Network management system for generating setup information for a plurality of devices based on common meta-level information

• US 7,143,151 B1
• Filed: 05/19/1999
• Issued: 11/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Kayashima, Makoto, Terada, Masato, Ogino, Takaaki, Watanabe, Yoshinori, Fujiyama, Tatsuya
• Primary Examiner(s): Burgess, Glenton B.
• Assistant Examiner(s): PARTON, KEVIN S
• Application Number:
  US09/314,629
• Time in Patent Office: 2,750 Days
• Field of Search: 709220-223, 709/227, 709/228, 709/229, 709/225, 709/238, 709/244, 709/249, 709/224, 370/351
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0806 for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/082 the condition being updates or upgrades of network functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0853 by actively collecting configuration information or by backing up configuration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0869 Validating the configuration within one network element
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0263 Rule management

Abstract

A network management system which includes a plurality of network devices operating in a coordinated manner and a management server managing the network devices. The management server includes apparatus for defining policy information and for generating setup information using policy information to generate setup information for each network device. The system generates setup information for each network device, distributes setup information to each network device, installs setup information to each network device, enables settings, collects setup information for each network device, and organizes and checks for consistency in the collected information.

Claims

1. A network management system comprising a plurality of network devices operating in a coordinated manner and a management server managing said plurality of network devices, said management server comprising:

means for generating a plurality of pieces of setup information based on predefined meta-level information to be used for said plurality of network devices on which settings are to be made, said plurality of pieces of setup information being generated to maintain consistency in operation of said plurality of network devices, and

means for confirming consistency of said setup information set up in said plurality of network devices based on said meta-level information,

wherein said meta-level information is information to be used as a source for generating setup information for each of said plurality of network devices in a method according to a predefined policy for operating said network in a coordinated manner, and

wherein said management server further comprises;

means for collecting setup information for each of said network devices,

means for generating meta-level information to be checked based on the collected setup information, and

means for checking said meta-level information to be checked with said predefined meta-level information.

2. A network management system according to claim 1, wherein each of said plurality of pieces of setup information includes tunneling setup information.

3. A network management system according to claim 1, wherein said network device is a firewall, and

wherein each of said plurality of pieces of setup information includes setup information related to access control for said firewall.

4. A network management system according to claim 1, wherein each of said network devices is a server, and

wherein each of said plurality of pieces of setup information includes an access privilege policy of said server.

5. A network management system according to claim 1, wherein each of said network devices is a computer executing a network application periodically exchanging data, and

wherein each of said plurality of pieces of setup information includes setup information related to said network application.

6. A network management system according to claim 1, wherein a firewall is disposed between said management server and each of said network devices,

wherein said management server includes means for distributing routing means for routing settings from setup information for said firewall, and

wherein said distributed routing means including means for setting up said setup information in said network device.

7. A network management system according to claim 6, wherein said management server and said routing means includes means for performing mutual authentication and means for encrypting data.

8. A network management system having a plurality of network devices operating in a coordinated manner and a management server managing said plurality of network devices, said management server comprising:

means for generating a plurality of pieces of setup information based on predefined meta-level information that is referred to for causing said plurality of network devices to operate in a coordinated manner; and

means for distributing said plurality of pieces of setup information to each of said network devices,

wherein consistency of each of said plurality of setup information for each of said plurality of network devices operating in a coordinated manner is confirmed based on said meta-level information,

wherein said meta-level information is information to be used as a source for generating setup information for each of said plurality of network devices on a network according to a predetermined policy for operating said network in a coordinated manner,

wherein said management server further comprises;

means for collecting setup information for each of said plurality of network devices,

means for generating meta-level information to be checked based on the collected setup information, and

means for checking said meta-level information to be checked with said predefined meta-level information.

9. A network management system according to claim 8, wherein each of said plurality of pieces of setup information includes tunneling setup information.

10. A network management system according to claim 8, wherein each of said network devices is a firewall, and

wherein each of said plurality of setup information includes setup information related to access control for said firewall.

11. A network management system according to claim 8, wherein each of said network devices is a server, and

wherein each of said plurality of pieces of setup information includes an access privilege policy of said server.

12. A network management system according to claim 8, wherein each of said network devices is a computer executing a network application periodically exchanging data, and

wherein each of said plurality of pieces of setup information includes setup information related to said network application.

13. A network management system according to claim 8, wherein a firewall is disposed between said management server and each of said network devices,

wherein said management server includes means for distributing to distributed routing means routing settings from setup information for said firewall, and

wherein said distributed routing means includes means for setting up said setup information in said network device.

14. A network management system according to claim 8, wherein said management server and a routing means include means for performing mutual authentication and means for encrypting data.