Alarm server systems, apparatus, and processes

• US 6,539,428 B2
• Filed: 07/02/2001
• Issued: 03/25/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: NetSolve, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Davies, Stephen W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Meky, Moustafa M.
• Application Number:
  US09/896,988
• Publication Number:
  US 20020059407A1
• Time in Patent Office: 631 Days
• Field of Search: 709/200, 709/201, 709/203, 709/217, 709/218, 709/219, 709/220, 709/221, 709/223, 709/224
• US Class Current: 709/224
• 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 41/0686 Additional information in the notification, e.g. enhancement of specific meta-data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0805 by checking availability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/10 Active monitoring, e.g. heartbeat, ping or trace-route

Abstract

A system used to manage a network by monitoring at least one interface of the network comprises a poller, a server, and a database, all in communication with one another. The poller continuously checks the at least one interface of the network by continuously sending out a poller query message to at least one interface of the network. The poller suspects a first interface of at least one interface of failing when the poller does not receive a poller reply message in response to the query messages from the first interface within a first time period. The poller sends an alert signal to the server notifying the server that the first interface of the at least one interface may be failing when the poller suspects the first interface of the at least one interface is failing. After receiving the alert signal the server sends out at least one server query signal to the first interface, the server monitors the response to determine whether the first interface replies to at least one server query signal by sending at least one server replay message. The server evaluates at least one server replay message to determine whether the first interface is failing. The database contains information concerning at least one interface of the network. When the server determines the first interface is failing, the server pulls first information concerning the first interface and sends an alarm signal with the first information to client applications modules. A process to monitor at least one interface on a network comprises the following steps: (a) continuously sending Get Requests to at least one interface; (b) monitoring any first replies received from at least one interface to the Get Requests to determine whether a reply is received at a first time from each interface of at least one interface; (c) sending an alert message to a server, if a reply is not received from a first interface of at least one interface; (d) sending at least one server query to the first interface by the server; and (e) monitoring any second replies received from the first interface in response to at least one server query by the server to determine whether the first interface has failed.

Claims

1. A network monitoring system comprising:

a poller adapted to communicate with an interface of a network, the poller adapted to transmit a message requiring a reply message to the interface, the poller adapted to generate an interface alarm message in response to the poller failing to receive the reply message from the interface within a first time period; and

a server adapted to receive the interface alarm message, the server operable to generate a failed interface message and communicate the failed interface message to at least a second interface of the network.

2. The network monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the at least second interface of the network is a display server.

3. A network monitoring system comprising:

a poller adapted to communicate with an interface of a network, the poller adapted to transmit a message requiring a reply message to the interface, the poller adapted to generate an interface alarm message in response to the poller failing to receive the reply message from the interface within a first time period; and

a server adapted to receive the interface alarm message, the server operable to generate a failed interface message and communicate the failed interface message to a client application.

4. The network monitoring system of claim 3, wherein the client application is a client application module.

5. A method of monitoring a network interfaces, comprising:

transmitting a message requiring a reply message to an interface;

determining whether the reply message was received from the interface within a first time period;

generating an interface alarm message in response to failing to receive the reply message within the first time period;

communicating the interface alarm message to a server;

generating a failed interface message; and

communicating the failed interface message.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the failed interface message is communicated to a display server.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the failed interface message is communicated to a client application.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the failed interface message is communicated to a client application module.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein the failed interface message is communicated to a second interface.

10. The method of claim 5, wherein the failed interface message is communicated to a second server.