Network equipment management device, network equipment management method, network equipment, and program used therein

• US 8,125,900 B2
• Filed: 07/12/2007
• Issued: 02/28/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/27/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Yamashima, Hiroyuki, Kurita, Toshihiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Ngo, Ricky
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gidado, Rasheed
• Application Number:
  US11/776,811
• Publication Number:
  US 20070258369A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,692 Days
• Field of Search: 709/220, 709/223, 709/203, 709/224
• US Class Current: 370/230
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/082 the condition being updates or upgrades of network functionality

Abstract

In order to perform update processing with high reliability while preventing occurrence of an error in the update order, reduce a load on a management device, and reduce the time required to complete the update processing, according to the present invention, there is provided a network equipment management program that allows a computer to execute: an order information creation step that creates order information which is information corresponding to the order of the network equipments in which setting information is to be set and according to which the setting information is sequentially transmitted from N (N=1, 2, . . . )-th network equipment to (N+1)-th network equipment so as to be set in the respective network at its reception timing of the setting information; and a transmission step that transmits predetermined information including the order information created in the order information creation step to a first network equipment specified in the order information.

Claims

1. A network equipment management device connected to a plurality of network equipments through a network, the device comprising:

a transmission information creation unit that creates transmission information which includes setting information and order information, the setting information including respective information for the plurality of network equipments, the order information specifying order of the plurality of network equipments in which corresponding respective information of the setting information is to be set in response to reception of trigger information; and

a transmission unit that transmits the transmission information created in the transmission information creation unit to the plurality of network equipments by multicast, and transmits the trigger information to a first network equipment specified in the order information through the network, the trigger information being sequentially transmitted from N (N=1, 2, . . . )-th network equipment to (N+1)-th network equipment according to the order of the plurality of network equipments, wherein

each of the plurality of network equipments activates a timer in response to reception of the trigger information, and transmits the trigger information to a destination network equipment according to the order information based on a count result of the timer.

2. A computer-readable, non-transitory storage medium having recorded thereon a network equipment management program that causes a computer connected to a plurality of network equipments through a network, to execute a process comprising:

creating transmission information which includes setting information and order information, the setting information including respective information for the plurality of network equipments, the order information specifying order of the plurality of network equipments in which corresponding respective information of the setting information is to be set in response to reception of trigger information;

transmitting the transmission information including the order information created in the creating to the plurality of network equipments by multicast, and

transmitting the trigger information to a first network equipment specified in the order information through the network, the trigger information being sequentially transmitted from N (N=1, 2, . . . )-th network equipment to (N+1)-th network equipment according to the order of the plurality of network equipments, wherein

each of the plurality of network equipments activates a timer in response to reception of the trigger information, and transmits the trigger information to a destination network equipment according to the order information based on a count result of the timer.

3. A network equipment connected to a network, the equipment comprising:

a communication processing unit that receives transmission information through the network and receives trigger information after reception of the transmission information, the transmission information including setting information and order information, the setting information including respective information for a plurality of network equipments, the order information specifying order of the plurality of network equipments;

a determination unit that determines whether or not a source of the trigger information based on the order information; and

an information setting unit that sets respective information of the setting information corresponding to the network equipment in the network equipment when the source of the trigger information is valid, wherein

the communication processing unit activates a timer in response to reception of the trigger information and transmits the trigger information to a destination network equipment according to the order information based on a count result of the timer.

4. A computer-readable, non-transitory storage medium having recorded thereon an information setting program that causes a computer connected to a network to execute a process comprising:

receiving transmission information through the network and trigger information after reception of the transmission information, the transmission information including setting information and order information, the setting information including respective information for a plurality of network equipments, the order information specifying order of the plurality of network equipments;

determining whether or not a source of the trigger information based on the order information;

setting respective information of the setting information corresponding to the network equipment in the network equipment when the source of the trigger information is valid;

transmitting the trigger information to a destination network equipment according to the order information;

activating a timer in response to reception of the trigger information; and

transmitting the trigger information to a destination network equipment according to the order information based on a count result of the timer.

5. A system comprising:

a plurality of network equipments; and

a network equipment management device that sets setting information to the plurality of network equipments, wherein

the network equipment management device includes

a communication processing unit that transmits first order information which indicates an order relationship among the network equipment management device and the plurality of network equipments and designates the network equipment management device as a first, to a first network equipment next to the network equipment management device in the order relationship, and

the first network equipment includes;

a reception unit that receives the first order information; and

a transmission unit that transmits second order information, which designates the first network equipment as a first and is relative to the plurality of network equipments according to the order relationship, to a second network equipment next to the first network equipment in the order relationship, after setting processing which is executed in the first network equipment and is executed when a reception of the first order information from the network equipment management device which is designated as the first by the received first order information is detected, the second order information not including the network equipment management device which is designated as the first by the first order information, as the first;

wherein the transmission unit of the first network equipment creates the second order information based on the first order information.

6. The system according to claim 5, wherein

the network equipment management device transmits the setting information to the plurality of network equipments by multicast, and

the first network equipment executes the setting processing based on the setting information.

7. The system according to claim 5, wherein when there is a branch in a network equipment management tree which indicates connection of the plurality of network equipments on a network, the network equipment management device creates the first order information and other order information in correspondence with a plurality of routes formed by the branch.

8. The system according to claim 5, wherein the first order information includes at least one of branch information and merge information, the branch information is concerned with a network equipment installed at a branch point in a network equipment management tree and branch definition, and the merge information is concerned with a network equipment installed at a merge point in the network equipment management tree and merge definition.

9. A method which is applied to a system including a plurality of network equipments and a network equipment management device that sets setting information to the plurality of network equipments, the method comprising:

the network equipment management device transmitting first order information, which indicates an order relationship among the network equipment management device and the plurality of network equipments and designates the network equipment management device as the first, to a first network equipment next to the network equipment management device in the order relationship;

the first network equipment receiving the first order information; and

the first network equipment transmitting second order information, which designates the first network equipment as the first and is relative to the plurality of network equipments according to the order relationship, to a second network equipment next to the first network equipment in the order relationship, after setting processing which is executed in the first network equipment and is executed when a reception of the first order information from the network equipment management device which is designated as the first by the received first order information is detected, the second order information not including the network equipment management device which is designated as the first by the first order information, as the first;

the first network equipment creating the second order information based on the first order information.

10. The method according to claim 9, further comprising:

the network equipment management device transmitting the setting information to the plurality of network equipments by multicast; and

the first network equipment executing the setting processing based on the setting information.

11. The method according to claim 9, wherein when there is a branch in a network equipment management tree which indicates connection of the plurality of network equipments on a network, the network equipment management device creates the first order information and other order information in correspondence with a plurality of routes formed by the branch.

12. The method according to claim 9, wherein the first order information includes at least one of branch information and merge information, the branch information is concerned with a network equipment installed at a branch point in a network equipment management tree and branch definition, and the merge information is concerned with a network equipment installed at a merge point in the network equipment management tree and merge definition.