/hub in response to a single command from the first network management application.

3. The network of claim 2, wherein the first set of values is displayed as a first chart and the second set of values is displayed as a second chart within a common window displayed by the first network management station.

4. The network of claim 2 further comprising a second network management station coupled to the second integrated router/hub that executes a second network management application to concurrently display the first set of values related to messages communicated between the first and second local area networks and a third set of values related to messages communicated within the second local area network, the first set of values and the third set of values being retrieved from the second integrated router/hub in response to a single command from the second network management application.

5. The network of claim 4, wherein the first set of values is displayed as a first chart and the third set of values is displayed as a third chart within a shared window displayed by the second network management station.

6. A network management station for use in a first local area network having a plurality of network stations and a first integrated router/hub, the network management station comprising:

a bus;

a processor coupled to the bus;

a memory coupled to the bus, the memory storing a network management application executable by the processor; and

a display device coupled to the bus that concurrently display a first set of values related to messages communicated between the first local area network and a second local area network and a second set of values related to messages communicated within the first local area network, the first set of values and the second set of values being retrieved from the first integrated router/hub in response to a single command from the network management application.

7. The network management station of claim 6, wherein the first set of values is displayed as a first chart and the second set of values is displayed as a second chart.

8. A method for managing a local area network comprising the steps of:

causing a first integrated router/hub included in a first local area network to store a first set of data related to messages communicated between stations included in the first local area network and a second set of data related to messages communicated between stations of the first local area network and stations included in a second local area network coupled to the first local area network;

executing a first network management application on a network management station that is coupled to the first local area network;

retrieving the first set of data and the second set of data from the first integrated router/hub in response to a single command performed by the first network management application; and

displaying the first set of data and the second set of data concurrently on a display device coupled to the first network management station.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the step of displaying further comprises the steps of:

displaying the first set of data as a first chart; and

displaying the second set of data as a second chart;

wherein the first chart and the second chart are displayed concurrently on a single display device.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the first chart and the second chart are displayed in a common window on the display device.

11. The method of claim 8 further comprising the steps of:

causing a second integrated router/hub that is coupled to the second local area network to store the second set of data and a third set of data related to messages communicated between stations of the second local area network;

executing a second network management application on a network management station coupled to the second local area network;

retrieving the second set of data and the third set of data from the second integrated router/hub in response to a single command performed by the second network management application; and

displaying the second set of data and the third set of data concurrently on a display device coupled to the second network management station.

12. A computer-readable medium having stored thereon a plurality of sequences of instructions including sequences of instructions which, when executed by a processor cause the processor to perform the steps of:

causing a first integrated router/hub that is included in a first local area network to store a first set of data related to messages communicated between stations included in the first local area network and a second set of data related to messages communicated between stations of the first local area network and stations included in a second local area network coupled to the first local area network;

executing a first network management application on a network management station that is coupled to the first local area network;

retrieving the first set of data and the second set of data from the first integrated router/hub in response to a single command performed by the first network management application; and

displaying the first set of data and the second set of data concurrently on a display device coupled to the first network management station.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the step of displaying further comprises the steps of:

displaying the first set of data as a first chart; and

displaying the second set of data as a second chart;

wherein the first chart and the second chart are displayed concurrently on a single display device.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the first chart and the second chart are displayed in a common window on the display device.

15. An apparatus for managing a local area network comprising:

means for causing a first integrated router/hub that is included in a first local area network to store a first set of data related to messages communicated between stations included in the first local area network and a second set of data related to messages communicated between stations of the first local area network and stations included in a second local area network coupled to the first local area network;

means for executing a first network management application on a network management station that is coupled to the first local area network;

means for retrieving the first set of data and the second set of data from the first integrated router/hub in response to a single command performed by the first network management application; and

means for displaying the first set of data and the second set of data concurrently on a display device coupled to the first network management station.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the means for displaying further comprises:

means for displaying the first set of data as a first chart; and

means for displaying the second set of data as a second chart;

means for wherein the first chart and the second chart are displayed concurrently on a single display device.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 further comprising:

means for causing a second integrated router/hub that is coupled to the second local area network to store the second set of data and a third set of data related to messages communicated between stations of the second local area network;

means for executing a second network management application on a network management station coupled to the second local area network;

means for retrieving the second set of data and the third set of data from the second integrated router/hub in response to a single command performed by the second network management application; and

means for displaying the second set of data and the third set of data concurrently on a display device coupled to the second network management station.