Integrated management system utilizing e-mail for remotely monitoring/controlling over the internet

• US 7,467,199 B2
• Filed: 01/10/2003
• Issued: 12/16/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Gotoh, Tomonori, Tanaka, Katsumi
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel; Haresh N
• Application Number:
  US10/340,550
• Publication Number:
  US 20030126221A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,167 Days
• Field of Search: 709/224, 709200-203, 709217-228, 709229-232, 709236-245, 709246-250, 718/100, 718/104, 718/105, 719310-318, 370/308
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/026 using e-messaging for transporting management information, e.g. email, instant messaging or chat
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/00 User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail

Abstract

A network integrated management system transferring monitor/control information by e-mail using the Internet (40) between a monitor/control apparatus (50) having a network (14) to be monitored and controlled under it and a network integrated management apparatus (30) integratedly managing the network through the monitor/control apparatus.

Claims

1. A network integrated management system comprised of:

at least one monitor or control apparatus having a network to be monitored and controlled under it;

at least one network integrated management apparatus integratedly managing said network through said monitor or control apparatus; and

an Internet interface which transfers monitor or control information between said monitor or control apparatus and said network integrated management apparatus over the Internet,

wherein said monitor or control information is transferred according to SMTP,

wherein said control information includes command information and response information, and said network integrated management apparatus sends said command information to said monitor or control apparatus, which sends said response information indicating processing result thereof to said network integrated management apparatus in response to said command information, wherein said network integrated management apparatus issues a control command as said monitor or control information to said monitor or control apparatus, and the monitor or control apparatus controls the network under it in accordance with the control command, collects results of processing from said network, and notifies the collected information to said network integrated management apparatus,

wherein said network integrated management apparatus issues a collection command instructing collection of status information showing a state of said network as said monitor or control information to said monitor or control apparatus, and the monitor or control apparatus collects status information from the network under it in accordance with the collection command,

wherein said network integrated management apparatus has a managed group information unit for managing at least one monitor or control apparatus under the network management apparatus,

wherein said monitor or control apparatus has a managed group information unit for managing at least one network integrated management apparatus to which the monitor or control apparatus belongs,

wherein, when not normally receiving normality check information showing whether the monitor or control information is being normally sent from the monitor or control apparatus, said network integrated management apparatus judges that an abnormality has occurred in the monitor or control apparatus and the network under it and changes the status display of said network in the network integrated management apparatus, and

wherein said network integrated management apparatus performs processing for retries for receiving said normality check information and, when exhausting the number of retries, judges said monitor or control apparatus has been removed and changes the status display of said network in the network integrated management apparatus.

2. The network integrated management system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said network integrated management apparatus issues a control command as the monitor or control information to said monitor or control apparatus, and the monitor or control apparatus controls said network under it in accordance with said control command.

3. The network integrated management system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said monitor or control apparatus collects status change information showing a status change when there is a status change in the network under it and notifies the status change information to said network integrated management apparatus.

4. The network integrated management system as set forth in claim 1, wherein, when updating a monitor or control object in said network under said monitor or control apparatus, the monitor or control apparatus notifies updated network management range information to said network integrated management apparatus, and the network integrated management apparatus automatically updates the network management range information in the network integrated management apparatus and updates a status display of said network in accordance with the network.

5. The network integrated management system as set forth in claim 1, wherein, when a monitor or control apparatus is added, that monitor or control apparatus notifies new network management range information to said network integrated management apparatus, and the network integrated management apparatus automatically updates network management range information in said network integrated management apparatus in accordance with the network and updates a status display of the network.

6. The network integrated management system as set forth in claim 1, wherein, when a monitor or control object is added due to update of monitor or control objects, said network integrated management apparatus issues a notification request for requesting notification of the operating state to the added monitor or control object.

7. The network integrated management system as set forth in claim 1, wherein, when not normally receiving normality check information showing whether the monitor or control information is being normally sent from a monitor or control apparatus, said network integrated management apparatus judges that an abnormality has occurred in the monitor or control apparatus and the network under it and changes the status display of said network in the network integrated management apparatus.

