EP1397891A2 - Procede et systeme pour gerer la configuration et l'etat d'un reseau - Google Patents

Procede et systeme pour gerer la configuration et l'etat d'un reseau

Info

Publication number
EP1397891A2
EP1397891A2 EP02747221A EP02747221A EP1397891A2 EP 1397891 A2 EP1397891 A2 EP 1397891A2 EP 02747221 A EP02747221 A EP 02747221A EP 02747221 A EP02747221 A EP 02747221A EP 1397891 A2 EP1397891 A2 EP 1397891A2
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
network
management
information
control
protocol
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Withdrawn
Application number
EP02747221A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
Inventor
Jürgen Falk
Michael Freisleben
Helmut-Erwin Garrecht
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Siemens AG
Original Assignee
Siemens AG
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Siemens AG filed Critical Siemens AG
Publication of EP1397891A2 publication Critical patent/EP1397891A2/fr
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04L—TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION
    • H04L41/00—Arrangements for maintenance, administration or management of data switching networks, e.g. of packet switching networks
    • H04L41/22—Arrangements for maintenance, administration or management of data switching networks, e.g. of packet switching networks comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04L—TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION
    • H04L41/00—Arrangements for maintenance, administration or management of data switching networks, e.g. of packet switching networks
    • H04L41/02—Standardisation; Integration
    • H04L41/0213—Standardised network management protocols, e.g. simple network management protocol [SNMP]
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04L—TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION
    • H04L41/00—Arrangements for maintenance, administration or management of data switching networks, e.g. of packet switching networks
    • H04L41/02—Standardisation; Integration
    • H04L41/0246—Exchanging or transporting network management information using the Internet; Embedding network management web servers in network elements; Web-services-based protocols
    • H04L41/0253—Exchanging or transporting network management information using the Internet; Embedding network management web servers in network elements; Web-services-based protocols using browsers or web-pages for accessing management information
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04L—TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION
    • H04L41/00—Arrangements for maintenance, administration or management of data switching networks, e.g. of packet switching networks
    • H04L41/08—Configuration management of networks or network elements
    • H04L41/085—Retrieval of network configuration; Tracking network configuration history
    • H04L41/0853—Retrieval of network configuration; Tracking network configuration history by actively collecting configuration information or by backing up configuration information

