Method and system of remote diagnostic, control and information collection using multiple formats and multiple protocols with verification of formats and protocols

• US 7,171,670 B2
• Filed: 02/14/2001
• Issued: 01/30/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Motoyama, Tetsuro, Fong, Avery
• Primary Examiner(s): Thomson; William
• Assistant Examiner(s): Truong; LeChi
• Application Number:
  US09/782,164
• Publication Number:
  US 20020147858A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,176 Days
• Field of Search: 709/316, 717/1, 717/127, 719/310
• US Class Current: 719/310
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3409 for performance assessment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3438 monitoring of user actions tracking the activity of the user H04L67/535
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3495 for systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/86 Event-based monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/865 Monitoring of software
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/542 Event management; Broadcasting; Multicasting; Notifications

Abstract

A system, method and program product for diagnosing, controlling and collecting information from devices. Information regarding events of each one of a plurality of target applications executing in an application unit is collected and formatted into one of multiple data formats for transmission through one of multiple communication protocols at the request of each of the target applications, through an interface. A combination of a data format and communication protocol requested by a target application is verified for validity. If the requested combination is invalid, a valid combination is substituted for more reliable transmission. The formatted data is transmitted through, e.g., e-mail or FTP to a predetermined destination or may be saved to local storage, e.g., a local disk. By sharing resources, code duplication is reduced or eliminated.

Claims

1. An object-oriented method of collecting information regarding a plurality of target applications in an application unit, comprising:

notifying a monitoring device, by a first one of the plurality of target applications, through an interface, of an identification of the first one of the plurality of target applications;

requesting the monitoring device, by the first one of the plurality of target applications, through the interface, to start monitoring usage of the first one of the plurality of target applications;

storing, by the monitoring device, information regarding monitored usage of the first one of the plurality of target applications; and

requesting the monitoring device, by the first one of the plurality of target applications, through the interface, to send the stored information regarding monitored usage of the first one of the plurality of target applications to a first predetermined destination,

wherein the step of requesting the monitoring device, by the first one of the plurality of target applications, through the interface, to send information regarding monitored usage of the first one of the plurality of target applications to a first predetermined destination further includes;

requesting the monitoring device, by the first one of the plurality of target applications, through the interface, to format the data corresponding to the information regarding monitored usage of the first one of the plurality of target applications according to a first predetermined format; and

requesting the monitoring device, by the first one of the plurality of target applications, through the interface, to send the data corresponding to the information regarding monitored usage of the first one of the plurality of target applications to the first predetermined destination through a first predetermined communication protocol.

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

requesting the monitoring device, by the first one of the plurality of target applications, through the interface, to record a first event of the first one of the plurality of target applications.

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

notifying the monitoring device, by a second one of the plurality of target applications, through the interface, of an identification of the second one of the plurality of target applications;

requesting the monitoring device, by the second one of the plurality of target applications, through the interface, to start monitoring usage of the second one of the plurality of target applications; and

requesting the monitoring device, by the second one of the plurality of target applications, through the interface, to send data corresponding to information regarding monitored usage of the second one of the plurality of target applications to a second predetermined destination.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of determining whether a combination of the first predetermined format and the first predetermined communication protocol is invalid.

5. The method according to claim 4, further comprising:

when the step of determining determines that the combination is invalid, performing at least one of the steps of

converting the first predetermined format to a first acceptable predetermined format, and

converting the first predetermined communication protocol to a first acceptable predetermined communication protocol.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein

the first predetermined format includes one of text format, binary format, comma separated format and extensible Markup Language (XML) format, and

the first predetermined communication protocol includes one of Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP), File Transfer Protocol (FTP) and local disk.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of requesting the monitoring device to start monitoring comprises:

selectively determining, by the first one of the plurality of target applications, at least one type of event to be monitored by the monitoring device.

8. An object-oriented system for collecting information regarding a plurality of target applications in an application unit, the system comprising:

a first device configured to notify, through an interface, a monitoring device of an identification of the first one of the plurality of target applications, wherein the first device is included in the first one of the plurality of target applications;

a second device configured to request, through the interface, the monitoring device to start monitoring usage of the first one of the plurality of target applications, wherein the second device is included in the first one of the plurality of target applications and the monitored device is configured to store information regarding monitored usage of the first one of the plurality of target applications; and

a third device configured to request, through the interface, the monitoring device to send the stored information regarding monitored usage of the first one of the plurality of target applications to a first predetermined destination, wherein the third device is included in the first one of the plurality of target applications,

wherein the third device is further configured to request, through the interface, the monitoring device to format the data corresponding to the information regarding monitored usage of the first one of the plurality of target applications according to a first predetermined format and to request, through the interface, the monitoring device to send the data corresponding to the information regarding monitored usage of the first one of the plurality of target applications to the first predetermined destination through a first predetermined communication protocol.

