METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR NETWORK MANAGEMENT USING PERIODIC STATUS MESSAGES

• US 20100274881A1
• Filed: 07/01/2010
• Published: 10/28/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/26/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc.
• Original Assignee: The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc.
• Inventors: Householder, David W., Tharp, Thomas, Komlenic, Todd M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,135,819 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/10 Active monitoring, e.g. heartbeat, ping or trace-route
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/16 Threshold monitoring

Abstract

Methods of managing a network comprising a plurality of agents. The methods may comprise the step of storing a plurality of agent data files corresponding to the plurality of agents. The methods may also comprise the step of receiving periodic status messages from at least a portion of the plurality of agents. Upon receiving a status message from a first agent, the methods may comprise the step of updating an agent data file corresponding to the first agent. Also, the methods may comprise the steps of periodically identifying agent data files from the plurality of agent data files that have not been updated for a predetermined amount of time; and sending a request for response to a second agent corresponding to an agent data file that has not been updated for a predetermined amount of time.

Claims

1. A method of managing a network comprising a plurality of agents, the method comprising:

storing a plurality of agent data files, wherein each of the agent data files corresponds to one of the plurality of agents;

receiving periodic status messages from at least a portion of the plurality of agents;

upon receiving a status message from a first agent, updating an agent data file corresponding to the first agent;

periodically identifying agent data files from the plurality of agent data files that have not been updated for a predetermined amount of time; and

sending a request for response to a second agent corresponding to an agent data file that has not been updated for a predetermined amount of time.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising updating an agent data file corresponding to a third agent upon receiving a status message from the third agent.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein sending the request for response to the second agent comprises at least one of the group consisting of pinging the second agent and initiating a Trivial File Transfer Protocol (TFTP) session with the second agent.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising adding the second agent to a list of agents in default if no response to the request for response is received.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising adding the second agent to a list of agents in default if its corresponding agent data file is not updated within the predetermined amount of time more than a predetermined number of times.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising communicating with at least one of the plurality of agents via a wireless connection.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the status message comprises status information describing the first agent.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the status message comprises an indication of at least one of the group consisting of Received Signal Strength Indication (RSSI), pilot signal to interference ratio (E_C/I_O), channel and an Ethernet status.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising comparing the status information describing the first agent to a failure threshold, wherein the failure threshold is based on historic status information received from the first agent.

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising comparing the status information to at least one failure profile, wherein the failure profile is based on status information received from other agents prior to the failure of the other agents.

11. A computer system comprising:

a plurality of agents; and

a host in communication with the plurality of agents via a network, wherein the host is configured to;

store a plurality of agent data files, wherein each of the agent data files corresponds to one of the plurality of agents;

receive periodic status messages from at least a portion of the plurality of agents;

upon receiving a status message from a first agent, update an agent data file corresponding to the first agent;

periodically identify agent data files from the plurality of agent data files that have not been updated for a predetermined amount of time; and

send a request for response to a second agent corresponding to an agent data file that has not been updated for a predetermined amount of time.

12. The computer system of claim 11, wherein the network comprises a proprietary network and a remote network.

13. The computer system of claim 11, wherein the host is further configured to send the request for response to the second agent by at least one of the group consisting of pinging the second agent and initiating a Trivial File Transfer Protocol (TFTP) session with the second agent.

14. The computer system of claim 11, wherein the host is further configured to add the second agent to a list of agents in default if no response to the request for response is received.

15. The computer system of claim 11, wherein the host is further configured to communicate with at least one of the plurality of agents via a wireless connection.

16. The computer system of claim 11, wherein the status message comprises status information describing the first agent.

17. The computer system of claim 16, wherein the status message comprises an indication of at least one of the group consisting of Received Signal Strength Indication (RSSI), pilot signal to interference ratio (E_C/I_O), channel and an Ethernet status.

18. The computer system of claim 16, wherein the host is further configured to compare the status information describing the first agent to a failure threshold, wherein the failure threshold is based on historic status information received from the first agent.

19. The computer system of claim 16, wherein the host is further configured to compare the status information to at least one failure profile, wherein the failure profile is based on status information received from other agents prior to the failure of the other agents.

20. A computer readable medium having instructions stored thereon that when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform the steps of:

storing a plurality of agent data files, wherein each of the agent data files corresponds to one of a plurality of agents;

receiving periodic status messages from at least a portion of the plurality of agents;

upon receiving a status message from a first agent, updating an agent data file corresponding to the first agent;

periodically identifying agent data files from the plurality of agent data files that have not been updated for a predetermined amount of time; and

sending a request for response to a second agent corresponding to an agent data file that has not been updated for a predetermined amount of time.