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to a method for network configuration management and network inventory management of a network.
  • Network configuration management and network inventory management should be understood to mean the entirety of all measures for monitoring the configuration and the status of the network.
  • One of the tasks of network configuration management and network inventory management is to register and visualize the network elements, including all the components they contain, their changes and structural relationships.
  • Network components mainly include hardware components and software.
  • the network elements to be monitored by the network configuration management and network inventory management are transit or end devices. Transit devices are network elements that connect networks, such as gateways, bridges or routers. End devices include PCs, hosts, workstations and servers.
  • control and visualization units in which application programs for monitoring the network run.
  • the communication between the control or visualization units and the network elements takes place by means of a network configuration management and network inventory management protocol.
  • the SNMP protocol Simple Network Management Protocol
  • the SNMP protocol is currently used here as the network configuration management and network inventory management protocol. It is a manufacturer-neutral protocol of the application layer of the TCP / IP protocol structure, on which the network configuration management and network inventory management of TCP / IP systems has been based up to now.
  • a so-called “manager” runs as a process in the control and visualization unit, an "agent” program accordingly as a process in a network element.
  • the agent generally has the following tasks: It collects information about a network component and stores this data in a Management Information Base (MIB), which is tailored to the network element under consideration. Examples of this are the standard MIB-2, the remote monitoring MIB (RMON) and a self-defined configuration (CMIB).
  • MIB Management Information Base
  • RMON remote monitoring MIB
  • CMIB self-defined configuration
  • the agent is also responsible for the orderly communication between the control and visualization unit and the network element via SMNP.
  • the basic structure of an SNMP message is relatively simple.
  • An SNMP command is a sequence of numbers or character strings that address specific information on the network element.
  • the information here is generally in a MIB-2 file. This file is a hierarchical and object-oriented database based on SMI (Structure and Identification of Management Information). Information that can be transmitted from the agent to the control and visualization unit using SNMP is essentially restricted to hardware components.
  • a method for network configuration management and network inventory management of a network with at least one IP-based network element and at least one control and visualization unit comprising at least the following steps: a. Collecting information from the at least one IP-based network element; b. Storing and providing the information in at least one suitable file; c. Targeted communication of the information between the at least one IP-based network element and the at least one control and visualization unit using at least one network management protocol, the HTTP protocol being used as the at least one network management protocol.
  • the HTTP protocol (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) is the so-called web, i.e. in the most well-known navigation system on the Internet, most commonly used communication protocol.
  • the HTTP protocol is used to transfer HTML pages between browsers, programs with a graphical user interface for viewing the website, and web servers.
  • the HTTP protocol knows two types of messages: requests and replies.
  • the HTTP protocol is a "high-level” protocol.
  • SNMP With SNMP, all system calls are firmly defined and only what is available in the standardized MIB-2 database on the target device is read. A specially programmed logic on the target device is not provided with this protocol.
  • HTTP freely definable text information
  • the target device at the request of a computer, which is referred to as “HTTP request”, in accordance with a so-called “HTTP response”.
  • HTTP request a computer
  • HTTP response a so-called “HTTP response”.
  • all system information and file contents can be read out and transferred back to the querying computer in any text format.
  • the method according to the invention for network configuration management and network inventory management can be used directly on the Internet.
  • the information collected from the IP-based network element is preferably stored and made available in at least one XML file.
  • XML means Extensible Markup Language. This is a specification of a metalanguage for the description of documents and data, i.e. a universal data exchange format for every type of message. With XML, for example, it is possible to provide stored documents with a structure that resembles that of a catalog. This considerably simplifies and speeds up the search for the desired information. Using XML, it is possible to not only process data according to formal criteria, such as
  • XML allows content structuring. XML is easily expandable and can also be processed immediately. XML allows new tags to be defined, ie coding for individual requirements. XML provides a grammar for describing the content of documents, which can then be defined individually. The use of self-defined tags makes it possible to use understandable tags instead of often incomprehensible coding. The XML architecture is therefore very flexible. Since XML documents are defined in plain text and not in cryptic control characters, XML documents remain readable. XML extends the performance of interface standards and is increasingly establishing itself as a universal data exchange format. In a preferred embodiment of the invention
  • the method steps a-c of the method according to the invention are carried out by a suitable agent installed in the at least one IP-based network element. It is preferably an intelligent agent, i.e. an agent with a specific learning ability. In addition to searching and collecting information as specified by a manager of the control and visualization unit, the agent can also collect, filter and provide information, for example, by specifically asking the manager of the control and visualization unit. The independence of the
  • Agents can go so far that they observe predefined things and automatically report themselves when certain changes take place. Furthermore, the agent can automatically log on to the control and visualization unit when the network element is started, i.e. enter in a corresponding envisaged registration list. Registration generally takes place using the SNMP protocol.
  • the control and visualization unit can, for example, be a
  • the scan request is preferably made using the HTTP protocol, i. H. it corresponds to an HTTP request.
  • the network elements can be scanned periodically.
  • the agent of the network element and thus the information to be read out can be configured.
  • the agent can read out detailed information on installed software components. It can also include certain elements or transfer complete content from specified files to the network elements.
  • the method has at least the following further step: d. Controlling the agent by the at least one control and visualization unit using the HTTP protocol.
  • the HTTP protocol is a "high-level” protocol
  • the SNMP protocol is a "low-level” protocol.
  • the method according to the invention also allows the intelligent agent on the network element to specify exactly what the agent does and in what degree of detail
  • a major advantage of the method according to the invention compared to the previous procedure for network configuration management and network inventory management is the expansion, flexibility and automation of the method.
  • the extensions are, for example, in the preferably own intelligence of the preferably provided agents in the IP-based network elements. They are now able to receive detailed information about installed software components and started services. What the agents should do is preferably defined in an associated configuration file on the network element.
  • the agents can preferably be controlled from the outside, ie by the control and visualization unit. This is preferably done using the HTTP protocol.
  • a big advantage is that when using the HTTP protocol and storage of read out information in XML files, the Internet standards for data description and transmission are used.
  • the HTTP protocol knows two types of messages: requests and replies. This structure provides the basis for the automation of the process.
  • the present invention further relates to a network configuration management and network inventory management system, which has at least the following elements: a. at least one IP-based network element; b. at least one control and visualization unit; c. at least one network management protocol for communication between the at least one IP-based network element and the at least one control and visualization unit, the at least one network management protocol being the HTTP protocol.
  • At least one IP-based network element for communication between the at least one IP-based network element and the at least one control and visualization unit is provided in the at least one agent that can be controlled by the at least one control and visualization unit ,
  • an intelligent agent ie an agent with a certain independence.
  • the agent's independence can go so far that he observes predetermined things and automatically reports automatically when certain changes take place.
  • the agent can automatically control and visualize it. Register the unit, ie in a correspondingly provided one
  • the agent is preferably configurable. What the agent should do is stored in a so-called configuration file in the respective network element. This results in great flexibility in network configuration management and network inventory management.
  • the agent can read out requested information from the at least one IP-based network element and provide it in at least one XML file.
  • XML is a universal data exchange format on the Internet. The information stored in it is legible, easily expandable and immediately processable.
  • FIG. 1 shows a schematic representation of an embodiment of a network configuration management and network inventory management system according to the invention.
  • FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of a network configuration management and network inventory management system according to the invention.
  • a network element 1 to be monitored by the network configuration management and network inventory management is shown.
  • This can be a transit device, such as a gateway, or a terminal device, such as a PC or a server.
  • Visualization unit 2 is provided.
  • the network element 1 there is an intelligent one
  • Agent 3 provided. Software packages and services to be read or scanned can be specified in corresponding configuration files. According to this specification, the intelligent agent 3 reads out the corresponding system information and generates XML files on the network element 1 in order to store the system information read out there. Furthermore, when the network element 1 is started, the intelligent agent 3 automatically registers it with the control and visualization unit 2. Registration generally takes place using the SNMP protocol. The registered network elements are collected and stored in the control and visualization unit 2. The control and visualization unit 2 then issues a readout or scan request for certain system information using the HTTP protocol. It is an HTTP request. The network element 1 then sends the corresponding XML files as the HTTP response (HTTP response), which contain the desired ones
  • the control and visualization unit 2 collects and stores the XML files. The complete system information can now be packed in the control and visualization unit 2 and transmitted to a network administrator.
  • the HTTP protocol or the FTP protocol can be used for the transmission.
  • the transmission can also be carried out by e-mail (electronic mail).

