Common management information protocol (CMIP) agent registration methods systems and computer program products

• US 6,226,679 B1
• Filed: 06/30/1997
• Issued: 05/01/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Oracle America, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sun Microsystems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Gupta, Pradeep
• Primary Examiner(s): Harrell, Robert B.
• Assistant Examiner(s): VU, THONG H
• Application Number:
  US08/885,231
• Time in Patent Office: 1,401 Days
• Field of Search: 395/500, 395/200.58, 395/200.32, 370/94.1, 370/248, 709/200, 709/201, 709/217, 709/223, 709/238.23, 709/224, 379/34, 707/101
• US Class Current: 709/230
• 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 41/0806 for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play

Abstract

A computer network includes a local management information server (MIS) and a common management information protocol (CMIP) management protocol adapter (MPA) for communication between the local MIS and remote agents characterized by an unknown information model. The network relies upon a computer program product which identifies remote agent communication events representing a remote agent association requests received by the CMIP MPA. The CMIP MPA includes a device for translating messages transmitted between a remote agent and said local MIS.

Claims

1. A method for causing unregistered remote agents to be represented in a local management information server (MIS) to enable communication through a selected protocol adapter, said method comprising:

identifying an unregistered non-preconfigured remote agent making a remote agent association request to a local MIS through a selected protocol adapter associated with the local MIS;

configuring the local MIS with an instance of an agent entity object, having a name translation attribute specific to the unregistered non-preconfigured remote agent; and

translating messages transmitted between the unregistered non-preconfigured remote agent and a local MIS consistent with a remote agent specific name translation attribute.

2. The method according to claim 1, including determining whether the remote agent making the remote agent association request has been preconfigured with the local MIS, and identifying such remote agent as said unregistered non-preconfigured remote agent if such remote agent is not preconfigured with the local MIS.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein said selected protocol adapter follows a common management information protocol (CMIP).

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein said translation attribute describes a mapping of names between said local MIS and said unregistered non-preconfigured remote agent.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein said agent entity object represents a common management information protocol (CMIP) based remote management entity.

6. The method according to claim 5, including instantiating a CMIP agent entity object from a CMIP agent object which has been pre-installed in said local MIS.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein said protocol adapter translates messages between said local MIS and said unregistered non-preconfigured remote agent.

8. The method according to claim 1 including representing a translation object in said protocol adapter for translating messages between said local MIS and said unregistered non-preconfigured remote agent.

9. The method according to claim 1 including passing messages between said local MIS and said unregistered non-preconfigured remote agent through a predetermined translation function.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the local management information server is run-time configurable for communication with the unregistered non-preconfigured remote agent.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein identifying the unregistered non-preconfigured remote agent comprises dynamically linking the unregistered non-preconfigured remote agent with the local MIS.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the remote agent association request to the local MIS is unanticipated by the local MIS.

13. A computer program product, comprising:

a computer storage medium and a computer program code mechanism embedded in the computer storage medium for causing unregistered non-configured remote agents to be run-time represented as an agent entity object in a local MIS for communication ennoblement through a selected management information protocol adapter, the computer program code mechanism comprising;

a first computer code device configured to identify unregistered non-preconfigured remote agent communication requests received by said protocol adapter and to respond to said identification by instantiating a corresponding agent entity object in the local MIS; and

a second computer code device configured to translate messages transmitted between an unregistered non-preconfigured remote agent and a local MIS in accordance with the character of said agent entity object.

14. The computer program product according to claim 13, wherein said first computer code device includes a computer program code mechanism for determining the information model of the unregistered non-preconfigured remote agent and anchoring the program code in the local MIS based upon a mapping of said unregistered non-preconfigured remote agent and local MIS names held in an agent database maintained by said protocol adapter held by said management information protocol adapter.

15. A computer network comprising:

a local MIS;

a selected protocol adapter in communication with said local MIS to enable message traffic with an unregistered non-preconfigured remote agent characterized by an unknown information model; and

a code mechanism for identifying remote agents and remote agent association requests received by said selected protocol adapter as registered remote agents or unregistered non-preconfigured remote agents, said code mechanism being coupled for communication with said selected protocol adapter;

said selected protocol adapter including a device for translating messages transmitted between a remote agent and said local MIS in accordance with the identification of said remote agents.

16. The computer network according to claim 15, wherein said local MIS includes an agent entity object instance identifying a remote agent which makes a run-time association request with respect to the local MIS.

17. The computer network according to claim 16, wherein said local MIS includes an common management information protocol (CMIP) agent entity object instantiated from said agent entity object, said agent entity object having a translation attribute describing translation of messages between said local MIS and a remote agent.

18. The computer network according to claim 15, wherein said agent entity object is a common management information protocol (CMIP) object.

19. The computer network according to claim 18, wherein said translation attribute describes a selected mapping of names between said local MIS and said unregistered non-preconfigured remote agent.

20. The computer network according to claim 15, wherein said selected protocol adapter translates messages between said local MIS and said unregistered non-preconfigured remote agent.

21. The computer network according to claim 15 including a translation object in said selected protocol adapter for translating messages between said local MIS and said unregistered non-preconfigured remote agent.

22. The computer network according to claim 15 including a translation function for operating upon messages passing between said local MIS and said unregistered non-preconfigured remote agent.

23. A method for causing unregistered remote agents to be represented in a local management information server (MIS) to enable communication through a selected protocol adapter, said method comprising:

identifying an unregistered remote agent making a remote agent association request to a local MIS through a selected protocol adapter associated with the local MIS;

configuring the local MIS with an instance of an agent entity object, having a name translation attribute specific to the unregistered remote agent, the attribute including mapping a network address of the agent;

anchoring an information model describing said agent with the local MIS based on said network address; and

translating messages transmitted between the unregistered non-preconfigured remote agent and a local MIS consistent with a remote agent specific name translation attribute.

24. The method according to claim 23, including determining whether the remote agent making the remote agent association request has been preconfigured with the local MIS, and identifying such remote agent as said unregistered remote agent if such remote agent is not preconfigured with the local MIS, wherein said translation attribute describes a mapping of names between said local MIS and said unregistered non-preconfigured remote agent.

25. The method according to claim 24, including instantiating a common management information protocol (CMIP) agent entity object from a CMIP agent object which has been pre-installed in said local MIS.

26. The method according to claim 23 including representing a translation object in said protocol adapter for translating messages between said local MIS and said unregistered remote agent.

27. A computer network comprising:

a local MIS;

a selected protocol adapter in communication with said local MIS to enable message traffic with an unregistered non-preconfigured remote agent characterized by an unknown information model; and

a code mechanism for identifying remote agents and remote agent association requests received by said selected protocol adapter as registered remote agents or unregistered remote agents, said code mechanism being coupled for communication with said selected protocol adapter, said code mechanism configuring the local MIS with an instance of an agent entity object, having a name translation attribute specific to the unregistered remote agent, the attribute including mapping a network address of the agent and said code mechanism anchoring an information model describing said agent with the local MIS based on said network address; and

said selected protocol adapter including a device for translating messages transmitted between a remote agent and said local MIS in accordance with the identification of said remote agents.

28. The computer network according to claim 27, wherein:

said local MIS includes an agent entity object instance identifying a remote agent which makes a run-time association request with respect to the local MIS;

said local MIS including an common management information protocol (CMIP) agent entity object; and

said agent entity object has a translation attribute describing translation of messages between said local MIS and a remote agent.