JP2000242585A - Large-scale network remote management method and recording medium recording large-scale network remote management program - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To suppress the increase of traffic caused by the increase of the number of management object devices and also to reduce the load of a manager in order to maintain the reliability of approximately conventional level despite the extension of a network. SOLUTION: A manager 51 requests a head manager 11a of a transfer route to periodically collect the management information. In response to this request, the manager 11a transfers the management information on an agent group 57a under its management to the next submanager 11b of the transfer route. Every submanager 11 adds the management information on an agent group 57 under its management to the management information sent from its preceding submanager and sends the resultant information to the next submanager. Then the final submanager 11n adds the management information on an agent under its management to the management information sent from its preceding submanager and notifies the manager 51 of the collected management information.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a large-scale network remote management method in which a manager collects management information managed by a plurality of agents from each agent and collectively manages the information, and more particularly to a management method between a manager and each agent. The present invention relates to a large-scale network remote management method capable of reducing packets and a recording medium storing a large-scale network remote management program.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 5 shows a widely used SNMP as a network management protocol of the Internet.
FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of a network management method using (Simple Network Management Protocol). The communication network management system based on SNMP includes an SNMP manager 51 that manages the network and an agent 53 that is a target device to be managed. The agent 53 has a management information base (MI) such as a hardware switch setting state and a value of a variable stored in a memory.
B) A group of data elements called 55 is stored as management information. The manager 51 issues a request to the agent 53 and performs management by referring to or rewriting these MIB data.

However, when the size of the network to be managed increases, the number of management packets increases with the number of devices to be managed, and the load on the manager who manages the network increases.

As a method for solving this problem, for example, as shown in FIG.
Sub-manager 59 between agents 57 including
Is installed, the sub-manager 59 summarizes the management information of the subordinate agent group 57, and relays the communication between the manager 51 and the agent group 57.
1 and a method of distributing the load of the manager 51 can be considered.

[0005]

In the conventional method described above, the sub-manager 59 is provided to
Although the above problems can be solved, the number of sub-managers 59 increases as the size of the network increases, and the number of management packets for exchanging management information between the manager 51 and the sub-manager 59 increases. 51
The load on the device also increases. In order to achieve further distribution, it is necessary to make the hierarchy deeper. However, if a failure occurs in the upper sub-manager 59 that performs relaying, the influence on the subordinates is widespread. The problem that reliability is required remains.

[0006] The present invention has been made in view of the above,
The goal is to reduce the load on the manager and reduce the load on the manager due to the increase in the number of devices to be managed, and to maintain the same level of reliability as before even if the network expands. It is an object of the present invention to provide a management method and a recording medium recording a large-scale network remote management program.

[0007]

According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a network management program comprising: a plurality of agents for managing management information including configuration information and status information in network resource units; A manager that manages and controls the management information of the agent by using a plurality of sub-managers provided for each of the agents and relaying communication between the corresponding subordinate agent and the manager. A transfer order among a plurality of sub-managers is determined in advance as a predetermined transfer route, and the manager makes a periodic collection request of management information to a head manager of the transfer route, and the head sub-manager Responds to the periodic collection request, Transfer the management information managed by the router to the next sub-manager of itself according to the transfer route, and each sub-manager on the transfer route responds to the management information transferred from the previous sub-manager on the transfer route. After adding the management information managed by the agent under its own control to the management information, the control information is transferred to the next sub-manager on the transfer route, and the last sub-manager on the transfer route is located ahead of itself in the transfer route. Responds to the management information transferred from the sub-manager, adds the management information managed by the agent under its own to the management information, and notifies the manager of all the added management information collectively. The point is to do.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, the manager issues a request for periodic collection of management information to the head manager of the transfer route, and the head sub-manager transfers the management information of the subordinate agent in response to the request. Transfer to the next sub-manager of the route, each sub-manager adds the management information of the subordinate agent to the management information from the previous sub-manager, and transfers to the next sub-manager, and the last sub-manager After adding the management information of the subordinate agent to the management information transferred from the manager,
Since management information is collectively notified to the manager, even if the network expands further and the number of sub-managers increases, the number of management packets to the manager does not increase, thereby suppressing an increase in traffic and an increase in the load on the manager. it can.

