Management agent automatically executes corrective scripts in accordance with occurrences of specified events regardless of conditions of management interface and management engine

• US 5,872,931 A
• Filed: 08/13/1996
• Issued: 02/16/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 08/13/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Symantec Corporation (NortonLifeLock Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Veritas Software Corporation (Whitehouse Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Chivaluri, Dinkar
• Primary Examiner(s): Luu, Le Hien
• Application Number:
  US08/696,267
• Time in Patent Office: 917 Days
• Field of Search: 395/200.54, 395/200.53, 395/200.5, 395/185.08, 395/185.02, 395/200.32, 340/506, 702/186
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/044 comprising hierarchical management structures
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/046 comprising network management agents or mobile agents therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0604 using filtering, e.g. reduction of information by using priority, element types, position or time
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0654 using network fault recovery ring fault isolation or reconfiguration in loop networks without recovery actions by a network management system H04L12/437
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/00 Arrangements for monitoring or testing data switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0811 by checking connectivity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/16 Threshold monitoring

Abstract

A management system for event management in a computer network includes management interfaces residing on an administrative computers, management engines residing on server computers, and management agents residing on managed computers within the network. The management agent uses alarms corresponding to predefined events to notify the management interface via the management engine if the predefined events occur, thereby allowing the system administrator to administer the managed computer network. The management agents may also include corrective scripts which are automatically executed in response to the predefined event and a connection aging module which releases inactive connections between the management agent and the management engine.

Claims

1. A system for managing a computer network, comprising:

an administrative computer containing an interface for managing said computer network;

a server computer containing an engine for communicating with said interface; and

a managed computer containing an agent for incorporating definitions of specified events and actionable information, and, when selected ones of said specified events occur, said agent, based on said information, enabling automatic corrective actions regardless of whether said interface or said engine is inoperable or inaccessible.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising a connection aging module whereby said agent terminates said normal connection whenever said agent has not communicated to said engine via said normal connection for a predetermined time period.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein said agent accesses an alternate priority connection whenever said standard connection cannot be accessed and a high-priority event has occurred.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein said agent includes corrective scripts which said agent responsively and selectively executes when said specified events occur.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein said agent includes alarms which correspond to said specified events, said alarms including attributes which may be defined by a system administrator.

6. A method for managing a computer network, comprising the steps of:

defining specified events and actionable information within a managed computer;

detecting said specified events using an agent within said managed computer;

establishing a standard connection between said agent and an engine within a server computer; and

enabling automatic corrective actions based on said information regardless of whether said engine or an interface communicating with said engine within an administrative computer is inoperable or inaccessible;

whereby said administrative computer may responsively manage said computer network.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising the step of terminating said standard connection whenever said agent has not communicated to said interface via said standard connection for a predetermined time period.

8. The method of claim 6 further comprising the step of accessing an alternate priority connection whenever said standard connection cannot be established and a high-priority event has occurred.

9. The method of claim 6 wherein said agent includes corrective scripts which said agent responsively and selectively executes when said specified events occur.

10. The method of claim 6 wherein said agent includes alarms which correspond to said specified events, said alarms including attributes which may be defined by a system administrator.

11. A computer-readable medium comprising program instructions for causing an administrative computer to manage a computer network by performing the steps of:

defining specified events and actionable information within a managed computer;

detecting said specified events using an agent within said managed computer;

establishing a standard connection between said agent and an engine within a server computer; and

enabling automatic corrective actions based on said information regardless of whether said engine or an interface communicating with said engine within said administrative computer is inoperable or inaccessible;

whereby said administrative computer may responsively manage said computer network.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 11 further comprising the step of terminating said standard connection whenever said agent has not communicated to said interface via said standard connection for a predetermined time period.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 11 further comprising the step of accessing an alternate priority connection whenever said standard connection cannot be established and a high-priority event has occurred.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 11 wherein said agent includes corrective scripts which said agent responsively and selectively executes when said specified events occur.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 11 wherein said agent includes alarms which correspond to said specified events, said alarms including attributes which may be defined by a system administrator.

16. A system for managing a computer network, comprising:

means for defining specified events and actionable information within an agent in a managed computer;

means for detecting said specified events in said managed computer;

means for establishing a standard connection between said agent and an engine within a server computer; and

means for enabling automatic corrective actions regardless of whether said engine or an interface communicating with said engine within an administrative computer is inoperable or inaccessible;

whereby said administrative computer may responsively manage said computer network.

17. The system of claim 16 further comprising a connection aging module whereby said agent terminates said standard connection whenever said agent has not communicated to said engine via said standard connection for a predetermined time period.

18. The system of claim 16 wherein said means for establishing creates an alternate priority connection whenever said standard connection cannot be established and a high-priority event has occurred.

19. The system of claim 16 wherein said agent includes corrective scripts which said agent responsively and selectively executes when said specified events occur.

20. The system of claim 16 wherein said agent includes alarms which correspond to said specified events, said alarms including attributes which may be defined by a system administrator.