JP2004172651A - Network management system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To improve application reusability and extensibility by automatically selecting a trade-off between a polling efficiency to an SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol) agent and the performance of resources of a network management system. <P>SOLUTION: A polling object manager 114 generates a polling object 111 by referring to security information and operation information of a DB 115, extracts a pollable MIB instance, and adds (or deletes) the MIB object instance 113 to an MIB iterator object 112. Consequently, an attribute value acquisition method for the extracted MIB object instance is executed for each polling period to transmit SNMP GetRequest to the corresponding SNMP agent 2. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a network management system (NMS; Network) including a manager (management device) that performs network management using SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol) and an agent (managed device) to be managed. Management System).
[0002]
[Prior art]
2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in order to efficiently perform network management, use of a CORBA (Common Object Request Broker Architecture), which is one of computing platforms based on a distributed processing environment, has been proposed. The CORBA defines a common specification of an ORB (Object Request Broker), which is a function for exchanging messages between objects in a distributed environment system.
[0003]
For example, when SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol: Simple Network Management Protocol) is used as a network management protocol, the managed object handled is what is called MIB (Management Information Base).
[0004]
In addition, there is a network management system disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-101098 (Patent Document 1) previously filed by the present applicant. This is a network management system using SNMP, which comprises a gateway for communicating with a managed device by SNMP, and a group of NMS management modules. By increasing or decreasing the number of polling objects according to an operator's instruction, an SNMP agent is provided. This makes it possible to select a trade-off between the overall polling efficiency and the reduction of the load on the hardware of the network management system.
[0005]
[Patent Document 1]
JP 2002-101098 A
[0006]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, in a conventional network management system using SNMP, polling efficiency and resource performance of the network management system are simultaneously managed, and further, by referring to security information and operation information, the polling efficiency and the network management system are automatically controlled. There is no network management system with an architecture that allows a tradeoff with resource performance to be selected.
Further, in the conventional technique, there is a problem that the performance of the system is reduced as the number of monitored SNMP agents increases and the polling efficiency is improved.
[0007]
The technique disclosed in Patent Document 1 described above is suitable for selecting a trade-off between polling efficiency and resource performance of a network management system. However, it is considered that the trade-off is automatically selected. Not something. That is, in order to select the above trade-off, it is necessary for the operator to judge and instruct the increase or decrease of the number of polling objects.
[0008]
The present invention has been made in view of such a situation, and the trade-off between the polling efficiency of the SNMP agent and the performance of the resource of the network management system can be adjusted through the polling manager which refers to the operation information and the security information. By doing so, it is an object to provide a network management system that can automatically select the above trade-off, improve the reusability of applications, and have expandability.
[0009]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to solve the above problems, the present invention has the following features.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, in a network management system including a management device that performs network management using SNMP and a plurality of managed devices connected to the management device via a network, the management device includes A polling object for polling the device; a polling object management unit for managing the polling object; and a management information storage unit for storing information for managing a process in the polling. The polling object management unit includes a management information storage unit. Is referred to as needed to manage the polling object.
[0010]
The invention according to claim 2 is characterized in that the polling object management means refers to the management information storage means during system operation and generates / deletes a polling object.
[0011]
According to a third aspect of the present invention, the polling object management means adds / deletes the number of MIB object instances managed by one polling object while referring to the management information storage means during operation of the system. I do.
[0012]
The invention according to claim 4 is characterized in that the polling object generates / deletes an MIB object instance by an MIB iterator object that manages the MIB object instance.
[0013]
According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, the management information storage means stores security information indicating permission / non-permission of access and operation information indicating operation / stop of operation for each of the MIB object instances. It is characterized by doing.
[0014]
According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, the management apparatus includes a polling object, a gateway including a polling object management unit, a management information storage unit, and an NMS management module group that communicates with the gateway by CORBA. It is characterized by becoming.
[0015]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Next, a network management system according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
The present invention adjusts the trade-off between the polling efficiency of an SNMP agent and the performance of a network management system in a network management system using Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) through a polling manager that refers to operation information and security information. The present invention improves the reusability of an application as a network management system, and provides a framework of a network management system having expandability.
