Network management system wherein the managed device reestablishes a connection to a management station after detecting a broken connection

• US 5,909,549 A
• Filed: 11/12/1996
• Issued: 06/01/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Prorock, Thomas Joseph, Compliment, Dale Richard
• Primary Examiner(s): Maung, Zarni
• Assistant Examiner(s): CALDWELL, ANDREW T
• Application Number:
  US08/749,476
• Time in Patent Office: 931 Days
• Field of Search: 395/200.53, 395/200.54, 395/200.56, 370/254, 370/255
• 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 41/06 Management of faults, events, alarms or notifications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies

Abstract

Apparatus and method which allow an SNMP managed device to register with a Network Management system. The SNMP managed device generates and transmits, to the Management Station or other network stations, a Frame indicating that the managed device is present in the network. The process of transmitting the frame continues until the Management Station responds with a frame acknowledging receipt. The managed device then sets a Timer and monitors for receipt of the Response frame from said Management Station. If the timer expires and the Response frame is not received within the timer interval, the registration process is initiated. Thus, the invention discloses a dynamic way of registering, monitoring and initiating registration (if contact is lost) of an SNMP device with a Management Station.

Claims

1. In a computer network comprising one or more communications subsystems to which network management stations and managed devices are coupled, a method for use by at least one of the managed devices to enable discovery by at least one of the management stations, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving frames in said at least one of the managed devices;

(b) examining the frames;

(c) if one of the frames is a management frame indicating discovery of said at least one of the managed devices, setting a timer to run for a predetermined timer interval;

(d) determining if another one of the management frames had been received during the predetermined timer interval;

(e) if the another one of the management frame is not received within the predetermined timer interval, executing a predefined process including an Auto Discovery Trap Routine wherein the managed devices sends to a Management Station Auto Discovery Trap Frames at timed intervals until a SNMP Get Request Frame is received from the Management Station.

2. In a computer network comprising one or more communications subsystems to which network management stations and managed devices are coupled, a method for use by at least one of the managed devices to enable discovery by at least one of the management stations, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving frames in said at least one of the managed devices;

(b) examining the frames;

(c) if one of the frames is a management frame indicating discovery of said at least one of the managed devices, setting a timer to run for a predetermined timer interval;

(d) determining if another one of the management frames had been received during the predetermined timer interval;

(e) if the another one of the management frame is not received within the predetermined timer interval, executing a predefined process including a Router ARP Cache process wherein the at least one of the managed device sends Ping Frames to an address for a default router.

3. The method of claim 2 further including the step of sending the Ping Frames to the address of the default router until a SNMP Get Request Frame is received from a Management Station.

4. A device, for use in a communications network, including:

a memory for storing information including a first computer program and a second computer program on at least two processes to be used to establish contact or maintain contact with at least one Management Station said second computer program includes machine readable means for causing the controller to generate and send a Ping Frame to an IP address of a Router;

said Ping Frame containing identifying information for said device;

machine readable means to repeat sending the Ping Frames until the Response Frame indicating the device has been discovered is received at said controller;

a Management Table for storing information relative to the at least one Management Station;

a timer configured to run for a predetermined timer interval; and

a controller being responsive to a Response Frame from a Management Station indicating contact to set the timer and upon termination of the predetermined timer interval, executing the information on at least one of the at least two processes if contact to said Management Station has been impaired.

5. The device of claim 4 wherein the Response Frame includes a SNMP Get Request Frame.