Agent identification device, agent device with program reception function, and network system

• US 6,085,240 A
• Filed: 03/03/1998
• Issued: 07/04/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Rakuten, Inc. (Rakuten Group, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Suzuki, Motohiro, Kiriha, Yoshiaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Harrell, Robert B.
• Application Number:
  US09/033,755
• Time in Patent Office: 854 Days
• Field of Search: 364/DIG. 1, 364/DIG. 2, 709/200, 709/202, 709/203, 709/213, 709/214, 709/215, 709/216, 709/217, 709/220, 709/221, 709/222, 709/223, 709/224
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4862 the task being a mobile agent, i.e. specifically designed to migrate

Abstract

An agent identification device that identifies an agent device that dynamically transmits a program to another agent device by flexibly dealing with various managed functions and changes in condition of a network supplied by the agent device. The agent identification device includes a retrieval rule evaluation section and a communication address retrieval section. The retrieval rule evaluation section has the function of deriving the identifier of an agent device to which a program is next transmitted, based on input data, and the function of storing a retrieval rule being a program for deriving the identifier of the agent device and information used to evaluate the retrieval rule. The communication address retrieval section has the function of deriving the communication address of the agent device to which a program is next transmitted, by inputting an output from the retrieval rule evaluation section, and the function of storing DN-communication address conversion information in which the correspondence between the output of the retrieval rule evaluation section and the communication address is described.

Claims

1. A network system comprising:

a name resolution server for identifying another agent device which transmits a management function execution request when it is needed that an enhanced operational object transmits said management function execution request to said another agent device;

a program execution information storage section for storing an enhanced operational object which realizes management functions in a network management to provide said management functions to a program, a primitive operational object which provides a function of accessing a managed object, to said enhanced operational object, a managed object access object having a function of directly accessing one management function, and a standard enhanced operational object of providing a management function by using a function possessed by said managed object access object;

a program execution section having means of executing a program transmitted from a manager, means of linking an enhanced operational object required by said program during a program execution to said program, and means of transmitting an execution result of said program to said manager;

a management information storage section for storing said managed object;

an agent identification device for identifying another agent device transmitting an execution request of said management function when said enhanced operational object needs to transmit a management function execution request to said agent device; and

a remote function execution section having means of issuing a management function execution request to another agent device decided by said agent identification device, means of executing a required enhanced operational object when another agent device requires executing a management function, means of communicating with said standard enhanced operational object server which stores said standard enhanced operational object and then dynamically capturing said standard enhanced operational object, and means of establishing communications via said name resolution server and a network.

2. The network system of claim 1, wherein said name resolution server comprises:

retrieval rule evaluation means for storing a retrieval rule for identifying an agent device and network information for evaluating said retrieval rule, identifying an agent device to which a program is transmitted using said retrieval rule and, if necessary, said network information, and outputting the identifier of an identified agent device; and

communication address retrieval means for storing conversion information in which the correspondence between said identifier and a communication address is described, and deriving the communication address of an agent device to which a program is next transmitted, using said identifier and said conversion information input from said retrieval rule evaluation section.

3. The network system of claim 2, wherein said network information includes network configuration information being physical location information between transmitters, an inclusion relation of a managed object, and pointer information indicating other managed object held by a managed object.

4. The network system of claim 2, wherein said retrieval rule is a program for outputting a distinguished name for identifying an agent device which next transmits a management function execution request and a parameter needed when a target agent device executes a required management function, based on a relation between managed objects used in a management function.