Further, the present invention described in claim 2 is based on claim 1.
In the invention described in the above, when the head sub-manager does not respond to the periodic collection request, a sub-manager below the head sub-manager in the transfer route responds to the periodic collection request and manages the agent under its own control. The point is to transfer the information to its own next sub-manager according to the transfer route. Specifically, when the head sub-manager does not respond to the periodic collection request, the manager makes a periodic collection request to the next sub-manager following the head sub-manager according to the transfer route, and the sub-manager responds to the periodic collection request. Then, the management information managed by the agent under its own is transferred to its own next sub-manager according to the transfer route.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, when the head sub-manager does not respond to the periodic collection request, a sub-manager below the head sub-manager on the transfer route responds to the periodic collection request. If a sub-manager cannot respond for some reason, the subordinate sub-manager responds and can appropriately deal with the periodic collection request from the manager.

Further, the present invention according to claim 3 provides the invention according to claim 1.
In the described invention, in each sub-manager, when the transfer destination sub-manager does not respond, the transfer destination is changed to the sub-manager next to the transfer destination sub-manager according to the transfer route.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, the sub-manager changes the transfer destination to the next sub-manager when the transfer destination sub-manager does not respond, so that the sub-manager can manage even if the sub-manager cannot respond for any reason. The information transfer process can be performed accurately, and a sub-manager that cannot respond for any reason can be specified.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the third aspect of the present invention, each of the sub-managers is the last sub-manager on the transfer route when all of the transfer destination sub-managers do not respond. The point is that the management information is collectively notified to the manager.

According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, when all of the transfer destination sub-managers do not respond, the sub-manager transfers the management information to the manager collectively as the last sub-manager. Even if all of the subsequent sub-managers are abnormal, management information up to that time can be collectively notified to the manager.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there are provided a plurality of agents for managing management information including configuration information and status information in network resource units, and management and management of each agent using a network management program. A controlling manager, and a network having a plurality of sub-managers provided corresponding to each of the agents and relaying communication between the corresponding subordinate agent and the manager, comprising a plurality of sub-managers. The transfer order between them is determined in advance as a predetermined transfer route, the manager makes a periodic collection request for management information to the head manager of the transfer route, and the head sub-manager responds to the periodic collection request. , Transfer the management information managed by the agent under its own Forwards to its own next sub-manager according to the route, each sub-manager on the transfer route responds to the management information transferred from the sub-manager before itself on the transfer route, and adds its own After adding the management information managed by the subordinate agent, the information is transferred to the next sub-manager on the transfer route, and the last sub-manager on the transfer route is transferred from the sub-manager before itself on the transfer route. A large-scale network remote management program that responds to management information, adds management information managed by an agent under its own control to the management information, and collectively notifies the manager of all the added management information. The point is to record on a recording medium.

According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, the manager makes a periodic collection request of the management information to the head manager of the transfer route, and the head sub-manager transfers the management information of the subordinate agent in response to the request. Transfer to the next sub-manager of the route, each sub-manager adds the management information of the subordinate agent to the management information from the previous sub-manager, and transfers to the next sub-manager, and the last sub-manager After adding the management information of the subordinate agent to the management information transferred from the manager,
Since the large-scale network remote management program that collectively notifies the manager of the management information is recorded on the recording medium, the distribution can be improved by using the recording medium.

Further, the present invention described in claim 6 provides the present invention according to claim 5.
In the invention described in the above, when the head sub-manager does not respond to the periodic collection request, a sub-manager below the head sub-manager in the transfer route responds to the periodic collection request and manages the agent under its own control. The gist of the present invention is to record a large-scale network remote management program for transferring information to its next sub-manager according to the transfer route on a recording medium.

According to the present invention, when the head sub-manager does not respond to the periodic collection request, a large-scale network remote management in which a sub-manager below the head sub-manager in the transfer route responds to the periodic collection request. Since the program is recorded on a recording medium, the distribution of the program can be improved by using the recording medium.

According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, in the fifth aspect of the invention, in each of the sub-managers, if the transfer destination sub-manager does not respond, the next sub-manager following the transfer destination sub-manager according to the transfer route. It is a gist of the present invention to record a large-scale network remote management program for changing a transfer destination on a recording medium.

