Virtual network displaying system

• US 6,789,090 B1
• Filed: 06/01/1999
• Issued: 09/07/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Morisada, Tomohiro, Kurosaki, Yoshiyuki, Miyazaki, Satoshi, Miyake, Shigeru, Tezuka, Satoru
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Uyen
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHEN, TE Y
• Application Number:
  US09/323,251
• Time in Patent Office: 1,925 Days
• Field of Search: 709/100, 709/224, 709/223, 709/250, 709/221, 709/222, 709/225, 370/396, 370/397, 370/400, 707/10, 707/9, 707/5, 707/104.1
• 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 41/024 using relational databases for representation of network management data, e.g. managing via structured query language [SQL]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0253 using browsers or web-pages for accessing management information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/046 comprising network management agents or mobile agents therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/40 using virtualisation of network functions or resources, e.g. SDN or NFV entities
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/959 Network
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

A network management system for managing a computer network in which media switching type infrastructures and media sharing type infrastructures are combined coexistently includes a database destined for network management in which correspondences established among information concerning physical interconnections of individual equipment on the network, information concerning logical network configuration such as that of virtual network, and information concerning the users who make use of the network are stored, identifying devices for identification of the individual equipment on the network and physical addresses intrinsic to network ports, respectively, and retrieval engines for searching information of the physical addresses of the network ports with queries for the logical addresses.

Claims

1. A network management system for managing a network, comprising:

management means coupled to equipments on a network; and

a database storing therein interconnection information related to a physical connection between said equipments, and a logical topology between logical equipments, one of which is assigned at least one ID to each of said equipments between/among a plurality of logical segments based on predetermined specification of equipment setup data, assignment to said logical equipment for said each equipment and attribution of user assigned to said each equipment, said logical topology of a plurality of virtual networks, at least one of which using a packaging scheme different from other of the plurality of virtual networks, and user information of users of said network;

wherein said management means comprising;

an interface which obtains, from said equipments, information of a plurality of IDs of said equipments, a physical connection between said equipments, a plurality of IDs of said logical equipment and a logical connection between said logical equipments; and

a processor which manages said interconnection information stored in said database, based on said IDs of said equipments, said physical connection between said equipments, said IDs of said logical equipments and said logical connection between said logical equipments, wherein said management means manages said interconnection information based on setup information from said equipment on a network; and

wherein said management means obtains said interconnection information from said database to inform to a display coupled to said management means thereby to display concurrently on the display said interconnection information related to physical connections among said equipment coupled to said management means, said logical topology of said plurality of virtual networks including said at least one using a packaging scheme different from the other virtual networks, and user information of users of said network.

2. A network management system according to claim 1, wherein said management means controls to inform said equipment indicated by a designation to change setup of said equipment of setup information to update said corresponding relation information and inform said display of said updated corresponding relation information.

3. A network management system according to claim 2, wherein said management means searches information of said physical connection among said equipment coupled to said management means, said logical topology of said virtual networks, and said user information of users of said network with a key of physical address allotted to said equipment on said network.

4. A network management system according to claim 2, wherein said corresponding relation information has corresponding information of hierarchical directory data among said physical connection among said equipment coupled to said management means, said logical topology of said virtual networks, and said user information of users of said network.

5. The network management system according to claim 1, wherein said setup information is informed of from said management means which gather and/or send said setup information from/to equipment on a network.

6. A network management system according to claim 1, wherein said at least one virtual network of different packaging scheme is one of a VLAN and a LAN emulation.

7. A network management system for managing a network, comprising:

management means coupled to and managing equipments on a network;

a database storing therein interconnection information related to a physical connection between said equipments and a logical topology between logical equipments, one of which is assigned at least one ID to each of said equipments between/among a plurality of logical segments based on predetermined specification of equipment setup data, assignment to said logical equipment for said each equipment and attribution of user assigned to said each equipment, said logical topology of a plurality of virtual networks, at least one of which using a packaging scheme different from other of the plurality of virtual networks, and user information of users of said network; and

a display for displaying information received from said management means;

wherein said management means comprises an interface which obtains, from said equipments, information of a plurality of IDs of said equipments, a physical connection between said equipments, a plurality of IDs of said logical equipment and a logical connection between said logical equipments; and

a processor which manages said interconnection information stored in said database, based on said IDs of said equipments, said physical connection between said equipments, said IDs of said logical equipments and said logical connection between said logical equipments; and

wherein said display displays said interconnection information related to physical connections among said devices, a logical topology of said plurality of virtual networks, and user information of users of said network together with interconnections thereof to establish correlation thereamong on a screen.

