Method for configuring a monitoring system to monitor selected network elements

• US 20040199626A1
• Filed: 01/09/2003
• Published: 10/07/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/09/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Nuggehalli, Jayasimha
• Granted Patent: US 7,475,133 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0806 for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/00 Arrangements for monitoring or testing data switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0817 by checking functioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/10 Active monitoring, e.g. heartbeat, ping or trace-route

Abstract

According to one aspect of the invention, a method is provided for configuring a monitoring system to monitor selected network elements. According to the method, one or more network elements on a network are automatically discovered. Identification data that identify each of the one or more network elements are generated. A modified version of the identification data is generated in response to user input. Each network element that is identified in the modified version of the identification data is monitored.

Claims

1. A method for configuring a monitoring system to monitor selected network elements, the method comprising:

automatically discovering one or more network elements on a network;

generating identification data that identify each of the one or more network elements that was automatically discovered;

generating a modified version of the identification data in response to user input; and

monitoring each network element that is identified in the modified version of the identification data.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more network elements are one or more devices, each of which includes one or more of a rasterizing mechanism and a printing mechanism.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein automatically discovering one or more network elements comprises automatically discovering all network elements that are on a particular subnet on the network.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the modified version of the identification data includes information about the one or more network elements that an automatic discovery mechanism is not configured to automatically discover.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the modified version of the identification data identifies fewer than the one or more network elements.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting the identification data to a remote device that is configured to represent the HTML Web page within an Internet browser application.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving, from a remote device via an Internet browser application, the user input.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating an HTML Web page that contains the identification data; and

transmitting the HTML Web page to a remote device.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating an HTML Web page that contains the modified version of the identification data; and

transmitting the HTML Web page to a remote device.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting, to a remote device, status information about each network element that is identified in the modified version of the identification data.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting, at one or more specified times to a remote device, status information about each network element that is identified in the modified version of the identification data.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting, to a first remote device in response to receiving a signal from a second remote device, status information about each network element that is identified in the modified version of the identification data.

13. A method for configuring a monitoring system to monitor selected network elements, the method comprising:

automatically discovering one or more network elements on a network;

generating identification data that identify each of the one or more network elements that was automatically discovered;

generating an HTML Web page that contains the identification data;

transmitting the HTML Web page to a remote device;

generating a modified version of the identification data in response to user input; and

transmitting, at one or more specified times to a remote device, status information about each network element that is identified in the modified version of the identification data.

14. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions for configuring a monitoring system to monitor selected network elements, which instructions, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to carry out the steps of:

automatically discovering one or more network elements on a network;

generating identification data that identify each of the one or more network elements that was automatically discovered;

generating a modified version of the identification data in response to user input; and

monitoring each network element that is identified in the modified version of the identification data.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the one or more network elements are one or more devices, each of which includes one or more of a rasterizing mechanism and a printing mechanism.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein automatically discovering one or more network elements comprises automatically discovering all network elements that are on a particular subnet on the network.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the modified version of the identification data includes information about the one or more network elements that an automatic discovery mechanism is not configured to automatically discover.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the modified version of the identification data identifies fewer than the one or more network elements.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the instructions, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to carry out transmitting the identification data to a remote device that is configured to represent the HTML Web page within an Internet browser application.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the instructions, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to carry out receiving, from a remote device via an Internet browser application, the user input.

21. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the instructions, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to carry out the steps of:

generating an HTML Web page that contains the identification data; and

transmitting the HTML Web page to a remote device.

22. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the instructions, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to carry out the steps of:

generating an HTML Web page that contains the modified version of the identification data; and

transmitting the HTML Web page to a remote device.

23. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the instructions, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to carry out transmitting, to a remote device, status information about each network element that is identified in the modified version of the identification data.

24. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the instructions, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to carry out transmitting, at one or more specified times to a remote device, status information about each network element that is identified in the modified version of the identification data.

25. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the instructions, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to carry out transmitting, to a first remote device in response to receiving a signal from a second remote device, status information about each network element that is identified in the modified version of the identification data.

26. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions for configuring a monitoring system to monitor selected network elements, which instructions, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to carry out the steps of:

automatically discovering one or more network elements on a network;

generating identification data that identify each of the one or more network elements that was automatically discovered;

generating an HTML Web page that contains the identification data;

transmitting the HTML Web page to a remote device;

generating a modified version of the identification data in response to user input; and

transmitting, at one or more specified times to a remote device, status information about each network element that is identified in the modified version of the identification data.

27. An apparatus for configuring a monitoring system to monitor selected network elements, the apparatus comprising:

means for automatically discovering one or more network elements on a network;

means for generating identification data that identify each of the one or more network elements that was automatically discovered;

means for generating a modified version of the identification data in response to user input; and

means for monitoring each network element that is identified in the modified version of the identification data.

28. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the one or more network elements are one or more devices, each of which includes one or more of a rasterizing mechanism and a printing mechanism.

29. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the means for automatically discovering one or more network elements comprises means for automatically discovering all network elements that are on a particular subnet on the network.

30. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the modified version of the identification data includes information about the one or more network elements that an automatic discovery mechanism is not configured to automatically discover.

31. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the modified version of the identification data identifies fewer than the one or more network elements.

32. The apparatus of claim 27, further comprising means for transmitting the identification data to a remote device that is configured to represent the HTML Web page within an Internet browser application.

33. The apparatus of claim 27, further comprising means for receiving, from a remote device via an Internet browser application, the user input.

34. The apparatus of claim 27, further comprising:

means for generating an HTML Web page that contains the identification data; and

means for transmitting the HTML Web page to a remote device.

35. The apparatus of claim 27, further comprising:

means for generating an HTML Web page that contains the modified version of the identification data; and

means for transmitting the HTML Web page to a remote device.

36. The apparatus of claim 27, further comprising means for transmitting, to a remote device, status information about each network element that is identified in the modified version of the identification data.

37. The apparatus of claim 27, further comprising means for transmitting, at one or more specified times to a remote device, status information about each network element that is identified in the modified version of the identification data.

38. The apparatus of claim 27, further comprising means for transmitting, to a first remote device in response to receiving a signal from a second remote device, status information about each network element that is identified in the modified version of the identification data.

39. An apparatus for configuring a monitoring system to monitor selected network elements, the apparatus comprising:

means for automatically discovering one or more network elements on a network;

means for generating identification data that identify each of the one or more network elements that was automatically discovered;

means for generating an HTML Web page that contains the identification data;

means for transmitting the HTML Web page to a remote device;

means for generating a modified version of the identification data in response to user input; and

means for transmitting, at one or more specified times to a remote device, status information about each network element that is identified in the modified version of the identification data.