Display of phones on a map of a network

• US 7,194,534 B2
• Filed: 04/04/2001
• Issued: 03/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Valtrus Innovations Limited (f/k/a Dolya Holdco 9 Limited) (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: 3Com Corporation (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Linzell, Christopher Robert, Valentine, Simon Peter, Bulmer, Russell Kennett, Walker, Lee Anthony
• Primary Examiner(s): Etienne; Ario
• Assistant Examiner(s): EL CHANTI, HUSSEIN A
• Application Number:
  US09/825,707
• Publication Number:
  US 20010029536A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,176 Days
• Field of Search: 709220-224, 709227-228
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/663 Transport layer addresses, e.g. aspects of transmission control protocol [TCP] or user datagram protocol [UDP] ports
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0213 Standardised network management protocols, e.g. simple network management protocol [SNMP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/10 of different types
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4541 Directories for service discovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4557 Directories for hybrid networks, e.g. including telephone numbers

Abstract

In a computer network, a process of discovery of the network, including discovery of network phones, and means for retrieving an icon relating to the phones and displaying a network map including network phones in the network map.

Claims

1. A method of discovery and display of one or more Ethernet phones on a network, said method including the steps of:

discovering an Ethernet phone by means of a first protocol,

using discovered information to insert an icon representing the phone in a relevant position in a display of the topology of the network, and

discovering other devices on the network using a different protocol;

loading a web page to display a network map;

parsing information from the web page to establish correspondence between a particular Ethernet phone and a MAC address;

finding a port associated with the MAC address of the particular Ethernet phone;

retrieving relevant details of the particular Ethernet phone, wherein retrieving the relevant details is conditioned upon determining that only the MAC address of the particular Ethernet phone is associated with the port;

displaying on the network map a phone icon connected to the network via a port icon that is representative of the port, wherein displaying the phone icon connected to a port icon is conditioned upon determining that only the MAC address of the particular Ethernet is associated with the port;

displaying on the network map a device icon connected to the network via the Ethernet phone and port icons, wherein displaying the device icon is conditioned upon determining that (i) two MAC addresses are associated with the port, and (ii) one of the two MAC addresses is associated with the Ethernet phone; and

display on the network map an unmanaged aggregator cloud icon connected to the network via the port icon, wherein displaying the unmanaged aggregator cloud icon is conditioned upon determining that (i) at least two MAC addresses are associated with the port, and (ii) the at least two MAC addresses are not associated with the Ethernet phone.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1 in which the phone is discovered using HTTP, and the other devices are discovered using SNMP.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1 in which the display comprises a map of the network.

4. A method as claimed in claim 3 in which the icon is connected to the other parts of the network by a line that is representative of a transmission line connecting the phone to the network.

5. A method as claimed in claim 1 in which the display includes, adjacent the icon, information relating to the phone.

6. A method as claimed in claim 1 in which discovering a phone by means of a first protocol comprises:

obtaining from the network an address of the phone using a first given protocol; and

responsive to obtaining the address, obtaining from the network the identity of the phone using a second given protocol.

7. A method as claimed in claim 6 further comprising obtaining from the network details associated with the phone using the second given protocol.

8. A method as claimed in claim 6 in which obtaining from the network the identity of the phone using a second given protocol comprises:

loading a web page from a telephone controller; and

parsing information from the web page to establish correspondence between a particular phone and a MAC address.

9. A method as claimed in claim 1 in which said network includes a phone and a device connected to one port of a switch in series, said method including the steps of:

discovering the phone;

discovering the other devices and discovering that the other devices are attached to the one port connected to the phone; and

using discovered information to insert an icon representing the phone and the device in series in the relevant position in a display of the topology of the network.

10. Apparatus for use in the discovery of one or more Ethernet phone on a network comprising:

means to discover information on an Ethernet phone and another device using respective first and second protocols; and

means to use the information discovered to insert an icon representing the Ethernet phone in a relevant position in the a display of the topology of the network;

means for loading a web page to display a network map;

means for parsing information from the web page to establish correspondence between a particular Ethernet phone and a MAC address;

means for finding a port associated with the MAC address of the particular Ethernet phone;

means for retrieving relevant details of the particular Ethernet phone, wherein retrieving the relevant details is conditioned upon determining that only the MAC address of the particular Ethernet phone is associated with the port;

means for displaying on the network map a phone icon connected to the network via a port icon that is representative of the port, wherein displaying the phone icon connected to a port icon is conditioned upon determining that only the MAC address of the particular Ethernet is associated with the port;

means for displaying on the network map a device icon connected to the network via the Ethernet phone and port icons, wherein displaying the device icon is conditioned upon determining that (i) two MAC addresses are associated with the port, and (ii) one of the two MAC addresses is associated with the Ethernet phone; and

means for display on the network map an unmanaged aggregator cloud icon connected to the network via the port icon, wherein displaying the unmanaged aggregator cloud icon is conditioned upon determining that (i) at least two MAC addresses are associated with the port, and (ii) the at least two MAC addresses are not associated with the Ethernet phone.

11. Apparatus as claimed in claim 10 in which the first and second protocols respectively comprise HTTP and SNMP.

12. Apparatus as claimed in claim 10 in which the display comprises a map of the network.

13. Apparatus as claimed in claim 12 in which the icon is connected to the other parts of the network by a line that is representative of a transmission line connecting the telephone to the network.

14. Apparatus as claimed in claim 10 in which the display includes, adjacent the icon, information relating to the phone.