8. The network management system according to claim 7, wherein said setup information is informed of from said management means which gather and/or send said setup information from/to equipment on a network.

9. A network management system according to claim 7, wherein said at least one virtual network of different packaging scheme is one of a VLAN and a LAN emulation.

10. A network management system according to claim 7, wherein said display displays information concerning physical connections of equipment on the network, information concerning logical network configuration including said different packaging scheme, and information concerning users who make use of the network correspondingly on a screen.

11. A network management method for managing a network, comprising the steps of:

receiving a request to change a setup of said network;

deciding a device necessary to change setup thereof on said network based on said request;

controlling to change setup of said device based on said request;

controlling to change contents of a database storing interconnection information of related to physical connection between said equipments coupled to said management means, and a logical topology between logical equipments, one of which is assigned at least one ID to each of said equipments between/among a plurality of logical segments based on predetermined specification of equipment setup data, assignment to said logical equipment for said each equipment and attribution of user assigned to said each equipment, said logical topology of a plurality of virtual networks, at least one of which using a packaging scheme different from the other virtual networks, and user information of users of said network; and

outputting said changed contents, said outputting including;

outputting said information of said among physical connection among said equipment coupled to said management means, said logical configuration of said network, and said user information of users of said network on respective regions of a display; and

outputting information of corresponding relation among said physical connection among said eguipment coupled to said management means, said logical topology of said virtual networks, and said user information of users of said network between said respective regions of said display.

12. A network management method according to claim 11, wherein said at least one virtual network of different packaging scheme is one of a VLAN and a LAN emulation.

13. A network management method according to claim 11, further comprising a step of displaying information concerning physical connections of equipment on the network, information concerning logical network configuration including said different packaging scheme, and information concerning users who make use of the network correspondingly on a screen.

14. A computer program product to be stored in a storage medium with instructions for managing a network, the instructions when executed causing a computing device to perform:

receiving a request to change a setup of said network;

deciding a device necessary to change setup thereof on said network based on said request;

controlling to change setup of said device based on said request;

controlling to change contents of a database storing interconnection information related to physical connection between said equipments coupled to said management means, and a logical topology between logical equipments, one of which is assigned at least one ID to each of said equipments between/among a plurality of logical segments based on predetermined specification of equipment setup data, assignment to said logical equipment for said each equipment and attribution of user assigned to said each equipment, said logical topology of a plurality of virtual networks, at least one of which using a packaging scheme different from the other virtual networks, and user information of said network;

outputting said changed contents;

outputting said information of said among physical connection among said equipment coupled to said management means, said logical topology of said virtual networks, and said user information of users of said network on respective regions of a display; and

outputting interconnection information related to said physical connections among said equipment coupled to said management means, said logical topology of said virtual networks, and said user information of users of said network between said respective regions of said display.

15. A computer program product according to claim 14, wherein said at least one virtual network of different packaging scheme is one of a VLAN and a LAN emulation.

16. A computer program product according to claim 14, the instructions when executed causing a computing device to perform:

displaying information concerning physical connections of equipment on the network, information concerning logical network configuration including said different packaging scheme, and information concerning users who make use of the network correspondingly on a screen.

17. A computer program product to be stored in a storage medium with instructions for managing a network, the instructions when executed causing a computing device to perform:

receiving a request to change a setup of said network;

deciding a device necessary to change setup thereof on said network based on said request;

controlling to change setup of said device based on said request;

controlling to change contents of a database storing interconnection information related to physical connection between equipments coupled to a management means, and a logical topology between logical equipments, one of which is assigned at least one ID to each of said equipments between/among a plurality of logical segments based on predetermined specification of equipment setup data, assignment to said logical equipment for said each equipment and attribution of user assigned to said each equipment, said logical topology of a plurality of virtual networks, at least one of which using a packaging scheme different from the other virtual networks, and user information of users of said network; and

outputting said changed contents,

wherein said computing device comprises a management computer coupled to a plurality of equipments, comprising;

