JP2000270020A - Network management system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To manage terminals to which network addresses are automatically distributed and to lighten the burden on an operator. SOLUTION: An IP equipment communication confirmation part 100 of this network management system acquires the IP addresses of an IP equipment group 2 and sends it to an automatic equipment recognition part 102. An automatic equipment recognition part 102 decided whether or not the IP addresses are present in an IP equipment address information storage part 104. When not, in IP equipment recognition name by an operator and a confirmation message prompting the confirmation of a mobile kind are sent out to an HMI part 4. A DHCP address inquiry part 101 sends an inquiry to a DHCP server 3 at constant intervals and sends information on automatically distributed addresses to an automatic equipment recognition part 102. The automatic equipment recognition part 102 compares it with the information in an IP equipment address information storage part 104 and sends the above confirmation message to the HMI part 4 when the presence is not found.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a network management system for managing an IP network including, for example, a mobile device connected to an IP (hereinafter, this device is referred to as a mobile IP terminal).

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, an IP network management system includes a management system (manager) for managing the configuration of an IP network and a managed system (agent).

In such an IP network management system having a manager-agent relationship, the addition of an agent to be managed or a change in network configuration, etc. require the name of the agent, the IP address of the agent, and other information necessary for management. The operator examines the data in advance and registers it with the manager.

In the case of a mobile IP terminal, data of all mobile IP terminals that may be connected to the management network are registered in advance by an operator and managed.

[0005]

However, in the conventional addition of a mobile IP terminal and a change in the network configuration, the Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (hereinafter referred to as D
When an IP address is obtained by automatic distribution by a server (referred to as an HCP) or the like, the operator cannot set the IP address of the mobile IP terminal in advance, so that the IP address cannot be managed.

[0006] Further, in a mobile IP terminal in which a device is added and a network is frequently changed, a mobile IP terminal is used.
It is difficult for the operator to investigate the P terminal agent's name, IP address, and other necessary information for management in advance and register it with the manager to perform management.
The operation man-hours involved in changing networks will be enormous. In addition, there is a high possibility that a mistake due to the operation will occur.

[0007] In view of the above, it is possible to manage devices that automatically distribute network addresses of devices,
It has been desired to realize a network management system that places less burden on an operator.

[0008]

The present invention employs the following structure to solve the above-mentioned problems. <Configuration 1> In a network management system that manages a network including a device to which a network address is assigned by a server that automatically distributes a network address, a communication confirmation that communicates with a device in the network and acquires a network address for the device. Department and
For servers that automatically distribute network addresses,
An address inquiry unit for inquiring the distributed network address, a device address information storage unit for storing network address information of devices managed on the network, and a notification from the communication confirmation unit or a notification from the address inquiry unit If the notified network address does not exist, an automatic device recognizing unit that outputs information that the network address has not been registered is compared with the information in the device address information storage unit. Network management system.

[0009]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to specific examples. << Specific Example >><Configuration> FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing a specific example of a network management system of the present invention. Prior to this description, a network configuration will be described. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of the configuration of a network including the network management system of this example.

The illustrated network comprises a management system 1,
It comprises mobile IP terminals 2a, 2b and a DHCP server 3.

The management system 1 includes a mobile IP terminal 2
a and 2b have a function of managing the network to which they are connected, and include an HMI unit 4 and a manager unit 5. HMI
The unit 4 is a human-machine interface having a function as an interface with an operator, and specifically includes input devices such as a keyboard and a pointing device and output devices such as a display.

[0012] The manager unit 5 is a mobile IP terminal 2
a, 2b, and a general IP terminal (not shown in FIG. 2), which is a functional unit for managing the IP network configuration management unit 51 and the mobile IP terminal management unit 52.
The manager unit 5 is composed of software and a processor for executing the software, or dedicated hardware.

The IP network configuration management unit 51 is a management unit that implements configuration management for general IP devices other than mobile IP terminals. The mobile IP terminal management unit 52 is a management unit for managing the mobile IP terminals 2a and 2b, and will be described later in detail.

The mobile IP terminals 2a and 2b are devices managed by the management system 1, and have agents 6 to be managed mounted thereon. Also, the mobile IP terminal 2a uses a fixed IP address,
It is a mobile IP terminal connected to the IP network to be managed, and the mobile IP terminal 2b is a DHC
Using the IP address obtained from the P server 3, the mobile IP connected to the IP network to be managed
Terminal.

The DHCP server 3 is a mobile IP terminal 2
b is a server that manages the IP address for
It has a function of automatically distributing an IP address to the mobile IP terminal 2b.