According to the present invention, when the transfer destination sub-manager does not respond, the sub-manager records the large-scale network remote management program for changing the transfer destination to the next sub-manager on the recording medium. Because
By using the recording medium, its distribution can be improved.

The present invention according to claim 8 provides the present invention according to claim 7.
In the described invention, in each sub-manager, if all of the transfer-destination sub-managers do not respond, the large-scale network remote that collectively notifies the manager of the management information as the last sub-manager on the transfer route The gist is to record the management program on a recording medium.

According to the present invention, the sub-manager is a large-scale network which collectively notifies the manager of the management information collectively as the last sub-manager when all of the transfer destination sub-managers do not respond. Since the remote management program is recorded on the recording medium, the distribution can be improved by using the recording medium.

[0023]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a system configuration for implementing a large-scale network remote management method according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, the configuration of a plurality of agent groups 57a to 57n for managing management information including its configuration information and status information in network resource units and a manager 51 for managing and controlling the management information of each agent using a network management program
Is the same as before, but each agent group 57a
To 57n, each agent group 57 and manager 5 under the correspondingly provided subordinates.
Plural sub-managers 11a that relay communication between the sub-managers 11a
11n are arrows 21 and 23 between the sub-managers 11, respectively.
This is greatly different from the prior art in that each sub-manager 11 is configured to be able to transfer the management information obtained from the subordinate agent group 57 through a predetermined transfer route between the sub-managers, as shown in FIG. In this embodiment, the predetermined transfer route is set in the order of sub-manager 11a → sub-manager 11b → sub-manager 11c →... → sub-manager 11n.
a is the first sub-manager and the sub-manager 11n
Is the last sub-manager. Also, in FIG.
Arrow 21 indicates the upper sub-manager 1 in the transfer route.
A transfer request from 1 to the next sub-manager 11 is shown, and an arrow 23 indicates a response from the lower-level sub-manager 11 to the upper-level sub-manager 11.

Each sub-manager 1 thus configured
1 receives the management information managed by the agent group 57 under its own control, transfers this management information to the next sub-manager 11 on the transfer route, and receives the management information transferred from the upper sub-manager 11. The sub-manager 11 adds the management information managed by the agent group 57 under its own, and transfers it to the next sub-manager 11. That is, the sub-manager 11b which has received the management information from the sub-manager 11a adds the management information of the agent group 57b under its own control to the received management information and transfers it to the next sub-manager 11c.
Adds the management information of the agent group 57c under its own to the management information received from the sub-manager 11b, and transfers it to the next sub-manager 11d. Similarly, each sub-manager 11 on the transfer route adds the agent group 57 under its own to the transferred management information.
Is transferred to the next group of agents 57. Then, the sub-manager 11n that has received last adds the management information of the agent group 57 under its own to the received management information, and then collectively notifies the manager 51 of the management information.

Next, the operation of the manager 51 and the sub-manager 11 will be described with reference to the flowcharts shown in FIGS.

First, the operation of the manager 51 will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. In FIG.
When the management information is periodically collected (step S11), the manager 51 starts the first sub-routine on the transfer route based on a predetermined transfer route configured between a plurality of sub-managers 11 to transfer the management information. Manager 11a
Is made as a representative sub-manager, and a request for periodic collection of management information is made (step S13). Then, it is monitored whether or not there is a response from the head sub-manager 11a (step S1).
5) If there is a response, the manager 51 proceeds to step S11
The process returns to step S17, and waits until the next periodic collection cycle. If there is no response, the next sub-manager 11 on the transfer route is set as the first sub-manager (step S17), and step S17 is performed.
Returning to step 13, a request is made to this sub-manager to periodically collect management information. If there is a response from the next sub-manager, it waits until the next periodic collection cycle. If there is no response from the next sub-manager, the operation of making a periodic collection request for management information with the next sub-manager on the transfer route as the first sub-manager is repeated.

Next, the operation of the sub-manager 11 when there is a management information periodic collection request from the manager 51 will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. Upon receiving the management information periodic collection request from the manager 51 (step S21), the sub-manager 11 returns a response to the manager 51 (step S23). Then, the sub-manager 11 checks whether there is a next sub-manager 11 on the transfer route (step S25). If there is a next sub-manager 11,
It is checked whether or not the next sub-manager 11 has responded (step S27). When the next sub-manager 11 responds, the sub-manager 11 sends the management information of the agent group 57 under its own control to the next sub-manager 11 (Step S29), and then return to the first step.

