System and method to publish information from servers to remote monitor devices

• US 7,024,474 B2
• Filed: 01/24/2001
• Issued: 04/04/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: TeleCommunication Systems Inc (Comtech Telecommunications Corporation)
• Original Assignee: TeleCommunication Systems Inc (Comtech Telecommunications Corporation)
• Inventors: Sutton, Lyle, Clubb, Kenneth
• Primary Examiner(s): Lim, Krisna
• Application Number:
  US09/767,951
• Publication Number:
  US 20010037358A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,896 Days
• Field of Search: 709201-203, 709/205, 709/206, 709217-220, 709223-225, 709/231, 709/232, 709/249, 713155-157, 713164-165
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1635 Cumulative acknowledgement, i.e. the acknowledgement message applying to all previous messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2001/0092 Error control systems characterised by the topology of the transmission link
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0213 Standardised network management protocols, e.g. simple network management protocol [SNMP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0681 Configuration of triggering conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/065 related to network devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0817 by checking functioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/10 Active monitoring, e.g. heartbeat, ping or trace-route
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0281 Proxies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0407 wherein the identity of one or more communicating identities is hidden cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for anonymous credentials or for identity based cryptographic systems H04L9/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/00 Network arrangements or protocols for supporting network services or applications user-to-user messaging H04L51/00; network arrangements, protocols or services for supporting real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/025 for remote control or remote monitoring of applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/133 Protocols for remote procedure calls [RPC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/563 : Data redirection of data network streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/5651 : Reducing the amount or size of exchanged application data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 : Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/08 : Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/16 : Implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/164 : Adaptation or special uses of UDP protocol
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/18 : Multiprotocol handlers, e.g. single devices capable of handling multiple protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 : in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 : Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/00 : Wireless network protocols or protocol adaptations to wireless operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/045 : involving different protocol versions, e.g. MIPv4 and MIPv6

Abstract

To assist in monitoring the intelligent messaging network, a system and method for publishing logging and status information from the servers is provided. A list of available servers accessible for monitoring by persons, devices, and applications via a remote monitor device can be provided. The remote monitor device may forward selected servers from the list of available servers in which they are interested. Also, particular information about the selected servers can be requested. Access to certain servers and information may be restricted to those with authorization. Authorization can be verified by the use of digital certificates. The requested information can then be gathered and provided to authorized persons or devices. Typically, the information includes logging and status information from the servers. The information can be provided as an XML page and viewed using, for example, a standard web browser. Further, if the information is provided to the remote monitor device as an XML page, a standard XML parser may be used to extract particular information from the XML page.

Claims

1. In a messaging system a method for monitoring status of a server with a remote monitor client, comprising:

publishing a list of available servers to said remote monitor client;

receiving servers selected from said list of available servers from said remote monitor client;

dynamically generating information about said selected servers with a web server;

providing said dynamically generated information from said web server to said remote monitor client;

providing said dynamically generated information from said remote monitoring client to a protocol gateway.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

retrieving said list of available servers from a database with said web server.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein:

said database is a message router database.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the dynamically generating step comprises:

examining a cache of said web server for said information; and

retrieving said information from said selected server and storing said information in said cache if said information is not present in said cache.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a request for selected information from said selected servers.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein:

said dynamically generated information is said selected information.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

determining an access level of said remote monitor client to receive information; and

providing only information corresponding to said access level to said remote monitor client.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the determining step comprises:

issuing said remote monitor client a digital certificate;

associating said digital certificate with said access level; and

examining said digital certificate.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein:

said dynamically generated information is provided as an XML page.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein:

said list of available servers is provided as an XML page.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein:

said dynamically generated information includes at least one of logging and status information.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein:

said web server and said remote monitor client communicate over a network utilizing HTTP-S.

13. The method according to claim 7, wherein:

said list of available servers only includes servers a particular remote monitor client is authorized to view.

14. The method according to claim 1, wherein:

said servers and said web server communicate utilizing HTTP.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein:

said dynamically generating step comprises issuing a get command from said web server to said servers to obtain said information.

