System and method for advanced event request management for networks

• US 5,987,514 A
• Filed: 10/30/1996
• Issued: 11/16/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Oracle America, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sun Microsystems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Rangarajan, Govindarajan
• Primary Examiner(s): Dinh, Dung C.
• Application Number:
  US08/741,476
• Time in Patent Office: 1,112 Days
• Field of Search: 395/200.53, 395/200.54, 395/825, 395/835, 395/837, 395/838, 395/389, 714/48, 714/57
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0213 Standardised network management protocols, e.g. simple network management protocol [SNMP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/044 comprising hierarchical management structures
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0681 Configuration of triggering conditions

Abstract

A network manager automatically sends certain requests in response to selected events generated by network devices. When a device generates an event, the network manager can send stop requests to the device; send different event requests to the device; or send the same event request to the device, but over a different path. The stop request is sent to cut down on network management traffic. The different event requests can be sent to determine why the event was generated by the device in the first place. The same event request can be sent over a different path to determine whether a problem exists with the device itself or with the path to the device.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of monitoring a network of devices, comprising the steps of:

providing each of said devices with one or more agents that are in communication therewith, each agent used to ascertain information about one or more associated devices;

for each of a subset of said devices, transmitting an event request to a specified agent associated with a specified one of said devices in said subset, said event request instructing said specified agent to poll said device for an occurrence of an event and to generate an event report when said event occurs;

receiving one or more event reports, each event report received from a respective agent associated with a respective event-affected device; and

responding to a received event report from said respective agent for said respective event-affected device by automatically sending one or more additional event requests to the respective agent associated with said respective event-affected device, each of a first subset of said additional event requests instructing a particular agent to terminate polling said associated device for said corresponding event, each of a second subset of said additional event requests instructing a specified agent associated with a respective event-affected device to obtain additional information concerning a corresponding event.

2. The method of claim 1,

performing a remedial action corresponding to at least one of said received event reports.

3. The method of claim 1,

acquiring one or more additional event reports from said agents associated with said respective event-affected device, each additional event report responding to a corresponding one of said second subset of additional event requests.

4. The method of claim 1,

a subset of said agents associated with each of said devices including one or more proxy agents;

and

wherein at least one of said additional event requests is sent to one of said proxy agents.

5. The method of claim 1,

displaying one or more of said received event reports.

6. A computer-implemented method for managing a network of devices, comprising the steps of:

associating each of said devices with one or more agents that are in communication with each said device, each said agent used to ascertain information about one or more associated devices;

providing a database including a plurality of records used to generate one or more event requests for one or more of said devices, each said event request associated with a particular one of said devices and instructing an agent associated with said particular device to poll one of said devices for an occurrence of an event, each said event request including a stop request field, each said stop request field specifying a stop event request that is sent to said particular device'"'"'s associated agent to terminate said polling;

generating one or more event requests from said database records;

receiving one or more event reports, each event report received from a respective agent associated with a respective event-affected device;

responding to a received event report from said respective agent for said respective event-affected device by automatically sending one or more additional event requests to the respective agent associated with said respective event-affected device in accordance with ones of said database records associated with said respective event-affected device; and

acquiring one or more additional event reports from said agents associated with a respective event-affected device.

7. The method of claim 6,

modifying at least one of said records in said database during runtime.

8. The method of claim 6,

displaying one or more of said received event reports.

9. The method of claim 6,

performing a remedial action corresponding to at least one of said received event reports.

10. The method of claim 6,

each said event request further including a start request field specifying one or more additional event requests that are generated when said event occurs.

11. The method of claim 6,

each said event request further including a proxy field specifying an alternate agent for communicating with a particular device.

12. A computer system for monitoring a network of devices, comprising:

a plurality of agents, each agent in communication with one or more of said devices, each said agent used to ascertain information about one or more devices associated therewith; and

a network management procedure that includes instructions to

generate one or more event requests, each said event request associated with one of said devices, each said event request used to instruct a specified agent to poll a particular one of said devices to obtain a particular attribute value associated with said particular device;

transmit each said generated event request to a specified agent,

receive one or more event reports from ones of said agents associated with event-affected devices, and

automatically generate one or more additional event requests in response to each of a subset of said received event reports, each said additional event request associated with a specified one of said devices, each of a first subset of said additional event requests used to terminate a specified agent from polling a particular one of said devices, each of a second subset of said additional event requests used to obtain an additional attribute value associated with a specified device.

13. The system of claim 12,

each of a third subset of said additional event requests used to designate a proxy agent to communicate with a specified one of said devices.

14. The system of claim 12,

said network management procedure further including instructions to display one or more of said received event reports.

15. The system of claim 12,

said network management procedure further including instructions to perform a remedial action corresponding to at least one of said received event reports.

16. A computer readable storage medium for storing data for access by programs being executed on a data processing system that is in communication with a plurality of agents, where each agent is in communication with one or more devices and each said agent is used to ascertain information about the one or more devices associated therewith;

said medium comprising;

a network management procedure that includes instructions to

generate one or more event requests, each said event request associated with one of said devices, each said event request used to instruct a specified agent to poll a particular one of said devices to obtain a particular attribute value associated with said particular device;

transmit each said generated event request to a specified agent;

receive one or more event reports from ones of said agents associated with event-affected devices; and

automatically generate one or more additional event requests in response to each of a subset of said received event reports, each said additional event request associated with one of said devices, each of a first subset of said additional event requests used to terminate a specified agent from polling a particular one of said devices, each of a second subset of said additional event requests used to obtain an additional attribute value associated with a particular device.

17. The medium of claim 16,

each of a third subset of said additional event requests used to designate a proxy agent to communicate with a specified one of said devices.

18. The medium of claim 16,

said network management procedure further including instructions to display one or more of said received event reports.

19. The medium of claim 16,

said network management procedure further including instructions to perform a remedial action corresponding to at least one of said received event reports.