5. A network system comprising:

a name resolution server for identifying another agent device which transmits a management function execution request when it is needed that an enhanced operational object transmits said management function execution request to said another agent device;

a program execution information storage section for storing an enhanced operational object which realizes management functions in a network management to provide said management functions to a program and a primitive operational object which provides a function of accessing a managed object, to said enhanced operational object;

a program execution section having means of executing a program transmitted from a manager, means of linking an enhanced operational object required by said program during a program execution to said program, and means of transmitting an execution result of said program to said manager;

a management information storage section for storing said managed object;

an agent identification device for identifying another agent device transmitting an execution request of said management function when said enhanced operational object needs to transmit a management function execution request to said agent device; and

a remote function execution section having means of issuing a management function execution request to another agent device decided by said agent identification device, means of executing a required enhanced operational object when another agent device requires executing a management function, and means of establishing communications via said name resolution server and a network.

6. The network system of claim 5, wherein said name resolution server comprises:

retrieval rule evaluation means for storing a retrieval rule for identifying an agent device and network information for evaluating said retrieval rule, identifying an agent device to which a program is transmitted using said retrieval rule and, if necessary, said network information, and outputting the identifier of an identified agent device; and

communication address retrieval means for storing conversion information in which the correspondence between said identifier and a communication address is described, and deriving the communication address of an agent device to which a program is next transmitted, using said identifier and said conversion information input from said retrieval rule evaluation section.

7. The network system of claim 6, wherein said network information includes network configuration information being physical location information between transmitters, an inclusion relation of a managed object, and pointer information indicating other managed object held by a managed object.

8. The network system of claim 6, wherein said retrieval rule is a program for outputting a distinguished name for identifying an agent device which next transmits a management function execution request and a parameter needed when a target agent device executes a required management function, based on a relation between managed objects used in a management function.

19. The agent device identification device with program reception function of claim 5, wherein said network information includes network configuration information being physical location information between transmitters, an inclusion relation of a managed object, and pointer information indicating other managed object held by a managed object.

9. An agent device with program reception function, comprising:

a program execution information storage section for storing an enhanced operational object which realizes management functions in a network management to provide said management functions to a program, a primitive operational object which provides a function of accessing a managed object, to said enhanced operational object, a managed object access object having a function of directly accessing one managed object, and a standard enhanced operational object of providing a management function using a function possessed by said managed object access object;

a program execution section having means of executing a program transmitted from a manager, means of linking an enhanced operational object required by said program during a program execution to said program, and means of transmitting an execution result of said program to said manager;

a management information storage section for storing said managed object;

an agent identification device for identifying another agent device transmitting an execution request of said management function when said enhanced operational object needs to transmit a management function execution request to said agent device; and

a remote function execution section having means of issuing a management function execution request to another agent device decided by said agent identification device, means of executing a required enhanced operational object when another agent device requires executing a management function, and means of communicating with a standard enhanced operational object server which stores said standard enhanced operational object and then dynamically capturing said standard enhanced operational object.

10. The agent device with program reception function of claim 9, wherein said agent identification device comprises:

retrieval rule evaluation means for storing a retrieval rule for identifying an agent device and network information for evaluating said retrieval rule, identifying an agent device to which a program is transmitted using said retrieval rule and, if necessary, said network information, and outputting the identifier of an identified agent device; and

communication address retrieval means for storing conversion information in which the correspondence between said identifier and a communication address is described, and deriving the communication address of an agent device to which a program is next transmitted, using said identifier and said conversion information input from said retrieval rule evaluation section.

11. The agent device identification device with program reception function of claim 10, wherein said network information includes network configuration information being physical location information between transmitters, an inclusion relation of a managed object, and pointer information indicating other managed object held by a managed object.

12. The agent device identification device of claim 10, wherein said retrieval rule is a program for outputting a distinguished name for identifying an agent device which next transmits a management function execution request and a parameter needed when a target agent device executes a required management function, based on a relation between managed objects used in a management function.

