Dynamically deployable self configuring distributed network management system

• US 9,418,040 B2
• Filed: 10/13/2009
• Issued: 08/16/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/07/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ScienceLogic
• Original Assignee: ScienceLogic
• Inventors: Cordray, Christopher G., Chart, Richard, Link, David, Luebke, Matthew, Ginter, Karl, Bartman, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Bengzon, Greg C
• Application Number:
  US12/578,364
• Publication Number:
  US 20100094981A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,499 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/08 in hierarchically structured memory systems, e.g. virtual memory systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/173 using an interconnection network, e.g. matrix, shuffle, pyramid, star, snowflake
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/177 Initialisation or configuration control processor initialisation G06F9/4405
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4843 by program, e.g. task dispatcher, supervisor, operating system
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/042 comprising distributed management centres cooperatively managing the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0806 for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0816 the condition being an adaptation, e.g. in response to network events
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/082 the condition being updates or upgrades of network functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/20 Network management software packages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0227 Filtering policies mail message filtering H04L51/212
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1001 for accessing one among a plurality of replicated servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/40 for recovering from a failure of a protocol instance or entity, e.g. service redundancy protocols, protocol state redundancy or protocol service redirection management of faults, events, alarms or notifications in data switching networks H04L41/06

Abstract

Systems, software, and methods for managing networks of connected electronic devices are described. In one example, network management policy and network management applications are transferred automatically upon detection and identification of a new device, protocol or application on the network. In another example, information related to at least one aspect of the network is obtained by an NMAS, and at least one applicable management policy is identified by the NMAS; and the identified policy is used to manage at least one aspect of the network'"'"'s operation.

Claims

1. A network management method comprising:

deploying a trusted arrangement of network collection software on a first network or subnetwork;

said trusted arrangement of network collection software comprising a trust domain specification specifying;

at least one network collection software,

at least one hardware computing component upon which the network collection software is authorized to operate, and

at least one network collection specification which describes the information that the network collection software is authorized to collect from the first network or subnetwork, executing said network collection software on a hardware component of the first network or subnetwork the trust domain specification specifies the network collection software is authorized to operate upon;

collecting information, with the network collection software executing on the hardware component, including;

identifying at least one dynamic application effective to discover authorized information related to the configuration of the first network or subnetwork,

instantiating the at least one dynamic application as part of the instance of the executing network collection software, and

utilizing the at least one dynamic application to collect authorized information related to the configuration of the first network or subnetwork, and

sharing said discovered configuration-related information with a further, trusted instance of the same or different network collection software.

2. The method of claim 1 further including remotely managing the at least one dynamic application.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein said remotely managing includes instructing, in a trusted manner, said network collection software which dynamic application to perform.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein said remotely managing includes forwarding trust domain information between trusted network collection software instances.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein said remotely managing includes providing instructions from a trusted task manager to plural trusted network collection software instances.

6. The method of claim 1 further including controlling said network collection software using a plurality of trusted task managers.

7. The method of claim 1 further including balancing discovery and collection load between said network collection software and another configuration collection entity.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein said load balancing is controlled by at least one trusted task manager.

9. The method of claim 7 further including controlling said load balancing using a cooperating network of collection entities.

10. The method of claim 7 further including using a bidding process to arbitrate said load balancing.

11. The method of claim 7 further including controlling said load balancing by assigning collection tasks to a particular instance of said network collection software.

12. The method of claim 7 wherein the first network or subnetwork includes master collection computing devices, and the method includes performing a bidding process between master collection computing devices and assigning collection tasks to a winning master computing device.

17. The method of claim 1 further including downloading and installing the dynamic application on demand.

13. A method of collecting configuration data for a plurality of network segments, comprising:

deploying a first collection computing device on first network segment;

the first collection computing device comprising;

at least one deployable network collection software,

at least a first hardware computing component upon which the network collection software is authorized to operate,

at least a second hardware computing component upon which the network collection software is authorized to operate,

at least one network collection specification, which describes the information that the network collection software is authorized to collect from the first network segment,

using a processor within said first collection computing device to automatically collect configuration related information concerning the configuration of said first network segment, including filtering said configuration related information using at least a first filtering profile;

deploying a second collection computing device on a second network segment different from said first network segment;

using a processor within said second collection computing device to automatically collect configuration related information concerning the configuration of said second network segment, including filtering said configuration related information using at least a second filtering profile different from said first filtering profile.

14. The method of claim 13 further including restricting classes of configuration information at least one of said collection computing devices monitor.

15. The method of claim 13 further including prioritizing tasking to said collection computing device.

16. A network management system operable on a first network or subnetwork including at least one processor thereon, comprising:

plural instances of network collectors deployed on at least one network or subnetwork, the network collector instances comprising network collection software, at least one hardware computing component upon which the network collection software is authorized to execute and at least one network collection specification which describes the information that the executing network collection software is authorized to collect from the at least one network or subnetwork, said plural network collector instances executing said network collection software on the authorized at least one hardware computing component to discover, in a collaborative manner, information relating to the configuration of the at least one network or subnetwork and sharing said discovered configuration-related information therebetween; and

a control node coupled to said at least one network or subnetwork, said control node including a processor that is configured to communicate commands and other control information with said plural network collection software instances over said at least one network or subnetwork,

wherein said control node has a relationship of trust with said plural network collector instances.