System and method for providing SNMP data for virtual networking devices

• US 7,925,731 B2
• Filed: 12/13/2006
• Issued: 04/12/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Hust, Joseph Michael, Musselwhite, Dennis Ray, Farrell, Susan Marie, Adams, Tracy Jo, Macchiano, Angelo, Carollo, Mary Ellen
• Primary Examiner(s): Donaghue; Larry
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gillis; Brian J
• Application Number:
  US11/610,404
• Publication Number:
  US 20080147833A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,581 Days
• Field of Search: 709/223, 709/224, 709/217
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/046 comprising network management agents or mobile agents therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/40 using virtualisation of network functions or resources, e.g. SDN or NFV entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/08 Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion

Abstract

A system and method of managing networks and, more particularly, to a system and method for interfacing with virtual networking devices using SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol). A system comprises a configuration statement configured to provide an identity to a virtual device. An SNMP subagent is configured to interface between an SNMP agent and a control program of the virtual device. The SNMP subagent acquires information extracted by the control program for the identified virtual device and provides the acquired information to the SNMP agent to be returned to the SNMP client.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a computing device;

a configuration statement configured to provide an identity to a virtual device; and

an SNMP subagent configured to interface between an SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol) agent and a control program implementing the virtual device on the computing device, the SNMP subagent acquiring information extracted by the control program for the identified virtual device and providing the acquired information to the SNMP agent;

the SNMP subagent being configured to translate pertinent information, create an SNMP response packet, and send the SNMP response packet to the SNMP agent,

wherein the SNMP subagent acts as an extension of the SNMP agent and as an interface between the SNMP agent and the control program implementing the virtual device, and

wherein the computing device creates DEVICE, LINK, START and HOME statements in a TCP/IP configuration file, wherein the HOME statement identifies the virtual device, and the HOME statement is configured to indicate that a stack is providing management services for the virtual device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the SNMP subagent is configured to extract pertinent information of the virtual device identified in the configuration statement.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the SNMP subagent is configured to convert the extracted pertinent information into a meaningful response to a MIB request.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the SNMP subagent is configured to handle requests for BRIDGE-MIB data for the virtual device identified in the configuration statement.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the SNMP subagent is configured to register itself for handling BRIDGE-MIB data for the virtual device identified in the configuration statement.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the SNMP subagent is configured to provide a TCP/IP interface for the virtual device in a hipervisor environment.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the configuration statement is a TCP/IP configuration statement configured on a stack providing an SNMP service.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the TCP/IP configuration statement is coded for an IPv4 or IPv6 address.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the TCP/IP configuration statement is comparable to a TELNET address for a hardware device.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the stack is separate from a virtual device connection to an external network.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the control program accesses the information of the virtual device by use of a DIAGNOSE code.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the virtual device is a virtual switch and the system is configured to receive an MIB request and build an MIB response.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the SNMP response packet is generated by an exit routine of the SNMP subagent.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the steps of claim 11 are provided on a subscription, advertising, and/or fee basis.

14. A method for deploying an application for managing a virtual device, comprising:

providing a computer infrastructure being operable to;

request information from a control program about a virtual device implemented by that control program;

extract information about the virtual device obtained by the control program;

translate, via an SNMP subagent, pertinent information; and

create, via the SNMP subagent, an SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol) response packet with the pertinent information and send the SNMP response packet to an SNMP agent,

wherein the providing is initiated when an MIB request is received and builds an MIB response, and

wherein the computer infrastructure creates DEVICE, LINK, START and HOME statements in a TCP/IP configuration file, wherein the HOME statement identifies the virtual device, and the HOME statement is configured to indicate that a stack is providing management services for the virtual device.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the computer infrastructure is further operable to identify the virtual device in response to the MIB request over TCP/IP, wherein the identity of the virtual device is provided in a TCP/IP configuration statement.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the computer infrastructure is further operable to extract the pertinent information from the information.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the virtual device is a virtual switch and further comprising:

utilizing an SNMP subagent to act as an extension of the SNMP agent and as an interface between the SNMP agent and the control program implementing the identified virtual device.

19. A method for deploying an application for managing a virtual device, comprising:

providing a computer infrastructure being operable to;

request information from a control program about a virtual device implemented by that control program;

extract information about the virtual device obtained by the control program; and

create an SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol) response packet with pertinent information and send the SNMP response packet to an SNMP agent,

wherein the computer infrastructure is further operable to create DEVICE, LINK, START and HOME statements in a TCP/IP configuration file, wherein the HOME statement identifies the virtual device, and

wherein the HOME statement is configured to indicate that a stack is providing management services for the virtual device.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the computer infrastructure is further operable to provide an IP address to a subagent.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the computer infrastructure is further operable to issues a DIAGNOSE using the IP address to obtain information about the virtual device from the control program.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the computer infrastructure is further operable to generate traps to notify a Network-Management System when a status of network objects change.

23. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having readable program code embodied in the medium, the computer program product includes at least one component to:

request information from a control program of an identified virtual device;

extract information about the identified virtual device obtained by the control program;

translate, via an SNMP subagent, pertinent information; and

create, via the SNMP subagent, an SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol) response packet with the pertinent information and send the SNMP response packet to an SNMP agent; and

utilize an SNMP subagent to act as an extension of the SNMP agent and as an interface between the SNMP agent and the control program implementing the identified virtual device,

wherein the computer program product includes at least one component to create DEVICE, LINK, START and HOME statements in a TCP/IP configuration file, wherein the HOME statement identifies the virtual device, and the HOME statement is configured to indicate that a stack is providing management services for the virtual device.

24. The computer program product of claim 23, wherein the request is an MIB request and the virtual device is a virtual switch, and further comprising:

build an MIB response.