Method and apparatus for collecting and displaying network device information

• US 7,779,026 B2
• Filed: 05/02/2003
• Issued: 08/17/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: American Power Conversion Corporation (Schneider Electric SE)
• Original Assignee: American Power Conversion Corporation (Schneider Electric SE)
• Inventors: Martinek, Joshua Thomas, Faulkner, Gary
• Primary Examiner(s): Mahmoudi; Tony
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kim; Paul
• Application Number:
  US10/428,874
• Publication Number:
  US 20030208480A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,664 Days
• Field of Search: 707/103, 709/224
• US Class Current: 707/769
• 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 41/046 comprising network management agents or mobile agents therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/00 Arrangements for monitoring or testing data switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0817 by checking functioning

Abstract

In one particular embodiment, the disclosure is directed to a network management system. The network monitoring system includes at least one device definition file, a simple network management protocol enabled communications interface, and a data access interface. The definition file includes query instructions associated with portions of MIBs associated with a network device. The simple network management protocol enabled communications interface may access the network device using the query instructions and may receive response data from the network device. The data access interface may be configured to provide external access to the response data and configure thresholds.

Claims

1. A network monitoring appliance for monitoring a remote network device, the network monitoring appliance comprising:

at least one device definition file residing on the network monitoring appliance and comprising query instructions and conversion instructions, the query instructions and conversion instructions being associated with the remote network device, the query instructions including at least one instruction for accessing supplemental data in the at least one device definition file, the supplemental data including at least one description for display in a user interface, the at least one description being associated with at least one object identification of the remote network device, the conversion instructions including at least one scaling factor for converting a unit of measure of response data;

a simple network management protocol enabled communications interface configured to;

access the remote network device using the query instructions;

receive the response data from the remote network device;

manipulate the response data using the conversion instructions; and

add at least a portion of the supplemental data including the at least one description to the response data; and

a data access interface configured to provide external access to the response data.

2. The network monitoring appliance of claim 1, wherein the device definition file is stored in a non-volatile storage.

3. The network monitoring appliance of claim 1, wherein the device definition file is acquired from a repository.

4. The network monitoring appliance of claim 3, wherein the device definition file is retrieved from a remote storage in response to detection of the remote network device on the network.

5. The network monitoring appliance of claim 3, wherein the device definition file is replaced by an updated device definition file.

6. The network monitoring appliance of claim 1, wherein a notification is communicated by the data access interface in response to comparison of a value associated with the query instructions and a threshold value.

7. The network monitoring appliance of claim 1, wherein the query instructions are associated with the at least one object identification and the at least one object identification is associated with a management information base.

8. The network monitoring appliance of claim 7, wherein the at least one object identification is associated with an environmental measurement.

9. The network monitoring appliance of claim 7, wherein the at least one object identification is associated with a physical measurement.

10. The network monitoring appliance of claim 7, wherein the object identification is associated with a measurement selected from the group consisting of fan speed, temperature, and power quality.

33. The network monitoring appliance of claim 1, wherein the response data is data measured by the remote network device.

41. The network monitoring appliance of claim 1, wherein the network monitoring appliance is a stand-alone device built to perform a well-defined set of functions and that is capable of connecting to a global network.

11. A network monitoring appliance for monitoring a remote network device, the network monitoring appliance comprising:

at least one definition file residing on the network monitoring appliance and comprising query instructions for accessing a management information base supporting the remote network device and further comprising conversion instructions, wherein the query instructions and the conversion instructions are associated with the remote network device, the query instructions include at least one instruction for accessing supplemental data in the at least one device definition file, the supplemental data includes at least one description for display in a user interface, the at least one description is associated with at least one object identification of the remote network device and the conversion instructions include at least one scaling factor for converting a unit of measure of response data;

a simple network management protocol communications interface configured to;

access the remote network device using the query instructions;

receive the response data from the remote network device;

manipulate the response data using the conversion instructions; and

add at least a portion of the supplemental data including the at least one description to the response data; and

a data access interface configured to send a notification in response to a comparison of a threshold value and the response data.

12. The network monitoring appliance of claim 11, wherein the device definition file is stored in a non-volatile storage.

13. The network monitoring appliance of claim 11, wherein the device definition file is acquired from a repository.

14. The network monitoring appliance of claim 13, wherein the device definition file is retrieved from a remote storage in response to detection of the remote network device on the network.

