Remote data collection and control using a custom SNMP MIB

• US 7,574,431 B2
• Filed: 05/21/2003
• Issued: 08/11/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Digi International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Digi International Inc.
• Inventors: Young, Joel K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Alam; Hosain T
• Assistant Examiner(s): LIN, SHEW FEN
• Application Number:
  US10/443,356
• Publication Number:
  US 20040236759A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,274 Days
• Field of Search: 707/102, 707/10, 707/103.R, 707/104.1, 709/223, 709/230, 709/206, 709/207, 701/03.R
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24 Querying
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2423 Interactive query statement specification based on a database schema
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/332 Query formulation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/90335 Query processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99934 Query formulation, input preparation, or translation

Abstract

A Management Information Base (MIB) in a computer device adapted to use Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP). The MIB comprises at least one message construct to function as a definition for a constrained attribute set for an object in a remote device that has a device-specific communication protocol. Each message construct includes a number of entries, and each entry stores a user-specified value for the definition of the constrained attribute set. One of the number of entries in the message construct includes a user-specified message string mapped to the constrained attribute set for the object in the remote device. The message string is sufficiently compatible with the device-specific communication protocol for the constrained attribute set and the MIB allows the constrained attribute set to be managed using SNMP.

Claims

1. A method for collecting and controlling remote data using a Management Information Base (MIB) in a computer device adapted to use Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP), the computer device having a processor to communicate with a remote device, the MIB comprising:

at least one message construct to communicate with a remote managed device, including a read message construct to read a data element from the remote device, the read message construct having a plurality of entries that define a constrained attribute set for an object in the remote device, wherein the object in the remote device has a device-specific communication protocol, wherein the plurality of entries includes;

a user-specified query string mapped to the data element in the constrained attribute set for the object in the remote device, wherein a format of the user-specified message string is sufficiently compatible with the device-specific communication protocol to read the data element of the object in the remote device thereby providing a device protocol compatible message construct;

an entry that includes a regular expression to identify the data element within the remote device through matching a data string;

a response entry to store the data element such that the at least one data element is available for SNMP messages;

a name entry to identify a field read in the remote device as presented to the user;

an update interval entry representing a frequency of reading the data element;

a last update entry representing a time duration since the last update;

a read enable entry to allow definition of fields in the remote device;

a retry entry to define a number of times to retry the read message when a response entry is not received;

a retry interval entry to define a time interval between read message retries when a response to the read message is not received, and

wherein, to manage the constrained attribute set, the MIB communicates with a network manager using SNMP and communicates with the remote device using the device protocol compatible message construct.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the response entry includes the regular expression.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one message construct includes an unsolicited message construct for recognizing at least one data element from the object of the remote device that was not requested, the unsolicited message construct including a message string to recognize the unsolicited message that is within the constrained attribute set.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the number of entries for the unsolicited message construct further includes:

a name entry to identify the field in the remote device as presented to the user;

a timestamp entry to identify when the unsolicited message originated from the remote device; and

an enable entry containing enables to allow definition of fields in the remote device.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the message string includes the user-specified message string and the regular expression.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one message construct includes:

a write message construct to write at least one data element in the constrained attribute set to the remote device, the number of entries for the write message construct including a user-specified data string to write the at least one data element in the constrained attribute set; and

an unsolicited message construct to recognize at least one data element from the object of the remote device that was not requested, the unsolicited message construct including a user-specified message string to recognize the unsolicited message that is within the constrained attribute set.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the response entry includes the regular expression.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the MIB further includes a web browser interface used to provide the user-specified message string mapped to the constrained attribute set.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the user-specified message string mapped to the constrained attribute set is provided by the user through an SNMP manager.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the MIB is implemented in software.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the MIB is implemented in hardware.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the MIB is implemented in a combination of hardware and software.

13. A method for collecting and controlling remote data using a Management Information Base (MIB) in a computer device adapted to use Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP), the computer device having a processor and a memory to store the MIB, the MIB comprising:

at least one message construct to communicate with a remote managed device, including a write message construct having a plurality of entries that define a constrained attribute set for an object in the remote device, wherein the object in the remote device has a device-specific communication protocol, wherein the write message writes at least one data element in the constrained attribute set to the remote device, wherein the plurality of entries includes;

a user-specified data string mapped to the data element of the constrained attribute set in the remote device, wherein a format of the user-specified data string is sufficiently compatible with the device-specific communication protocol to write the at least one data element in the constrained attribute set in the remote device thereby providing a device protocol compatible message construct;

an entry that includes a regular expression to identify a data element within the remote device through matching a data string;

a name entry to identify a field in the remote device as presented to the user;

a write response entry indicating the success of the write message;

a write enable entry to allow definition of fields in the remote device;

a retry entry to define a number of times to retry the write message when a response entry is not received;

a retry interval entry to define a time interval between write message retries when a response to the write message is not received, and

wherein, to manage the constrained attribute set, the MIB communicates with a network manager using SNMP and communicates with the remote device using the device protocol compatible message construct.

