Device status identification

• US 7,516,212 B2
• Filed: 01/21/2004
• Issued: 04/07/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/21/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP (Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Company)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Ford, Daniel E., Nguyen, Ted T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Donaghue; Larry D
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gillis; Brian J
• Application Number:
  US10/761,469
• Publication Number:
  US 20050160163A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,903 Days
• Field of Search: 709/223, 709/224, 709/227
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0213 Standardised network management protocols, e.g. simple network management protocol [SNMP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/06 Management of faults, events, alarms or notifications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0811 by checking connectivity

Abstract

Systems, methods, and device are provided for device status identification. One method embodiment includes transmitting an SNMP message to a device. The method includes opening a socket connection on the device in response to an SNMP error message returned from the device. And, the method includes initiating a time-out function upon opening the socket connection.

Claims

1. A network management station, comprising:

a processor;

a memory coupled to the processor; and

program instructions provided to the memory and executable by the processor to;

transmit an SNMP message to a device connected to the management station over a network;

open a socket connection on the device in response to an SNMP error message returned from the device;

initiate a time-out function upon opening the socket connection; and

indicate a status of the device based on successful SNMP messages and the time-out function.

2. The network management station of claim 1, wherein the program instructions include a platform independent function call to execute instructions which open the socket connection.

3. The network management station of claim 2, wherein the platform independent function call is a Java based function call.

4. The network management station of claim 1, wherein the SNMP error message includes a generic error message.

5. The network management station of claim 1, further including program instructions which can execute to selectably establish a time period in connection with the time-out function based on input from a network administrator.

6. The network management station of claim 1, wherein the program instructions execute to indicate a device is down when both the SNMP error message and a time-out failure message are received.

7. The network management station of claim 1, wherein the device and the station are connected over a local area network (LAN).

8. The network management station of claim 1, wherein the device and the station are connected over a wide area network (WAN).

9. A network management station, comprising:

a processor;

a memory coupled to the processor; and

program instructions provided to the memory and executable by the processor to;

send an SNMP request to a device connected to the management station over a network;

register a return error message to the SNMP request from device;

execute a Java based function call to open a socket connection on the device in response to the return error message;

initiate a time-out function upon opening the socket connection; and

indicate a device status based on successful SNMP requests and the time-out function.

10. The network management station of claim 9, wherein the program instructions execute to indicate the device status is up upon receiving successful SNMP requests.

11. The network management station of claim 9, wherein the program instructions execute to indicate the device status is up when:

a return error message to the SNMP request is registered by the program instructions; and

a response is received by the program instructions prior to an expiration of the time-out function.

12. The network management station of claim 9, further including program instructions to selectably establish a time-out period in association with the time-out function.

13. The network management station of claim 12, wherein the program instructions execute to indicate the device status is down when:

a return error message to the SNMP request is registered by the program instructions; and

a time-out failure message associated with the time-out function is received by the program instructions.

14. A method for device status identification, comprising:

transmitting an SNMP message to a device;

opening a socket connection on the device in response to an SNMP error message returned from the device;

initiating a time-out function upon opening the socket connection; and

indicate a status of the device based on successful SNMP messages and the time-out function.

15. The method of claim 14, further including using a platform independent function call to open the socket connection on the device.

16. The method of claim 15, further including using a Java based function call to open the socket connection on the device.

17. The method of claim 14, further including establishing a time out period in association wit the time-out function.

18. The method of claim 17, further including indicating the device is down upon:

registering the SNMP error message; and

receiving a lime-out failure message associated with the time-out function.

19. The method of claim 18, further including visually indicating the device is down using a colored icon.

20. The method of claim 14, further including indicating the device is up upon receiving successful SNMP requests.

21. The method of claim 14, further including indicating the device is up upon:

Registering the returned SNMP error message to the transmitted SNMP message; and

receiving a response prior to an expiration of the time-out function upon opening the socket connection.

22. A method for device status identification, comprising:

sending an SNMP request to a device;

registering a return error message from the device in response to the SNMp request;

executing a Java based function call to open a socket connection on the device in response to the return error message;

initiating a time-out function upon opening the socket connection; and

indicating a device status based on successful SNMP requests and the time-out function.

23. The method of claim 22, further including indicating a device is up if a message is returned from the socket connection of the device prior to an expiration of the time-out function.

24. The method of claim 22, further including indicating a device is down if no message is returned from the socket connection of the device prior to an expiration of the time-out function.

25. A computer readable medium having instructions for causing a device to perform a method, comprising:

transmitting an SNMP message to a device on a network;

opening a socket connection on the device in response to an SNMP error message returned from the device;

initiating a time-out function upon opening the socket connection; and

indicating a status of the device based on successful SNMP messages and the time-out function.

26. A network management station, comprising:

a processor;

a memory coupled to the processor;

means for determining a status of a device connected to the management station over a network in a platform independent manner; and

wherein the means includes program instruction which execute to send a simple network management protocol (SNMP) request to the device;

wherein the means includes program instruction which execute to open a socket connection on the device in response to an ANMP error message returned from the device;

wherein the means includes program instruction which execute to initiate a time-out function upon opening the socket connection; and

wherein the means includes program instruction which execute to indicate a status of the device based on successful SNMP messages and the time-out function.

27. The network management station of claim 26, wherein the means includes program instruction which execute to register successful SNMP requests as an up status for the device.

28. The network management station of claim 26, wherein the means includes program instructions which execute to register an up status for the device when:

a return error message to an SNMP request is received by the program instructions; and

a response message associated with opening a socket connection on the device is received by the program instructions prior to an expiration of a time-out function.

29. The network management station of claim 26, wherein the means includes program instructions which execute to register a down status for the device when:

a return error message to an SNMP request is received by the program instructions; and

a time-out failure message associated with a time-out function is received by the program instructions.

30. The network management station of claim 26, wherein the means includes program instructions having a platform independent function call to execute instructions which open a socket connection on the device.

31. The network management station of claim 30, wherein the platform independent function call is a Java based function.