System monitor for networks of nodes

• US 20070283001A1
• Filed: 05/31/2006
• Published: 12/06/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Spiess, Patrik, Sa de Souza, Luciana Moreira, Haller, Stephan, Nochta, Zoltan
• Granted Patent: US 8,065,411 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0233 Object-oriented techniques, for representation of network management data, e.g. common object request broker architecture [CORBA]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0266 using meta-data, objects or commands for formatting management information, e.g. using eXtensible markup language [XML]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0273 using web services for network management, e.g. simple object access protocol [SOAP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/028 for synchronisation between service call and response
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/34 Signalling channels for network management communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/00 Arrangements for monitoring or testing data switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/22 Traffic simulation tools or models
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/18 Information format or content conversion, e.g. adaptation by the network of the transmitted or received information for the purpose of wireless delivery to users or terminals
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/944 Business related

Abstract

Systems and methods are described that provide a system monitor component, e.g., for a sensor network, which may include, e.g., a server component that is continuously running and monitoring zero or more networks consisting of (possibly wireless) devices, where each network may be executing a different communications protocol, such as a proprietary, platform-dependent protocol. The system monitor may maintain a system model of the networks. The system monitor may be connected with the networks through a message transport system that routes any occurring messages in a common or standard communications protocol, as well as message handlers that access either platform-abstracting gateways or the proprietary messages that the devices of one or more of the networks may use.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a first message handler configured to receive first monitor data associated with a first network, the first network using a first communications protocol;

a second message handler configured to receive second monitor data associated with a second network, the second sensor network using a second communications protocol;

a message transport system configured to receive the first monitor data and the second monitor data and further configured to route the first monitor data and the second monitor data in a common protocol, based on content thereof; and

a system monitor configured to receive the first monitor data and the second monitor data from the message transport system, in the common protocol and based on the routing, and further configured to generate a system model describing the first network and the second network, based on the first monitor data and the second monitor data.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the first message handler comprises:

a native message handler in communication with a message bridge to receive the first monitor data, the message bridge being in communication with at least one device of the first network using the first communications protocol,

wherein the native message handler is configured to translate the first monitor data from the first communications protocol to the common communications protocol.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the message bridge is configured to encapsulate the first monitor data in the first communications protocol for transmission thereof to the native message handler.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the second message handler comprises:

a gateway message handler in communication with a service gateway to receive the second monitor data, the service gateway being in communication with at least one device of the second network and being compatible with the second communications protocol,

wherein the gateway message handler is configured to receive the second monitor data in the common communications protocol from the service gateway for forwarding to the message transport system.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the service gateway is configured to provide service proxies representing devices and/or services of the second network.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the message transport system is configured to select the system monitor from among a plurality of system monitors for routing the first monitor data and/or the second monitor data thereto, based on content of the first monitor data and/or the second monitor data.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the system monitor is configured to provide a request for additional monitor data, and wherein the message transport system is configured to select the first message handler and/or the second message handler for forwarding to the first network or the second network, respectively, based on content of the request.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the message transport system comprises a notification broker configured to publish at least some of the first monitor data and/or the second monitor data to the system monitor and/or to an application requesting at least a subset of the system model.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the message transport system comprises:

a service invoker that is configured to;

receive a request for additional monitor data,

select the first network as being configured to provide the additional monitor data, based on a content of the request, and

forward the request to the first message handler.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the first network and/or the second network includes a sensor network

11. The system of claim 1 wherein the system monitor is configured to interface with an application to provide at least a subset of the system model thereto.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein the first monitor data and/or the second monitor data includes one or more of device metadata about one or more devices in the first and/or the second network, aggregated device metadata, service metadata related to at least one service running on one or more devices of the first and/or the second network, aggregated service data, network data associated with the first network or the second network, or sensor values collected in association the one or more devices.

13. A method comprising:

receiving first monitor data at a first message handler associated with a first sensor network, in an encapsulated data packet including the first monitor data therein, using a first communications protocol that is used by the first sensor network;

translating the first monitor data from the first communications protocol to a common communications protocol;

receiving the first monitor data at a message transport system that is configured to forward the first monitor data to a system monitor in the common communications protocol;

receiving second monitor data at the message transport system from a second message handler associated with a second sensor network, in the common communications protocol;

routing the first monitor data and the second monitor data to a system monitor configured to monitor a state of the first sensor network and/or the second sensor network; and

updating a system model providing the state of the first sensor network and/or the second sensor network, based on the first monitor data and the second monitor data.

14. The method of claim 13 comprising:

receiving a request from an application for at least a subset of the system model; and

providing the at least the subset of the system model to the application.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein routing the first monitor data and the second monitor data to a system monitor comprises:

determining the system monitor from among a plurality of system monitors, based on content of the first monitor data and/or the second monitor data.

16. A system comprising:

a plurality of message handlers, each message handler associated with at least one sensor network in which a plurality of devices are configured to communicate wirelessly with one another using a platform-dependent communications protocol;

a plurality of system monitors configured to collect monitor data related to the at least one sensor network from the plurality of message handlers, each system monitor configured to provide a system model representing state information about the at least one sensor network; and

a message transport system configured to route messages related to the monitor data between the plurality of system monitors and the plurality of message handlers, based on content of the messages.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein the plurality of message handlers comprise:

a native message handler that is configured to communicate with a message bridge positioned in a vicinity of an associated sensor network, and further configured to translate messages exchanged with the message bridge between at least one common communications protocol used by the native message handler, the message transport system, and the system monitor, and at least a first platform-dependent communications protocol used by the associated sensor network and the message bridge.

18. The system of claim 16 wherein the plurality of message handlers comprise:

a gateway message handler that is configured to communicate with a service gateway positioned in a vicinity of an associated sensor network, and further configured to forward messages exchanged with the service gateway using at least one common communications protocol used by the gateway message handler, the message transport system, the system monitor, and the service gateway, and at least a first platform-dependent communications protocol used by the associated sensor network and the service gateway.

19. The system of claim 16 wherein the message transport system includes a notification/invocation mechanism configured to publish the monitor data to at least one of the system monitors, and further configured to invoke requests for the monitor data at at least one of the plurality of message handlers.

20. The system of claim 16 wherein at least one of the plurality of system monitors includes an interface configured to publish at least a subset of an associated system model to an application, based on a subscription of the application with the system monitor using the interface.