Network management system displaying static dependent relation information

• US 5,841,981 A
• Filed: 09/27/1996
• Issued: 11/24/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hitachi Software Engineering Co., Ltd. (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi Software Engineering Co., Ltd. (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Inventors: Kondo, Mariko
• Primary Examiner(s): Ellis, Richard L.
• Application Number:
  US08/722,774
• Time in Patent Office: 788 Days
• Field of Search: 395/200.53, 395/200.54, 395/200.55, 395/200.56
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0213 Standardised network management protocols, e.g. simple network management protocol [SNMP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]

Abstract

A network management system which is capable of visually grasping the static and dynamic dependent relation between pieces of network equipment, the direction of dependence, and the setting of the degree or frequency of dependence.

The network management system comprises a first data base where information about the physical disposition of the network equipment is stored, a second data base where information about the logical and static connection relation of the network equipment is stored, a third data base where information about the logical and dynamic connection status of the network equipment is stored, and a display unit for displaying various kinds of pieces of information about the network and a network form drawing. The network management system also comprises a first processing unit for displaying the physical disposition of the network equipment and the logical and static connection relation of the network equipment, together with the network form drawing, on the display unit, based on the information stored in the first and second data bases. The network management system further comprises a second processing unit for displaying the physical disposition of the network equipment and the logical and dynamic connection status of the network equipment, together with the network form drawing, on the display unit, based on the information stored in the first and third data bases.

Claims

1. A network management system for managing and operating a network in which a plurality of pieces of network equipment including computers are interconnected, the network management system comprising:

a first data base containing information about a physical disposition of said network equipment;

a second data base containing information about a logical and static connection relation of said network equipment, said information including a file name of a start file which is executed when each piece of equipment managed by the network management system is started, various kinds of pieces of network service start information described in the respective start files, and set information described in configuration files about each network service;

a display unit for displaying various kinds of pieces of information about the network and a network form drawing; and

first processing means for displaying, on said display unit, a static dependent relation between pieces of network equipment and strength of dependence in said computer network, together with said network form drawing, based on the information stored in said first and second data bases.

2. The network management system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said first processing means includes means which, when an indication operation to a position of network equipment on said network form drawing displayed on said display unit is performed, extracts initial access through the network to another piece of network equipment connected to said network which is performed at the time of the start of the network equipment where said indication operation was performed, by using the information about the physical disposition stored in said first data base and the information about the logical and static connection relation stored in said second data base;

and means which displays, on said display unit, detail information, including permission to access a network resource, occupation, start of an application, data transfer, existence of a network neighborhood, degree of the network neighborhood, and situation of data transfer, as between a plurality of said pieces of network equipment, about the strength of the connection relation, the direction of the access, and the content of the access on a network corresponding to the kind of the extracted access.

3. The network management system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said first processing means includes means which, when an indication operation to a position of network equipment on said network form drawing displayed on said display unit is performed, extracts initial access through a network which is executed from another piece of network equipment connected to said network at the time of the start of the network equipment where said indication operation was performed, by using the information about the physical disposition stored in said first data base and one of permission to access a network resource, occupation, start of an application, data transfer, existence of a network neighborhood, degree of the network neighborhood, and situation of data transfer, as between a plurality of said pieces of network equipment, about the logical and static connection relation stored in said second data base;

and

means which displays, on said display unit, detail information about the strength of the connection relation, the direction of the access, and the content of the access on a network corresponding to the kind of the extracted access.

4. The network management system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said first processing means is provided with means which generalizes a plurality of pieces of information about the logical and static connection relations of all pieces of network equipment on said network form drawing displayed on said display unit, and displays on said display unit a mutual dependent relation between pieces of network equipment on the network and a degree of importance of each piece of network equipment to the network, changing the display form in proportion to said degree of importance.

5. The network management system as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:

a third data base where information about a logical and dynamic connection status of said network equipment is stored; and

second processing means for detecting whether the connected equipment requests for connection to another piece of the network equipment, displaying on said display unit the physical disposition of said network equipment and the logical and dynamic connection status of said network equipment if detected, together with said network form drawing, based on the information stored in said first and third data bases.

6. The network management system as set forth in claim 5, wherein said second processing means includes means which, when an indication operation to a position of network equipment on said network form drawing displayed on said display unit is performed, extracts access to another piece of network equipment connected to said network at that time with respect to the network equipment where said indication operation was performed, by using the information about the physical disposition stored in said first data base and the information about the logical and dynamic connection status stored in said third data base;

and means which displays, on said display unit, detail information, including permission to access a network resource, occupation, start of an application, data transfer, existence of a network neighborhood, degree of the network neighborhood, and situation of data transfer, as between a plurality of said pieces of network equipment, about the strength of the connection relation, the direction of the access, and the content of the access on a network corresponding to the kind of the extracted access.

7. The network management system as set forth in claim 5, wherein said second processing means includes means which, when an indication operation to a position of network equipment on said network form drawing displayed on said display unit is performed, extracts access from another piece of network equipment connected to said network at that time with respect to the network equipment where said indication operation was performed, by using the information about the physical disposition stored in said first data base and one of permission to access a network resource, occupation, start of an application, data transfer, existence of a network neighborhood, degree of the network neighborhood, and situation of data transfer, as between a plurality of pieces of network equipment, about the logical and dynamic connection status stored in said third data base;

and

means which displays, on said display unit, detail information about the strength of the connection relation, the direction of the access, and the content of the access on a network corresponding to the kind of the extracted access.

8. The network management system as set forth in claim 5, wherein said second processing means is provided with means which generalizes a plurality of pieces of information about the logical and static connection relations of all pieces of network equipment on said network form drawing displayed on said display unit, and displays on said display unit a mutual dependent relation between pieces of network equipment on the network and a degree of importance of each piece of network equipment to the network, changing display form in proportion to said degree of importance.