JP2005174244A - Network device management apparatus, network device management method, computer-readable storage medium stored with program, and program - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To freely construct a plug-in environment having superior convenience by which plug-in allowing a call after waiting for the occurrence of a specific event is easily incorporated into a network management program. <P>SOLUTION: This apparatus comprises: a first discrimination process for discriminating whether or not each stored plug-in 13 is openable when a network device management body 103 has initiation; a second discrimination process for discriminating whether or not the plug-in is involved in a specific group when the possibility of the opening is discriminated by the first discrimination process; and a registration process for classifying the plugs-in for every specific group discriminated by the second discrimination process basis for registration on a management file. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a network device management apparatus and a network device management method for managing network devices connected to a network, a storage medium storing a computer-readable program, and a program.

  Conventionally, this type of network device management apparatus includes a means for searching for a network device connected to the network, a device list management means for managing the searched network device, and a setting value for the searched network device. Device operation means for performing various operations such as change of information and acquisition of information.

  In addition, even when expansion by a plug-in is possible, the user selects an arbitrary device from the searched devices, and then calls the plug-in for the selected device by selecting the plug-in from the menu. Means are used.

Conventionally, the following Patent Document 1 has already been published as this type of technology.
JP 2003-338819 A

  However, in the above conventional example, if the network device management program main body does not have a plug-in function, and if an attempt is made to extend the function of the apparatus, it is necessary to perform the function expansion on the network device management program main body, Has the disadvantage of increasing the size and complexity of the.

  In addition, even when plug-in expansion is possible in the network device management program body, the plug-in is called after waiting for an instruction from the user, so there is a problem that the functions that can be expanded by the plug-in are limited. .

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems. The first object of the present invention is to store and manage plug-ins independently and to perform user initialization processing for network devices. Network device management apparatus capable of freely constructing a highly convenient plug-in environment in which a plug-in that can be called after waiting for the occurrence of a specific event can be easily incorporated into the network management program without any instruction from A network device management method and a storage medium storing a computer-readable program and a program are provided.

  The second object of the present invention is to store and manage the plug-in independently, and to easily make the plug-in autonomously into the network management program without a user instruction or a call from the network device management program main body. It is an object of the present invention to provide a network device management apparatus and a network device management method capable of freely constructing a plug-in environment excellent in convenience that can be incorporated, and a storage medium and a program storing a computer-readable program.

  A first invention according to the present invention is a network device management apparatus for managing network devices connected to a network, the network device management means for managing each network device based on a network device management program (shown in FIG. 1) Network device management program 103), first determination processing for determining whether each stored plug-in can be opened when the network device management program is started by the network device management means, and the first When it is determined by the determination process that the plug-in can be opened, a second determination process for determining whether or not the plug-in belongs to a specific group, and a plug-in is classified for each specific group determined by the second determination process And register it in the management file. Plug-in management means for executing the process, characterized in that it comprises a (plug-in management module 111 shown in FIG. 1).

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, when the plug-in management unit determines that the specific event has occurred by the monitoring process for monitoring whether or not the specific event occurs, and the monitoring process, Call processing for calling a specific event processing of a corresponding plug-in with reference to the management file can be executed.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, the plug-in management means includes a third determination process for determining an end response from an operating plug-in when the network device management program ends, and the third determination Based on the determination result of the process, the termination process of each plug-in or the termination process for controlling the execution of the termination cancellation process can be executed.

  A fourth invention according to the present invention is a network device management apparatus for managing network devices connected to a network, the network device management means for managing each network device based on a network device management program, and the network device Initialization process that can be called from the network device management program by the management means, user process that is called by a user request, event process that is called by an event, end process for confirmation of plug-in end, initial process from waiting for end Plug-in management means (plug-in module 111 shown in FIG. 1) for managing each call of termination cancellation processing for returning to the state and termination processing for ending plug-in processing, and program activation Sometimes, It refers to a directory of paid means, and having a plug-in file retrieval means for retrieving a plug-in file (search module 109 shown in FIG. 1).

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, the plug-in management means loads a plug-in on a storage device for each plug-in searched by the plug-in file search means, and initializes the plug-in. A plug-in initialization process for invoking the user, a user process invoking process for invoking the user process of the plug-in in response to a request from the user, and an event process of the plug-in in response to an event unrelated to the user request When the event processing call processing and program termination confirmation, the plug-in termination and who-to-call processing termination. Termination cancellation processing call processing that calls cancellation processing, and termination of calling the plug-in termination processing when the program ends. And executes a process call processing.

  According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, the plug-in management means manages a plug-in having a plurality of classifications for each classification, and calls a specific user process and a specific event process corresponding to the classification. And

  The seventh invention according to the present invention is characterized in that the plug-in managing means has a function in which a single plug-in belongs to a plurality of categories, and manages the plug-ins having the plurality of categories.

