JP2002318737A - Managing server - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a managing server for preventing external invasion by reducing maintenance operation costs for the group of servers distributed for information providing services and minimizing the number of ports to be opened for maintenance operation. SOLUTION: A managing server has an internal environment monitoring function for successively comparing each of internal environment information of respective distributed servers 1-3 stored inside an issuing server 6 and internal environment information stored inside each of distributed servers 1-3 corresponding to prescribed requests from the distributed servers 1-3 or automatically by autonomous operation and an internal environment replacing function for replacing the internal environment information in the distributed servers 1-3 by the internal environment information stored in the issuing server 6 when there is a difference between the information as functions corresponding to the maintenance operation.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention [0002] The present invention relates to a management server for managing a plurality of distributed servers distributed in remote locations.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, along with the development of an environment for always-on connection to the Internet, there has been an increasing number of companies that do not provide information as a main service and provide information provision services by installing their own servers. In particular, with the rapid spread of mobile phones capable of connecting to the Internet, which require a small bandwidth (line speed) to connect to the Internet, and their use in business applications, information to mobile objects using small servers is used. The number of small and medium-sized businesses providing services is increasing.

[0003]

There are many cases where there is no dedicated server administrator among small and medium-sized businesses that provide the above-mentioned information providing service, and the maintenance and operation of the server is performed by another external company. Because many cases were entrusted to
There was a problem that the maintenance and operation cost of the server was large for small and medium-sized businesses.

[0004] Further, when a service provider other than the service provider that provides the information providing service performs remote maintenance of the server, a dedicated administrator performs remote access (enters the server using communication means to maintain the inside of the server). ) Or an application dedicated to management (management middleware) for maintenance. Therefore, in this case as well, there is a problem that the maintenance and operation cost of the server is large for small and medium-sized businesses.

In addition, when performing maintenance by remotely accessing a server, there are further technical and cost problems as described below.

In order to perform remote access to a server, a port for remote access (by the Internet, for example, TELNET (TCP / IP (Transmission Control
Protocol / Internet Protocol) In a network, a standard method for remotely controlling a computer connected to the network) TCP port 23, and TCP / IP port 20, 21 for data transfer to a server.
In the case of internal monitoring of the server, ports on the 2400s and the like must be opened on the server side, which has resulted in the opening of entry points for external attacks.

When the number of servers at remote locations increases, it becomes necessary to record the internal conditions of those servers individually, and to collate the records with the individual records at the time of improvement or measures against problems. Since the number of servers that can be managed by a given name administrator is limited, it is necessary to increase the number of administrators, and there is also a problem that human costs increase.

In the case where dedicated management software is introduced, there is a problem that a cost (commercial license fee) for introducing the management software to each server at a remote location is required, and the cost increases as the number of servers increases. .

In the case of connection using a local IP network such as ISDN or the use of a constantly connected environment of a newly entered telecommunications carrier, there are many cases where a global IP address representing an address in the Internet world is changed in a fixed time. In many cases, it becomes difficult to maintain the server via the server. In such a case, it is necessary to connect a modem having a reception function called an access server and a terminal adapter to the telephone line for remote access, which has increased equipment costs.

Further, in the conventional information providing service using a small server, a database is often used for customer management and inventory management. However, in consideration of an increase in database license fee, a database of a free license is sometimes used. There were too many and the following problems.

A free database server is inferior in reliability because there is no replication (a function of making a copy of the database including a remote place and preparing for an accident) which a commercial database has.

An interlocking operation function between databases (COR)
BA (Common Object Request Broker Architecture)
Function: The function for exchanging messages between objects (program parts) in a heterogeneous distributed environment is very weak, and it is mainly used independently, and is not suitable for a distributed server environment.

[0013] When the capacity of the database is large, an injury is likely to occur, and it is necessary to perform regular maintenance, and the maintenance cost is high.

Since the database functions are not abundant and the processing speed is slow, complicated database processing functions such as customer preference analysis are weak.