8. The network integrated management system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said network integrated management apparatus designates at least one network able to be placed under its control and manages the designated network through the corresponding monitor or control apparatus.

9. The network integrated management system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said monitor or control apparatus is managed by at least one network integrated management apparatus.

10. The network integrated management system as set forth in claim 1, wherein a first network integrated management apparatus remotely controls the network managed by a second network integrated management apparatus through the Internet and said monitor or control apparatus having said network under it, based on management information of said network managed by the second network integrated management apparatus.

11. A network integrated management apparatus, comprising:

an Internet interface which transfers monitor or control information between a monitor or control apparatus and a network integrated management apparatus over the Internet,

wherein the network integrated management apparatus sends and receives the monitor or control information, through the monitor or control apparatus having a network under it and the Internet, to integratedly manage the network to be monitored and controlled,

wherein said monitor or control information is transferred according to SMTP,

wherein said control information includes command information and response information, and said network integrated management apparatus sends said command information to said monitor or control apparatus, which sends said response information indicating processing result thereof to said network integrated management apparatus in response to said command information,

wherein said network integrated management apparatus issues a control command as said monitor or control information to said monitor or control apparatus, and the monitor or control apparatus controls the network under it in accordance with the control command, collects results of processing from said network, and notifies the collected information to said network integrated management apparatus,

wherein said network integrated management apparatus issues a collection command instructing collection of status information showing a state of said network as said monitor or control information to said monitor or control apparatus, and the monitor or control apparatus collects status information from the network under it in accordance with the collection command,

wherein said network integrated management apparatus has a managed group information unit for managing at least one monitor or control apparatus under the network management apparatus,

wherein said monitor or control apparatus has a managed group information unit for managing at least one network integrated management apparatus to which the monitor or control apparatus belongs,

wherein, when not normally receiving normality check information showing whether the monitor or control information is being normally sent from the monitor or control apparatus, said network integrated management apparatus judges that an abnormality has occurred in the monitor or control apparatus and the network under it and changes the status display of said network in the network integrated management apparatus, and

wherein said network integrated management apparatus performs processing for retries for receiving said normality check information and, when exhausting the number of retries, judges said monitor or control apparatus has been removed and changes the status display of said network in the network integrated management apparatus.

12. A monitor or control apparatus, comprising:

an Internet interface which transfers monitor or control information between a monitor or control apparatus and a network integrated management apparatus over the Internet,

wherein the monitor or control apparatus has a network to be monitored and controlled under it and sends and receives the monitor or control information through the Internet with the network integrated management apparatus which integratedly manages the network,

wherein said monitor or control information is transferred according to SMTP,

wherein said control information includes command information and response information, and said network integrated management apparatus sends said command information to said monitor or control apparatus, which sends said response information indicating processing result thereof to said network integrated management apparatus in response to said command information,

wherein said network integrated management apparatus issues a control command as said monitor or control information to said monitor or control apparatus, and the monitor or control apparatus controls the network under it in accordance with the control command, collects results of processing from said network, and notifies the collected information to said network integrated management apparatus,

wherein said network integrated management apparatus issues a collection command instructing collection of status information showing a state of said network as said monitor or control information to said monitor or control apparatus, and the monitor or control apparatus collects status information from the network under it in accordance with the collection command,

wherein said network integrated management apparatus has a managed group information unit for managing at least one monitor or control apparatus under the network management apparatus,

wherein, said monitor or control apparatus has a managed group information unit for managing at least one network integrated management apparatus to which the monitor or control apparatus belongs,

wherein, when not normally receiving normality check information showing whether the monitor or control information is being normally sent from the monitor or control apparatus, said network integrated management apparatus judges that an abnormality has occurred in the monitor or control apparatus and the network under it and changes the status display of said network in the network integrated management apparatus, and

wherein said network integrated management apparatus, performs processing for retries for receiving said normality check information and, when exhausting the number of retries, judges said monitor or control apparatus has been removed and changes the status display of said network in the network integrated management apparatus.