an interface which obtains, from any of said equipments, information of a plurality of IDs of said equipments, a physical connection between said equipments, a plurality of IDs of a logical equipment, which is assigned at least one ID to said each equipment between/among a plurality of logical segments based on predetermined specification of equipment setup data, and a logical connection between said logical equipments; and

a processor which manages information of a physical topology between said equipments, a logical topology between said logical equipments, and assignment to said logical equipment for said each equipment, based on said information of said IDs of said equipments, said physical connection between said equipments, said IDs of said logical equipments and said logical connection between said logical equipments,

wherein said management means obtains said interconnection information from said database to inform to a display coupled to said management means thereby to display concurrently on the display said interconnection information related to physical connections among said equipment coupled to said management means, said logical topology of said plurality of virtual networks including said at least one using a packaging scheme different from the other virtual networks, and user information of users of said network.

18. A network management system for managing a network, comprising:

management means coupled to equipments on a network; and

a database storing therein interconnection information related to a physical connection between said equipments, and a logical topology between logical equipments, one of which is assigned at least one ID to each of said equipments between/among a plurality of logical segments based on predetermined specification of equipment setup data, assignment to said logical equipment for said each equipment and attribution of user assigned to said each equipment, said logical topology of a plurality of virtual networks, at least one of which using a packaging scheme different from the other virtual networks, and user information of users of said network;

wherein said management means comprising;

an interface which obtains, from said equipments, information of a plurality of IDs of said equipments, a physical connection between said equipments, a plurality of IDs of said logical equipment and a logical connection between said logical equipments; and

a processor which manages said interconnection information stored in said database, based on said IDs of said equipments, said physical connection between said equipments, said IDs of said logical equipments and said logical connection between said logical equipments, said processor including a management program medium having computer program codes stored therein and running on the processor which reads the program codes, said program codes comprising;

first codes causing the interface to obtain, from any of said equipments, information of a plurality of IDs of said equipments, a physical connection between said equipments, a plurality of IDs of a logical equipment, which is assigned at least one ID to said each equipment between/among a plurality of logical segments based on predetermined specification of equipment setup data, and a logical connection between said logical equipments; and

second codes causing the processor to manage information of a physical topology between said equipments, a logical topology between said logical equipments, and assignment to said logical equipment for said each equipment, based on said information of said IDs of said equipments, said physical connection between said equipments, said IDs of said logical equipments and said logical connection between said logical equipments,

wherein said management means obtains said interconnection information from said database to inform to a display coupled to said management means thereby to display concurrently on the display said interconnection information related to physical connections among said equipment coupled to said management means, said logical topology of said plurality of virtual networks including said at least one using a packaging scheme different from the other virtual networks, and user information of users of said network.

19. A network management system for managing a network, comprising:

management means coupled to equipments on a network; and

a database storing therein interconnection information related to a physical connection between said equipments, and a logical topology between logical equipments, one of which is assigned at least one ID to each of said equipments between/among a plurality of logical segments based on predetermined specification of equipment setup data, assignment to said logical equipment for said each equipment and attribution of user assigned to said each equipment, said logical topology of a plurality of virtual networks, at least one of which using a packaging scheme different from the other virtual networks, and user information of users of said network;

wherein said management means comprising;

an interface which obtains, from said equipments, information of a plurality of IDs of said equipments, a physical connection between said equipments, a plurality of IDs of said logical equipment and a logical connection between said logical equipments; and

a processor which manages said interconnection information stored in said database, based on said IDs of said equipments, said physical connection between said equipments, said IDs of said logical equipments and said logical connection between said logical equipments, the processor performing a data management method for a computer, comprising the steps of;

causing the interface to obtain, from any of said equipments, information of a plurality of IDs of said equipments, a physical connection between said equipments, a plurality of IDs of a logical equipment, which is assigned at least one ID to said each equipment between/among a plurality of logical segments based on predetermined specification of equipment setup data, and a logical connection between said logical equipments; and

managing information of a physical topology between said equipments, a logical topology between said logical equipments, and assignment to said logical equipment for said each equipment, based on said information of said IDs of said equipments, said physical connection between said equipments, said IDs of said logical equipments and said logical connection between said logical equipments,

wherein said management means obtains said interconnection information from said database to inform to a display coupled to said management means thereby to display concurrently on the display said interconnection information related to physical connections among said equipment coupled to said management means, said logical topology of said plurality of virtual networks including said at least one using a packaging scheme different from the other virtual networks, and user information of users of said network.