Directory-enabled device management
First Claim
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1. A method for managing a plurality of network devices on a network, said method comprising the steps of:
- detecting the presence of at least one network device of the plurality of network devices by using a first communication protocol sent over a network communication protocol, wherein said first communication protocol is a protocol that corresponds to a layer higher than that of said network communication protocol, and is adapted for obtaining information related to a device from the device and for sending data to be set in the device to the device;
obtaining information related to said one network device from said one network device, wherein the information is obtained from said one network device by using said first communication protocol sent over said network communication protocol;
formatting the obtained information into a directory entry;
sending the directory entry to a directory server by using a second communication protocol sent over said network communication protocol, wherein said second communication protocol is a protocol that corresponds to a layer higher than that of said network communication protocol, and is adapted for sending a directory entry to a directory server and for obtaining a directory entry from the directory server;
monitoring for issuance of an update message from the directory server indicating that a directory entry has been updated in the directory server;
obtaining, in the case that an update message is issued, the updated directory entry from the directory server by using said second communication protocol sent over said network communication protocol;
extracting updated data from the updated directory entry; and
sending the updated data to a network device which corresponds to the updated directory entry by using said first communication protocol sent over said network communication protocol,wherein the updated data is set in the corresponding network device, wherein the directory entry is formatted according to a standardized schema, and wherein the standardized schema of the directory entry includes a source-flag to indicate the source of the directory entry.
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Abstract
Managing a plurality of network devices on a network by detecting the presence of at least one of the plurality of network devices on the network by using a first communication protocol, obtaining, by using the first communication protocol, an information block from each of the detected network devices, wherein the information block contains information related to the corresponding network device, formatting each information block into a directory entry, and sending each directory entry to a directory server via a second communication protocol.
22 Citations
24 Claims
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1. A method for managing a plurality of network devices on a network, said method comprising the steps of:
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detecting the presence of at least one network device of the plurality of network devices by using a first communication protocol sent over a network communication protocol, wherein said first communication protocol is a protocol that corresponds to a layer higher than that of said network communication protocol, and is adapted for obtaining information related to a device from the device and for sending data to be set in the device to the device; obtaining information related to said one network device from said one network device, wherein the information is obtained from said one network device by using said first communication protocol sent over said network communication protocol; formatting the obtained information into a directory entry; sending the directory entry to a directory server by using a second communication protocol sent over said network communication protocol, wherein said second communication protocol is a protocol that corresponds to a layer higher than that of said network communication protocol, and is adapted for sending a directory entry to a directory server and for obtaining a directory entry from the directory server; monitoring for issuance of an update message from the directory server indicating that a directory entry has been updated in the directory server; obtaining, in the case that an update message is issued, the updated directory entry from the directory server by using said second communication protocol sent over said network communication protocol; extracting updated data from the updated directory entry; and sending the updated data to a network device which corresponds to the updated directory entry by using said first communication protocol sent over said network communication protocol, wherein the updated data is set in the corresponding network device, wherein the directory entry is formatted according to a standardized schema, and wherein the standardized schema of the directory entry includes a source-flag to indicate the source of the directory entry. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A directory-enabled network device for managing a plurality of network devices on a network, comprising:
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a program memory for storing executable process; and a processor for executing the executable process steps stored in said program memory; wherein said executable process steps comprise steps for; (a) detecting the presence of at least one network device of the plurality of network devices by using a first communication protocol sent over a network communication protocol, wherein said first communication protocol is a protocol that corresponds to a layer higher than that of said network communication protocol, and is adapted for obtaining information related to a device from the device and for sending data to be set in the device to the device, (b) obtaining information related to said one network device from said one network device, wherein the information is obtained from said one network device by using said first communication protocol sent over said network communication protocol, (c) formatting the obtained information into a directory entry, (d) sending the directory entry to a directory server by using a second communication protocol sent over said network communication protocol, wherein said second communication protocol is a protocol that corresponds to a layer higher than that of said network communication protocol, and is adapted for sending a directory entry to a directory server and for obtaining a directory entry from the directory server, (e) monitoring, for issuance of an update message from the directory server indicating that a directory entry has been updated in the directory server, (f) obtaining, in the case that an updated message is issued, the updated directory entry from the directory server by using said second communication protocol sent over said network communication protocol, (g) extracting updated data from the updated directory entry, and (h) sending the updated data to a network device which corresponds to the updated directory entry by using said first communication protocol sent over said network communication protocol, wherein the updated data is set in the corresponding network device, wherein the directory entry is formatted according to standardized schema, and wherein the standardized schema of the directory entry includes a source-flag to indicate the source of the directory entry.