14. A network device, comprising:

at least one processor;

a network interface to communicate with the processor and a network using a Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP); and

a Management Information Base (MIB) to communicate with the processor and with a remote managed device, wherein the MIB includes;

a read message construct included in the MIB to read at least one data element from a remote managed device, the read message construct having a plurality of entries that define a constrained attribute set for an object in the remote device, wherein the object in the remote device has a device-specific communication protocol, wherein the plurality of entries includes;

a user-specified query string mapped to the data element in the constrained attribute set for the object in the remote device, wherein a format of the user-specified message string is sufficiently compatible with the device-specific communication protocol to read the data element of the object in the remote device thereby providing a device protocol compatible message construct;

an entry that includes a regular expression to identify the data element within the remote device through matching a data string;

a response entry to store the data element such that the at least one data element is available for SNMP messages;

a name entry to identify a field read in the remote device as presented to the user;

an update interval entry representing a frequency of reading the data element;

a last update entry representing a time duration since the last update;

a read enable entry to allow definition of fields in the remote device,

a retry entry to define a number of times to retry the read message when a response entry is not received;

a retry interval entry to define a time interval between read message retries when a response to the read message is not received, and

wherein, to manage the constrained attribute set, the MIB communicates with a network manager using SNMP and communicates with the remote device using the device protocol compatible message construct.

15. The network device of claim 14, wherein the network interface is implemented as a web browser interface.

16. The network device of claim 14, wherein the network interface communicates over the network with applications internal and applications external to the network device.

17. A computer readable medium including computer executable instructions, which when executed by the computer, causes the computer to implement a Management Information Base (MIB) configured to be accessed using Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP), the computer readable medium comprising:

at least one message construct module to define a constrained attribute set for an object in a remote managed device and to allow the MIB to communicate with the object in the remote device using a device-specific communication protocol, a read message construct of the module including a number of entries, each of the number of entries to define the constrained attribute set and to store a user-specified value to define the constrained attribute set, at least one of the number of entries including a message string having a format sufficiently compatible with the device-specific communication protocol to allow the MIB to communicate with the object in the remote device and the MIB allows the constrained attribute set to be managed using SNMP, and the number of entries including;

a regular expression to identify a data element within the remote device through matching a data string;

a user-specified query string to request the at least one data element in the constrained attribute set;

a response entry to store the at least one data element such that the at least one data element is available for SNMP messages;

a name entry to identify a field read in the remote device as presented to the user;

an update interval entry representing a frequency of reading the data element;

a last update entry representing a time duration since the last update;

a read enable entry to allow definition of fields in the remote device;

a retry entry to define a number of times to retry the read message when a response entry is not received;

a retry interval entry to define a time interval between read message retries when a response to the read message is not received, and

a messaging module to access a constrained attribute set using the device protocol compatible message string.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein the at least one message construct includes an unsolicited message construct for recognizing at least one data element from the object of the remote device that was not requested, the unsolicited message construct including a user-specified message string to recognize the unsolicited message that is within the constrained attribute set.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 19, wherein the number of entries for the unsolicited message construct further includes:

a name entry to identify the field in the remote device as presented to the user;

a timestamp entry to identify when the unsolicited message originated from the remote device; and

an enable entry containing enables to allow definition of fields in the remote device.

18. A computer readable medium including computer executable instructions, which when executed by the computer, causes the computer to implement a Management Information Base (MIB) configured to be accessed using Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP), the computer readable medium comprising:

at least one message construct module to define a constrained attribute set for an object in a remote managed device and to allow the MIB to communicate with the object in the remote device using a device-specific communication protocol, a write message construct of the module including a number of entries for writing at least one data element in the constrained attribute set to the remote device, each of the number of entries to define the constrained attribute set and to store a user-specified value to define the constrained attribute set, at least one of the number of entries including a message string having a format sufficiently compatible with the device-specific communication protocol to allow the MIB to communicate with the object in the remote device, and the number of entries for the write message construct including;

a regular expression to identify a data element within the remote device through matching a data string;

a user-specified data string to write the at least one data element in the constrained attribute set;

a name entry to identify a field in the remote device as presented to the user;

a write response entry indicating the success of the write message;

a retry entry to define a number of times to retry the write message when a response entry is not received;

a retry interval entry to define a time interval between write message retries when a response to the write message is not received; and

a write enable entry to allow definition of fields in the remote device; and

a messaging module to access a constrained attribute set using the device protocol compatible message string.