Management techniques for non-traditional network and information system topologies

• US 9,537,731 B2
• Filed: 03/19/2008
• Issued: 01/03/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/07/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ScienceLogic
• Original Assignee: ScienceLogic
• Inventors: Link, David F., Cordray, Christopher G., Chart, Richard M., Ginter, Karl
• Primary Examiner(s): Fan, Hua
• Application Number:
  US12/051,125
• Publication Number:
  US 20080228908A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,212 Days
• Field of Search: 709223-226
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0213 Standardised network management protocols, e.g. simple network management protocol [SNMP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/024 using relational databases for representation of network management data, e.g. managing via structured query language [SQL]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/026 using e-messaging for transporting management information, e.g. email, instant messaging or chat
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0293 for accessing web services by means of a binding identification of the management service or element
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/046 comprising network management agents or mobile agents therefor
• 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 41/0826 for reduction of network costs H04L41/0833 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0843 based on generic templates
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0853 by actively collecting configuration information or by backing up configuration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/122 of virtualised topologies, e.g. software-defined networks [SDN] or network function virtualisation [NFV]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/40 using virtualisation of network functions or resources, e.g. SDN or NFV entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5058 Service discovery by the service manager
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5074 Handling of user complaints or trouble tickets

Abstract

Systems, software, and methods for managing traditional (i.e., TCP/IP-based), non-traditional, and traditional-non-traditional hybrid networks of connected electronic devices are described. In one example, network management policy and network management applications are downloaded automatically upon detection and identification of a new device, application or service on a network. In another example, information related to at least one aspect of the network is obtained by a network management device through connection to a non-TCP/IP network, or by way of a gateway device or application, at least one applicable management policy is identified, and the identified policy is used to manage at least one aspect of the network'"'"'s operation. In another example, devices, applications or services presenting various behaviors under various scenarios are evaluated and placed under management.

Claims

1. A method of discovering and interoperating with devices connected to a computer network, the method comprising:

discovering at least one device connected to the network;

identifying said discovered device;

in response to said discovering and identifying, instantiating and invoking an instance of a dynamic application on a further device also connected to the network, said dynamic application being first instantiated and invoked on the further device in response to discovery and identification of said discovered device on the network;

using the dynamic application instantiated and invoked on the further device to perform further discovery of said discovered device over the network without requiring the discovered device to execute a discovery software agent; and

receiving, over the network, information relating to said further discovery from said instantiated and invoked dynamic application.

2. The method of claim 1, further including the steps of:

evaluating said discovery information;

accessing a template store;

matching a template in the template store against said received discovery information; and

instantiating a further dynamic application at least in part in response to information derived from the template matching.

3. The method of claim 1, further including instantiating subsequent dynamic applications on the further device in response to discovery information received from a previously instantiated dynamic application until a determination is made that substantially all discoverable aspects of said discovered device have been discovered, thereby placing said discoverable aspects of the discovered device under management.

4. The method of claim 1, further including determining that said discovered device is a database server;

determining the schema of said database from said received discovery information; and

determining substantially all aspects of said database that require monitoring or control.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the dynamic application is configured to identify a fingerprint of type of said discovered device, and,

said performing further discovery includes determining the specific capabilities of said discovered device based upon the fingerprint, selecting a further dynamic application from a set of possible dynamic applications based at least in part upon the fingerprint or the determined capabilities, and instantiating at least one dynamic application configured to manage said discovered device.

6. The method of claim 1, further including the steps of:

accessing a store of previously stored authentication and authorization materials, and

using said authentication and authorization materials in conjunction with an auto-discovery dynamic application to access the discovered device.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said authentication and authorization materials enable access to a database on the discovered device.

8. The method of claim 6, further including providing at least some access to those with less than full access authorization.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein:

each of said authentication and authorization materials provides differential access to said discovered device and/or services provided by the discovered device;

performing auto-discovery using a plurality of said authentication and authorization materials to obtain two or more sets of discovery results, each set of discovery results corresponding to a particular set of authentication and authorization materials;

identifying variations among said discovery results;

accessing a stored template-based device description; and

categorizing and classifying said discovered device based at least in part upon the variations among discovery results and the template-based device description.

10. The method of claim 9, further including determining at least one device personality.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said device has at least two personalities, and each personality of said device is managed independently.

12. A system for discovering devices on a network, comprising at least one processing device connected to the network, the processing device being structured to provide a discovery mechanism configured to discover at least one device on said network, said discovery mechanism being configured to:

Identify, over the network, a discovered device,

in response to said discovery and identification, instantiate and invoke a dynamic application on the processing device, said dynamic application being neither instantiated nor invoked until said discovery discovers a need for said dynamic application;

use the instantiated and invoked dynamic application to perform further discovery of said discovered device over the network without requiring the discovered device to execute a discovery software agent; and

receive, over the network, information obtained from said further discovery from said dynamic application.

13. The system of claim 12, further including:

a mechanism for evaluating said discovery information wherein said discovery mechanism is configured to instantiate a further dynamic application in response to said evaluation.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein said discovery mechanism is configured to instantiate subsequent dynamic applications in response to discovery information received from previously instantiated dynamic applications until a determination is made that substantially all discoverable aspects of said discovered device have been discovered.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the dynamic application is configured to identify a fingerprint of type of said device based upon at least one of (a) the firmware load and (b) the revision level of said device.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein said discovery mechanism further includes authentication and authorization materials.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein said authentication and authorization materials enable access to a database.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein said authentication and authorization materials are stored and managed in an Asset Manager.

19. The system of claim 12, wherein said device is managed as a single point of management with a plurality of behaviors, each of said behaviors being associated with authentication and authorization materials.

20. An iterative method for interoperating with at least one network device comprising:

dynamically discovering, across a network, at least one characteristic of a device connected to the network;

at least in response to said discovering, instantiating and invoking an instance of a dynamic application that at least in part interoperates with said device;

further dynamically discovering, across the network with the dynamic application, at least one further characteristic of said device without requiring the discovered device to execute a discovery software agent; and

at least in part in response to said further dynamic discovering, running the same or different dynamic application to further interoperate with said device.