[0015] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention reduces maintenance operation costs for a group of servers distributed for an information providing service, minimizes ports opened for maintenance operations, and prevents external intrusion. The purpose is to provide a management server to prevent such problems.

[0016]

According to the first aspect of the present invention,
A management server for managing an internal environment that is set in each of a plurality of distributed servers distributed in a remote place, and a storage unit that stores internal environment information of each of the distributed servers; Sequentially accessing the server, environment information acquisition means for acquiring internal environment information from each distributed server, and comparing the internal environment information acquired from each distributed server with the stored internal environment information of each distributed server, Detecting means for detecting whether or not the environment information has been changed for each distributed server; and environment information for replacing the internal environment of the distributed server in which the change of the environment information has been detected with the stored internal environment information of the corresponding distributed server. And substituting means.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a management server for managing an internal environment set in each of a plurality of distributed servers distributed in a remote place, wherein the internal environment of each of the distributed servers is managed. When information is stored in a storage unit, the environment information acquisition unit periodically accesses each of the distributed servers sequentially and acquires internal environment information from each distributed server. When the detection unit acquires the internal environment information acquired from each distributed server, And comparing the stored internal environment information of each distributed server to detect the presence or absence of a change in the environment information for each distributed server. Is replaced by the stored internal environment information of the corresponding distributed server.

Therefore, when the setting of the internal environment is changed in the distributed server, the user or the service person of the distributed server does not have to take the trouble of acquiring the internal environment data from the management server, and does not have to take the trouble of acquiring the internal environment data from the management server. The autonomous process enables the process of changing the internal environment to be executed easily and accurately at low cost.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a management server which manages address information set in each of a plurality of distributed servers distributed in a remote place, wherein the address information set in each of the distributed servers is provided. A storage means for storing, and an address information obtaining means for periodically accessing each of the distributed servers and obtaining address information from each distributed server,
Detecting means for comparing the address information acquired from each distributed server with the stored address information of each distributed server to detect whether or not the address information has been changed for each distributed server; Address information changing means for changing the address information of the distributed server to other manageable address information in response to the address information change request from the distributed server.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a management server which manages address information set in each of a plurality of distributed servers distributed in a remote place, and is set in each of the distributed servers. The address information is stored in the storage means, and the address information obtaining means periodically accesses the distributed servers sequentially and obtains the address information from each distributed server. When the detecting means obtains the address information obtained from each distributed server, And the stored address information of each distributed server is compared to detect whether or not the address information has been changed for each distributed server. In response to the address information change request, the address information of the distributed server is changed to other manageable address information.

Therefore, even if the address information (for example, the IP address) on the distributed server side is changed, the management server can autonomously operate to cope with the change. The burden can be reduced and the management cost can be reduced.

Further, as in the invention described in claim 3,
3. The management server according to claim 1, wherein, when accessing the distributed servers from the management server, only a specific control port corresponding to a predetermined communication protocol provided on each distributed server side is accessed. It is valid.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, when each of the distributed servers is accessed from the management server, only the specific control port corresponding to a predetermined communication protocol provided on each distributed server is accessed. By doing
It is possible to prevent external intrusion by minimizing the number of ports opened by the distributed server for maintenance operation, and improve the reliability of the system including the distributed server.

[0024]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. 1 to 4 are diagrams showing an embodiment of an information providing system to which a management server according to the present invention is applied. First, the configuration will be described. FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an overall configuration of an information providing system 100 according to the present embodiment. The information providing system 100 includes a plurality of distributed servers 1 to 3, a management server 4, a dynamic DNS server 5, a publishing server 6, And an information providing service for a mobile communication terminal (a mobile phone, a mobile information terminal, or the like) 10 that can be connected to the Internet.

In FIG. 1, it is assumed that the distributed server 3 is connected to the Internet N via a local IP network L, and the distributed servers 1, 2 and the management server 4 are connected to the Internet N.

The distributed servers 1 to 3 are distributed and installed in each region serving as a base in order to provide an information providing service, and are provided to the users of the portable communication terminals 10 registered in each region via the Internet N. To provide information providing services through. Each of the distributed servers 1 to 3 has a database (not shown) for providing information, and is hereinafter referred to as a distributed database.