[0016]
FIG. 1 shows an outline of a network management system as an embodiment of the present invention.
As shown in FIG. 1, the network management system of the present embodiment includes an SNMP manager (management device) 1 and a plurality of SNMP agents (managed devices) 2, each of which is connected to a network such as a WAN or a LAN. It is composed.
The above-described SNMP manager 1 and SNMP agent 2 include input means (keyboard, mouse, etc.), display means (display, etc.), storage means (HDD, etc.), and control means (CPU, etc.). A required program is stored in the means, and the program is operated by the program.
[0017]
FIG. 2 shows the connection and communication between the SNMP manager 1 and the SNMP agent 2.
As shown in FIG. 2, the network management system according to the present embodiment includes an SNMP agent 2, a CORBA-SNMP gateway 11, and an NMS management module group 12, and communicates between the SNMP agent 2 and the CORBA-SNMP gateway 11. Indicates that the communication between the CORBA-SNMP gateway 11 and the NMS management module group 12 uses CORBA (Common Object Request Broker Architecture).
[0018]
FIG. 3 shows an example of the configuration and operation of the SNMP manager 1 and the SNMP agent 2 described above.
As shown in FIG. 3, the CORBA-SNMP gateway 11 stores a polling object 111, a polling object manager (polling object management means) 114 for managing the polling object 111, and information for managing a process in polling. And a polling object manager 114 for generating / deleting an MIB iterator object 112 and an MIB object instance 113.
As described above, the CORBA-SNMP gateway 11 periodically transmits the SNMP GetRequest to the MIB (Management Information Base) defined in each SNMP agent 2 (2a, 2b,...). (111a, 111b,...).
[0019]
The polling object 111 periodically sends the SNMP GetRequest to each of the SNMP agents 2 and receives the SNMP GetResponse, and polls each of the SNMP agents 2.
[0020]
The number of the polling objects 111 (111a, 111b,...) Is generated (Append method) and deleted (Remove method) by the polling object manager 114 referring to the DB 115 as needed during operation of the network management system. be able to. In other words, the number of polling objects 111 can be generated and deleted by the polling object manager 114 that constantly refers to the DB 115 during operation of the system.
This provides an architecture that can flexibly adjust the number of polling objects 111 that are closely related to the performance of the network management system.
[0021]
Each polling object 111 (111a, 111b,...) Owns an MIB iterator object 112 having a function (next method) for extracting one MIB object instance 113 to be subjected to GetRequest one by one. That is, the polling object 111 does not directly manage the number of the MIB object instances 113.
As a result, the polling object 111 and the MIB object instance 113 have a sparse relationship with each other, and even if any of them is modified or changed, the other objects are not affected.
[0022]
The polling object manager 114 refers to the DB 115 storing security information and operation information as needed for the MIB iterator object 112 owned by each polling object 111 (111a, 111b,...) The MIB object instance 113 can be added or deleted.
That is, the polling object manager 114 adds or deletes the MIB object instance 113 to or from the MIB iterator object 112 owned by each polling object 111 (111a, 111b,...) Based on the information stored in the DB 115. be able to.
[0023]
The NMS management module group 12 has one or more state change receiving objects 121 (121a, 121b,...) For one of the polling objects 111. The state change receiving object 121 has a method capable of receiving the contents of the state change of the MIB object instance 113 determined by the polling object 111.
FIG. 3 shows that the polling object 111 and the state change receiving object 121 are communicating with each other using CORBA.
[0024]
FIG. 4 shows a configuration example in a case where the number of MIB object instances 113 (113a, 113b,...) Managed by one MIB iterator object 112 is large. That is, an example is shown in which the polling object manager 114 adds (increases) the MIB object instances 113 to be managed to one MIB iterator object 112, thereby reducing the number of polling objects 111.
In this case, since the polling object 111 extracts the MIB object instances 113 one by one from the MIB iterator object 112, the polling efficiency of the entire system deteriorates, but the load on the hardware of the network management system can be reduced. Become.
