Multi-level management system for monitoring communication apparatuses

• US 6,970,167 B1
• Filed: 05/24/2000
• Issued: 11/29/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Ayukawa, Ichiro, Nagamine, Takako, Kumamoto, Yoshihito
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Kimbinh T.
• Application Number:
  US09/577,467
• Time in Patent Office: 2,015 Days
• Field of Search: 345/740, 345/1.1, 345/2.1, 345/736, 345/419, 345/440, 709/108, 709/200, 709/201, 709/202, 709/203, 709/224, 714/47
• US Class Current: 345/440
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/324 Display of status information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/00 Arrangements for monitoring or testing data switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/045 for graphical visualisation of monitoring data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0817 by checking functioning

Abstract

A system for monitoring objects based on monitor information indicative of statuses of the objects includes a local monitoring apparatus configured to store therein a first set of the monitor information and a second set of the monitor information, to make the first set of the monitor information reflect an operation performed on the local monitoring apparatus, and to display the first set of the monitor information on the local monitoring apparatus, and a central monitoring apparatus configured to make the second set of the monitor information reflect an operation performed on the central monitoring apparatus through communication with the local monitoring apparatus, and to display the second set of the monitor information on the central monitoring apparatus.

Claims

1. A system for monitoring objects based on monitor information indicative of statuses of the objects, comprising:

a local monitoring apparatus configured to store therein a first set of the monitor information and a second set of the monitor information, to change the first set of the monitor information in response to an operation performed on said local monitoring apparatus, and to display the first set of the monitor information on said local monitoring apparatus; and

a central monitoring apparatus configured to communicate with said local monitoring apparatus to change the second set of the monitor information stored in said local monitoring apparatus in response to an operation performed on said central monitoring apparatus, and to display the second set of the monitor information on said central monitoring apparatus;

wherein the first set of the monitor information and the second set of the monitor information are together updated to indicate a newly occurring event of the objects, and are changed independently for confirmation of the event by said local monitoring apparatus and said central monitoring apparatus, respectively.

2. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said central monitoring apparatus is further configured to store therein a summary of the monitor information, to change the summary of the monitor information in response to an operation performed on said central monitoring apparatus, and to display the summary of the monitor information on said central monitoring apparatus.

3. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the operation performed on said local monitoring apparatus includes an operation which a user of said local monitoring apparatus performs to confirm contents of the monitor information displayed on the local monitoring apparatus, and the operation performed on said central monitoring apparatus includes an operation which a user of said central monitoring apparatus performs to confirm contents of the monitor information displayed on the central monitoring apparatus.

4. The system as claimed in claim 2, wherein said central monitoring apparatus is configured to change the second set of the monitor information in response to an operation performed with respect to the monitor information displayed on the central monitoring apparatus as well as an operation performed with respect to the summary of monitor information displayed on the central monitoring apparatus, and to change the summary of the monitor information in response to the operation performed with respect to the monitor information displayed on the central monitoring apparatus as well as the operation performed with respect to the summary of the monitor information displayed on the central monitoring apparatus.

5. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said local monitoring apparatus is further configured to classify the monitor information into groups, and to give ordinal numbers to items of the monitor information, the numbers being counted within each of the classified groups.

6. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said central monitoring apparatus is further configured to allow a threshold severity level to be set and to send the threshold severity level to the local monitoring apparatus, and wherein said local monitoring apparatus is further configured to check whether an item of the monitor information has a severity level higher than the threshold severity level, and to store the item of the monitor information as part of the second set of the monitor information if the item of the monitor information has a severity level higher than the threshold severity level.

7. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said local monitoring apparatus is further configured to store therein a first operation history regarding operations performed on said local monitoring apparatus and to store therein a second operation history regarding operations performed on said central monitoring apparatus, and said central monitoring apparatus is further configured to store therein a third operations history regarding the operations performed on said central monitoring apparatus.

8. A monitoring apparatus for monitoring objects based on monitor information indicative of statuses of the objects, comprising:

a memory storage unit which stores therein a first set of the monitor information and a second set of the monitor information;

a processing unit which changes the first set of the monitor information in response to an operation performed on said monitoring apparatus, and changes the second set of the monitor information in response to an operation performed on another apparatus connected to said monitoring apparatus via a network;

an output unit which locally outputs the first set of the monitor information; and

a transmission unit which transmits the second set of the monitor information to said another apparatus via the network;

wherein the first set of the monitor information and the second set of the monitor information are together updated to indicate a newly occurring event of the objects, and are changed independently for confirmation of the event by said monitoring apparatus and said another apparatus, respectively.

9. The monitoring apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein the operation performed on said monitoring apparatus includes an operation which a user performs to confirm contents of the monitor information that is locally output at said monitoring apparatus.

10. The monitoring apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein the processing unit erases the confirmed contents of the monitor information from the first set of the monitor information stored in said memory storage unit so as the make the first set of the monitor information reflect the operation performed on said monitoring apparatus.

11. A monitoring apparatus for monitoring objects based on monitor information indicative of statuses of the objects, connected to a plurality of monitoring apparatuses each monitoring respective groups of the objects, obtaining the monitor information and a summary of the monitor information from each of the monitoring apparatuses, outputting the summary of the monitor information collectively for all the objects, and outputting the monitor information separately for each of the groups of the objects, comprising:

a memory storage unit which stores therein the summary of the monitor information; and

a processing unit which changes the summary of the monitor information, stored in the memory storage unit, in response to an operation performed on said monitoring apparatus, and sends a message to the plurality of monitoring apparatuses such that the plurality of monitoring apparatuses change the monitor information, stored in the plurality of monitoring apparatuses, in response to the operation performed on said monitoring apparatus;

whereby the monitor information updated in said plurality of monitoring apparatuses to indicate a newly occurring event of the objects is changed for confirmation of the event by said monitoring apparatus.

12. The monitoring apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein the operation performed on said monitoring apparatus includes an operation which a user of said monitoring apparatus performs to confirm contents of the summary of the monitor information that is output at said monitoring apparatus.

13. The monitoring apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein the processing unit erases the confirmed contents of the summary of the monitor information from the summary of the monitor information stored in said memory storage unit so as to change the summary of the monitor information in response to the operation performed on said monitoring apparatus.