Next, the IP network configuration management section 51 in the management system 1 will be further described with reference to FIG. In FIG. 1, a mobile IP terminal management unit 52
Is an IP device communication confirmation unit (communication confirmation unit) 100, DHC
P address inquiry unit (address inquiry unit) 101,
Automatic device recognition unit 102, mobile IP device recognition unit 10
3. An IP device address information storage unit (device address information storage unit) 104 is provided.

The IP device communication confirmation unit 100 includes all the IP device groups 2 connected to the IP network to be managed.
And has a function of confirming the communication state of all the IP device groups 2. That is, it has a function of acquiring the IP addresses assigned to all the IP device groups 2.

The DHCP address inquiry section 101
This is a functional unit for inquiring about the IP address status managed by the HCP server 3. The automatic device recognition unit 102
The communication status inquiry to the IP device communication confirmation unit 100 and the IP address inquiry to the DHCP address inquiry unit 101
This is a functional unit that makes an inquiry about the address status at a fixed cycle and determines whether to add, delete, or change the device to be managed.

The mobile IP device recognizing unit 103 recognizes the automatically recognized device as a mobile IP terminal in accordance with an instruction from the HMI unit 4 and notifies the IP network configuration management unit 51 of the information. This is a functional unit set in the device address information storage unit 104.

The IP device address information storage unit 104 is a storage unit that stores IP address information used when judging addition / deletion / change of a device or used for recognizing a mobile IP terminal.

FIG. 3 shows an IP device address information storage unit 10.
FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing No. 4 IP device address information. As illustrated, an IP device identification name, an IP device address, and mobile identification information for identifying whether the device is a general IP device or a mobile IP device are stored for all devices.

<Operation> Next, the operation of the network management system having the above configuration will be described. First, an operation performed by the IP device communication confirmation unit 100 to confirm the IP device group 2 will be described.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart in the case of registration through communication with the IP device group 2. The IP device communication confirmation unit 100 periodically communicates with all the IP device groups 2 of the IP network to be managed, and acquires the addresses of each IP device group 2 (Step S101). Next, IP
The device communication confirmation unit 100 stores the list of addresses whose communication is OK as a result of the communication confirmation execution in the automatic device recognition unit 102.
(Step S102).

The automatic device recognizing section 102 having obtained the address list of the communication OK, the address of the obtained address list and the I
The IP device addresses in the P device address information storage unit 104 are sequentially compared (step S103). Step S104
If the comparison result is an address that does not exist in the IP device address information storage unit 104, the automatic device recognition unit 102 sends a confirmation message prompting the operator to confirm the IP device recognition name and mobile type.
It is sent to the unit 4 (step S105).

FIG. 5 shows the structure of a confirmation message sent to HMI unit 4. As shown, a confirmation message 20
0 is composed of an address identification 201 and an address 202,
The address identification 201 includes the communication confirmation 211 and the DHCP 21
Consists of two. Here, the address identification 201 is the address recognized by the operator in the communication confirmation or the DHCP server 3
And the identification information (communication confirmation 211 or DHCP 212) for identifying whether the address is distributed by an address, and the address 202 represents the address.

In the confirmation message transmitted in step S105, the address identification 201 is transmitted as "communication confirmation 211".

The mobile IP device recognizing unit 103, which has received from the HMI unit 4 a response message to the confirmation message sent by the automatic device recognizing unit 102, acquires the IP device recognition name and the mobile type from the response message (step S106). In the mobile IP device recognition unit 103,
The acquired IP device recognition name and mobile type are set (updated) in the IP device address information storage unit 104 (step S).
107).

If the mobile type is mobile in the determination processing of step S108, the mobile IP
The device is registered in the P network configuration management unit 51 (step S109). On the other hand, if the mobile type is a general terminal, device registration with the IP network configuration management unit 51 is performed as a general terminal (step S110).

If the address in the address list is the last in the determination processing in step S111, the registration processing of the IP device group 2 ends. On the other hand, if the address in the address list is not the last, the process proceeds to step S103.
Return to

As described above, by repeating these processes for the addresses in the address list obtained by the automatic device recognizing unit 102, a new connection is made to the IP network to be managed using the fixed IP address. Manage mobile IP terminals.

Next, the DHCP address inquiry unit 101
A process for registering the address of the IP device group 2 based on the information from the IP device group 2 will be described.

FIG. 6 shows the DHCP address inquiry unit 10
3 is a flowchart in the case of performing registration by communication with the communication device 1; That is, in this case, the mobile IP terminal 2b is connected to the DH
The flow of processing when the operator newly connects to the IP network to be managed using the IP address obtained from the CP server 3 and manages the mobile IP terminal by the operator is shown.