[0025]
Conversely, FIG. 5 shows an example in which the number of MIB object instances 113 managed by one MIB iterator object 112 is one.
As shown in FIG. 5, when the polling object manager 114 reduces the number of MIB object instances 113 managed by one MIB iterator object 112 and increases the number of polling objects 111, each SNMP agent 2 (2a, 2b) ,...) Can be improved.
[0026]
As described above, according to the network management system of the present embodiment, by adjusting the number of polling objects 111 and the number of MIB object instances 113 managed by one polling object 111, the polling efficiency for the SNMP agent 2 can be improved. A trade-off for reducing the load on the hardware of the network management system can be selected.
In other words, in the network management system according to the present embodiment, the polling object manager 114 adds / deletes the number of the MIB object instances 113 managed by one MIB iterator object, so that the number of the polling objects 111 is also linked. For addition / deletion, the trade-off between the polling efficiency of the SNMP agent 2 and the reduction of the load on the hardware of the network management system can be selected by setting and operating the polling object manager 114.
[0027]
FIG. 6 shows an operation mechanism of the polling object 111 and the state change receiving object 121.
The state change receiving object 121 holds a reference (object reference) to the polled object 111 that has been attached, and when the Update method of the polling object 111 calls its own Update method, the GetStatus method is automatically called. The content of the state change of 111 can be acquired. Thus, asynchronous message communication using CORBA can be performed between the state change receiving object 121 and the polling object 111.
[0028]
FIG. 7 shows an operation mechanism of the polling object manager 114 and the polling object 111.
The polling object manager 114 generates the polling object 111 by calling its own CreateSubject method. After that, the polling object manager 114 refers to the DB 115 and adds (Append method) or deletes (Remove method) the MIB object instance 113 at the timing when the operation stop information or the security information for the specific SNMP agent 2 is changed. , By calling the method of the MIB iterator.
That is, the polling object manager 114 can add / delete the MIB object instance 113 to / from the MIB iterator object 112 by referring to the DB 115 and changing the operation stop information or security information of the specific SNMP agent 2.
[0029]
FIG. 8 shows a class configuration in the present embodiment.
The CreatorBase class 109 has a CreateSubject method for generating a class 102 implementing the subject interface 101. A polling manager class 114 exists as an implementation class of the CreateBase class 109, and a polling object 111 is generated by a CreateSubject method.
[0030]
The polling object 111 is an instance of a class that inherits the abstract class 102 that implements the subject interface class 101. The Subject interface class 101 includes an Attach method for adding the state change receiving object 121, a Detach method for deleting, a Notify method for notifying the state change receiving object 121 when a state change is determined, and the contents of the state change of the polling object 111. GetStatus method to be acquired.
Further, the polling object 111 has a method for adding / deleting the MIB object instance 113 from / to the MIB iterator object 112.
[0031]
The state change receiving object 121 is an instance of a class inheriting an abstract class implementing the Observer interface 106. The Observer interface 106 has an Update method for updating when a status change is notified from the polling object 111. The MIB iterator object class 112 has a Next method for extracting the MIB object instances 113 one by one.
[0032]
FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating attributes and methods defined in the MIB object class.
As shown in FIG. 9, the MIB object class defines a MIB Object ID and an attribute value of the MIB Object ID as attributes of the class, and a database storing an attribute value acquisition method and an attribute value as methods of the class. And update method are defined.
FIG. 10 is an example of an IDL (Interface Definition Language) of the CORBA-SNMP gateway 11.
[0033]
FIG. 11 shows an example of a table structure of the DB 115 that stores mapping information to the MIB iterator, security information, and operation information for each MIB object instance.
This mapping information indicates the name of the MIB iterator managed for each MIB object instance.
The security information indicates whether or not each MIB object instance can be accessed.
The operation information indicates whether the MIB object instance is in operation or in operation stop.
In this way, the polling object manager 114 refers to this DB 115 to determine whether or not each MIB object instance 113 (113a, 113b,...) Can extract and poll the MIB object instance. It can be determined.
[0034]
The above-described mapping information for the MIB object instance and the MIB iterator rewrites the DB 115 when the polling object manager 114 registers the MIB object instance 113 in the MIB iterator. For security information and operation information, the operator directly rewrites data.