Further, the distributed servers 1 to 3 make inquiries about the name of the own server to the dynamic DNS server 5 as a function corresponding to the maintenance operation, and when there is a difference between their own IP addresses and names. Is SMTP (Simple Mail
Transfer Protocol) has a modification request function of outputting a request to modify the DNS information of the distributed servers 1 to 3 to the dynamic DNS server 5.

Further, the distributed servers 1 to 3 function as a function corresponding to the maintenance operation when their operation is injured.
It has a failure occurrence request function for outputting a predetermined request to the issuing server 6 according to the SMTP protocol.

The management server 4 has, as a function corresponding to the maintenance operation, each server name (U
(RL address) or a global IP address, and a remote access function for remotely accessing the distributed servers 1 to 3.

The management server 4 automatically performs remote access to the distributed servers 1 to 3 by a predetermined request from the distributed servers 1 to 3 or autonomous operation as a function corresponding to the maintenance operation. Internal environment monitoring function for sequentially comparing the internal environment information of each of the distributed servers 1 to 3 stored in each of the distributed servers 1 to 3 with the internal environment information stored in each of the distributed servers 1 to 3, there is a difference between the information. In the case, there is provided an internal environment replacement function for replacing the internal environment information in the distributed servers 1 to 3 with the internal environment information stored in the issuing server 6.

Further, the management server 4 allocates the function of the issuing server 6 to one of the distributed servers 1 to 3 as a function corresponding to the interlocking operation with the database, Is written into the management database 7 according to a predetermined procedure.

The dynamic DNS server 5 measures a predetermined response from the distributed servers 1 to 3 as a function corresponding to the maintenance operation, and operates the distributed servers 1 to 3 in accordance with a predetermined procedure.
3 has a dynamic DNS (Domain Name Server) function of dynamically assigning a server name (URL address) and an IP address to the distributed servers 1 to 3 in accordance with the response status.

Further, while the management server 4 is rewriting the management database 7 with the contents of the distributed database, the dynamic DNS server 5 provides general access to the distributed server to be rewritten, To access other distributed servers that are not targeted for rewriting,
It has an address change function of changing a server name (URL address) and an IP address assigned to another distributed server to temporarily substitute an access destination.

The issuing server 6 has a storage server function for recording and storing a predetermined internal state (for example, program name, version, capacity, etc.) of each of the distributed servers 1 to 3.

The management database 7 is under the control of the management server 4, and the contents of each of the distributed databases of the distributed servers 1 to 3 are written by the management server 4 in a predetermined procedure. The management database 7 stores each distributed server 1
3 has a function of complementing each distributed database.

In the information providing system 100 shown in FIG. 1, between the distributed servers 1 to 3 and the management server 4,
SSH (Secure SHell) with encrypted communication protocol
(Generally use port 22 of the server) or S
SL (Secure Socket Layer) (generally 44
(Port 3 is used), and all port transfers are executed.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described. First, in the information providing system 100 of FIG. 1, an operation example in an initial state will be described based on an operation description 1 initial state example shown in FIG. In the initial state of FIG. 2, the distributed server 1 has the URL address “ab@abc.com” and the IP address “12
3.456.789.001 ”is allocated, the internal environment“ AB ”and the distributed database“ AB ”are set, and the distributed server 2 has the URL address“ cd@abc.co ”.
m, an IP address "123.456.789.002", an internal environment "AB" and a distributed database "CD" are set, and a URL address "fg@vbc.net" and an IP Address `` 223.456.789.00
2 ”and its internal environment“ f
g "and a distributed database" fg "are set.

In the initial state of FIG. 2, the management server 4 associates the URL addresses of the distributed servers 1 to 3 with the internal environment information in order to compare changes in the internal environments of the distributed servers 1 to 3. As shown in the figure, "ab@abc.com=internal environment A"
B ”, and stores“ cd@abc.com=
Internal environment AB ”is stored, and“ fg
@ vbc.net = internal environment fg ”is stored.

