Method for searching for network connection path

• US 6,275,856 B1
• Filed: 02/22/2000
• Issued: 08/14/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi Information Networks Limited, Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi Information Networks Limited, Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Morita, Shinji, Miyazaki, Satoshi, Hirata, Toshiaki, Yamada, Mitsugu, Urano, Akihiro, Fujino, Shuji, Nakano, Hidetomo
• Primary Examiner(s): VU, VIET DUY
• Application Number:
  US09/510,348
• Time in Patent Office: 539 Days
• Field of Search: 709/220, 709/221, 709/222, 709/223, 709/224, 709/249, 709/250, 709/227, 709/238, 709/239, 370/351, 370/401, 370/409
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/00 Routing or path finding of packets in data switching networks routing or path finding in wireless networks H04W40/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/26 Route discovery packet

Abstract

When a computer as a logical connection destination which detected a search objective user issues a search request to first one of computers which established logical connections associated with the search objective user, the first computer selects users who used my computer in a use time of the search objective user, and executes the search request over the computers which established the logical connections associated with the selected users. The same search request is sequentially carried out over m candidates of the logical connection originator computer of my computer down to an m-th computer. Search results (a computer identifier of my computer and user identifiers of the selected users) obtained by the m computers are collected in the respective computers and returned to the logical connection destination computer in an order opposite to the search request order. With use of information widely obtained in a conventional manner, a connecting path from the logical connection originator computer to the logical connection destination computer can be searched.

Claims

1. A method for searching for a network connecting path between two of managing objective computers in a network system which includes said managing objective computers and a managing computer, said method comprising the steps of:

supervising, at said managing computer using a managing program, utilization status of said managing objective computers, transmitting a first search request to a managing objective computer used by a search objective user if said search objective user is detected, and receiving a search result after a searching operation as to said first search request is terminated;

receiving, at said managing objective computers using a search agent program, said first search request, searching a search objective user associated with said first search request, transmitting a second search request to a computer establishing a logical connection associated with said search objective user, and receiving a corresponding search result to transmit the corresponding search result to said managing computer; and

searching, at said managing objective computers using said search agent program, a user of a managing objective computer at a time when said search objective user uses if said second search request is received from other search agent program, issuing a third search request to a computer establishing a logical connection associated with said user of said managing objective computer, and receiving a search result to transmit the search result to said other search agent program.

2. A method according to claim 1, comprising the step of:

transmitting, at said managing objective computers using said search agent program, said search agent program with said second search request to a computer used by said search objective user, when a search operation becomes necessary.

3. A method for searching for a network connecting path in a network system which includes a plurality of computers capable of being shared by one or more users and in which a logical connection between two of the computers is established by a pair of communication ports associated with users of the two computers to manage a computer identifier of an establishment request originator computer which required the establishment of the logical connection, user identifiers of the users associated with the logical connection in a searched computer, and use time information of the users, a method for searching for a network connecting path from a logical connection destination computer with respect to users who logically connected to another computer through one or more logical connections, comprising the steps of:

transferring a search request containing the use time information of the search objective user, from the computer which detected the search objective user to the computers which established the logical connections associated with the search objective user;

selecting users who used a searched computer in a use time of the use time information of the search objective user contained in the search request;

in the present of the computer which established the logical connection associated with the users selected, transferring to the computer a search request containing the use time information of said search objective user;

in the absence of the computer which established the logical connection associated with the users selected, using as its search result the computer identifier of a searched computer and the user identifiers of the users in the searched computer; and

in the case of not transferring the search request, transferring the search result obtained to the search request originator computer which transferred the search request to a searched computer and,

in the case of transferring the search request, collectively transferring the search result received from the search request destination computer and the search result obtained to the search request originator computer which transferred the search request to the searched computer, wherein the computer which received the search request from another computer reduces the number of the users selected to the users who satisfy one or more predetermined conditions that one or more predetermined operation conditions performed by the search objective user is determined.

4. A method for searching for a network connecting path according to claim 3, wherein said one or more predetermined operation conditions include a condition that information for identifying a user using the computer is referred to or rewritten, and a condition that an authority for a specific manager peculiar to the computer is taken or going to be taken.