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Computer Networks & Wireless Communication (AREA)
  • Signal Processing (AREA)
  • Human Computer Interaction (AREA)
  • Computer And Data Communications (AREA)
  • Data Exchanges In Wide-Area Networks (AREA)

Abstract

L'invention concerne un procédé pour gérer la configuration et l'état d'un réseau comportant au moins un élément de réseau IP (1) et au moins une unité de commande et de visualisation (2). Ce procédé comprend les étapes suivantes : a) recueil d'informations du ou des éléments de réseau IP (1); b) stockage et mise à disposition des informations dans au moins un fichier approprié ; c) communication ciblée des informations entre le ou les éléments de réseau (1) et la ou les unités de commande et de visualisation (2) au moyen d'au moins un protocole de gestion de réseau. Le protocole de gestion de réseau utilisé est le protocole HTTP. L'invention concerne en outre un système correspondant de gestion de configuration et de l'état d'un réseau.
EP02747221A 2001-06-19 2002-06-12 Procede et systeme pour gerer la configuration et l'etat d'un reseau Withdrawn EP1397891A2 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
DE10129886 2001-06-19
DE2001129886 DE10129886A1 (de) 2001-06-19 2001-06-19 Verfahren zum Netzkonfigurationsmanagement und Netzbestandsmanagement eines Netzes und entsprechendes Netzkonfigurationsmanagement- und Netzbestandsmanagementsystem
PCT/DE2002/002201 WO2002103959A2 (fr) 2001-06-19 2002-06-12 Procede et systeme pour gerer la configuration et l'etat d'un reseau

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP1397891A2 true EP1397891A2 (fr) 2004-03-17

Family

ID=7688920

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP02747221A Withdrawn EP1397891A2 (fr) 2001-06-19 2002-06-12 Procede et systeme pour gerer la configuration et l'etat d'un reseau

Country Status (4)

Country Link
EP (1) EP1397891A2 (fr)
CN (1) CN1813442A (fr)
DE (1) DE10129886A1 (fr)
WO (1) WO2002103959A2 (fr)

Families Citing this family (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
CN100349408C (zh) * 2004-02-12 2007-11-14 华为技术有限公司 实现网管系统和网元设备配置数据实时同步的方法
US20070088630A1 (en) * 2005-09-29 2007-04-19 Microsoft Corporation Assessment and/or deployment of computer network component(s)
GB2433675B (en) 2005-12-22 2008-05-07 Cramer Systems Ltd Communications circuit design
CN102123042B (zh) * 2010-12-30 2013-05-15 中国民航信息网络股份有限公司 系统配置智能管理系统及其管理方法
US9049207B2 (en) * 2012-04-11 2015-06-02 Mcafee, Inc. Asset detection system

Family Cites Families (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5742762A (en) * 1995-05-19 1998-04-21 Telogy Networks, Inc. Network management gateway
US5961594A (en) * 1996-09-26 1999-10-05 International Business Machines Corporation Remote node maintenance and management method and system in communication networks using multiprotocol agents
US6539422B1 (en) * 1998-05-04 2003-03-25 Intermec Ip Corp. Automatic data collection device having a network communications capability

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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Title
See references of WO02103959A3 *

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
DE10129886A1 (de) 2003-01-23
CN1813442A (zh) 2006-08-02
WO2002103959A2 (fr) 2002-12-27
WO2002103959A3 (fr) 2003-08-07

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