Also, in the initial state of FIG.
The D server 5 has the URs assigned to the distributed servers 1 to 3
The correspondence between the L address and the IP address is stored, and as shown in FIG.
bc.com = 123.456.789.001 ”and“ cd@abc.com=123.456.789.002 ”corresponding to the distributed server 2,
According to the distributed server 3, "fg@vbc.net=223.456.789.00
2 "is stored.

Further, in the initial state of FIG. 2, the issuing server 6 stores a predetermined internal state of each of the distributed servers 1 to 3, and as shown in FIG. It is assumed that “environment AB” is stored and “internal environment CD” is stored corresponding to the distributed server 2.

Next, the operation of the system when there is a difference in the internal state of the distributed server 1 from the initial state in FIG. 2 will be described based on the operation explanation 2 shown in FIG.

In the operation description 2 of FIG. 3, the distributed server 1
2 shows a case where the setting of the internal environment is changed from “AB” to “AB ′” in FIG. 2 by a user operation, for example. The management server 4 operates autonomously by the internal environment monitoring function and operates, for example, once a day on the distributed servers 1 to
3 and the internal environment information of the distributed servers 1 to 3 recorded in the publishing server 6 and the distributed servers 1 to 3
3 is compared with the internal environment information recorded inside.

In the case of FIG. 3, the management server 4 detects that the internal environment of the distributed server 1 has been changed to "AB '" by the above-mentioned comparison processing (operation in the figure). Next, the management server 4 uses the internal environment replacement function to execute the internal environment “AB” of the distributed server 1 stored in the issue server 6.
(The operation in the figure), and transfers the difference data between the internal environment “AB ′” detected from the distributed server 1 this time and the internal environment “AB” extracted from the issuing server 6 to the distributed server 1. 1 is replaced with "AB '" (operation in the figure).

When the setting of the internal environment is changed in the distributed server 1 by the operation of the management server 4 described above,
By the user or service person of the distributed server 1,
The internal environment change processing can be executed easily and accurately at low cost by autonomous processing on the system side without having to take the trouble of acquiring the internal environment data from the management server 4.

Next, the operation of the system when the assignment of the IP address of the distributed server 3 is changed will be described with reference to FIG.
The operation will be described based on the operation description 2 shown in FIG.

In FIG. 4, when the distribution server 3 is connected to the regional IP network L and the IP address setting changes periodically, the dynamic DNS server 5 distributes the distribution to the management server 4 according to a predetermined procedure. Instructs access to servers 1 to 3 and compares the URL address and IP address assigned to each of distributed servers 1 to 3 with the URL address and IP address of each of distributed servers 1 to 3 stored in its own server. It is assumed that whether or not the setting has changed is always detected.

In FIG. 4, the management server 4 has a dynamic DN
In accordance with an access instruction from the S server 5, the distributed servers 1 to 3 are accessed according to a predetermined procedure, and each distributed server 1 is accessed.
, And transfers it to the dynamic DNS server 5. At this time, for example, if the setting of the IP address of the distributed server 3 changes from “223.456.789.002” shown in FIG. (Operation in the figure), the answer of nslookup from the distributed server 3 becomes abnormal (operation in the figure).

Then, in FIG. 4, the distribution server 3
The renewal request function, which is a function corresponding to the maintenance operation, inquires of the dynamic DNS server 5 about the name of its own server. If there is a difference between its own IP address and its name (URL), the SMTP protocol Dynamic DN by
The renewal request mail (no text required) of the DNS information of the distributed server 3 is output to the S server 5 (operation in the figure).

In FIG. 4, the dynamic DNS server 5
Is an error in the answer of nslookup transferred from the management server 4 almost at the same time as the operation in the figure (for example, ICMP (In
(the response of the Internet Control Message Protocol) is lost) (operation in the figure), and subsequently, when a repair request mail is received from the distributed server 3, the header is analyzed to determine the IP address (in the figure). Behavior).