13. An agent device with program reception function, comprising:

a program execution information storage section for storing an enhanced operational object which realizes management functions in a network management to provide said management functions to a program and a primitive operational object which provides a function of accessing a managed object, to said enhanced operational object;

a program execution section having means of executing a program transmitted from a manager, means of linking an enhanced operational object required by said program during a program execution to said program, and means of transmitting an execution result of said program to said manager;

a management information storage section for storing said managed object;

an agent identification device for identifying another agent device transmitting an execution request of said management function when said enhanced operational object needs to transmit a management function execution request to said agent device; and

a remote function execution section having means of issuing a management function execution request to another agent device decided by said agent identification device, means of executing a required enhanced operational object when another agent device requires executing a management function, and means of transmitting and receiving an enhanced operational object between agent devices.

14. The agent device with program reception function of claim 13, wherein said agent identification device comprises:

retrieval rule evaluation means for storing a retrieval rule for identifying an agent device and network information for evaluating said retrieval rule, identifying an agent device to which a program is transmitted using said retrieval rule and, if necessary, said network information, and outputting the identifier of an identified agent device; and

communication address retrieval means for storing conversion information in which the correspondence between said identifier and a communication address is described, and deriving the communication address of an agent device to which a program is next transmitted, using said identifier and said conversion information input from said retrieval rule evaluation section.

15. The agent device identification device with program reception function of claim 14, wherein said network information includes network configuration information being physical location information between transmitters, an inclusion relation of a managed object, and pointer information indicating other managed object held by a managed object.

16. The agent device identification device of claim 14, wherein said retrieval rule is a program for outputting a distinguished name for identifying an agent device which next transmits a management function execution request and a parameter needed when a target agent device executes a required management function, based on a relation between managed objects used in a management function.

17. An agent device with program reception function, comprising:

a program execution information storage section for storing an enhanced operational object which realizes management functions in a network management to provide said management functions to a program and a primitive operational object which provides a function of accessing a managed object, to said enhanced operational object;

a program execution section having means of executing a program transmitted from a manager, means of linking an enhanced operational object required by said program during a program execution to said program, and means of transmitting an execution result of said program to said manager;

a management information storage section for storing said managed object;

an agent identification device for identifying another agent device transmitting an execution request of said management function when said enhanced operational object needs to transmit a management function execution request to said agent device; and

a remote function execution section having means of issuing a management function execution request to another agent device decided by said agent identification device and means of executing a required enhanced operational object when another agent device requires executing a management function.

18. The agent device with program reception function of claim 17, wherein said agent identification device comprises:

retrieval rule evaluation means for storing a retrieval rule for identifying an agent device and network information for evaluating said retrieval rule, identifying an agent device to which a program is transmitted by using said retrieval rule and, if necessary, said network information, and outputting the identifier of an identified agent device; and

communication address retrieval means for storing conversion information in which the correspondence between said identifier and a communication address is described, and deriving the communication address of an agent device to which a program is next transmitted, using said identifier and said conversion information input from said retrieval rule evaluation section.

20. The agent device identification device of claim 18, wherein said retrieval rule is a program for outputting a distinguished name for identifying an agent device which next transmits a management function execution request and a parameter needed when a target agent device executes a required management function, based on a relation between managed objects used in a management function.

21. An agent device identification device, comprising:

a retrieval rule evaluation section for storing a retrieval rule for identifying an agent device and network information for evaluating said retrieval rule, and identifying an agent device to which a program is transmitted, by using said retrieval rule and, if necessary, said network information, and outputting an identifier of an agent device identified; and

a communication address retrieval section for storing conversion information in which a correspondence between said identifier and an communication address is described, and for deriving a communication address of an agent device to which a program is next transmitted, by using said identifier and said conversion information input from said retrieval rule evaluation section.

22. The agent device identification device of claim 21, wherein said network information includes network configuration information being physical location information between transmitters, an inclusion relation of a managed object, and pointer information indicating other managed object held by a managed object.

23. The agent device identification device of claim 21, wherein said retrieval rule is a program for outputting a distinguished name for identifying an agent device which next transmits a management function execution request and a parameter needed when a target agent device executes a required management function, based on a relation between managed objects used in a management function.