15. The network monitoring appliance of claim 13, wherein the device definition file is replaced by an updated device definition file.

16. The network monitoring appliance of claim 11, wherein the notification is communicated by the data access interface in response to comparison of a value associated with the query instructions and a threshold value.

17. The network monitoring appliance of claim 11, wherein the query instructions are associated with the at least one object identification and the at least one object identification is associated with the management information base incorporated together with the remote network device.

18. The network monitoring appliance of claim 17, wherein the object identification is associated with an environmental measurement.

19. The network monitoring appliance of claim 17, wherein the object identification is associated with a physical measurement.

20. The network monitoring appliance of claim 17, wherein the at least one object identification is associated with a measurement selected from the group consisting of fan speed, temperature, and power quality.

34. The network monitoring appliance of claim 11, wherein the response data is data measured by the remote network device.

21. A device definition file stored on a network monitoring appliance and associated with a remote network device, the device definition file comprising:

query instructions for accessing a management information base using a simple network management protocol interface, the query instructions being associated with the remote network device and including at least one instruction for accessing supplemental data in the at least one device definition file;

supplemental data associated with the remote network device, the supplemental data including at least one description for display in a user interface, the at least one description being associated with at least one object identification of the remote network device;

computer-implemented instructions for unit conversion of at least one field of retrieved data associated with the query instructions, the instructions for unit conversion being associated with the remote network device and including at least one scaling factor for converting a unit of measure of the at least one field of retrieved data; and

computer-implemented instructions for adding at least a portion of the supplemental data including the at least one description to the response data.

22. The device definition file of claim 21, wherein the supplemental data includes a list of descriptive names.

23. The device definition file of claim 21, wherein the query instructions includes a static query.

24. The device definition file of claim 21, wherein the query instructions are associated with the at least one object identification and the object identification is associated with parameters selected from the group consisting of temperature, power quality, and fan speed.

25. The device definition file of claim 21, wherein the query includes a table query.

26. The device definition file of claim 21, wherein the device definition file includes information stored in a computer memory.

35. The device definition file of claim 21, wherein the retrieved data is data measured by the remote network device.

27. In a network monitoring appliance, a method of producing converted data associated with a remote network device, the method comprising:

accessing the remote network device to retrieve response data from the remote network device using query instructions associated with a device definition file and an associated simple network management protocol interface, the device definition file residing on the network monitoring appliance;

retrieving supplemental data from the device definition file, the supplemental data including at least one description for display in a user interface, the at least one description being associated with at least one object identification of the remote network device;

receiving the response data from the remote network device;

converting the response data in accordance with conversion instructions included in the device definition file to produce converted data, the conversion instructions being associated with the remote network device and including at least one scaling factor for converting a unit of measure of the response data; and

adding at least a portion of the supplemental data including the at least one description to the response data.

28. The method of claim 27, further comprising defining the remote network device.

29. The method of claim 27, further comprising installing the device definition file associated with the remote network device.

30. The method of claim 27, further comprising determining a portion of the device definition file applicable to the remote network device.

31. The method of claim 30, further comprising saving queries associated within the portion of the device definition file applicable to the remote network device.

32. The method of claim 27, further comprising:

comparing the response data to a threshold value; and

selectively sending a notification in response to the step of comparing.

36. The method of claim 27, wherein the response data from the remote network device is data measured by the remote network device.

37. A network appliance for monitoring a remote network device, the network appliance comprising:

a processor configured to be coupled to the remote network device via a network connection;

a memory including computer readable instructions configured to cause the processor to;

detect whether the remote network device is coupled to the processor;

produce a device definition file corresponding to the remote network device by causing the processor to;

access a management information base;

parse the management information base to identify an object identifier of interest;

store the device definition file in the memory;

retrieve supplemental data stored in the device definition file, the supplemental data including at least one description for display in a user interface, the at least one description being associated with an object identification of the remote network device;

convert measured response data received from the remote network device using a scaling factor included in the device definition file; and

add at least a portion of the supplemental data including the at least one description to the response data.

38. The network appliance of claim 37, wherein the generation of the device definition file further includes producing query instructions using the object identifier of interest.

39. The network appliance of claim 37, wherein the generation of the device definition file further includes producing supplemental instructions associated with the remote network device.

40. The network appliance of claim 37, wherein the generation of the device definition file further includes producing conversion instructions associated with the remote network device.