JP2001251309A - Unit management method in unit management system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a unit management system that can operate a communication unit by an operation request message not including required data at all. SOLUTION: Upon the receipt of an operation request from a an operator 1 to a communication unit 3, a manager 11 of the unit management system 10 transmits a request message estimating a standard unit to an agent 12, the agent 12 transmits a message to inquire of the manager 11 about deficient data to the manager 11 when the data included in the standard message are deficient in the operation of the communication unit 3, the manager 11 retrieves data stored in the past, supplements the corresponding deficient data, transmits again the request message to the agent 12, and the agent 12 converts the received message into a message adaptive to the communication unit 3 and transmits the converted data to the communication unit 3.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a device management method in a device management system for centrally managing a plurality of communication devices constituting a network.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 1 shows an example of a conventional apparatus management method of this type. In the figure, reference numeral 1 denotes an operator or a network management system (hereinafter simply referred to as an operator); Is a communication device.
Here, the device management system 2 includes a first module (hereinafter, referred to as a manager (MO)) 4 for providing standard management information and a second module for converting the standard management information into management information suitable for the communication device. 2 (hereinafter, referred to as an agent (FO)) 5.

In the above configuration, the device operation message is transmitted as follows. 1) An operation request message from the operator 1 to the communication device 3 is passed to the manager 4 of the device management system 2. 2) The manager 4 sends a message to the agent 5 assuming that the device has standard management information. 3) The agent 5 converts a message assuming a device in which standard management information is mounted into a message suitable for the communication device 3, sends the message to the communication device 3, and executes the operation. 4) A normal response is made to the operator 1 and the process is terminated.

FIG. 2 shows an outline of the operation at this time.

[0005]

However, CMIP,
When realizing remote management using a management communication protocol such as SNMP, management information is defined in advance between a manager 4 that issues commands and an agent 5 that receives commands,
The data structure and operation procedure at the time of operation were uniquely determined. On the other hand, when the development maker of the communication device is different or the type of the communication device is different, the management information implemented in the device is different, and the control method is often different.

Accordingly, in a system for providing unified operation independent of the communication device to an operator or a network management system as described above, when different management information is mounted and a plurality of communication devices having different control methods are connected, communication is performed in advance. A set of data suitable for the device,
There is a problem that the operation cannot be performed unless the operation timing is adjusted.

FIGS. 3 and 4 show the operation when a shortage of data required for operating the communication device is detected in the manager or the agent, and both are processed as an abnormal response, that is, an error. All were discarded.

An object of the present invention is to collect data required for operation of a communication device asynchronously with the timing of operation, so that even when all data is not included in a message at the time of an operation request, the communication device is not required. To enable operation.

Further, conventionally, when the operation order changes in accordance with the change of the management information of the communication device, there has been a problem that the communication device cannot be operated in many cases unless the operation order of the operator or the network management system is changed.

Another object of the present invention is to enable the operation of the communication apparatus only by changing the agent without changing the specifications of the manager and without changing the operation order of the operator or the network management system.

[0011]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, according to the present invention, a plurality of communication devices constituting a network are arranged between an operator or a network management system which controls them remotely. In the device management system, the operator or the network management system receives a data registration operation for the communication device by an operation message of the standard management information defined in advance, and compares the standard management information with the management information mounted on the communication device. If the data included in the operation message of the standard management information is insufficient for the operation of the communication device and the necessary data cannot be allocated from the data held in the device management system, the data to be registered is saved. It is characterized by the following.

According to the above configuration, when the order of registering data in the communication device is different from the order of registration of data defined by the standard management information, or the combination of necessary data is different, an operation message is sent to the communication device. Before sending a standard operation message from the operator or network management system,
By storing the input data, it becomes possible to collect data necessary for an operation message for the communication device.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, an operation on the communication device by an operation message of standard management information defined in advance from an operator or a network management system is received, and an operation message of the standard management information is received. If the data included in the data is insufficient for the operation of the communication device, search the data saved in the past, apply the corresponding lack, and convert the operation message of the standard management information to the operation message of the management information different from the standard. It is characterized by conversion.

According to the above configuration, when the standard management information and the management information mounted on the communication device are different, not only the data input when the operator or the network management system requests the operation of the communication device, but also the data is inputted. By retrieving and quoting necessary data from the data included in the past operation request message stored in the invention of the third aspect, a message suitable for the communication device can be configured.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, the first module for providing the standard management information and the second module for converting the standard management information into the management information suitable for the communication device are separated. 3. The device management system according to claim 1, wherein when an operation message for the communication device is generated, if the data passed from the first module to the second module runs short, the second module runs short of the first module. It is characterized by sending a message inquiring about minute data.

