Executing applications on a target network device using a proxy network device

• US 6,772,205 B1
• Filed: 08/08/2000
• Issued: 08/03/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: RPX Clearinghouse LLC (RPX Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nortel Networks Limited (Nortel Networks Corporation)
• Inventors: Lavian, Tal Isaac, Duncan, Robert James
• Primary Examiner(s): Wiley, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): BOUTAH, ALINA A
• Application Number:
  US09/634,046
• Time in Patent Office: 1,456 Days
• Field of Search: 709/223, 709/224, 709/217, 709/219, 709/235, 370/254, 370/466
• US Class Current: 709/223
• 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

Abstract

A method processes an object-oriented application on a target network device, by identifying a proxy network device capable of processing the object-oriented application, transmitting the object-oriented application to the proxy network device, generating one or more non-object-oriented instructions using the proxy network device corresponding to the object-oriented application, and transmitting the non-object-oriented instructions generated using the proxy network device to the target network device for processing. A system for processing an object-oriented application is also provided and includes a target network device capable of processing non-object-oriented instructions and sending information across a network, a proxy network device capable of processing the object-oriented instructions of the object-oriented application and converting the object-oriented instructions into non-object oriented instructions that the target network device can process, and a network that transmits the non-object oriented instructions from the proxy network device to the target network device to generate information that corresponds to results generated by the object-oriented application.

Claims

1. A method of processing non-object oriented network management instructions on a target network device, the network management instruction being based on an object-oriented network management application, the method comprising:

performing network management processing with a network management server to determine use of network resources on one or more network devices connected to a network, the network management processing being based on an object-oriented network management application;

determining whether a target network device is capable of processing the object-oriented network management application, the target network device being among the one or more network devices, and

if the target network device is not capable of processing the object-oriented network management application then,

identifying a proxy network device capable of processing the object-oriented network management application, the proxy network device being among the one or more network devices connected to the network;

transmitting the object-oriented network management application to the proxy network device;

using the proxy network device to generate one or more non-object-oriented network management instructions corresponding to the object-oriented network management application; and

transmitting the non-object-oriented network management instructions generated using the proxy network device from the proxy network device to the target network device for processing.

2. A method of processing non-object oriented network management instructions on a target network device, the network management instruction being based on an object-oriented network management application, the method comprising:

performing network management processing with a network management server to determine use of network resources on one or more network devices connected to a network, the network management processing being based on an object-oriented network management application;

transmitting a request from the network management server to a target network device for the target network device to load the object-oriented network management application and perform at least some of the network management processing, the target network device being among the one or more network devices connected to the network;

determining whether the target network device is capable of processing the object-oriented network management application, and

if the target network device is capable of processing the object-oriented network management application then,

transmitting the object-oriented network management application to the target network device for processing;

if the target network device is not capable of processing the object-oriented network management application then,

identifying a proxy network device capable of processing the object-oriented network management application, the proxy network device being among the one or more network devices connected to the network;

transmitting the object-oriented network management application to the proxy network device;

using the proxy network device to generate one or more non-object-oriented network management instructions corresponding to the object-oriented network management application; and

transmitting the non-object-oriented network management instructions generated using the proxy network device from the proxy network device to the target network device for processing.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein identifying a proxy network device capable of processing the object-oriented network management application includes selecting a proxy network device that is within a same locale criteria as the target network device.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the local criteria is based on a relative geographic distance between the proxy network device and the target network device.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the locale criteria is based on a measurement of processor capabilities of one or more proxy network devices.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the locale criteria is based on a comparison of a load on one or more proxy network devices.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein determining whether the target network device is capable of processing the object-oriented network management application includes accessing information stored in a data storage area of the target network device, the information describing features of the target network device.

8. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

determining that the target network device and the proxy network device are in proxy mode for processing the object-oriented network management application and the target network device is at least capable of processing non-object oriented network management instructions commands.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the determining further comprises:

providing a data storage area having information corresponding to the target network device and the proxy network device; and

searching the information in the data storage area for information indicating that the target network device and the proxy network device should be in proxy mode for processing the object-oriented network management application.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the non-object oriented network management instructions are compatible with simple network management protocol (SNMP) commands.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the target network device and the proxy network device are set to proxy mode when the information in the data storage area indicates that the target network device does not include a virtual machine for processing object-oriented bytecodes.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the object-oriented bytecodes are compatible with the Java programming language.

13. An apparatus for processing non-object oriented network management instructions on a target network device, the non-object oriented network management instructions being based on an object-oriented network management application, the apparatus comprising:

a network management server to determine use of network resources on one or more network devices connected to a network, the network management processing being based on an object-oriented network management application, the network management server having a processor;

and

a memory having instructions capable of executing on the processor that,

transmit a request from the network management server to a target network device for the target network device to load the object-oriented network management application and perform at least some of the network management processing, the target network device being among the one or more network devices connected to the network;

determine whether the target network device is capable of processing the object-oriented network management application, and

if the target network device is capable of processing the object-oriented network management application then,

transmit the object-oriented network management application to the target network device for processing,

if the target network device is not capable of processing the object-oriented network management application then,

