Device registration in a hierarchical monitor service

• US 8,296,413 B2
• Filed: 05/31/2006
• Issued: 10/23/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Bornhoevd, Christof, Mo, Brian S., Wiemann, Matthias M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Moore, Ian N
• Assistant Examiner(s): Huynh, Dung B
• Application Number:
  US11/443,549
• Publication Number:
  US 20070282988A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,337 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network

Abstract

Monitor services deployable on device networks may be implemented using a modular approach, in which a core monitor service is mapped to one or more devices included in, or associated with, the device networks. Additional monitoring-related functionality may be provided to such devices using plug-ins, add-on services or service components, or other service modules, which interact with the core monitor service. The core monitor service(s) and any monitor service modules may be mapped, to specific ones of the devices, based on, for example, requirements of other services and/or relevant device metadata (e.g., capabilities) of the devices. In additional or alternative implementations, various protocols may be used to register new devices and deployed monitor service(s) with the distributed monitoring service(s) in a fast, secure, energy-efficient, and reliable manner, even as devices join or leave the device network(s).

Claims

1. A method comprising:

transmitting, from a registering monitor service at a first tier of a hierarchical, multi-tier monitoring architecture for a plurality of separate device networks, each device network including a plurality of wireless devices in wireless communications with one another and with a group leader device executing a group leader monitor service at another level of the hierarchical, multi-tier monitoring architecture, a broadcast solicitation message identifying both the registering monitor service and a registered monitor service associated with a second tier of the hierarchical, multi-tier monitoring architecture, wherein the second tier is specified relative to a plurality of available tiers of the hierarchical, multi-tier monitoring architecture, wherein each group leader device is in communications with a local monitor device executing a local monitor service at another level of the hierarchical, multi-tier monitoring architecture and each local monitor device is in communications with a global monitor device executing a global monitor service at another level of the hierarchical, multi-tier monitoring architecture;

transmitting, from the registered monitor service, a broadcast advertisement message indicating an identity and availability of the registered monitoring service for registration, the advertisement message including an identification of the registered monitor service at the second tier, wherein the advertising message is sent in response to the solicitation message or independently thereof;

transmitting, from the registering monitor service and in response to the advertisement message, a registration message including registration data associated with the registering monitor service; and

registering the registering monitor service at the second tier within the hierarchical, multi-tier monitoring architecture, based on the registration data, including storing at least a portion of the registration data at each higher tier of the hierarchical, multi-tier monitoring architecture; and

establishing a communications link between the registering monitor service and additional registered monitor services running on devices at the first tier and lower tiers, if any, based on the stored registration data.

2. The method of claim 1 comprising transmitting, from the registered monitor service, a confirmation message confirming registration of the registering monitor service.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein transmitting the solicitation message comprises transmitting the solicitation message to the second tier, after a previous solicitation message identifying an intervening tier from among the plurality of available tiers of the hierarchical, multi-tier monitoring architecture does not result in receiving the advertisement message.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein transmitting the solicitation message comprises broadcasting the solicitation message at a pre-determined time interval.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein transmitting the advertisement message comprises:

ignoring the previous solicitation message for failure to identify the second tier; and

transmitting the advertisement message based on the solicitation message including its identification of the second tier.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein transmitting the advertisement message comprises transmitting the advertisement message based on a pre-determined time interval.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein transmitting the registration message comprises:

including, within the registration data, device metadata within the registration message and associated with a device on which the connecting service is deployed, and/or

including, within the registration data, service metadata within the registration message and associated with a service deployed on the device.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein transmitting the registration message comprises including, within the registration data, sensor values obtained by a sensor associated with the connecting service.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein transmitting the registration message comprises:

re-transmitting the registration message until the confirmation message is received or until a time-out condition is reached.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein transmitting the registration message comprises:

discarding, at the registering monitor services, a further advertisement message received after the registration message is transmitted.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein transmitting the registration message comprises:

storing the registration data using at least one device associated with the registered monitor service.

12. The method of claim 1 comprising:

deploying a core monitor service onto the registering monitor service;

determining device metadata associated with a device on which the registering monitor service is deployed;

deploying at least one monitor service module onto the device, based on the device metadata; and

transmitting the solicitation message, receiving the advertisement message, and/or transmitting the registration message, using the at least one monitor service module.

13. A system comprising:

a registering monitor service at a first tier of a hierarchical, multi-tiered monitoring architecture that is configured to obtain and report monitor data collected by a plurality of separate device networks, each device network including a plurality of wireless devices in wireless communications with one another and with a group leader device executing a group leader monitor service at another level of the hierarchical, multi-tiered monitoring architecture, wherein each group leader device is in communications with a local monitor device executing a local monitor service at another level of the hierarchical, multi-tiered monitoring architecture and each local monitor device is in communications with a global monitor device executing a global monitor service at another level of the hierarchical, multi-tiered monitoring architecture, the registering monitor service comprising;

a registration system configured to broadcast a solicitation message from the registering monitor service, the solicitation message specifying a tier from among a plurality of tiers of the hierarchical, multi-tiered monitoring architecture that are potentially available for registration, a registered monitor service at a higher-level tier of the hierarchical, multi-tiered monitoring architecture, the registration system being further configured to receive an advertisement message that is broadcast from the registered monitor service in response to the solicitation message or independently thereof, determine that the registered monitor service is a member of the specified tier based on the advertisement message, and send a registration message to the registered monitor service, the registration message including registration data associated with the registering monitor service,

wherein at least a portion of the registration data is stored at each higher tier of the hierarchical, multi-tier monitoring architecture, and wherein the monitor service is configured to establish a communications link between the registering monitor service and additional registered monitor services running on devices at the first tier and lower tiers, if any, based on the stored registration data.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the registration system is configured to receive a confirmation message from the registered monitor service, in response to the registration and confirming that the monitor service is registered with the global monitor service.

15. A method comprising:

receiving a solicitation message broadcast by a registering monitor service at a registered monitor service of a hierarchical, multi-tiered monitor architecture for a plurality of separate device networks, each device network including a plurality of wireless devices in wireless communications with one another and with a group leader device executing a group leader monitor service at another level of the hierarchical, multi-tiered monitor architecture, wherein each group leader device is in communications with a local monitor device executing a local monitor service at another level of the hierarchical, multi-tiered monitor architecture and each local monitor device is in communications with a global monitor device executing a global monitor service at another level of the hierarchical, multi-tiered monitor architecture;

determining that the registering monitor service is not registered through the registered monitor service as a member of the hierarchical, multi-tiered monitor architecture;

determining an identification of a tier from among a plurality of tiers of the hierarchical, multi-tiered monitor architecture that are potentially available for registration, the tier being specified in the solicitation message, the registered monitor service being deployed on the tier;

broadcasting an advertisement message to the registering monitor service, in response to the solicitation message or independently thereof, the advertisement specifying the registered monitor service as being deployed on the tier and available for registration;

receiving a registration message from the registering monitor service in response to the advertisement message, the registration message including registration data associated with the registering monitor service;

registering the registering monitor service within the hierarchical, multi-tiered monitor architecture, based on the registration message, wherein at least a portion of the registration data is stored at each higher tier of the hierarchical, multi-tiered monitor architecture; and

establishing a communications link between the registering monitor service and additional registered monitor services running on devices at the first tier and lower tiers, if any, based on the stored registration data.

16. The method of claim 15 comprising sending a confirmation message to the registering monitor service.

17. The method of claim 15, comprising

receiving a second solicitation message from a second monitor service at the registered monitor service, the second solicitation message identifying a different tier from among the plurality of tiers;

and

ignoring the solicitation message, based on the identification of the different tier.