Network monitoring system, monitored controller, and monitoring controller

• US 6,470,385 B1
• Filed: 08/20/1998
• Issued: 10/22/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/20/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Nakashima, Kazuhiro, Nakagawahara, Shigeru
• Primary Examiner(s): COURTENAY III, ST JOHN
• Application Number:
  US09/137,642
• Time in Patent Office: 1,524 Days
• Field of Search: 709/223-229, 370/390, 370/252, 370/395.1, 714/4, 714/47
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0817 by checking functioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/10 Active monitoring, e.g. heartbeat, ping or trace-route

Abstract

A network monitoring system which alleviates workloads imposed on network devices being monitored, reduces network traffic, improves the quality of data transmission, and increases the efficiency of monitoring activities. The system comprises a connection set-up unit which establishes a point-to-multipoint connection between a network device to a plurality of monitoring stations. This point-to-multipoint connection passes through a broadcast unit that serves as a branching point of multiple connections. A status message transmission unit, disposed in the network device, transmits status messages over the point-to-multipoint connection when a status change is detected in the network device. The broadcast unit distributes these messages toward a plurality of monitoring stations in the system. Before reaching the destinations, the status messages are subjected to a status message format conversion unit so as to make their data format suitable for the recipient monitoring stations.

Claims

1. A network monitoring system which employs a plurality of monitoring stations to observe status of controllers on an ATM network, comprising:

(a) a monitored controller being observed by said plurality of monitoring stations, comprising

connection set-up means for establishing a point-to-multipoint connection over the ATM network, and

status message transmission means for transmitting status messages through the point-to-multipoint connection upon detection of a status change in said monitored controller;

(b) a broadcast unit which broadcasts the status messages through the point-to-multipoint connection; and

(c) a plurality of monitoring controllers coupled to the plurality of monitoring stations, each being a destination of the point-to-multipoint connection, and each comprising status message format conversion means for converting the status messages received from said broadcast unit to a format suitable for the monitoring station being coupled thereto.

2. The network monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein said monitoring controller further comprises status message storage means for storing information contained in the status messages received from said broadcast unit.

3. The network monitoring system according to claim 2, wherein said status message storage means selectively stores information contained in the status messages having higher priorities.

4. The network monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein said connection set-up means attempts to reestablish a portion of the point-to-multipoint connection at predetermined intervals, when said connection set-up means has failed to establish said portion of the point-to-multipoint connection.

5. The network monitoring system according to claim 4, wherein said status message transmission means transmits the status messages through a point-to-point connection that is previously established between said monitored controller and one of said plurality of monitoring controllers, when said connection set-up means has failed to establish the point-to-multipoint connection.

6. The network monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein said status message transmission means transmits identifier inclusive status messages which are each composed of a status message and an identifier affixed thereto to make the status messages distinguishable from each other.

7. The network monitoring system according to claim 6, wherein the status message transmission means further transmits a periodical transmission message at predetermined intervals to send the identifier of the identifier inclusive status message that has been transmitted most recently.

8. A monitored controller being observed by a plurality of monitoring stations in a network monitoring system for an ATM network, comprising:

connection set-up means for establishing a point-to-multipoint connection on the ATM network to reach the plurality of monitoring stations via a broadcast unit; and

status message transmission means for transmitting status messages through the point-to-multipoint connection upon detection of a status change in the monitored controller.

9. The monitored controller according to claim 8, wherein said connection set-up means attempts to reestablish a portion of the point-to-multipoint connection at predetermined intervals, when said connection set-up means has failed to establish said portion of the point-to-multipoint connection.

10. The monitored controller according to claim 9, wherein said status message transmission means transmits the status messages through a point-to-point connection that is previously established, when said connection set-up means has failed to establish the point-to-multipoint connection.

11. The monitored controller according to claim 8, wherein said status message transmission means transmits identifier inclusive status messages which are composed of the status messages and identifiers affixed thereto to make the status messages distinguishable from each other.

12. The monitored controller according to claim 11, wherein said status message transmission means further transmits a periodical transmission message at predetermined intervals to send the identifier of the identifier inclusive status message that has been transmitted most recently.

13. A monitoring controller coupled to a monitoring station in a network monitoring system for an ATM network, comprising:

status message reception means for receiving status messages sent from a plurality of network devices being monitored, through a point-to-multipoint connection established on the ATM network;

status message format conversion means for convening the status messages received by said status message reception means to a format suitable for the monitoring station being coupled thereto; and

status message transmission means for transmitting to the monitoring station the status messages converted by said status message format conversion means.

14. The monitoring controller according to claim 13, further comprising status message storage means for storing information contained in the status messages received from the network device being monitored.

15. The monitoring controller according to claim 14, wherein said status message storage means selectively stores information contained in the status messages having higher priorities.