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18. Computer-executable process steps stored on a computer readable memory medium, said computer-executable process steps for managing a plurality of network devices on a network, said computer-executable process steps comprising:
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detecting the presence of at least one network device of the plurality of network devices by using a first communication protocol sent over a network communication protocol, wherein said first communication protocol is a protocol that corresponds to a layer higher than that of said network communication protocol, and is adapted for obtaining information related to a device from the device and for sending data to be set in the device to the device; obtaining information related to said one network device from said one network device, wherein the information is obtained from said one network device by using said first communication protocol sent over said network communication protocol; formatting the obtained information into a directory entry; sending the directory entry to a directory server by using a second communication protocol sent over said network communication protocol, wherein said second communication protocol is a protocol that corresponds to a layer higher than that of said network communication protocol, and is adapted for sending a directory entry to a director server and for obtaining a directory entry from the directory server; monitoring, for issuance of an update message from the directory server indicating that a directory entry has been updated in the directory server; obtaining, in the case that an update message is issued, the updated directory entry from the directory server by using said second communication protocol sent over said network communication protocol; extracting updated data from the updated directory entry; and sending the updated data to a network device which corresponds to the updated directory entry by using said first communication protocol sent over said network communication protocol, wherein the updated data is set in the corresponding network device, wherein the directory entry is formatted according to a standardized schema, and wherein the standardized schema of the directory entry includes a source-flag to indicate the source of the directory entry.
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19. A method comprising the steps of:
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obtaining, at a proxy device, information related to one network device from said one network device, wherein the information is obtained from the device by using a first communication protocol sent over a network communication protocol, and wherein said first communication protocol is a protocol that corresponds to a layer higher than that of said network communication protocol, and is adapted for obtaining information related to a device from the device and for sending data to be set in the device to the device; formatting, at the proxy device, the obtained information into a directory entry; sending, from the proxy device, the directory entry to a directory server by using a second communication protocol sent over said network communication protocol, wherein said second communication protocol is a protocol that corresponds to a layer higher than that of said network communication protocol, and is adapted for sending a directory entry to a directory server and for obtaining a directory entry from the directory server; obtaining, at the proxy device, in the case that a directory entry corresponding to said one network device has been updated in the directory server, the updated directory entry from the directory server by using said second communication protocol sent over said network communication protocol; extracting, at the proxy device, update data from the updated directory entry; and sending, from the proxy device, the updated data to a network device which corresponds to the updated directory entry by using said first communication protocol sent over said network communication protocol, wherein the updated data is set in said network device. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22)
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23. A proxy device for communicating with at least one network device on a network, comprising:
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a program memory for storing executable process steps; a processor for executing the executable process steps stored in said program memory; wherein said executable process steps comprise steps for; (a) obtaining information related to said one network device from said one network device, wherein the information is obtained from the device by using a first communication protocol sent over a network communication protocol, and wherein said first communication protocol is a protocol that corresponds to a layer higher than that of said network communication protocol, and is adapted for obtaining information related to a device from the device and for sending data to be set in the device to the device, (b) formatting the obtained information into a directory entry, (c) sending the directory entry to a directory server via the network by using a second communication protocol sent over said network communication protocol, wherein said second communication protocol is a protocol that corresponds to a layer higher than that of said network communication protocol, and is adapted for sending a directory entry to a directory server and for obtaining a directory entry from the directory server, (d) obtaining, in the case that a directory entry corresponding to said one network device has been updated in the directory server, the updated directory entry from the directory server by using said second communication protocol sent over said network communication protocol, (e) extracting updated data from the updated directory entry, and (f) sending the updated data to said one network device which corresponds to the updated directory entry by using said first communication protocol sent over said network communication protocol, wherein the updated data is set in said network device.
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24. Computer-executable process steps stored on a computer readable memory medium, said computer-executable process steps for causing a computer to implement a proxy device for communicating with at least one network device on a network, said computer-executable process steps comprising:
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obtaining information related to said one network device from said one network device, wherein the information is obtained from the device by using a first communication protocol sent over a network communication protocol, and wherein said first communication protocol is a protocol that corresponds to a layer higher than that of said network communication protocol, and is adapted for obtaining information related to a device from the device and for sending data to be set in the device to the device; formatting the obtained information into a directory entry; sending the directory entry to a directory server by using a second communication protocol sent over said network communication protocol, wherein said second communication protocol is a protocol that corresponds to a layer higher than that of said network communication protocol, and is adapted for sending a directory entry to a directory server and for obtaining a directory entry from the directory server; obtaining in the case that a directory entry corresponding to said one network device has been updated in the directory server, the updated directory entry from the directory server by using said second communication protocol sent over said network communication protocol; extracting updated data from the updated directory entry; and sending the updated data to said one network device which corresponds to the updated directory entry by using said first communication protocol sent over said network communication protocol, wherein the updated data is set in said network device.
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Specification