Platform independent computer network manager

• US 6,788,315 B1
• Filed: 11/17/1997
• Issued: 09/07/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Carlton, Eloise H., Lu, Grace N., Kekic, Miodrag M.
• Primary Examiner(s): BAUTISTA, XIOMARA L
• Application Number:
  US08/972,219
• Time in Patent Office: 2,486 Days
• Field of Search: 345/329, 345/335, 345/339, 345/348, 345/349, 345/356, 345/357, 345/966, 345/969, 345/970, 345/326, 395/200.32, 395/200.33, 395/200.47, 395/200.49, 395/200.53, 395/200.54, 709/202, 709/203, 709/217, 709/219, 709/223, 709/224
• US Class Current: 715/733
• 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 41/0681 Configuration of triggering conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0879 Manual configuration through operator
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]

Abstract

A client-server network management system includes: a plurality of managed computer network elements, a managed element server that executes on a first computer; and at least one managed element server client that typically executes on a second computer. The managed element server and managed element server client are computer processes that execute from memory of their respective computers. The client-server network management system is really two applications in one: a visual element manager builder and a manager. The manager provides the run-time environment in which element managers are executed to monitor and manage computer network behavior such as network throughput, collision rate, and number of duplicate IP packets, to name a few. The manager portion of managed element server is independent of any graphic user interface. The logic and structure of the manager of managed element server is cleanly separated from the graphic user interfaces. The visual element manager builder is a visual development environment in which device vendors or network managers may create standardized element management applications, called element managers. A user can build an element manager without writing any computer code. In addition, a user can edit an element manager without writing any computer code. A graphic user interface of this invention, that is displayed by the client, includes a visual image of a computer network element being managed. As a user looks at the visual display in the graphic user interface, the user is provided the same visual information as if the user where physically present at the location of the managed computer network element. Thus, at a glance, a user can obtain considerable information about the status of the computer network element as represented by the visual display.

Claims

1. A computer network management server comprising:

a manager for performing computer network management tasks associated with a plurality of computer network elements; and

a visual element manager builder for generating an element manager object wherein said visual element manager builder communicates with a client process that includes a graphic user interface for soliciting information regarding the computer network element corresponding to said element manager object and regarding event management of said computer network element, said user interface being downloaded from said visual element manager builder for execution on a client computer.

2. A computer network management server as in claim 1 further comprising:

a plurality of element manager objects coupled to said manager wherein each of said plurality of element manager objects is associated with one of said computer network elements managed by said manager, said manager using said information to manage said associated computer network elements.

3. A computer network management server as in claim 2 wherein at least one element manager object in said plurality of element manager objects further comprises:

an active component hotspot representing an active component of said computer network element associated with said at least one element manager object.

4. A computer network management server as in claim 3 wherein at least one element manager object in said plurality of element manager objects further comprises a state of said active component hotspot.

5. A computer network management server as in claim 2 wherein at least one element manager object in said plurality of element manager objects further comprises:

an action button hotspot representing a switch of said computer network element associated with said at least one element manager object.

6. A computer network management server as in claim 3 wherein at least one element manager object in said plurality of element manager objects further comprises a polling event associated with said active component hotspot.

7. A computer network management server as in claim 6 wherein at least one element manager object in said plurality of element manager objects further comprises a rule associated with said polling event, and having a condition and an action wherein upon said manager determining that said condition of said rule is true, said manager causes said managed computer network element to perform said action of said rule.

8. A computer network management server as in claim 2 wherein at least one element manager object in said plurality of element manager objects further comprises:

an embedded graph hotspot representing a component of said computer network element associated with said at least one element manager object.

9. A computer network management server as in claim 3 wherein at least one element manager object in said plurality of element manager objects further comprises a trap event associated with said active component hotspot.

10. A computer network management server as in claim 9 wherein at least one element manager object in said plurality of element manager objects further comprises a rule associated with said trap event, and having a condition and an action wherein upon said manager determining that said condition of said rule is true, said manager causes said managed computer network element to perform said action of said rule.

11. A computer network management server as in claim 1 further comprising:

a discovery engine, wherein upon activation of said discovery engine, said discovery engine finds each computer network element on a computer network that is capable of being managed by said computer network management server.

12. A computer network management server as in claim 1 further comprising:

a trap server coupled to a computer network wherein said trap server receives traps generated by computer network elements connected to said network and determines whether a trap event is from a computer network element managed by said computer network management server.

13. A computer network management server as in claim 12 further comprising:

an event engine coupled to said trap server wherein upon notification of a trap event from said trap server, said event engine determines a management action for the computer network element that generated the trap event.

14. A computer network management server as in claim 1 further comprising:

a poll server coupled to a computer network wherein said poll server periodically sends poll requests to a computer network element connected to said network.

15. A computer network management server as in claim 14 further comprising:

an event engine coupled to said poll server wherein upon notification of a response to a poll event from said poll server, said event engine determines a management action for the computer network element that was polled.

16. A computer network management server as in claim 1 further comprising an alarm factory wherein said alarm factory maintains an alarm log.