[0035]
Next, the operation of the present embodiment will be described in detail with reference to FIGS.
First, a function (step S1) of generating the polling object 111 by the polling object manager 114 and a function of adding the MIB object instance 113 to the MIB iterator object 112 with reference to the DB 115 (step S4) (step S5) are shown in FIG. This will be described with reference to FIG.
[0036]
The polling object manager 114 generates the polling object 111 by calling its own CreateSubject method (step S1). Next, the polling object manager 114 refers to the DB 115 storing security information and operation information (step S4), extracts a pollable MIB object instance, and adds the MIB object instance 113 to the MIB iterator object 112. (Step S5). The method to be called at this time is the Append method of the polling object.
[0037]
The operation in step S4 described above is performed by the polling object manager 114 referring to the DB 115 as necessary. This reference as needed may be made at regular intervals, even when the contents of the DB 115 are updated.
[0038]
Here, the polling function performed by the polling object 111 and the operation of notifying the content of the change to the status change receiving object 121 will be described using the status shown in FIG. 4 as an example.
The polling object 111 has one MIB iterator object, and when extracting an MIB object instance, executes the Next method of the MIB iterator object (step S6).
Next, an attribute value acquisition method of the extracted MIB object instance is executed, and an SNMP GetRequest is transmitted to the corresponding SNMP agent 2 (step S7). When the SNMP GetResponse of the response is sent from the SNMP agent 2, the MIB object instance 113 returns the content of GetResponse as a return value of the attribute value acquisition method (step S8).
[0039]
The polling object 111 is in a waiting state from the time of calling the attribute value acquisition method of the MIB object instance until returning. The polling object 111 compares the value of the Object ID of the MIB object instance stored in the network management system with the return value of the attribute value acquisition method (step S9). If the values are different, the Notify method of the polling object 111 is used. Is called by itself (step S10).
In the Notify method, the Update method of the state change receiving object 121 attached to the polling object 111 is called, and the attribute value of the MIB object instance is changed. In the Update method of the state change receiving object (Step S11), the GetStatus method of the attached polling object is called (Step S12) to acquire the contents of the state change of the polling object.
As described above, the polling object 111 implements the polling function for the SNMP agent 2 and the asynchronous communication to the NMS management module group 12 by periodically repeating the operations from S2 to S12.
[0040]
Next, the operation of the boring object manager 114 when the information of the DB 115 is updated will be described with reference to FIG.
6, the polling object manager 114 has a function of generating the polling object 111 (step S21) and a function of adding the MIB object instance 113 to the MIB iterator object 112 with reference to the DB 115 (step S23). Have.
[0041]
The update of the DB 115 is performed by the operator at the timing of stopping the operation of the specific SNMP agent 2 or changing the security information for each MIB object instance (step S24). At this time, the polling object manager 114 deletes the corresponding MIB object instance from the MIB iterator by calling the Remove method of the polling object 111 (Step S25).
That is, the polling object manager 114 updates the MIB object instance whose security information is set to “access denied” or whose operation information is set to “operation suspended” by updating the DB 115 by the operator from the management of the MIB iterator object. delete.
[0042]
As described above, according to the present embodiment, as a first effect, the polling object manager selects a pollable MIB object instance by referring to a DB in which security information and operation information are stored as necessary. it can.
[0043]
The second effect is that the polling object manager manages generation / deletion of a polling object and addition / deletion of an MIB object instance to / from an MIB iterator object, so that the CORBA-SNMP is not conscious of the NMS management module group. The performance inside the gateway can be adjusted.
[0044]
A third effect is that by providing a polling object in the CORBA-SNMP gateway and adjusting the number of instances of the polling object, it is possible to adjust polling efficiency and prevent performance degradation.
[0045]
The fourth effect is that, since the dependency between the polling object and the state change receiving object is reduced, the reusability of the polling object and the state change receiving object can be improved.
[0046]
The fifth effect is that the polling object does not directly manage the set of MIB object instances, so that even if the set of MIB object instances is changed, it can be dealt with by changing the MIB iterator object. Therefore, there is no need to change the polling object.