In FIG. 4, the dynamic DNS server 5 dynamically changes the DNS assignment to the distribution server 3 and transmits the changed DNS to the distribution server 3 to thereby obtain the IP address for the distribution server 3. Is changed (operation in the figure). In the figure, IP
This indicates that the address has been changed to "323.456.789.002".

By the operation of the dynamic DNS server 5 described above,
When the allocation of the IP address is changed in the distribution server 3, the abnormality of the IP address is automatically detected by the autonomous access from the dynamic DNS server 5 to the distribution server 3, and the distribution of the IP address from the distribution server 3 is performed. The DNS assignment is automatically changed dynamically in response to the repair request mail.

Therefore, the information providing system 100
Even if the IP address on the distributed server is changed, dynamic D
The autonomous operation of the NS server 5 makes it possible to reliably cope with the situation, thereby reducing the burden on the user and the system administrator on the distributed server side and reducing the management cost.

In the information providing system 100,
Between the distributed servers 1 to 3 and the management server 4, SSH (Secure SHell) in which the communication protocol is encrypted (generally using the port 22 of the server) or SSL
(Secure Socket Layer) (Generally, port 443 of the server is used), so that all port transfer is executed, so that the number of ports opened for maintenance operation can be minimized to prevent external intrusion. As a result, the reliability of the system including the distributed server can be improved.

The configuration of the information providing system 100 described in the above embodiment is merely an example, and the management server according to the present invention can be effectively applied to a system configuration including other distributed servers. Of course.

[0055]

According to the management server of the first aspect of the invention, when the setting of the internal environment is changed in the distributed server, the internal environment data is obtained from the management server by the user or the service person of the distributed server. The internal environment change processing can be executed easily and accurately at low cost by the autonomous processing on the management server side without having to take the trouble of making it.

According to the management server of the second aspect of the present invention, it is possible to reliably cope with a change in address information (for example, an IP address) on the distributed server side by the autonomous operation of the management server. Thus, the burden on the user and the system administrator on the distributed server side can be reduced, and the management cost can be reduced.

According to the management server of the third aspect of the present invention, it is possible to prevent external intrusion by minimizing the ports opened to the maintenance operation by the distributed server, and to improve the reliability of the system including the distributed server.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an overall configuration of an information providing system 100 according to an embodiment to which the present invention is applied.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of an initial state applied to each server in order to explain an operation of the information providing system 100 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining an operation state of each server when the internal environment of the distributed server 1 is changed from the initial state of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining an operation state of each server when the IP address of the distributed server 3 is changed from the initial state of FIG. 2;

[Explanation of symbols]

 1-3 distributed server 4 management server 5 dynamic DNS server 6 publishing server 7 management database 100 information providing system

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A management server for managing an internal environment set in each of a plurality of distributed servers distributed in a remote location, comprising: storage means for storing internal environment information of each of the distributed servers; Environment information acquisition means for sequentially accessing each of the distributed servers and acquiring internal environment information from each distributed server; internal environment information acquired from each distributed server; and the stored internal environment information of each distributed server. Detecting means for detecting whether or not the environment information has been changed for each distributed server; and determining the internal environment of the distributed server in which the change in the environment information has been detected by using the stored internal environment of the corresponding distributed server. A management server, comprising: environment information replacement means for replacing with information. 2. A management server for managing address information set in each of a plurality of distributed servers distributed in a remote place, and storage means for storing the address information set in each of the distributed servers. Address information acquiring means for periodically accessing each of the distributed servers and acquiring address information from each of the distributed servers; address information acquired from each of the distributed servers; and the stored address information of each of the distributed servers. Comparing means for detecting presence / absence of change of address information for each distributed server, and managing address information of the distributed server in response to an address information change request from the distributed server in which the change of the address information is detected. Address information changing means for changing to other possible address information; and a management server. 3. The method according to claim 1, wherein when accessing said distributed servers from said management server, only a specific control port corresponding to a predetermined communication protocol provided on each distributed server side is accessed. Alternatively, the management server according to 2.