System and method for network integrity management

• US 6,192,034 B1
• Filed: 06/30/1997
• Issued: 02/20/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: Sterling Commerce (America) Incorporated (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Inventors: Hsieh, Francis, Manring, Brad
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Chau
• Assistant Examiner(s): LEE, CHI HO A
• Application Number:
  US08/885,395
• Time in Patent Office: 1,331 Days
• Field of Search: 370/242, 370/243, 370/244, 370/245, 370/248, 370/249, 370/252, 370/254, 370/241, 709/223, 709/224
• US Class Current: 370/241
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/046 comprising network management agents or mobile agents therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/052 using standardised network management architectures, e.g. telecommunication management network [TMN] or unified network management architecture [UNMA]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0856 by backing up or archiving configuration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0866 Checking the configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/40 for recovering from a failure of a protocol instance or entity, e.g. service redundancy protocols, protocol state redundancy or protocol service redirection management of faults, events, alarms or notifications in data switching networks H04L41/06

Abstract

A system and method for network integrity management are provided. A plurality of network elements (108) and software elements (114) are interconnected in a network. Each network element (108) and software element (114) includes an SNMP agent (110, 116) operable to create and maintain a management information base (112, 118) that stores information representing a current status of the associated network element (108) or software element (114). The SNMP agent (110, 116) is further operable to communicate the management information base (112, 118) across the network, and a remote monitor (102) is operable to collect the management information bases (112, 118) communicated by the SNMP agents (110, 116). A management client (120) is operable to connect to the remote monitor (102) and to receive the management information bases (112, 118) collected by the remote monitor (102). The management client (120) is further operable to determine the current status of the network elements (108) and the software elements (114) based upon the management information bases (112, 118), to identify problems based upon the current status of the network elements (108) and the software elements (114), and to notify a user of any identified problems.

Claims

1. A system for network integrity management, comprising:

a plurality of network elements interconnected in a network, each network element comprising;

an SNMP agent operable to create and maintain a management information base, the management information base storing information representing a current status of the network element;

the SNMP agent further operable to communicate the information in the management information base across the network

a plurality of software elements interconnected in the network, each software element comprising;

an SNMP agent operable to create and maintain a management information base for the software element, the management information base storing information representing a current status of the software element;

the SNMP agent further operable to communicate the information in the management Information base across the network;

a remote monitor interconnected in the network with the plurality of network elements and the plurality of software elements, the remote monitor operable to collect the information from the management information bases communicated by the SNMP agents in the plurality of network elements and the plurality of software elements; and

a management client operable to connect to the remote monitor and to receive the information from the management information bases collected by the remote monitor;

the management client further operable to determine the current status of the network elements and the software elements based upon the information from the management information bases, to identify problems based upon the current status of the network elements and the software elements, and to notify a user of any identified problems.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the remote monitor is further operable to allow connection of a point-to-point session, such that the point-to-point session can receive the information from the management information bases collected by the remote monitor, determine the current status of the network elements and the software elements based upon the information from the management information bases, and display to a user the current status.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the point-to-point session is operable only to receive the information from the management information bases relevant to the users participation in the network.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the network is an electronic commerce network.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein the point-to-point session comprises an SNMP agent operable to create and maintain a management information base storing information representing a current status of the user'"'"'s computer environment,

the SNMP agent further operable to communicate the information in the management information base across the network to the remote monitor,

such that the management client can identify problems with the user'"'"'s computer environment.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of network elements includes hardware for a processing node in an electronic commerce network.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the plurality of software elements include a processing engine, a regional server and a regional mirror server executing on the hardware for the processing node.

8. A method for network integrity management, comprising:

operating an SNMP agent in each of a plurality of network elements interconnected in a network, where each SNMP agent;

creates and maintains a management information base storing information representing a current status of an associated network element; and

communicates the information in the management information base across the network;

operating an SNMP agent in each of a plurality of software elements interconnected in the network, where each SNMP agent;

creates and maintains a management information base storing information representing a current status of an associated software element; and

communicates the information in the management information base across the network;

collecting the information from the management information bases communicated by the SNMP agents in the plurality of network elements and the plurality of software elements;

determining the current status of the network elements and the software elements based upon the information from the management information bases;

identifying problems based upon the current status of the network elements and the software elements; and

providing notification of any identified problems.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising receiving the information from the management information bases communicated by the SNMP agents in a point-to-point session, such that the point-to-point session can determine the current status of the network elements and the software elements based upon the information from the management information bases and display the current status to a user.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein only the information from the management information bases relevant to the users participation in the network are received.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the network is an electronic commerce network.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

creating and maintaining a management information base storing information representing a current status of the user'"'"'s computer environment; and

communicating the information in the management information base across the network;

such that problems with the user'"'"'s computer environment can be identified.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the plurality of network elements includes hardware for a processing node in an electronic commerce network.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the plurality of software elements include a processing engine, a regional server and a regional mirror server executing on the hardware for the processing node.