Method and system for monitoring and managing network condition

• US 6,401,119 B1
• Filed: 09/18/1998
• Issued: 06/04/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: ICS Intellegent Communication Software GmbH
• Original Assignee: ICS Intellegent Communication Software GmbH
• Inventors: Kloeber, Thomas, Fuss, Albert
• Primary Examiner(s): Harrell, Robert B.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Jaroenchonwanit, Bunjob
• Application Number:
  US09/156,977
• Time in Patent Office: 1,355 Days
• Field of Search: 709/224, 709/223, 709/220, 714/47, 714/49, 714/48, 703/22
• US Class Current: 709/224
• 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 11/3055 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 11/328 Computer systems status display G06F11/327 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0681 Configuration of triggering conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0817 by checking functioning

Abstract

A network management system for use with a computer network is disclosed. The network management system includes a status detector for detecting an event effecting a condition of a first network element. It also includes a control unit for determining whether a condition of a second network element associated with the first network element is effected by the detected event. The network management system visually represents the status of the network on client computers of the network to promote efficient planning and workflow.

Claims

1. For use with a computer network having a hierarchical structure, the network including a server, a first client computer, and a second client computer, a network management system comprising:

a status detector for detecting an event on the network, the event effecting a condition of a first network element;

a control unit cooperating with the status detector for determining whether a condition of a first business project associated with the first network element is effected by the detected event; and

a graphics driver cooperating with the status detector and the control unit to visually represent the status of at least a portion of the network on the first and second client computers, the status including the conditions of the first network element and the first business project as determined by the status detector and the control unit.

2. A network management system as defined in claim 1 wherein the detected event comprises a disturbance.

3. A network management system as defined in claim 1 wherein the detected event comprises a system property.

4. A network management system as defined in claim 1 wherein the control unit and the status detector identify limitations in the performing ability of the first network element and the first project and cooperate with the graphics driver to visually represent a status of the network which visually characterizes the conditions of the first network element and the first project with regard to the identified limitations.

5. A network management system as defined in claim 1 wherein the control unit determines a processing status of a software application on the network;

and cooperates with the graphics driver to visually represent a status of the network which visually characterizes the network components with regard to the processing status of the software application.

6. A network management system as defined in claim 1 wherein the status detector determines a processing status of a software application on the network;

and cooperates with the graphics driver to visually represent a status of the network which visually characterizes the network components with regard to the processing status of the software application.

7. A network management system as defined in claim 1 wherein the network management system is associated with a first sub-network and further comprising a second network management system associated with a second sub-network for determining a status of the second sub-network, and wherein the network management systems of the first and second sub-networks exchange status information to determine the network status for the network.

8. A network management system as defined in claim 7 wherein the first and second sub-networks are connected to one another by at least two routers.

9. A network management system as defined in claim 7 wherein the first and second sub-networks are connected to one another by at least two bridges.

10. A network management system as defined in claim 7 wherein the first and second sub-networks are connected to one another by a backbone.

11. A network management system as defined in claim 7 wherein the network management systems of the first and second sub-networks communicate with one another through telephone lines.

12. A network management system as defined in claim 1 wherein the network management system is responsive to a detected event indicative of a blocked or overloaded communication channel to change the system address of the first client computer such that the overloaded or blocked communication channel is avoided by communications with the first client computer.

13. A network management system as defined in claim 1 wherein the graphics driver visually represents the conditions of the first network element and the first project on a monitor connected to the server.

14. A network management system as defined in claim 13 wherein the control unit delivers a disturbance survey comprising a list of disturbances sorted by weight to at least one of the users of the network.

15. A network management system as defined in claim 1 further comprising an output device cooperating with the graphics driver to transmit the visual representation of the status of the network to substantially all display devices of the network.

16. A network management system as defined in claim 1 wherein the visual representation of the status of the network comprises a status line blended in the edge region of a desktop display.

17. A network management system as defined in claim 1 wherein the visual representation of the status of the network comprises a miniaturized representation of the network hierarchy, with any overloaded, disturbed and trouble-free areas of the network hierarchy being distinguished from one another with the aid of color coding.

18. A network management system as defined in claim 1 wherein the visual representation of the status of the network includes visual representations of client computers and network components in a first sub-network, and further includes visual representations of connections to a sub-network neighboring the first sub-network, wherein the network management system is responsive to an input to visually represent the status of the neighboring sub-network.

