System for tracking the history of channel based network devices

• US 6,662,208 B1
• Filed: 10/05/1999
• Issued: 12/09/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: RPX Clearinghouse LLC (RPX Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nortel Networks Limited (Nortel Networks Corporation)
• Inventors: Liste, Matthew, Moeller, Douglas
• Primary Examiner(s): Wiley, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Phuoc H.
• Application Number:
  US09/412,689
• Time in Patent Office: 1,526 Days
• Field of Search: 709/200, 709/225, 709/203, 709/221, 709/224, 709/220, 370/395.55, 370/338, 370/232, 370/259, 370/392, 374/17
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/00 Arrangements for monitoring or testing data switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/045 for graphical visualisation of monitoring data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/065 related to network devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0817 by checking functioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/10 Active monitoring, e.g. heartbeat, ping or trace-route
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A method and apparatus for determining the history of at least one network device (the “given device”) in a set of channel-based network devices coupled to a network maintains a history memory to generate a history of the given device. To that end, the current status of the given device is recorded in the history memory at one or more selected times. The current status is retrieved at the selected times from a registration memory that has the current status of the given network device. A reply message with device data relating to the given device responsively is generated in response to receipt of an inquiry message requesting information about the given device. The device data represents at least one of the current status and the history of the given device.

Claims

1. A method of determining a history of at least one of a set of network devices coupled to a network, the set of network devices utilizing a channel based protocol, the current status of each of the set of network devices being stored in a registration memory, the method comprising:

recording, in a history memory at selected times, the current status of the at least one of the set of network devices that is stored in the registration memory, to collect recordings in the history memory that provide a history for the at least one of the set of network devices;

receiving an inquiry message requesting information about the at least one of the set of network devices; and

generating a reply message having device data representing at least one of the current status and history of the at least one of the set of network devices, the device data being retrieved from the history memory in response to the receipt of the inquiry message.

2. The method as defined by claim 1 wherein the set of network devices are members of an emulated local area network.

3. The method as defined by claim 1 further comprising:

forwarding the reply message to an administrator network device.

4. The method as defined by claim 1 wherein the act of recording the history of the at least one of the set of network devices comprises:

polling the registration memory every polling interval and retrieving the device data; and

updating the history memory based upon the device data retrieved from the registration memory during each polling interval.

5. The method as defined by claim 4 wherein during each polling interval, the act of updating comprises:

recording data indicating the current status of the at least one of the set of network devices.

6. The method as defined by claim 1 wherein the at least one of the set of network devices communicates via the asynchronous transfer mode protocol.

7. The method as defined by claim 1 wherein the network includes a LAN network device that communicates with other network devices in the network at least in part via a non-channel based protocol.

8. The method as defined by claim 7 wherein the LAN network device communicates via the Ethernet protocol.

9. The method as defined by claim 1 wherein the history for the at least one of the set of network devices is stored in a management information base.

10. An apparatus for determining a history of at least one of a set of network devices coupled to a network, the set of network devices utilizing a channel based protocol, the current status of each of the set of network devices being stored in a registration memory, the apparatus comprising:

a history memory;

a status recorder that records, in the history memory at selected times, the current status of the at least one of the set of network devices stored in the registration memory to collect recordings in the history memory that provide a history for the at least one of the set of network devices;

an input that receives an inquiry message requesting information about the at least one of the set of network devices; and

a reply message generator operatively coupled with the input to receive the inquiry message and responsively generate a reply message, the reply message having device data representing at least one of the current status and history of the at cast one of the set of network devices, the device data being retrieved from the history memory.

11. The apparatus as defined by claim 10 wherein the set of network devices are members of an emulated local area network.

12. The apparatus as defined by claim 10 further comprising:

an output operatively coupled with the reply message generator, the output forwarding the reply message to an administrator network device.

13. The apparatus as defined by claim 10 wherein the poller polls the registration memory every polling interval, the poller updating the history memory based upon the data retrieved from the registration memory during each polling interval.

14. The apparatus as defined by claim 13 wherein during each polling interval, the poller records data indicating the current status of the at least one of the set of network devices.

15. The apparatus as defined by claim 10 wherein the at least one of the set of network devices communicates via the asynchronous transfer mode protocol.

16. The apparatus as defined by claim 10 wherein the network includes a LAN network device that communicates with other network devices in the network at least in part via a non-channel based protocol.

17. The apparatus as defined by claim 16 wherein the LAN network device communicates via the Ethernet protocol.

18. The apparatus as defined by claim 10 wherein the history memory includes a management information base that stores the history of the at lest one of the set of network devices.

19. A computer program product for use on a computer system for determining the history of at least one of a set of network devices coupled to a network, the set of network devices utilizing a channel based protocol, the current status of each of the set of network devices being stored in a registration memory, computer program product comprising computer usable medium having computer readable program code thereon, the computer readable program code including:

program code that maintains a history memory;

program code that records, in the history memory at selected times, the current status of the at least one of the set of network devices stored in the registration memory to collect recordings in the history memory that provide a history for the at least one of the set of network devices;

program code that receives an inquiry message requesting information about the at least one of the set of network devices; and

program code that generates a reply message having device data representing at least one of the current status and history of the at least one of the set of network devices, the device data being retrieved from the history memory in response to receipt of the inquiry message.

