Method and system for network configuration discovery

• US 6,944,631 B2
• Filed: 11/13/2001
• Issued: 09/13/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens AG
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Peter, Gunther
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Uyen
• Assistant Examiner(s): Thai, Hanh
• Application Number:
  US10/013,616
• Publication Number:
  US 20030093426A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,400 Days
• Field of Search: 707/104.1, 707/3, 707/10, 707/102, 709/219, 709/224, 709/225, 709/202, 709/220, 709/223, 709/221, 719/313, 719/317
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 41/0853 by actively collecting configuration information or by backing up configuration information
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99948 Application of database or data structure, e.g. distributed, multimedia, or image

Abstract

The invention relates to network management, particularly to configuration discovery. The inventive computerized method/system utilize a standard agent-manager network management system having an inventive add-on agent operatively coupled to a database resides on a managed device. The add-on agent is a piece of software and is configured to communicate with the standard agent, and receives a request directed to and forwarded by the standard agent, retrieves stored information from the database operatively coupled to the add-on agent, and passes the retrieved information to the standard agent. The information stored on the database operatively coupled to the add-on agent is associated with an application run on the managed device. Since this information is passed to the standard agent, the standard agent can pass this information to the standard manager. The standard manger is modified to interpret that information and display a representation of the application run on the managed device.

Claims

1. A computerized method for discovering a managed device which is part of a network, and displaying a representation of an application run on said managed device utilizing a standard manager-agent network management system, comprising:

receiving, at said managed device from a standard manager residing on a Network Management Station with a standard agent associated with a standard database residing on said managed device, a request for reporting configuration information of said managed device to said standard manager;

forwarding said request from said standard agent to an add-on agent associated with an add-on database which resides on said managed device;

retrieving at least one parameter which is stored on said add-on a database associated with said add-on agent and which parameter is associated with said application run on said managed device;

passing from said add-on agent said parameter to said standard agent; and

sending from said managed device with said standard agent a protocol comprising said parameter to said standard manager residing on said Network Management station.

2. The computerized method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving said protocol at said Network Management Station with said standard manager and displaying said representation of said application run on said managed device based on said received parameter on a display of said Network Management Station.

3. The computerized method of claim 2, wherein said representation is an icon associated with said application run on said managed device.

4. The computerized method of claim 1, wherein said protocol is a Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP), said standard agent is an SNMP-agent, and said standard manager is an SNMP-manager.

5. The computerized method of claim 1, wherein said protocol is a Common Management Information Protocol (CMIP), said standard agent is a CMIP-agent, and said standard manager is a CMIP-manager.

6. The computerized method of claim 1, wherein said managed device is a computer which controls an apparatus and said application is associated with said apparatus.

7. The computerized method of claim 6, wherein said apparatus is a medical apparatus.

8. The computerized method of claim 7, wherein said medical apparatus is a computed tomography apparatus, a magnetic resonance apparatus, an ultrasound apparatus or an X-ray apparatus.

9. A networked system comprising:

a managing device connected to said networked system that is a Network Management Station comprising a standard manager;

a managed device connected to said networked system comprising a standard agent associated with a standard database;

an add-on agent that is a software module residing on said managed device;

an add-on database which is associated with said add-on agent that comprises a parameter associated with an application run on said managed device;

said add-on agent being configured to retrieve said parameter from said add-on database and to forward said parameter to said standard agent when said standard agent receives a request for reporting configuration information of said managed device from said standard manager.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein said agent sends a protocol comprising said parameter to said Network Management Station.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein said protocol is a Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP), said standard agent is an SNMP-agent, and said standard manager is an SNMP-manager.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein said protocol is a Common Management Information Protocol (CMIP), said standard agent is a CMIP-agent, and said standard manager is a CMIP-manager.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein said managed device is a computer which controls an apparatus, and said application is associated with said apparatus.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein said apparatus is a medical apparatus.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein said medical apparatus is a computed tomography apparatus, a magnetic resonance apparatus, an ultrasound apparatus or an X-ray apparatus.

16. A networked system comprising:

a managed device connected to said networked system comprising a standard agent associated with a standard database;

an add-on agent that is a software module residing on said managed device;

a first add-on database which is operatively coupled with said add-on agent;

said system being configured to;

store on said first add-on database information of an application run on said managed device;

retrieve from said first add-on database said information with said add-on agent; and

communicate with said add-on agent with said standard agent so that said retrieved information is passed from said add-on agent to said standard agent when said standard agent receives a query to obtain configuration information about said managed device.

17. The system of claim 16, further comprising:

a central computer which is a managing device connected to said network and comprises a stored manager;

wherein said information is passed through said network to said manager, said central computer being configured to initiate said query.

18. The system of claim 17, further comprising:

a second database comprising a graphical representation of said application run on said managed device;

said manager being operatively coupled to said second database.

19. The system of claim 18, further comprising:

a display connected to said central computer;

said manager being configured to retrieve said graphical representation upon receiving said information from said agent in order to display said graphical representation on said display.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein said information is passed through said network utilizing a Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP).

21. The system of claim 16, wherein said information is passed through said network utilizing a Common Management Information Protocol (CMIP).

22. The system of claim 16, wherein said managed device is a computer controlling an electric device and said application is related to said electric device. 20.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein said electrical device is a medical device.