Network management using suppressible RFID tags

• US 7,289,027 B2
• Filed: 10/05/2005
• Issued: 10/30/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Reichert, William Alexander III, Hunt, Christian Lee, Smith, Gregory Covert, Radez, Robin, Padua, Vincent Mitchel, Williams, Oriana Jeannette
• Primary Examiner(s): Hofsass; Jeffery
• Assistant Examiner(s): LAU, HOI CHING
• Application Number:
  US11/244,380
• Publication Number:
  US 20070075863A1
• Time in Patent Office: 755 Days
• Field of Search: 340/572.1, 340/572.3, 340/679, 340506-509, 709223-224, 235375-376
• US Class Current: 340/572.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/40 for recovering from a failure of a protocol instance or entity, e.g. service redundancy protocols, protocol state redundancy or protocol service redirection management of faults, events, alarms or notifications in data switching networks H04L41/06

Abstract

Methods and computer program products for managing a device connected to a network include querying the device using the network, querying the device using a simulated RFID tag, and querying the device using a suppressible RFID tag to determine status information about the device. A system for managing a device connected to a network comprises means for monitoring status of the device using the network, for receiving status information about the device reported by a simulated RFID tag, and for receiving status information about the device reported by a suppressible RFID tag.

Claims

1. A method for managing a device connected to a network, said method comprising querying the device using the network, querying the device using a simulated RFID tag, and querying the device using a suppressible RFID tag to determine status information about the device.

2. A method for managing a device connected to a network, comprising:

querying the device for status information using the network;

if status information is not received responsive to querying the device using the network, querying the device for status information using a simulated RFID tag; and

if status information is not received responsive to querying the device using the simulated RFID tag, querying the device for status information using a suppressible RFID tag.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising generating a network management alert responsive to status information reported by the simulated RFID tag.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising generating a network management alert responsive to status information reported by the suppressible RFID tag.

5. A computer program product for managing a device connected to a network, the computer program product comprising a computer readable medium having computer readable program code tangibly embedded therein, said computer readable program code comprising:

computer readable program code configured to query the device for status information using the network;

computer readable program code configured to query the device for status information using a simulated RFID tag if status information is not received responsive to querying the device using the network; and

computer readable program code configured to query the device for status information using a suppressible RFID tag if status information is not received responsive to querying the device using the simulated RFID tag.

6. The computer program product of claim 5, further comprising computer readable program code configured to generate a network management alert responsive to status information reported by the simulated RFID tag.

7. The computer program product of claim 5, further comprising computer readable program code configured to generate a network management alert responsive to status information reported by the suppressible RFID tag.

8. A system for managing a device connected to a network, said system comprising means for monitoring status of the device using the network;

means for receiving status information about the device reported by a simulated RFID tag; and

means for receiving status information about the device reported by a suppressible RFID tag.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the means for receiving status information about the device reported by a simulated RFID tag queries the device for status information using the simulated RFID tag if the means for monitoring status of the device using the network is unable to reach the device using the network.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the means for receiving status information about the device reported by a suppressible RFID tag queries the device for status information using the suppressible RFID tag if the means for monitoring status of the device using the simulated RFID tag is unable to reach the device using the simulated RFID tag.

11. The system of claim 8, further comprising a plurality of tag readers for reading status information provided by the simulated RFID tag and the suppressible RFID tag, and at least one edge controller for receiving status information read by the plurality of tag readers and passing status information to a network management application.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the edge controller comprises a processor that executes a network management application program that provides the means for monitoring status of the device using the network, the means for receiving status information about the device reported by a simulated RFID tag, and the means for receiving status information about the device reported by a suppressible RFID tag.