The DHCP address inquiry unit 101 periodically acquires the address distribution status by the DHCP server 3 of the IP network to be managed (step S2).
01). Next, in the DHCP address inquiry unit 101,
The list of addresses distributed by the DHCP server 3 is notified to the automatic device recognition unit 102 (step S2).
02). In the automatic device recognizing unit 102 which has obtained the address list distributed by the DHCP server 3, the address of the obtained address list and the IP device address information storage unit 1
04 are sequentially compared (step S2).
03).

In the determination process of step S204, if the comparison result is an address that does not exist in the IP device address information storage unit 104, the automatic device recognition unit 102
A confirmation message 200 prompting the operator to confirm the IP device recognition name and the mobile type is sent to the HMI unit 4 (step S205). In this case, the address type 201
Is transmitted as "DHCP 212".

The mobile IP device recognizing unit 103, which has received from the HMI unit 4 a response message to the confirmation message sent by the automatic device recognizing unit 102, acquires the IP device recognition name and the mobile type from the response message (step S206). The mobile IP device recognition unit 103 sets (updates) the obtained IP device recognition name and mobile type in the IP device address information storage unit 104 (step S2).
07).

If the mobile type is mobile in the determination processing of step S208, the mobile IP
Device registration with the P network configuration management unit 51 is performed (step S209). On the other hand, if the mobile type is a general terminal, the device is registered as a general terminal in the IP network configuration management unit 51 (step S210).

If the address in the address list is the last in the determination processing in step S211, the registration processing of the IP device group 2 by the automatic distribution of the address is ended. On the other hand, if the address in the address list is not the last address, the process returns to step S203.

As described above, by repeating these processes for the addresses in the address list obtained by the automatic device recognizing unit 102, the addresses obtained from the DHCP server 3 are newly used in the IP network to be managed. Manages connected mobile IP terminals.

<Effects> As described above, according to the specific example,
The address of the IP device group 2 is stored in the IP device address information storage unit 104, the address assigned to the IP device group 2 is checked at regular intervals, and the IP device group 2 automatically distributed by the DHCP server 3 To the IP device address information storage unit 10 at regular intervals.
If there is an address that is not registered in 4, this is output, so that terminals and the like to which the address is automatically distributed can be managed, so that reliable network management can be performed and the burden on the operator can be reduced. be able to.

<< Usage Mode >> In the above specific example, an example is shown in which the IP network configuration management unit 51 and the mobile IP terminal management unit 52 are provided in one agent (one system). Even when the mobile IP terminal management unit 52 is in a distributed form, the present invention is similarly applicable.

Also, in the above specific example, an example of an IP network has been described as a network. However, the present invention is not limited to the IP, and similar effects can be obtained if the network is such that device addresses are automatically distributed. Can be.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing a specific example of a network management system according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of a configuration of a network including a network management system of a specific example.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing IP device address information in a device address information storage unit.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart in the case of registration through communication with a group of IP devices.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing a structure of a confirmation message sent to an HMI unit.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart in a case where registration is performed by communication with an address inquiry unit.

[Explanation of symbols]

2 IP Device Group 3 DHCP Server 100 IP Device Communication Confirmation Unit (Communication Confirmation Unit) 101 DHCP Address Inquiry Unit (Address Inquiry Unit) 102 Automatic Device Recognition Unit 104 IP Device Address Information Storage Unit (Device Address Information Storage Unit)

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (72) Inventor Tomoyasu Suzuki 1-7-12 Toranomon, Minato-ku, Tokyo Oki Electric Industry Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Shigeo Miki 1-7-112 Toranomon, Minato-ku, Tokyo F term in Oki Electric Industry Co., Ltd. (reference) 5K030 GA17 HB00 HC01 JA10 JT09 KA02 LB07 MA01 MD10 5K051 AA08 BB02 CC02 CC07 DD13 FF01 HH17 KK06 9A001 CC07 JJ25 JJ27 KK56 LL09

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A network management system for managing a network including a device to which a network address is assigned by a server that automatically distributes the network address, wherein the network management system communicates with a device in the network to acquire a network address for the device. A communication confirming unit, an address inquiring unit for inquiring a server that automatically distributes the network address about the distributed network address, and device address information for storing network address information of a device managed by the network. A storage unit, when receiving a notification from the communication confirmation unit or a notification from the address inquiry unit, compares the received information with the information in the device address information storage unit. Network management system characterized in that click addresses and an automatic device recognition unit which outputs information that is not registered.