Method for configuring a monitoring system to monitor selected network elements

• US 7,475,133 B2
• Filed: 01/09/2003
• Issued: 01/06/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/09/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Nuggehalli, Jayasimha
• Primary Examiner(s): Etienne; Ario
• Assistant Examiner(s): Halim; Sahera
• Application Number:
  US10/340,264
• Publication Number:
  US 20040199626A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,189 Days
• Field of Search: 709/224, 709/223, 709/226, 709/246
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0806 for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/00 Arrangements for monitoring or testing data switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0817 by checking functioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/10 Active monitoring, e.g. heartbeat, ping or trace-route

Abstract

According to one aspect of the invention, a method is provided for configuring a monitoring system to monitor selected network elements. According to the method, one or more network elements on a network are automatically discovered. Identification data that identify each of the one or more network elements are generated. A modified version of the identification data is generated in response to user input. Each network element that is identified in the modified version of the identification data is monitored.

Claims

1. A method to monitor selected network elements, the method comprising:

a management server automatically discovering one or more network elements on a network;

the management server generating a first version of identification data, the first version of identification data identifying each of the one or more network elements that was automatically discovered;

the management server transmitting the first version of the identification data to a remote device over the network;

upon receiving the first version of identification data at the remote device, the remote device modifying the first version of identification data based upon user input at the remote device to generate a modified version of identification data, the modified version of identification data identifying fewer or more network elements than identified in the first version of identification data;

the remote device transmitting the modified version of identification data to the management server over the network;

the management server receiving, from the remote device, over the network, the modified version of identification data; and

the management server monitoring each network element identified in the modified version of identification data.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the management server generating and transmitting the first version of identification data to the remote device further comprises:

the management server generating an HTML Web page comprising the first version of identification data; and

the management server transmitting the HTML Web page to the remote device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the HTML Web page additionally comprises a button control where the button control is activated by a user, causing an Internet browser application on the remote device to upload the modified version of identification data to the management server that transmitted the HTML Web page to the remote device.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

the management server generating an HTML Web page comprising the modified version of identification data; and

the management server transmitting the HTML Web page to the remote device.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the HTML Web page additionally contains a statement that the transmission of the modified version of identification data was successful.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising the management server transmitting, to the remote device, status information about each network element identified in the modified version of identification data.

7. An apparatus to monitor selected network elements, the apparatus comprising a memory storing instructions which, when processed by one or more processors causes:

the apparatus to automatically discover one or more network elements on a network;

the apparatus to generate a first version of identification data, the first version of identification data identifying each of the one or more network elements automatically discovered;

the apparatus to transmit the first version of identification data to a remote device over the network;

upon receiving the first version of identification data at the remote device, the remote device modifying the first version of identification data based upon user input at the remote device to generate a modified version of identification data, the modified version identifying fewer or more network elements than identified in the first version of identification data;

the remote device transmitting the modified version of identification data to the apparatus over the network;

the apparatus to receive, from the remote device, over the network, a modified version of identification data, wherein the modified version was prepared at the remote device and identifies fewer or more network elements than identified in the first version of identification data; and

the apparatus to monitor each network element identified in the modified version of identification data.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the one or more network elements are one or more devices, each of which includes one or more of a rasterizing mechanism and a printing mechanism.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein automatically discovering one or more network elements comprises automatically discovering all network elements that are on a particular subnet on the network.

10. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the modified version of identification data includes information about the one or more network elements that an automatic discovery mechanism is not configured to automatically discover.

11. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the remote device is configured to represent the first version of identification data and the modified version of identification data in an HTML Web page within an Internet browser application.

12. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the user input is received from the remote device via an Internet browser application.

13. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein said generating and said transmitting the first version of identification data to the remote device further comprise:

generating an HTML Web page comprising the first version of identification data; and

transmitting the HTML Web page to the remote device.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the HTML Web page additionally comprises a button control where the button control is activated by a user, causing an Internet browser application on the remote device to upload the modified version of identification data to the apparatus that transmitted the HTML Web page to the remote device.

15. The apparatus of claim 7, further comprising:

the apparatus generating an HTML Web page comprising the modified version of identification data; and

the apparatus transmitting the HTML Web page to the remote device.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the HTML Web page additionally contains a statement that the transmission of the modified version of identification data was successful.

17. The apparatus of claim 7, further comprising the apparatus transmitting, to the remote device, status information about each network element identified in the modified version of identification data.

18. The apparatus of claim 7, further comprising the apparatus transmitting, at one or more specified times to the remote device, status information about each network element identified in the modified version of identification data.

19. The apparatus of claim 7, further comprising transmitting, to a first remote device in response to receiving a signal from a second remote device, status information about each network element identified in the modified version of identification data.

20. An apparatus for configuring an information-processing device to monitor selected network elements, the apparatus comprising a memory storing instructions which, when processed by one or more processors causes:

the apparatus to automatically discover one or more network elements on a network;

the apparatus to generate a first version of identification data, the first version of identification data identifying each of the one or more network elements that was automatically discovered;

the apparatus to generate an HTML Web page comprising the first version of identification data;

the apparatus to transmit the HTML Web page to a remote device over the network;

upon receiving the HTML Web page at the remote device, the remote device modifying the first version of identification data based upon user input at the remote device to generate a modified version of identification data, the modified version of identification data identifying fewer or more network elements than identified in the first version of identification data;

the remote device transmitting the HTML Web page comprising the modified version of identification data to the apparatus over the network;

the apparatus to receive, from the remote device, over the network, the HTML Web page comprising the modified version of identification data; and

the apparatus to transmit, at one or more specified times to the remote device, status information about each network element identified in the modified version of identification data.