[0047]
As described above, in the implementation of the polling object manager and the polling object, it is possible to expect an improvement in reusability of the class related to the polling object.
[0048]
Further, as another example of the present invention, for example, the DB 115 in the above-described embodiment may further manage (store) information such as the Read / Write attribute of the MIB object instance. In this case, when the polling object manager 114 refers to the DB 115, the information such as the above Read / Write attribute is read and the polling object 111 is managed.
According to this embodiment, the polling object manager 114 can manage whether the polling of the MIB object instance 113 is possible.
[0049]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, in the present invention, the polling object management unit manages the polling object by referring to the management information storage unit that stores the information for managing the polling process as needed.
Thus, the polling object can be managed through the polling object management means.
Therefore, a polling object closely related to the performance of the network management system can be operated through the polling object management means or automatically managed by the polling object management means.
[0050]
In addition, the polling object management means refers to the management information storage means during operation of the system and generates / deletes polling objects, so that the number of polling objects can be managed flexibly during operation of the system.
[0051]
Further, since the polling object management means manages generation / deletion of polling objects and addition / deletion of MIB object instances to / from MIB iterator objects, the number of polling objects and MIB object instances can be flexibly determined during system operation. Can be managed.
Therefore, the performance inside the system can be flexibly adjusted during operation of the system through the polling object management means.
Thus, the trade-off between the polling efficiency for the managed device and the performance of the resources of the network management system can be automatically selected by the polling object management means.
[0052]
In addition, the management device includes a gateway and an NMS management module group that communicates with the gateway by CORBA, and the gateway includes the polling object, the polling object management unit, and the management information storage unit. The performance inside the gateway can be adjusted through the polling object management means without being aware of the NMS management modules.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an outline of a configuration of a network management system as an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing connection and communication in a configuration between an SNMP manager 1 and an SNMP agent 2.
FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration and operation of an SNMP manager 1 and an SNMP agent 2.
FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example in which the number of MIB object instances 113 managed by one MIB iterator object 112 is large.
FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example in which the number of MIB object instances 113 managed by one MIB iterator object 112 is one;
FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an operation mechanism of a polling object 111 and a state change receiving object 121.
FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an operation mechanism of a polling object manager 114 and a polling object 111.
FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a class configuration in a network management system as an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 9 is a diagram showing attributes and methods defined in an MIB object class.
FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of IDL in the CORBA-SNMP gateway 11;
FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of a table structure of a DB 115.
[Explanation of symbols]
1 SNMP manager (management device)
2 (2a, 2b, ...) SNMP agent (managed device)
11 CORBA-SNMP gateway
111 (111a, 111b, ...) Polling object
112 (112a, 112b, ...) MIB iterator object
113 (113a, 113b, ...) MIB object instance
114 Polling Object Manager (Polling Object Management Means)
115 DB (management information storage means)
12 NMS management module group
121 (121a, 121b, ...) state change receiving object

Claims (6)

In a network management system including a management device that performs network management using SNMP and a plurality of managed devices connected to the management device via a network,
The management device,
A polling object for polling the managed device;
Polling object management means for managing the polling object;
Comprising management information storage means for storing information for managing processing in polling,
A network management system, wherein the polling object management means manages the polling object by referring to the management information storage means as needed. 2. The network management system according to claim 1, wherein the polling object management unit refers to the management information storage unit during system operation and generates / deletes a polling object. 3. The polling object management unit according to claim 1, wherein the number of MIB object instances managed by one polling object is added / deleted with reference to the management information storage unit during system operation. Network management system. 4. The network management system according to claim 1, wherein the polling object creates / deletes an MIB object instance by an MIB iterator object that manages the MIB object instance. 5. The management information storage means, for each of the MIB object instances,
Security information indicating permission / non-permission of access;
The network management system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the network management system stores operation information indicating operation / stop. The management device,
A gateway including the polling object, the polling object management unit, and the management information storage unit;
The network management system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising: an NMS management module group that communicates with the gateway by CORBA.

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