20. The computer program product as defined by claim 19 wherein the set of network devices are members of an emulated local area network.

21. The computer program product as defined by claim 19 further comprising:

program code that forwards the reply message to an administrator network device.

22. The computer program product as defined by claim 19 wherein the program code that records the history of the at least one of the set of network devices comprises:

program code that polls the registration memory every polling interval to retrieve the device data; and

program code that updates the history memory based upon the device data retrieved from the registration memory during each polling interval.

23. The computer program product as defined by claim 22 wherein during each polling interval, the program code that updates comprises:

program code that records data indicating the current status of the at least one of the set of network devices.

24. The computer program product as defined by claim 19 wherein the at least one of the set of network devices communicates via the asynchronous transfer mode protocol.

25. The computer program product as defined by claim 19 wherein the network includes a LAN network device that communicates with other network devices in the network at least in part via a non-channel based protocol.

26. The computer program product as defined by claim 25 wherein the LAN network device communicates via the Ethernet protocol.

27. The computer program product as defined by claim 19 wherein the history for the at least one of the set of network devices is stored in a management information base, the program code that records including program code that manages the management information base.

28. A method of tracking the history of a given network device coupled to a network, the given network device being a member of a set of network devices that utilize a channel based protocol, the current status of each of the network devices in the set of network devices being stored in a registration memory, the method comprising:

accessing the registration memory at selected times to determine the current status of the given network device at each selected time; and

recording each determined current status in a history memory to collect recordings in the history memory that produce history data for the given network device.

29. The method as defined by claim 28 further comprising:

retrieving the history data for the given network device from history memory in response to a request for the history data; and

including the history data in a history message.

30. The method as defined by claim 29 further comprising:

forwarding the history message to another network device coupled to the network.

31. The method as defined by claim 28 wherein the channel based protocol is asynchronous transfer mode.

32. The method as defined by claim 28 wherein the current status is recorded in the history memory every preselected interval.

33. The method as defined by claim 28 wherein the history of the given network device is stored in a management information base within the history memory.

34. The method as defined by claim 28 wherein the current status of the given network device at one or more times is stored in the history memory.

35. The method as defined by claim 28 wherein the history data for the given network device indicates if the given network device is a member of the network at various times.

36. An apparatus for tracking the history of a given network device coupled to a network, the given network device being a member of a set of network devices that utilize a channel based protocol, the current status of each of the network devices in the set of network devices being stored in a registration memory, the apparatus comprising:

a history memory;

a registration memory access module that accesses the registration memory at selected times to determine the current status of the given network device at each selected time; and

a status recorder that records each determined current status in the history memory to collect recordings in the history memory that produce history data for the given network device.

37. The apparatus as defined by claim 36 further comprising:

means for retrieving the history data for the given network device from history memory in response to a request for the history data; and

means for including the retrieved history data in a history message.

38. The apparatus as defined by claim 37 further comprising:

an output that forwards the history message to another network device coupled to the network.

39. The apparatus as defined by claim 36 wherein the channel based protocol is asynchronous transfer mode.

40. The apparatus as defined by claim 36 wherein the current status is recorded in the history memory every preselected interval.

41. The apparatus as defined by claim 36 wherein the history memory includes a management information base for storing the history of the given network device.

42. A computer program product for use on a computer system for tracking the history of a given network device coupled to a network, the given network device being a member of a set of network devices that utilize a channel based protocol, the current status of each of the network devices in the set of network devices being stored in a registration memory, the computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having computer readable program code thereon, the computer readable program code including:

program code that accesses the registration memory at selected times to determine the current status of the given network device at each selected time;

program code that maintains a history memory; and

program code that records each determined current status in the history memory to collect recordings in the history memory that produce history data for the given network device.

43. The computer program product as defined by claim 42 further comprising:

program code that retrieves the history data for the given network device from history memory in response to a request for the history data; and

program code that includes the history data in a history message.

44. The computer program product as defined by claim 43 further comprising:

program code that forwards the history message to another network device coupled to the network.

45. The computer program product as defined by claim 42 wherein the channel based protocol is asynchronous transfer mode.

46. The computer program product as defined by claim 42 wherein the current status is recorded in the history memory every preselected interval.

47. The computer program product as defined by claim 42 wherein the history of the given network device is stored in a management information base within the history memory.

48. A method of determining the history of a given network device in a set of network devices coupled to a network, the set of network devices utilizing a channel based protocol, the current status of the given network device being stored in a registration memory, the method comprising:

forwarding an inquiry message from a first network device to a second network device, the inquiry message requesting information about the given network device;

recording, at selected times in a history memory associated with the second network device, the current status of the given network device stored in the registration memory to collect recordings that provide a history for the given network device;

generating a reply message in response to receipt of the inquiry message, the reply message having device data representing at least one of the current status and the history of the given network device; and

forwarding the reply message to the first network device.

49. The method as defined by claim 48 further comprising:

extracting the device data from the reply message; and

displaying the extracted device data on a graphical user interface on the first network device.

50. The method as defined by claim 48 further comprising:

displaying a configuration graphical user interface on the first network device, the configuration graphical user interface including fields for entering polling data for polling the registration memory.