identify a proxy network device capable of processing the object-oriented network management application, the proxy network device being among the one or more network devices connected to the network,

transmit the object-oriented network management application to the proxy network device,

use the proxy network device to generate one or more non-object-oriented network management instructions corresponding to the object-oriented application, and

transmit the non-object-oriented network management instructions generated by the proxy network device from the proxy network device to the target network device for processing.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the memory further includes additional instructions that,

determine that the target network device and the proxy network device are in proxy mode for processing the object-oriented network management application and the target network device is at least capable of processing non-object oriented network management instructions.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the instructions used to determine that the target network device and the proxy network device are in proxy mode further include additional instructions that,

provide information from a data storage area corresponding to the target network device and the proxy network device;

and

search the information in the data storage area for information indicating that the target network device and the proxy network device should be in proxy mode for processing the object-oriented network management application.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the non-object oriented network management commands instructions are compatible with simple network management protocol (SNMP) commands.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the target network device and the proxy network device are set to proxy mode when the information in the data storage area indicates that the target network device does not include a virtual machine for processing object-oriented bytecodes.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the object-oriented bytecodes are compatible with the Java programming language.

19. An apparatus for processing non-object oriented network management instructions on a target network device, the non-object oriented network management instructions being based on an object-oriented network management application, the apparatus comprising:

a module for performing network management processing with a network management server to determine use of network resources on one or more network devices connected to a network, the network management processing being based on an object-oriented network management application;

a module for transmitting a request from the network management server to a target network device for the target network device to load the object-oriented network management application and perform at least some of the network management processing, the target network device being among the one or more network devices connected to the network;

a module for determining whether the target network device is capable of processing the object-oriented network management application, and

if the target network device is capable of processing the object-oriented network management application then,

a module for transmitting the object-oriented network management application to the target network device for processing;

if the target network device is not capable of processing the object-oriented network management application then,

module for identifying a proxy network device capable of processing the object-oriented network management application, the proxy network device being among the one or more network devices connected to the network;

a module for transmitting the object-oriented network management application to the proxy network device;

a module for using the proxy network device to generate one or more non-object-oriented network management instructions corresponding to the object-oriented network management application; and

a module for transmitting the non-object-oriented network management instructions generated by the proxy network device from the proxy network device to the target network device for processing.

20. A computer program product, tangibly stored on a computer-readable medium, for processing non-object oriented network management instructions on a target network device, the non-object oriented network management instructions being based on an object-oriented network management application, the product comprising instructions operable to cause a programmable processor to:

perform network management processing with a network management server to determine use of network resources on one or more network devices connected to a network, the network management processing being based on an object-oriented network management application;

transmit a request from the network management server to a target network device for the target network device to load the object-oriented network management application and perform at least some of the network management processing, the target network device being among the one or more network devices connected to the network;

determine whether the target network device is capable of processing the object-oriented network management application, and

if the target network device is capable of processing the object-oriented network management application then,

transmit the object-oriented network management application to the target network device for processing;

if the target network device is not capable of processing the object-oriented network management application then,

identify a proxy network device capable of processing the object-oriented network management application, the proxy network device being among the one or more network devices connected to the network;

transmit the object-oriented network management application to the proxy network device;

use the proxy network device to generate one or more non-object-oriented network management instructions corresponding to the object-oriented network management application; and

transmit the non-object-oriented network management instructions generated by the proxy network device from the proxy network device to the target network device for processing.

21. An apparatus for processing non-object oriented network management instructions on a target network device, the non-object oriented network management instructions being based on an object-oriented network management application, the apparatus comprising:

means for performing network management processing with a network management server to determine use of network resources on one or more network devices connected to a network, the network management processing being based on an object-oriented network management application;

means for transmitting a request from the network management server to a target network device for the target network device to load the object-oriented network management application and perform at least some of the network management processing, the target network device being among the one or more network devices connected to the network;

means for determining whether the target network device is capable of processing the object-oriented network management application, and

if the target network device is capable of processing the object-oriented network management application then,

means for transmitting the object-oriented network management application to the target network device for processing;

if the target network device is not capable of processing the object-oriented network management application then,

means for identifying a proxy network device capable of processing the object-oriented network management application, the proxy network device being among the one or more network devices connected to the network;

means for transmitting the object-oriented network management application to the proxy network device;

means for generating one or more non-object-oriented network management instructions using the proxy network device, the one or more non-object oriented network management instructions corresponding to the object-oriented network management application; and

means for transmitting the non-object-oriented network management instructions generated by the proxy network device from the proxy network device to the target network device for processing.

22. A system for processing an object-oriented network management application capable of performing one or more network management processing operations, comprising:

a network management server to determine use of network resources on one or more network devices connected to a network, the network management processing being based on an object-oriented network management application;

a target network device capable of processing non-object-oriented network management instructions and sending information across a network, the target network device being among the one or more network devices;

a proxy network device capable of processing object-oriented network management instructions of an object-oriented network management application and converting the object-oriented network management instructions into non-object oriented network management instructions that the target network device can process, the proxy network device being among the one or more network devices; and

the network that transmits the non-object network management oriented instructions from the proxy network device to the target network device, the target network device to generate information that corresponds to results generated by the object-oriented network management application.