5. A method for searching for a network connecting path between two of managing objective computers in a network system which includes said plurality of managing objective computers and a managing computer, by a managing program loaded on said managing computer, said method comprising the steps of:

supervising utilization status of said managing objective computers;

transmitting a first search request to a computer used by a search objective user if said search objective user is detected; and

receiving a search result after a searching operation as to said first search request is terminated.

6. A method for searching for a network connecting path between two of managing objective computers in a network system which includes said plurality of managing objective computers and a managing computer, by said managing objective computer, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a first search request from a managing program loaded on said managing computer, searching a search objective user associated with said first search request, transmitting a second search request to a computer establishing a logical connection associated with said search objective user, and receiving a corresponding search result to transmit the corresponding search result to said managing program, by a search agent program loaded on said managing objective computers; and

searching a user of a managing objective computer using said managing objective computer loaded with said search agent program at a time when said search objective user uses if said second search request is received from other search agent program, issuing a third search request to a computer establishing a logical connection associated with said user of said managing objective computer, and receiving a search result to transmit said search result to said other search agent program by said search agent program.

7. A system comprising:

a managing computer for supervising utilization status of a plurality of managing objective computers, transmitting a first search request to a computer used by a search objective user if said search objective user is detected, and receiving a search result after a searching operation as to said first search request is terminated, by a managing program loaded on said managing computer, and

said plurality of managing objective computers for receiving said first search request from said managing program, searching a search objective user associated with said first search request, transmitting a second search request to a computer establishing a logical connection associated with said search objective user, and receiving a corresponding search result to transmit the corresponding search result to said managing program, by a search agent program loaded on said managing objective computers, and for searching a user of a managing objective computer using said managing objective computer loaded with said search agent program at a time when said search objective user uses if said second search request is received from other search agent program, issuing a third search request to a computer establishing a logical connection associated with said user of said managing objective computer, and receiving a search result to transmit said search result to said other search agent program by said search agent program,

wherein said system searches for a network connecting path between two of said managing objective computers in a network system which includes said plurality of managing objective computers and said managing computer.

8. A system according to claim 7, wherein said search agent program is transmitted with said second search request to a computer used by said search objective user, by said managing computer loaded with said search agent program, when a search operation becomes necessary.

9. A managing computer connected to a network including a plurality of managing objective computers, comprising:

means for supervising utilization status of said managing objective computers;

means for transmitting a first search request to a computer used by a search objective user if said search objective user is detected; and

means for receiving a search result after a searching operation as to said first search request is terminated,

wherein a network connecting path between two of said managing objective computers is searched by a managing program loaded on said managing computer.

10. A managing objective computer connected to a network including a managing computer and a plurality of managing objective computers, comprising:

means for receiving a first search request from a managing program loaded on said managing computer, searching a search objective user associated with said first search request, transmitting a second search request to a computer establishing a logical connection associated with said search objective user, and receiving a corresponding search result to transmit the corresponding search result to said managing program, by a search agent program loaded on said managing objective computers, and

means for searching a user of a managing objective computer using said managing objective computer loaded with said search agent program at a time when said search objective user uses if said second search request is received from other search agent program, issuing a third search request to a computer establishing a logical connection associated with said user of said managing objective computer, and receiving a search result to transmit the search result to said other search agent program by said search agent program,

wherein a network connecting path between two of said managing objective computers in said network system is searched.

11. A program for searching for a network connecting path between two of managing objective computers in a network system which includes said plurality of managing objective computers and a managing computer, said program comprising:

a managing program loaded on said managing computer for supervising utilization status of said managing objective computers, transmitting a first search request to a computer used by a search objective user if said search objective user is detected, and receiving a search result after a searching operation as to said first search request is terminated;

a search agent program loaded on said managing objective computers for receiving said first search request from said managing program, searching a search objective user associated with said first search request, transmitting a second search request to a computer establishing a logical connection associated with said search objective user, and receiving a corresponding search result to transmit the corresponding search result to said managing program, and for searching a user of a managing objective computer using said managing objective computer loaded with said search agent program at a time when said search objective user uses if said second search request is received from other search agent program, issuing a third search request to a computer establishing a logical connection associated with said user of said managing objective computer, and receiving a search result to transmit the search result to said other search agent program.

12. A program according to claim 11, comprising the step of:

transmitting said search agent program with said second search request to a computer used by said search objective user, by said managing computer loaded with said search agent program, when a search operation becomes necessary.