9. The system according to claim 8, further comprising;

a fourth device configured to request, through the interface, the monitoring device to record a first event of the first one of the plurality of target applications, wherein the fourth device is included in the first one of the plurality of target applications.

10. The system according to claim 8, further comprising:

a fifth device configured to notify, through the interface, the monitoring device of an identification of the second one of the plurality of target applications, wherein the fifth device is included in the second one of the plurality of target applications;

a sixth device configured to request, through the interface, the monitoring device to start monitoring usage of the second one of the plurality of target applications, wherein the sixth device is included in the second one of the plurality of target applications; and

a seventh device configured to request, through the interface, the monitoring device to send data corresponding to information regarding monitored usage of the second one of the plurality of target applications to a second predetermined destination, wherein the seventh device is included in the second one of the plurality of target applications.

11. The system according to claim 8, further comprising an eighth device configured to determine whether a combination of the first predetermined format and the first predetermined communication protocol is invalid.

12. The system according to claim 11, further comprising a ninth device configured to perform at least one of the steps of converting the first predetermined format to a first acceptable predetermined format, and converting the first predetermined communication protocol to a first acceptable predetermined communication protocol, when the eighth device determines that the combination is invalid.

13. The system according to claim 8, wherein

the first predetermined format includes one of text format, binary format, comma separated format and extensible Markup Language (XML) format, and

the first predetermined communication protocol includes one of Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP), File Transfer Protocol (FTP) and local disk.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the second device is configured to selectively determine at least one type of event to be monitored by the monitoring device.

15. A program product for collecting information regarding a plurality of target applications in an application unit, the program product comprising a computer readable medium embodying program instructions for causing an object-oriented system to perform the steps of:

notifying a monitoring device, by a first one of the plurality of target applications, through an interface, of an identification of the first one of the plurality of target applications;

requesting the monitoring device, by the first one of the plurality of target applications, through the interface, to start monitoring usage of the first one of the plurality of target applications;

storing, by the monitoring device, information regarding monitored usage of the first one of the plurality of target applications; and

requesting the monitoring device, by the first one of the plurality of target applications, through the interface, to send the stored information regarding monitored usage of the first one of the plurality of target applications to a first predetermined destination,

wherein the step of requesting the monitoring device, by the first one of the plurality of target applications, through the interface, to send information regarding monitored usage of the first one of the plurality of target applications to a first predetermined destination further includes;

requesting the monitoring device, by the first one of the plurality of target applications, through the interface, to format the data corresponding to the information regarding monitored usage of the first one of the plurality of target applications according to a first predetermined format; and

requesting the monitoring device, by the first one of the plurality of target applications, through the interface, to send the data corresponding to the information regarding monitored usage of the first one of the plurality of target applications to the first predetermined destination through a first predetermined communication protocol.

16. The program product according to claim 15, wherein the program instructions cause the system to further perform the step of

requesting the monitoring device, by the first one of the plurality of target applications, through the interface, to record a first event of the first one of the plurality of target applications.

17. The program product according to claim 15, wherein the program instructions cause the system to further perform the steps of:

notifying the monitoring device, by a second one of the plurality of target applications, through the interface, of an identification of the second one of the plurality of target applications;

requesting the monitoring device, by the second one of the plurality of target applications, through the interface, to start monitoring usage of the second one of the plurality of target applications; and

requesting the monitoring device, by the second one of the plurality of target applications, through the interface, to send data corresponding to information regarding monitored usage of the second one of the plurality of target applications to a second predetermined destination.

18. The program product according to claim 15, wherein the program instructions cause the system to further perform the step of determining whether a combination of the first predetermined format and the first predetermined communication protocol is invalid.

19. The program product according to claim 18, wherein:

when the step of determining determines that the combination is invalid, the program instructions cause the system to further perform at least one of the steps of

converting the first predetermined format to a first acceptable predetermined format, and

converting the first predetermined communication protocol to a first acceptable predetermined communication protocol.

20. The program product according to claim 15, wherein

the first predetermined format includes one of text format, binary format, comma separated format and extensible Markup Language (XML) format, and

the first predetermined communication protocol includes one of Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP), File Transfer Protocol (FTP) and local disk.

21. The program product of claim 15, wherein the step of requesting the monitoring device to start monitoring comprises:

selectively determining, by the first one of the plurality of target applications, at least one type of event to be monitored by the monitoring device.