Notification method that guarantees a system manager discovers an SNMP agent

• US 6,633,909 B1
• Filed: 09/23/1999
• Issued: 10/14/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Macon, James Franklin Jr., Yang, Jianping, Barrett, Jeffrey Lee, Margosian, Gregg Matthew, Primm, Michael Robert, Gaskins, Christopher C., Doria, David Joseph, Chu, Simon C., Pruett, Gregory Brian
• Primary Examiner(s): CALDWELL, ANDREW T
• Application Number:
  US09/404,063
• Time in Patent Office: 1,482 Days
• Field of Search: 345/733-740, 709/223-224, 709/245, 713/1-2
• 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 43/00 Arrangements for monitoring or testing data switching networks

Abstract

A method for a guaranteeing a network manager discovers SNMP agents on a communications network. Each SNMP agent transmits a trap to the network manager. The trap contains the network manager'"'"'s IP address and the SNMP agent'"'"'s identifying information, including its IP address. When the trap is received at the network manager, it is parsed for the agent identifying information, which is compared against a list of previously identified/discovered agents. If the agent identifying information is not found, i.e., if the agent is a newly discovered agent, the network manager adds the agent to the list of discovered agents. The agent is then registered/stored in the discovered agents file. When the trap does not include sufficient identifying information, the network manager sends a query to the agent to extract additional identifying information. The system manager is thus able to discover all connected agents without broadcasting a query message.

Claims

1. A network, comprising:

a network manager;

a plurality of agents coupled by connecting links to said network manager each agent being capable of sending a notification trap to said network manager via said connecting links;

means for transmitting said notification trap from said agent to said network manager, said means being instantiated by a user of said agent and utilizing said connecting links, wherein the transmission of said notification trap is completed without said network manager issuing a broadcast message on the network to solicit said notification trap, and network bandwidth utilized in a notification process is reduced;

means for receiving said notification trap at said network manager;

means for said network manager to extract identifying information of said agent from said notification trap, wherein said means includes;

means for determining when said notification trap contains sufficient identifying information; and

means for sending a query on said network from said network manager directly to said agent to extract an identifying information from said agent when said notification trap fails to include sufficient identifying information;

means for comparing said identifying information with a list of previously recorded identifying information to determine when said identifying information has not previously been received; and

means, responsive to said comparing means, for adding said identifying information to said list when not previously received, thus recording a discovery of said agent on said network.

2. The network of claim 1, wherein:

said connecting links are Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCPIP) links; and

said means for transmitting said trap utilizes a Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP), wherein said agent is an SNMP agent.

3. The network of claim 2, wherein said transmitting means includes means for said user to enter a TCP/IP address of said network manager and said identifying information in said notification trap.

4. The network of claim 3, wherein:

said identifying information is a host name of said agent;

said transmitting means includes means for automatically transmitting an IP address of said agent in said trap; and

said comparing means compares said IP address against a list of previously discovered IP addresses.

5. The network of claim 2, wherein one of said connecting links is a point-to-point link.

6. The network of claim 2, wherein said transmitting means transmits in a broadcast packet environment.

7. The network of claim 2, wherein said receiving means includes means for monitoring said network at said network manager for an instance of said notification trap.

8. The network of claim 1, wherein said notification trap is a coldstart trap.

9. A method for efficient discovery by a network manager of an agent on a network, said method comprising the steps of:

transmitting a notification trap from said agent to said network manager, said transmission being instantiated by a user of said agent, wherein the transmission of said notification trap is completed without said network manager issuing a broadcast message on the network to solicit said notification trap, and network bandwidth utilized in a notification process is reduced;

receiving said notification trap at said network manager;

extracting identifying information of said agent from said notification trap, wherein said extracting step includes;

determining when said discovery trap contains sufficient identifying information; and

responsive to said determining step, sending a query on said network from said network manager to said agent to extract an identifying information from said agent when said discovery trap fails to include sufficient identifying information;

comparing said identifying information with a list of previously recorded identifying information to determine when said identifying information has not previously been received; and

responsive to said comparing step, adding said identifying information to said list when not previously received, thus recording a discovery of said agent on said network.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said transmitting step includes the step of creating said trap.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said creating step includes the steps of:

prompting a user to enter a series of information, including an IP address of said network manager and said identifying information; and

configuring said entered information into a format capable of being transmitted over said network.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein:

said identifying information is a host name of said agent;

said transmitting step includes the step of automatically transmitting an IP address of said agent in said trap; and

said comparing step compares said IP address against a list of previously discovered IP addresses.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein:

said network is configured with Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) links;

said transmitting step utilizes a Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP), wherein said agent is an SNMP agent; and

said transmitting step transmits a coldstart trap.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein said receiving step includes the steps of monitoring said network at said network manager for an instance of said notification trap.

15. A computer program product for efficient discovery by a network manager of an agent on a network, said computer program product comprising:

a computer readable storage medium;

program instructions on said storage medium for;

receiving a notification trap at said network manager transmitted from said agents wherein the network trap is one that is generated at said agent and transmitted by said agent independent of said network manager, wherein further said notification trap is generated without said network manager broadcasting a message on the network soliciting said notification trap;

extracting identifying information of said agent from said notification trap, wherein said program instructions for said extracting step includes program instructions for;

determining whether said discovery trap contains sufficient identifying information; and

responsive to said determining step, sending a direct query on said network from said network manager to said agent to extract the identifying information from said agent when said discovery trap fails to include sufficient identifying information;

comparing said identifying information with a list of previously recorded identifying information to determine when said identifying information has not previously been received; and

responsive to said comparing step, adding said identifying information to said list when not previously received, thus recording a discovery of said agent on said network.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein:

said identifying information is a host name of said agent;

said program instructions for said extracting step includes the step of extracting an IP address of said agent from said trap; and

said program instructions for said comparing step compares said IP address against a list of previously discovered IP addresses.

17. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein:

said network is configured with Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) links;

said program instructions for said receiving step receives said trap via a Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP), wherein said agent is an SNMP agent; and

said program instructions for said receiving step includes program instructions for receiving a coldstart trap generated at said agent during initial set up and power-on of said agent.

18. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein said program instructions for said receiving step includes program instructions for monitoring said network at said network manager for an instance of said notification trap.