19. A network management system as defined in claim 1 wherein the visual representation of the status of the network includes weighting of the disturbances and bottlenecks detected by the control unit according to their effect on the operation of the network.

20. A network management system as defined in claim 1 wherein if the detected event prevents delivery of data to an address on the network, the network management system stores the data for later delivery.

21. A network management system as defined in claim 20 wherein the network management system automatically sends the stored data to the originally intended address when the delivery impediment has been removed.

22. A network management system as defined in claim 1 wherein, if the detected event comprises a disturbance of a first network element, the network management system isolates an area of the network associated with the first network element from the remainder of the network and includes the isolation in the visual representation of the status of the network.

23. A network management system as defined in claim 1 wherein the control unit cooperates with the status detector to determine whether a condition of a second network element associated with the first network element within the hierarchical structure is effected by the detected event.

24. A network management system as defined in claim 1 wherein the control unit cooperates with the status detector to determine whether a condition of a second project associated with the first network element within the hierarchical structure is effected by the detected event.

25. A network management system as defined in claim 1 wherein the control unit cooperates with the status detector to determine whether a condition of a second project associated with the first project within the hierarchical structure is effected by the detected event.

26. A network management system as defined in claim 1 wherein the first network element is a database, and the detected event is a bottleneck caused by too many devices seeking to access the database.

27. A network management system as defined in claim 1 wherein the detected event is an overload condition, and wherein frequent overload conditions of the first network event provides information for determining whether an upgrade of the first network element is cost justified.

28. For use with a computer network having a hierarchical structure, the network including a server, a first client computer, and a second client computer, a method comprising the steps of:

detecting an event on the network, the event effecting a condition of a first network element;

determining whether a condition of a first business project associated with the first network element is effected by the detected event; and

visually representing the status of at least a portion of the network on the first and second client computers, the status including the conditions of the first network element and the first business project.

29. A method as defined in claim 28 further comprising the steps of:

responsive to a disturbance, determining system conditions for each network element in a predefined area of the network;

comparing the determined system conditions with the operational organizational structure of the network to identify the effects of the determined system conditions on individual operational processes associated with the operational organizational structure; and

visually displaying the effects of the determined system conditions on individual areas of the network hierarchy associated with the operational processes.

30. A method as defined in claim 29 further comprising the step of displaying the operational organizational structure of the network.

31. A method as defined in claim 28 further comprising the step of determining whether a condition of a second network element associated with the first network element within the hierarchical structure is effected by the detected event.

32. A method as defined in claim 28 further comprising the step of determining whether a condition of a second project associated with the first network element within the hierarchical structure is effected by the detected event.

33. A method as defined in claim 28 further comprising the step of determining whether a condition of a second project associated with the first project within the hierarchical structure is effected by the detected event.

34. A method as defined in claim 28 wherein the first network element is a database, and the detected event is a bottleneck caused by too many devices seeking to access the database.

35. A method as defined in claim 28 wherein the detected event is an overload condition, and wherein frequent overload conditions of the first network event provides information for determining whether an upgrade of the first network element is cost justified.

36. For use with a computer network having a hierarchical structure, the network including a server, a first client computer, and a second client computer, a network management system comprising:

a status detector for detecting an event on the network, the event effecting a condition of a first network element;

a control unit cooperating with the status detector for determining whether a condition of a first project associated with the first network element is effected by the detected event; and

a graphics driver cooperating with the status detector and the control unit to visually represent the status of at least a portion of the network on the first and second client computers, the status including the conditions of the first network element and the first project as determined by the status detector and the control unit.

37. A network management system as defined in claim 36 wherein the first network element is a database, and the detected event is a bottleneck caused by too many devices seeking to access the database.

38. A network management system as defined in claim 36 wherein the detected event is an overload condition, and wherein frequent overload conditions of the first network event provides information for determining whether an upgrade of the first network element is cost justified.

39. For use with a computer network having a hierarchical structure, the network including a server, a first client computer, and a second client computer, a method comprising the steps of:

detecting an event on the network, the event effecting a condition of a first network element;

determining whether a condition of a first project associated with the first network element is effected by the detected event; and

visually representing the status of at least a portion of the network on the first and second client computers, the status including the conditions of the first network element and the first project.