13. A computer readable recording medium storing a program for making a computer execute:

processing in a network integrated management apparatus for issuing a control command to a monitor or control apparatus as monitor or control information through the Internet; and

processing in the monitor or control apparatus for controlling a network under it in accordance with said control command transmitted from said network integrated management apparatus through the Internet, wherein said monitor or control information is transferred according to SMTP,

wherein said control information includes command information and response information, and said network integrated management apparatus sends said command information to said monitor or control apparatus, which sends said response information indicating processing result thereof to said network integrated management apparatus in response to said command information,

wherein said network integrated management apparatus issues a control command as said monitor or control information to said monitor or control apparatus, and the monitor or control apparatus controls the network under it in accordance with the control command, collects results of processing from said network, and notifies the collected information to said network integrated management apparatus,

wherein said network integrated management apparatus issues a collection command instructing collection of status information showing a state of said network as said monitor or control information to said monitor or control apparatus, and the monitor or control apparatus collects status information from the network under it in accordance with the collection command,

wherein said network integrated management apparatus has a managed group information unit for managing at least one monitor or control apparatus under the network management apparatus,

wherein said monitor or control apparatus has a managed group information unit for managing at least one network integrated management apparatus to which the monitor or control apparatus belongs,

wherein, when not normally receiving normality check information showing whether the monitor or control information is being normally sent from the monitor or control apparatus, said network integrated management apparatus judges that an abnormality has occurred in the monitor or control apparatus and the network under it and changes the status display of said network in the network integrated management apparatus, and

wherein said network integrated management apparatus performs processing for retries for receiving said normality check information and, when exhausting the number of retries, judges said monitor or control apparatus has been removed and changes the status display of said network in the network integrated management apparatus.

14. The recording medium as set forth in claim 13, further including:

processing in said monitor or control apparatus for controlling the network under it in accordance with said control command;

processing for collecting results of processing in accordance with said control command from the network; and

processing for notifying the collected information to said network integrated management apparatus.

15. A computer readable recording medium storing a program for making a computer execute:

processing in a network integrated management apparatus for issuing, through the Internet, a collection command instructing collection of status information showing a state of a network to a monitor or control apparatus as monitor or control information;

processing in said monitor or control apparatus for collecting status information from the network in accordance with said collection command transmitted from said network integrated management apparatus through the Internet, wherein said monitor or control information is transferred according to SMTP,

wherein said control information includes command information and response information, and said network integrated management apparatus sends said command information to said monitor or control apparatus, which sends said response information indicating processing result thereof to said network integrated management apparatus in response to said command information,

wherein said network integrated management apparatus issues a control command as said monitor or control information to said monitor or control apparatus, and the monitor or control apparatus controls the network under it in accordance with the control command, collects results of processing from said network, and notifies the collected information to said network integrated management apparatus,

wherein said network integrated management apparatus issues a collection command instructing collection of status information showing a state of said network as said monitor or control information to said monitor or control apparatus, and the monitor or control apparatus collects status information from the network under it in accordance with the collection command,

wherein said network integrated management apparatus has a managed group information unit for managing at least one monitor or control apparatus under the network management apparatus,

wherein said monitor or control apparatus has a managed group information unit for managing at least one network integrated management apparatus to which the monitor or control apparatus belongs,

wherein, when not normally receiving normality check information showing whether the monitor or control information is being normally sent from the monitor or control apparatus, said network integrated management apparatus judges that an abnormality has occurred in the monitor or control apparatus and the network under it and changes the status display of said network in the network integrated management apparatus, and

wherein said network integrated management apparatus performs processing for retries for receiving said normality check information and, when exhausting the number of retries, judges said monitor or control apparatus has been removed and changes the status display of said network in the network integrated management apparatus.