Network management system using model-based intelligence

• US 6,374,293 B1
• Filed: 03/15/1996
• Issued: 04/16/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Computer Associates Think Inc. (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Aprisma Management Technologies Incorporated (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Gray, Eric W., Dev, Roger H., Brown, Howard M., Scott, Walter P., Emery, Dale H., Rustici, Eric S., Wiggin, Dwayne S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pan, Daniel H.
• Application Number:
  US08/616,824
• Time in Patent Office: 2,223 Days
• Field of Search: 709/1, 709/220, 709/221, 709/225, 709/226, 709/230, 709/238, 709/249, 709/251, 709/252, 709/218, 709/224, 709/229, 709/231, 709/223, 709/232, 709/222, 709/250, 709/332, 709/315, 709/316
• US Class Current: 709/220
• CPC Class Codes: B63B 5/06 Decks; Shells
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2257 using expert systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3006 where the computing system is distributed, e.g. networked systems, clusters, multiprocessor systems multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46; allocation of resources G06F9/50
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3041 where the computing system component is an input/output interface interconnection of, or transfer of information or other signals between, memories, input/output devices or central processing units G06F13/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3048 where the topology of the computing system or computing system component explicitly influences the monitoring activity, e.g. serial, hierarchical systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3055 Monitoring arrangements for monitoring the status of the computing system or of the computing system component, e.g. monitoring if the computing system is on, off, available, not available error or fault processing without redundancy G06F11/0703; error detection or correction by redundancy in data representation G06F11/08; error detection or correction by redundancy in operation G06F11/14; error detection or correction by redundancy in hardware G06F11/16
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3096 wherein the means or processing minimize the use of computing system or of computing system component resources, e.g. non-intrusive monitoring which minimizes the probe effect: sniffing, intercepting, indirectly deriving the monitored data from other directly available data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/32 with visual or acoustical indication of the functioning of the machine
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3447 Performance evaluation by modeling
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/865 Monitoring of software
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/88 Monitoring involving counting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0604 using filtering, e.g. reduction of information by using priority, element types, position or time
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0609 based on severity or priority
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0659 by isolating or reconfiguring faulty entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0677 Localisation of faults
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0681 Configuration of triggering conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0686 Additional information in the notification, e.g. enhancement of specific meta-data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/069 using logs of notifications; Post-processing of notifications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0695 the faulty arrangement being the maintenance, administration or management system
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/40 : using virtualisation of network functions or resources, e.g. SDN or NFV entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/00 : Arrangements for monitoring or testing data switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/065 : related to network devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0811 : by checking connectivity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0817 : by checking functioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0829 : Packet loss
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/10 : Active monitoring, e.g. heartbeat, ping or trace-route
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/103 : with adaptive polling, i.e. dynamically adapting the polling rate
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/16 : Threshold monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 706/916 : Electronic or computer, internal or network, circuit

Abstract

A network management system includes a user interface, a virtual network and a device communication manager. The virtual network includes models which represent network entities and model relations which represent relations between network entities. Each model includes network data relating to a corresponding network entity and one or more inference handlers for processing the network data to provide user information. The system performs a fault isolation technique wherein the fault status of a network device is suppressed when it is determined that the device is not defective. User displays include hierarchical location views and topological views of the network configuration. Network devices are represented on the displays by multifunction icons which permit the user to select additional displays showing detailed information regarding different aspects of the corresponding network device.

Claims

1. A system for use with a computer network, comprising:

a virtual network including a plurality of models for representing network entities, each model containing network data relating to a corresponding network entity and means for processing said network data to provide user information, each of said plurality of models being implemented by at least one object-oriented software object containing said network data, said virtual network further including model relations representing relations between said network entities;

means for transferring network data from said network entities to the corresponding models in said virtual network; and

means for supplying said user information from said virtual network to a user.

2. A system as defined in claim 1 wherein said virtual network includes means for updating network data in said models with new network data received from the corresponding network entities.

3. A system as defined in claim 1 wherein selected models in said virtual network include means for polling the corresponding network entity to obtain new network data.

4. A system as defined in claim 1 wherein said model relations represent network connections between network devices.

5. A system as defined in claim 1 wherein said model relations represent hierarchical relations between said network entities.

6. A system as defined in claim 1 wherein said models represent network devices.

7. A system as defined in claim 1 wherein said models represent the geographical location of network entities.

8. A system as defined in claim 1 wherein said models represent a topological grouping of network entities.

9. A system as defined in claim 1 wherein said models represent software applications being executed on network devices.

10. A system as defined in claim 1 wherein said means for processing is triggered by a change in specified network data in the same model.

11. A system as defined in claim 1 wherein said means for processing is triggered by a change in specified network data in a different model.

12. A system as defined in claim 1 wherein said means for processing includes means for generating an alarm condition when said network data satisfies a predetermined criteria.

13. A system as defined in claim 1 wherein said means for processing includes means for generating an event when said network data satisfies a predetermined criteria.

14. A system as defined in claim 1 wherein said means for processing includes a plurality of inference handlers each for performing a predetermined function.

15. A system as defined in claim 1 wherein said virtual network comprises a programmed digital computer.

16. A method for obtaining user information relating to a computer network, comprising the steps of:

representing network entities of said computer network by models, each model containing data relating to a corresponding network entity and being implemented by at least one object-oriented software object containing said network data;

representing relations between said network entities by model relations;

updating the data in said models with new data from the corresponding network entities;

processing the data in said models to provide user information; and

supplying the user information to a user.

17. A method as defined in claim 16 wherein the step of updating the data in said models includes polling by selected models of the corresponding network entities at predetermined times to obtain new data.

18. A method as defined in claim 16 wherein the step of updating the data in said models includes the step of receiving new data automatically sent by said network entities and updating the data in corresponding models.

19. A method as defined in claim 16 wherein the step of representing relations between said network entities includes defining connections between network devices by connection relations between models.

20. A method as defined in claim 16 wherein the step of representing relations between said network entities includes representing hierarchical relations between network entities by hierarchical relations between models.

21. A method as defined in claim 16 wherein the step of processing the data is triggered by a change in specified data in the same model.

22. A method as defined in claim 16 wherein the step of processing the data is triggered by a change in specified data in a different model.

23. A method as defined in claim 16 wherein the step of processing the data includes means for generating an alarm condition when specified data exceeds predetermined limits.

24. A method as defined in claim 16 wherein said means for processing network data includes means for generating an event condition when specified data meets a predetermined criteria.

25. A method as defined in claim 16 wherein the step of representing network entities includes representing network devices by device models.

26. A method as defined in claim 16 wherein the step of representing network entities includes representing geographical locations of network devices by geographical models.

27. A method as defined in claim 16 wherein the step of representing network entities includes representing topological groupings of network devices by topological models.

28. A method for monitoring the status of a network comprising a plurality of interrelated network entities, said method comprising the steps of:

maintaining in a computer system a representation of the network including models and relations between models, each model corresponding to one or more of the network entities and including status information regarding one or more network entities, each model further including one or more inference handlers;

said representation of the network communicating with selected ones of the network entities and obtaining operational information;

said inference handlers updating the status information in said models in response to said operational information; and

said representation of the network providing the status information to a user.

29. A method as defined in claim 28 wherein said inference handlers update the status information in said models in response to said operational information and in response to information obtained from other models.