Using objects to discover network information about a remote network having a different network protocol
First Claim
1. A computer-implemented method for discovering information about a first computer network having a plurality of nodes, from a device remote from said first network, wherein said first network uses a first network protocol and said remote device uses a second network protocol different from said first network protocol, said method comprising the steps of:
- a) identifying a node with which the remote device can communicate wherein said identified node has access to information about the first network,b) at the remote device, receiving information about the first network from the identified node wherein said received first network information includes node connection information and node type information for a plurality of first network nodes;
c) at the remote device, retrieving an object model including object type definitions wherein said type definitions are remote device representations of node types for nodes using the first network protocol;
d) at the remote device, creating a plurality of objects representing the received first network information such that each object has a type specified by the retrieved object model; and
e) using the created objects to identify first network nodes accessible from the remote device.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention is a method, apparatus and computer program product for discovering the nodes and other network information of a computer network (the target network) from a device or node that is not part of the target network (the discovery node) when the discovery node uses a different network protocol than the target network. The invention involves identifying one or more additional nodes (the target nodes) that have access to network information about the target network and with whom the discovery node can communicate. This target network information can include the identification of nodes which are present on the network, the topology of the network, the services provided by the network or by the nodes on the network, status information as the network changes such as information about network and node events or alarms, etc. The discovery node may also have stored information on the types of nodes, services, and other information which may be found on a network using the network protocol of the target network. The discovery node can use the target nodes to receive target network information in various ways, including requesting information from a target node, invoking target network functionality at a target node or target network node to identify target network information, and accessing target network information previously stored at a target node or target network node. After receiving target network information, the discovery node models it using software objects that are created by the discovery node. These software objects are discovery node representations of target network nodes and objects. The discovery node makes the created objects available as representations of the network information from the target network, and can maintain the accuracy of the represented target network information over time.
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Citations
25 Claims
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1. A computer-implemented method for discovering information about a first computer network having a plurality of nodes, from a device remote from said first network, wherein said first network uses a first network protocol and said remote device uses a second network protocol different from said first network protocol, said method comprising the steps of:
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a) identifying a node with which the remote device can communicate wherein said identified node has access to information about the first network, b) at the remote device, receiving information about the first network from the identified node wherein said received first network information includes node connection information and node type information for a plurality of first network nodes; c) at the remote device, retrieving an object model including object type definitions wherein said type definitions are remote device representations of node types for nodes using the first network protocol; d) at the remote device, creating a plurality of objects representing the received first network information such that each object has a type specified by the retrieved object model; and e) using the created objects to identify first network nodes accessible from the remote device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. An apparatus for discovering information about a first computer network having a plurality of nodes, the apparatus being remotely located from the first network, wherein said first network uses a first network protocol and said apparatus uses a second network protocol different from said first network protocol, said apparatus comprising:
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an input component that receives identification of a node such that the apparatus can communicate with said identified node, and scheduling information specifying first network information to be discovered; a scheduler that creates at least one discovery action corresponding to the identified node and received scheduling information; an action executer that executes a created discovery action in accordance with the scheduling information corresponding thereto such that the identified node corresponding to the discovery action is contacted using the second network protocol and a transmittal of the specified first network information to the apparatus is arranged; an importer that receives first network information from the identified node; and an object modeler that models received first network information and uses modeled information to determine nodes accessible to the apparatus. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A computer system for discovering information about a first computer network having a plurality of nodes, the system being remotely located from the first network, wherein said first network uses a first network protocol and said computer system uses a second network protocol different from said first network protocol, said computer system comprising:
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an input component that receives identification of a node such that the computer system can communicate with said identified node, and scheduling information specifying first network information to be discovered; a scheduler that creates at least one discovery action corresponding to the identified node and received scheduling information; an action executer that executes a created discovery action in accordance with the scheduling information corresponding thereto such that the identified node corresponding to the discovery action is contacted using the second network protocol and a transmittal of the specified first network information to the computer system is arranged; an importer that receives first network information from the identified node, including node connection information and node type information for a plurality of first network nodes; and an object modeler that models received first network information by creating a plurality of objects that represent the received first network information, and uses created objects to identify nodes accessible to the computer system. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22)
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23. An article of manufacture comprising a computer-readable medium and a computer program embodied therein, for discovering information about a first computer network having a plurality of nodes, the computer-readable medium located remotely from the first network, wherein said first network uses a first network protocol and said computer program uses a second network protocol different from said first network protocol, said computer program comprising:
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an input functionality that receives identification of a node such that the computer program can communicate with said identified node, and scheduling information specifying first network information to be discovered and conditions under which the discovery of first network information is to be accomplished; a schedule functionality that creates at least one discovery action corresponding to the identified node and received scheduling information; an execute functionality that executes a created discovery action in accordance with the scheduling information corresponding thereto such that the identified node corresponding to the discovery action is contacted using the second network protocol and a transmittal of the specified first network information to the computer program is arranged; an import functionality that receives first network information originating from the identified node; and an object modeling functionality that models received first network information and uses modeled information to determine nodes accessible to the computer program. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25)
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Specification