Interactive response of a remote monitoring and management system

• US 9,015,224 B2
• Filed: 10/09/2012
• Issued: 04/21/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ConnectWise, LLC
• Original Assignee: Labtech LLC
• Inventors: Nachtrab, Matthew, Buerk, Gregory Francis
• Primary Examiner(s): Taylor, Nicholas
• Assistant Examiner(s): Williams, Clayton R
• Application Number:
  US13/647,975
• Publication Number:
  US 20130091193A1
• Time in Patent Office: 924 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 709/202
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/20 for managing network security; network security policies in general filtering policies H04L63/0227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/28 Timers or timing mechanisms used in protocols

Abstract

A system for providing management functions on remote devices includes a management module, a connection module, an execution module, a timer module, a notification module, and a response module. The management module configures management commands on a central management server. The connection module initiates a connection to the server from an agent on a remote device and retrieves commands. The execution module executes the commands on the device. The timer module controls the initiation of the connection and can be delayed by a timer offset. The notification module uses a local network to send notifications to other agents. The response module responds to the notifications. Some of the commands can modify the timer offset, and other commands can initiate the notifications.

Claims

1. A system for managing remote devices, comprising:

a management module, executing on one or more processors of a central management server, that generates a first management command to modify a timer offset and provides the first management command to a first remote device;

a connection module, executing on the first remote device, that receives the first management command to modify the timer offset and initiates, responsive to expiration of a timer on the first remote device modified by the timer offset, a first connection with the central management server;

the management module provides, to the first remote device, during the first connection, a second management command to initiate a notification, the notification comprising a device identifier of a second remote device, wherein the management module configures the second management command to initiate the notification of the second remote device responsive to identifying that the second remote device has not received the second management command;

a notification module, executing on the first remote device, that receives the second management command during the first connection and broadcasts the notification to one or more remote devices different from the first remote device; and

a response module, executing on the second remote device of the one or more remote devices, that receives the notification with the device identifier broadcast by the first remote device and initiates, responsive to the notification, a second connection with the central management server.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a timer module that initiates the first connection periodically at a frequency determined by a timer period.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the first management command is configured to modify the timer period.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the response module immediately initiates the second connection to the central management server responsive to the notification.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein a third management command controls a fast-talk mode of the remote device wherein the timer period is temporarily shortened.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the first management command retrieved by the connection module is dependent upon an identity of the first remote device initiating the connection.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the first management command retrieved by the connection module does not include commands configured to initiate notification of a remote device of the one or more remote devices that cannot be reached using a local network connecting the one or more remote devices via the notification broadcast by the first remote device.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the first management command retrieved by the connection module comprises a command configured to initiate notifications that are prioritized using a priority based on information about the second remote device initiating the second connection.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the priority is higher for remote devices that are servers.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the priority is higher for remote devices that are currently connected to a local network connecting the one or more remote devices.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the timer offset is computed to evenly spread out timing of connections by the one or more remote devices.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the notifications are sent using a broadcast message via a local network connecting one or more of the one or more remote devices.

13. A method for managing one or more remote devices, comprising:

configuring, by one or more processors of a central management server, a first management command to modify a timer offset;

providing, by the central management server, the first management command to a first remote device;

initiating, by the first remote device, responsive to expiration of a timer on the first remote device modified by the timer offset, a first connection with the central management server;

providing, by the central management server, to the first remote device, during the first connection, a second management command to initiate a notification, the notification comprising a device identifier of a second remote device, wherein the second management command is configured to initiate the notification of the second remote device responsive to identifying that the second remote device of the one or more remote devices has not received the second management command;

receiving, by a notification module executing on the first remote device, the second management command during the first connection;

broadcasting, by the first remote device, the notification to one or more remote devices different from the first remote device;

receiving, by a response module executing on the second remote device of the one or more remote devices, the notification with the device identifier broadcast by the first remote device; and

initiating, by the second remote device responsive to the notification, a second connection with the central management server.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

initiating the first connection periodically at a frequency determined by a timer period.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

modifying the timer period as a result of executing the first management command.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

using a third management command to control a fast-talk mode of the first remote device wherein the timer period is temporarily shortened.

17. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

responding, by the second remote device, to the notification by immediately initiating the second connection to the central management server.

18. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

configuring a third management command to initiate notifying the one or more remote devices that have not yet retrieved one or more commands.

19. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

selecting commands retrieved by the first connection depending upon an identity of the first remote device initiating the first connection.

20. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

selecting commands retrieved by the first connection that do not include commands configured to initiate notification of a remote device of the one or more remote devices that cannot be reached via the notification broadcast by the first remote device using the network.

21. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

prioritizing commands configured to initiate notification using a priority based on information about the first remote device initiating the first connection.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

providing a higher priority for remote devices that are servers.

23. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

providing a higher priority for remote devices that are currently connected to the network.

24. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

using the timer offset to evenly spread out a timing of connections by the one or more remote devices.

25. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

sending the notification using a broadcast message on the network.