Apparatus including directory server, for detecting operations of devices, and method used by the apparatus

• US 6,779,127 B1
• Filed: 10/02/2000
• Issued: 08/17/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Lee, Jin-woo
• Primary Examiner(s): Baderman, Scott
• Assistant Examiner(s): LOHN, JOSHUA A
• Application Number:
  US09/676,093
• Time in Patent Office: 1,415 Days
• Field of Search: 714/4, 714/43, 714/51, 714/55, 709/224
• US Class Current: 714/4.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0817 by checking functioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/106 using time related information in packets, e.g. by adding timestamps
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/45 Network directories; Name-to-address mapping

Abstract

A data communications apparatus and a data communications method, the apparatus including a directory server, for detecting the operations of devices, and a method used by the apparatus, which shows a list of normal devices to a user by removing abnormal devices from the list managed by the directory server when devices start to function abnormally. A method for detecting the operations of devices using a directory server in a communication apparatus that includes a plurality of devices, a directory daemon for monitoring the devices, a directory server, and a web server, includes (a) the devices transmitting alive check data to the directory daemon at predetermined intervals, (b) the directory daemon transmitting the result obtained by receiving the alive check data to the directory server, (c) the directory daemon transmitting a device management command to the directory server at predetermined intervals, and (d) the directory server deleting the devices which have not transmitted the alive check data for a predetermined time from a management list and transmitting a list of deleted devices to the devices not deleted, according to the management command. According to the above apparatus and method, only a list of currently normal devices is shown to a user by deleting abnormal devices from the management list of the directory server when devices become abnormal. Therefore, it is possible to check whether devices normally operate, to thus let the user conveniently use the devices.

Claims

1. An apparatus for detecting whether a plurality of devices operate normally or abnormally, the apparatus comprising:

a directory daemon continuously executed on a server, the directory daemon operative to receive alive check data from each of the plurality of devices at predetermined intervals; and

a directory server, for receiving and updating times the alive check data are received by the directory daemon, deleting the devices which have not transmitted the alive check data for a predetermined time from a management list according to a sweep command of the directory daemon, and outputting a list of the deleted devices to the non-deleted devices;

wherein the directory daemon and the directory server are different devices.

2. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a web server operative to receive the list of the deleted devices from the directory server and output the list of the deleted devices to the non-deleted devices.

3. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the directory server automatically outputs the list of the deleted devices to the non-deleted devices.

4. A method of detecting operations of devices using a directory server in a communication system comprising a plurality of devices, a directory daemon for monitoring the devices, a directory server, and a web server, comprising the steps of:

(a) the devices transmitting alive check data to the directory daemon at predetermined intervals;

(b) the directory daemon transmitting a result, obtained by receiving the alive check data, to the directory server;

(c) the directory daemon transmitting a device management command to the directory server at predetermined intervals; and

(d) the directory server deleting devices which have not transmitted the alive check data for a predetermined time from a management list and then transmitting a list of the deleted devices to non-deleted ones of the devices, according to the management command;

wherein the directory daemon and the directory server are different devices.