16. The method according to claim 15, further comprising:

providing an XML page including said information to said web server from said servers in response to said get command.

17. The method according to claim 16, further comprising:

generating an XML page containing said selected information at said server.

18. The method according to claim 1, wherein:

said servers include at least one of a protocol gateway, a message router and a back-end server.

19. The method according to claim 5, wherein:

said receiving step comprises receiving from said remote monitor client a get command for said information at said web server.

20. In a messaging system a method for monitoring status of servers with a remote monitor client, comprising:

receiving a list of available servers at said remote monitor client from a web server;

transmitting a list of selected servers from said remote monitor client to said web server; and

receiving information about said selected servers at said remote monitor client from said web server;

transmitting said information about said selected servers from said remote monitor client to a protocol gateway.

21. The method according to claim 20, further comprising:

displaying said information at said remote monitor client with a browser.

22. The method according to claim 21, further comprising:

displaying information from more than one server simultaneously with said browser.

23. The method according to claim 20, wherein:

said information is received as an XML page.

24. The method according to claim 23, further comprising:

parsing said XML page with a parser to obtain selected information.

25. The method according to claim 20, wherein:

said list of available servers is received as an XML page.

26. The method according to claim 20, wherein:

said information includes at least one of logging and status information.

27. The method according to claim 20, wherein:

said web server and remote monitor client communicate over a network utilizing HTTP-S.

28. The method according to claim 20, wherein:

said list of available servers only includes servers a particular remote monitor client is authorized to view.

29. The method according to claim 20, further comprising:

requesting specific information about said selected servers from said web server.

30. The method according to claim 29, wherein the requesting step comprises:

issuing a get command from said remote monitor client to said web server to obtain said specific information.

31. The method according to claim 30, further comprising:

providing an XML page including said specific information from said web server to said remote monitor client in response to said get command.

32. The method according to claim 20, wherein:

said servers include at least one of a protocol gateway, a message router, and a back-end server.

33. A remote monitoring system, comprising:

a client device;

a server having stored therein a server application adapted to be executed by said server;

a protocol gateway encapsulating a fundamental network protocol, said fundamental network protocol underlies each of one or more wireless network protocols;

at least one message router for routing said message between said protocol gateway and said server; and

means for providing status and logging information for at least one of said server, a protocol gateway, and a message router to a remote monitor client; and

a remote monitor client to provide said status and logging information to said protocol gateway.

34. The system of claim 33, wherein:

said means for providing information comprises at least one web server communicating with said remote monitor client and at least one of said server, said protocol gateway, and said message router.

35. The system of claim 34, wherein:

said web server further comprises means for compiling a list of available servers, protocol gateways, and message routers and providing said list to said remote monitor client.

36. The system of claim 35, further comprising:

means for gathering requested information from at least one of said server, protocol gateway, and message router and providing said requested information to said remote monitor client.

37. The system of claim 33, wherein:

said information is provided to said remote monitor client as an XML page.

38. The system of claim 35, wherein:

said list is provided to said remote monitor client as an XML page.

39. The system of claim 33, wherein:

communication between said web server and said server, said protocol gateway, and said message router is performed using HTTP.

40. The system of claim 33, wherein:

communication between said web server and said remote monitor client is performed using HTTP-S.

41. A communications system storing computer readable program code, comprising the steps of:

publishing a list of available servers to a remote monitor client;

receiving selected servers from said remote monitor client;

dynamically generating information about said selected servers with said web server; and

providing said dynamically generated information from said web server to said remote monitor clients;

providing said dynamically generated information from said remote monitoring client to said protocol gateway.

42. The communications system according to claim 41, further comprising computer readable program code means for causing a computer to perform the steps of:

retrieving said list of available servers from a database with said web server.

43. The communications system according to claim 41, further comprising computer readable program code means for causing a computer to perform the steps of:

examining a cache of said web server for said information; and

retrieving said information from said selected server and storing the information in said cache if the information is not present in the cache.

44. The communications system according to claim 41, further comprising computer readable program code means for causing a computer to perform the steps of:

determining an access level of said remote monitor client to receive information; and

providing only information corresponding to said access level to said remote monitor client.