Alarm server systems, apparatus, and processes

• US 6,058,420 A
• Filed: 02/27/1998
• Issued: 05/02/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: NetSolve, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Davies, Stephen W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Meky, Moustafa M.
• Application Number:
  US09/032,408
• Time in Patent Office: 795 Days
• Field of Search: 709/200, 709/201, 709/203, 709/217, 709/218, 709/219, 709/220, 709/221, 709/223, 709/224
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0213 Standardised network management protocols, e.g. simple network management protocol [SNMP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/046 comprising network management agents or mobile agents therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0686 Additional information in the notification, e.g. enhancement of specific meta-data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0805 by checking availability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/10 Active monitoring, e.g. heartbeat, ping or trace-route

Abstract

A system used to manage a network by monitoring at least one interface of the network comprises a poller, a server, and a database, all in communication with one another. The poller continuously checks the at least one interface of the network by continuously sending out a poller query message to at least one interface of the network. The poller suspects a first interface of at least one interface of failing when the poller does not receive a poller reply message in response to the query messages from the first interface within a first time period. The poller sends an alert signal to the server notifying the server that the first interface of the at least one interface may be failing when the poller suspects the first interface of the at least one interface is failing. After receiving the alert signal the server sends out at least one server query signal to the first interface, the server monitors the response to determine whether the first interface replies to at least one server query signal by sending at least one server replay message. The server evaluates at least one server replay message to determine whether the first interface is failing. The database contains information concerning at least one interface of the network. When the server determines the first interface is failing, the server pulls first information concerning the first interface and sends an alarm signal with the first information to client applications modules. A process to monitor at least one interface on a network comprises the following steps: (a) continuously sending Get Requests to at least one interface; (b) monitoring any first replies received from at least one interface to the Get Requests to determine whether a reply is received at a first time from each interface of at least one interface; (c) sending an alert message to a server, if a reply is not received from a first interface of at least one interface; (d) sending at least one server query to the first interface by the server; and (e) monitoring any second replies received from the first interface in response to at least one server query by the server to determine whether the first interface has failed.

Claims

1. A system used to manage a network by monitoring at least one interface of said network, comprising:

(a) a poller in communication with said at least one interface of said network, said poller continuously checks said at least one interface of said network by continuously sending out a poller query message to said at least one interface of said network, said poller suspects a first interface of said at least one interface of failing when said poller does not receive a poller reply message in response to said query messages from said first interface within a first time period;

(b) a server in communication with said poller, said poller sends an alert signal to said server notifying said server that said first interface of said at least one interface may be failing when said poller suspects said first interface of said at least one interface is failing, after receiving said alert signal said server sends out at least one server query signal to said first interface, which said server monitors to determine whether said first interface replies to said at least one server query signal by sending at least one server reply message, said server evaluates said at least one server reply message to determine whether said first interface is failing; and

(c) a database, said server in communication with said database, said database containing information concerning said at least one interface of said network, when said server determines said first interface is failing, said server pulls first information concerning said first interface and sends an alarm signal with first information to client applications modules.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said database also stores alarm information comprised of information about said alarm signal and said server stores said alarm information about said alarm signal in said database.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said poller sends out said poller query messages to said at least one interface in a regular, continuous manner.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said server communicates with said client applications module via a display server, said display server receives said alarm signal and said alarm information, organizes said alarm information, and presents said alarm signal and said alarm information to said client applications module.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said server sends out a first number of said server query signals to said first interface and further wherein said server determines whether said first interface is failing by counting said poller responses received and if said poller responses are above a minimum number, then said server determines that said poller must be failing.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein said at least one server query signal is equal to ten and said minimum number is seven.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein said client applications module displays said alarm information in a hierarchical tree structure.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein said poller continues to monitor said first interface to determine if and when said first interface becomes reachable again.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein said poller generates a clear message to said server which is formatted and sent to clients and said server then sends a message to said poller to restart sending said poller query messages to said first interface.

10. A process to monitor at least one interface on a network, comprising:

(a) continuously sending Get Requests to said at least one interface on said network by a poller;

(b) monitoring any first replies received from said at least one interface to said Get Requests to determine whether a reply is received at a first time from each interface of said at least one interface by said poller;

(c) sending an alert message to a server, if a reply is not received from a first interface of said at least one interface;

(d) sending at least one server query to said first interface by said server; and

(e) monitoring any second replies received from said first interface in response to said at least one server query by said server to determine whether said first interface has failed.

11. The process of claim 10, further comprising:

(f) forwarding an alarm message to a display server if said server has determined that said first interface has failed; and

(g) forwarding said alarm message to said client application by said display server.

12. The process of claim 11, further comprising:

(f) combining client information with said alarm message;

(g) forwarding an alarm message to a display server if said server has determined that said first interface has failed; and

(h) forwarding said alarm message to said client application by said display server.

13. The process of claim 10, wherein said server determines whether said first interface has failed if said second replies is above a minimum.

14. The process of claim 13, wherein said minimum is seven and said at least one server queries is equal to ten.

15. The process of claim 10, wherein said poller sends said Get Requests in a plurality of groups.

16. The process of claim 10, wherein said poller monitors said first responses by starting a timer that measures a first period each time a Get Request is sent and waiting until for said first response to each of said Get Request when said first period has expired and, if a first response is not received from said first interface, then said poller determines that said first interface must be failing.

17. The process of claim 10, further comprising after step (b) the following sub-steps:

(b1) sending out a first query to a first interface of said at least one interface and simultaneously storing information pertaining to said first query and to said first interface in a first register;

(b2) waiting for a first time period until a response to said first query is received and, if a response to said first query is received, then storing said information pertaining to said response in a second register; and

(b3) comparing information pertaining to said first query and to said first interface stored in said first register with information pertaining to said response in said second register after said first time period has elapsed to determine whether said interface is failing.

18. A process to monitor at least one interface of a network, comprising:

(a) sending out a first query to a first interface of said at least one interface and simultaneously storing information pertaining to said first query and to said first interface in a first register;

(b) waiting for a first time period until a response to said first query is received and, if a response to said first query is received, then storing said information pertaining to said response in a second register; and

(c) comparing information pertaining to said first query and to said first interface stored in said first register with information pertaining to said response in said second register after said first time period has elapsed to determine whether said interface is failing.

19. The process of claim 18, further comprising, if said first interface is determined to be failing:

(d) resending out a second query to said first interface of said at least one interface and simulataneously storing information pertaining to said second query and to said first interface in said first register;

(b) waiting for a second time period until a response to said second query is received and, if a second response to said second query is received, then storing said information pertaining to said second response in said second register; and

(c) comparing information pertaining to said second query and to said first interface stored in said first register with information pertaining to said second response in said second register after said second time period has elapsed to determine whether said interface is failing.

20. The process of claim 18, wherein said response also contains index information pertaining to said first interface and further comprising:

(d) storing said index information in a third register and using said index information to track and correlate said information pertaining to said first query and to said first interface stored in said first register with information pertaining to said first response in said second register response, so that said information pertaining to said first query and to said first interface stored in said first register with information pertaining to said first response in said second register response can be compared.