According to the above configuration, the operation sequence of the communication device and the data configuration required for the operation are changed, and when the standard data received by the second module (agent) becomes insufficient, the agent sends the first module to the first module. By requesting the module (manager) for the missing data in a common format, the agent can obtain the data necessary for controlling the communication device from the manager, send a message to the communication device, and change the management information of the communication device. The change can be localized to the agent without changing the manager that provides the standard management information.

[0017]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 5 shows a first embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, reference numeral 1 denotes an operator or a network management system (hereinafter simply referred to as an operator), 3 denotes a communication device, and 10 denotes a device management system. It is. Here, the device management system 10 is a first module (hereinafter, referred to as a manager (MO)) 11 that provides standard management information.
And a second module (hereinafter referred to as an agent (FO)) for converting standard management information into management information suitable for the communication device.
Call. And 12).

In this configuration, a device operation message that does not include all data necessary for operating the communication device is transmitted as follows. 1) A message of an operation request from the operator 1 to the communication device 3 is passed to the manager 11 of the device management system 10. 2) The manager 11 sends to the agent 12 a message assuming that the device has standard management information. 3) When data required for operation of the communication device 3 is insufficient in the standard message, the agent 12 requests the missing data from the manager 11 (claim 3). 4) The manager 11 receiving the shortage request transmits the requested data to the agent 12 when the corresponding shortage is held (claim 2). 5) The agent 12 converts a message assuming a device in which standard management information is mounted into a message suitable for the communication device 3, sends the message to the communication device 3, and executes the operation. 6) A normal response is made to the operator 1 and the process is terminated.

FIG. 6 shows an outline of the operation at this time.

FIG. 7 shows another example of the second embodiment of the present invention. In this case, in response to a shortage data request from an agent, the manager does not hold data corresponding to the shortage. Here is an example of the case.

In this case, the device operation message is transmitted as follows. 1) A message of an operation request from the operator 1 to the communication device 3 is passed to the manager 11 of the device management system 10. 2) The manager 11 sends to the agent 12 a message assuming that the device has standard management information. 3) When data required for operation of the communication device 3 is insufficient in the standard message, the agent 12 requests the missing data from the manager 11 (claim 3). 4) The manager 11 that has received the shortage request saves the data in the message passed from the operator 1 when the corresponding shortage is not held. 5) A normal response is made to the operator 1 and the process is terminated (claim 1).

FIG. 8 shows an outline of the operation at this time.

It is needless to say that a device operation message including all data necessary for operating the communication device is processed in the same manner as in the conventional case.

[0025]

As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a unified management operation even if a network is configured using communication devices having different management information. -Even when a communication device equipped with different management information is added to the management, a unified management operation can be provided only by changing the agent. -It is possible to adapt to the change of the agent without changing the manager. -A set of data necessary for controlling the communication device can be prepared by combining operation messages at different timings.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a device management method in a conventional device management system.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an outline of an operation in a conventional method.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of an operation when data is insufficient in a conventional method.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing another example of the operation when data is insufficient in the conventional method.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing a first embodiment of the device management method in the device management system of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing an outline of an operation according to the first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing a second embodiment of the device management method in the device management system of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing an outline of an operation according to the second embodiment of the present invention;

[Explanation of symbols]

1: Operator or network management system
3: Communication device, 10: Device management system, 11: Manager, 12: Agent.

(72) Inventor Masaya Makino 2-3-1 Otemachi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation (72) Inventor Hiroyuki Hara 2-3-1 Otemachi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo F-term (reference) in Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation 5B089 GA04 GB01 HB18 KA01 KB10 5K033 AA03 AA07 BA08 CB01 DA01 DB20 EA07 EC01 5K035 AA07 CC01 DD01 EE03 EE07 FF01 HH02 HH03 JJ04 MM03

Claims (3)

[Claims] An apparatus management system arranged between a plurality of communication devices constituting a network and an operator or a network management system for remotely controlling the communication devices, wherein a standard management defined in advance by the operator or the network management system is provided. Accepts the data registration operation for the communication device using the information operation message, compares the standard management information with the management information implemented in the communication device, and uses the data included in the standard management information operation message to operate the communication device. A device management method in a device management system, characterized by storing data to be registered when the required data is insufficient from the data held in the device management system. 2. An operation for a communication device by an operation message of standard management information defined in advance from an operator or a network management system, and data included in the operation message of the standard management information is insufficient for operation of the communication device. 2. The device management system according to claim 1, wherein in the case where the data stored in the past is searched, the operation message of the standard management information is converted into an operation message of the management information different from the standard by allocating the corresponding shortage. Device management method in system. 3. An apparatus management system in which a first module for providing standard management information and a second module for converting the standard management information into management information suitable for the communication apparatus are separated. When an operation message is generated, if the data passed from the first module to the second module is insufficient, a message is sent from the second module to the first module to inquire about the insufficient data. Item 3. The device management method in the device management system according to item 1 or 2.