If it is determined in step S25 whether or not there is a next sub-manager 11, if there is no next sub-manager 11, the management information of the agent under its own is notified to the manager 51 ( Step S31), returning to the first step.

Next, the operation of the sub-manager 11 when management information is received from another sub-manager 11 on the transfer route will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG.

When each of the sub-managers 11 receives the management information transferred from the other sub-manager 11 located at a higher position on the transfer route (step S41), the transfer source which is the other sub-manager 11 at a higher position is received. Is returned (step S43), and it is checked whether there is a next sub-manager 11 on the transfer route (step S45). If there is a lower sub-manager 11, it is checked whether or not the next sub-manager 11 has responded (step S47). If there is no response, the process returns to step S45 and repeats the same operation. Until the next sub-manager 11 on the transfer route
If there is a response, the management information of the agent group 57 under its own is added and transferred to the next sub-manager 11 (step S49), and the process returns to the first step and repeats the same operation.

If it is determined in step S45 that there is no next sub-manager 11, that is, if there is no subsequent sub-manager 11, the management information of the agent group 57 under its own is deleted. In addition, the management information is notified to the manager 51 (step S51).

As described above, in this embodiment, the manager 51 makes a request for periodic collection of management information to the head manager 11a of the transfer route, and the head sub-manager 11a responds to the request to manage the subordinate agent group 57. The information is transferred to the sub-manager 11b next to the transfer route, and each sub-manager 11 adds the management information of the subordinate agent group 57 to the management information from the previous sub-manager 11 and transfers the information to the next sub-manager 11. After adding the management information of the subordinate agent group 57 to the management information transferred from the previous sub-manager 11, the last sub-manager 11 notifies the manager 51 of the management information in a lump.

When the first sub-manager 11a does not respond to the periodic collection request from the manager 51, the sub-managers lower than the first sub-manager on the transfer route, specifically, the highest-order sub-managers that can respond. The sub-manager responds to the periodic collection request,
The management information of the agent group 57 under its own is transferred to the next sub-manager of itself according to the transfer route. Further, when the transfer destination sub-manager 11 does not respond, the sub-manager 11 changes the transfer destination to the next sub-manager following the transfer destination sub-manager according to the transfer route. Furthermore, each sub-manager 11
Is the last sub-manager 1 on the transfer route if all of the
As 1, the management information is collectively notified to the manager 51.

[0034]

As described above, according to the present invention,
The manager makes a periodic collection request of the management information to the head manager of the transfer route, and the head sub-manager transfers the management information of the subordinate agent to the next sub-manager of the transfer route in response to the request. The management information of the subordinate agent is added to the management information from the submanager, and transferred to the next submanager. The last submanager adds the management information of the subordinate agent to the management information transferred from the previous submanager. After adding, management information is collectively notified to the manager,
Even if the network further expands and the number of sub-managers increases, the number of management packets to the manager does not increase, so that an increase in traffic and an increase in the load on the manager can be suppressed.

Further, according to the present invention, when the head sub-manager does not respond to the periodic collection request, the sub-manager below the head sub-manager on the transfer route responds to the periodic collection request. Even when a response cannot be made, a lower-level sub-manager responds, and it is possible to appropriately cope with a periodic collection request from the manager, and it is also possible to specify a sub-manager that does not respond for some reason. Also, when the sub-manager is abnormal, only the subordinate agents are affected.

Further, according to the present invention, when the transfer destination sub-manager does not respond, the sub-manager changes the transfer destination to the next sub-manager. Therefore, even if the sub-manager cannot respond for some reason, the transfer of the management information is performed. Processing can be performed accurately, and a sub-manager that cannot respond for any reason can be specified.
Also, when the sub-manager is abnormal, only the subordinate agents are affected.

According to the present invention, when all of the transfer destination sub-managers do not respond, the sub-manager itself notifies the manager as the last sub-manager of the management information collectively. Even in the case of all abnormalities, the management information up to that time can be collectively notified to the manager.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a system configuration for implementing a large-scale network remote management method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing an operation of a manager.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of a sub-manager when a manager periodically requests management information to be collected;

FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of a sub-manager when management information is received from another sub-manager on a transfer route.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a conventional network management method using an SNMP protocol.

FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining a conventional network management method in which a sub-manager is provided between a manager and each agent group.

[Explanation of symbols]

 11a-11n Sub-manager 51 Manager 57a-57n Agent group

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuing on the front page (72) Inventor Hitoshi Takanashi 3-19-2 Nishishinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo Japan Telegraph and Telephone Corporation (72) Inventor Masahiro Morikura 3-19, Nishishinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo No. 2 Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation F term (reference) 5B089 GA11 GB02 GB08 JB14 KA07 KA12 KC28 KC30 5K030 GA14 HA08 HB06 HC01 JA10 JL07 JT06 KA04 MC07 MC09 MD08 MD10 5K033 AA09 BA04 CB01 DA01 DA03 DB12 DB16 DB20 EA07 9

Claims (8)

[Claims] 1. A plurality of agents for managing management information including configuration information and status information in units of network resources, a manager for managing and controlling agent management information using a network management program, and each of the agents A network having a plurality of sub-managers provided correspondingly and relaying communication between the corresponding subordinate agents and managers, wherein a transfer order between the plurality of sub-managers is set as a predetermined transfer route. In advance, the manager makes a periodic collection request of management information to the head manager of the transfer route, and the head sub-manager manages the agent under its own in response to the periodic collection request. Transfers management information to its own next service according to the transfer route. Each sub-manager on the transfer route responds to the management information transferred from the sub-manager before itself on the transfer route, and adds the management information managed by the agent under its own control to the management information. Is added to the next sub-manager on the transfer route, and the last sub-manager on the transfer route responds to the management information transferred from the sub-manager before itself on the transfer route, and After adding management information managed by your own agent to the information,
A large-scale network remote management method characterized by notifying a manager of all the added management information. 2. When the head sub-manager does not respond to the periodic collection request, a sub-manager below the head sub-manager in the transfer route responds to the periodic collection request and manages the agent under its own control. 2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the information is transferred to its own next sub-manager according to the transfer route. 3. The large-scale system according to claim 1, wherein each sub-manager changes the transfer destination to a sub-manager next to the transfer destination sub-manager according to a transfer route when the transfer destination sub-manager does not respond. Network remote management method. 4. The sub-manager according to claim 1, wherein if all of the transfer destination sub-managers do not respond, the sub-managers themselves notify the manager of the management information collectively as the last sub-manager on the transfer route. 3. The large-scale network remote management method according to 3. 5. A plurality of agents for managing management information including configuration information and status information in a unit of network resource, a manager for managing and controlling management information of each agent using a network management program, and each of the agents And a plurality of sub-managers for relaying communication between the corresponding subordinate agents and managers, wherein the transfer order between the plurality of sub-managers is determined by a predetermined transfer route. The manager makes a periodic collection request for management information to the head manager of the transfer route, and the head sub-manager responds to the periodic collection request and manages the agent under its own control. The management information to be transferred to the next Each sub-manager on the transfer route responds to the management information transferred from the sub-manager before itself on the transfer route, and the management information managed by the agent under its own control is added to the management information. Is added to the next sub-manager on the transfer route, and the last sub-manager on the transfer route responds to the management information transferred from the sub-manager before itself on the transfer route, and After adding management information managed by your own agent to the information,
A recording medium storing a large-scale network remote management program, wherein the management information is notified to the manager in a lump with all the added management information. 6. When the head sub-manager does not respond to the periodic collection request, a sub-manager subordinate to the head sub-manager on the transfer route responds to the periodic collection request and manages the agent under its own. 6. The recording medium according to claim 5, wherein the information is transferred to a next sub-manager of itself according to the transfer route. 7. The large-scale system according to claim 5, wherein each sub-manager changes a transfer destination to a sub-manager next to the transfer destination sub-manager according to a transfer route when the transfer destination sub-manager does not respond. A recording medium that records a network remote management program. 8. Each of the sub-managers, when all of the transfer destination sub-managers do not respond, notify themselves to the manager collectively of the management information as the last sub-manager on the transfer route. A recording medium recording the large-scale network remote management program according to claim 7.