  According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, the plug-in management means includes, in addition to user processing and event processing called from the network device management means, after a predetermined time designated in advance by the plug-in or at every predetermined time, A feature is that the timer processing in the plug-in is called by the system timer.

  According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a network device management method in a network device management apparatus for managing network devices connected to a network, wherein each network device is managed based on a network device management program. And a first determination process (step S304 in FIG. 5) for determining whether or not each stored plug-in can be opened when the network device management program is started in the network device management step, and the first When it is determined that the plug-in can be opened by the determination process, a second determination process for determining whether the plug-in belongs to a specific group, and a plug-in for each specific group determined by the second determination process. Categorize and manage Characterized in that it comprises a plug-in management step of performing a registration process for registering the Le (step S306, S308, S310 in FIG. 5).

  According to a tenth aspect of the present invention, when the plug-in management step determines that the specific event has occurred by the monitoring process for monitoring whether or not the specific event occurs, and the monitoring process, Call processing for calling a specific event processing of a corresponding plug-in with reference to the management file can be executed.

  According to an eleventh aspect of the present invention, in the plug-in management step, a third determination process for determining an end response from an operating plug-in at the end of the network device management program, and the third determination Based on the determination result of the process, the termination process of each plug-in or the termination process for controlling the execution of the termination cancellation process can be executed.

  A twelfth aspect of the present invention is a network device management method in a network device management apparatus for managing network devices connected to a network, wherein each network device is managed based on a network device management program. And an initialization process that can be called from the network device management program by the network device management step, a user process that is called by a user request, an event process that is called by an event, and an end process for confirmation of plug-in completion, A plug-in management step (step in FIG. 5) for managing each call of the end cancellation processing for returning from the end waiting state to the initial state and the end processing for ending the plug-in processing. 306, S308, S310, etc.) and a plug-in file search step (step S302 in FIG. 5) for searching a directory and searching for a plug-in file storing the plug-in when the program is started. And

  In a thirteenth aspect of the present invention, the plug-in management step loads a plug-in on a storage device for each plug-in searched in the plug-in file search step, and initializes the plug-in. A plug-in initialization process for calling a function, a user process call process for calling a user process of the plug-in according to a request from a user, and an event process of the plug-in according to an event unrelated to the user request When calling the event process call process and the program end confirmation, when the plug-in end process is called, the end process is called the end process, and when the program is interrupted, the plug-in that called the end process is called Termination cancellation processing call processing that calls termination cancellation processing, and the termination processing of the plug-in at the end of the program And executes a termination processing call processing calling a.

  In a fourteenth aspect of the present invention, the plug-in management step manages a plug-in having a plurality of classifications for each classification, and calls a specific user process and a specific event process corresponding to the classification. And

  According to a fifteenth aspect of the present invention, the plug-in management step includes a function in which a single plug-in belongs to a plurality of classifications, and manages the plug-ins having the plurality of classifications.

  In a sixteenth aspect of the present invention, the plug-in management step includes, in addition to user processing and event processing called from the network device management means, after a predetermined time specified in advance by the plug-in or at every predetermined time, A feature is that the timer processing in the plug-in is called by the system timer.

  According to a seventeenth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a computer-readable storage medium storing a program for executing the network device management method according to any of the ninth to sixteenth aspects.

  According to an eighteenth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a program that causes a network device management method according to any one of the ninth to sixteenth aspects to be executed.

  According to the present invention, a plug-in that stores and manages plug-ins independently, and can be called after waiting for the occurrence of a specific event without an instruction from the user in response to initialization processing of a network device or the like. Can be easily built into a network management program, and a highly convenient plug-in environment can be freely constructed.

  In addition, the plug-in can be stored and managed independently, so that the plug-in can be easily incorporated into the network management program autonomously without a user instruction or a call from the network device management program body. There are effects such as the ability to freely build an excellent plug-in environment.

  Next, the best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[First Embodiment]
FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a module configuration of a network device management program that operates on the network device management apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

  In FIG. 1, reference numeral 101 denotes a network to which a network device management apparatus is connected. A socket API 102 is a network API (Application Program Interface) provided by the operating system operated by the network device management program. In this example, Unix (registered trademark) uses a Socket API used in Microsoft (registered trademark) Windows (registered trademark).

  Next, the configuration of the network device management program in the broken line part shown in FIG. 1 will be described.

  The network device management program includes a network device management program main body 103, a plug-in module group 104, and a shared library 105 that is commonly used by these modules.

  Reference numeral 106 denotes a UDP handler, which is a module for an upper module to transmit and receive a UDP (User Datagram Protocol) packet. Reference numeral 107 denotes an SNMP handler, which is a module for an upper module to transmit / receive an SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol) packet, and analysis of data in the SNMP packet is also processed here. In this example, SNMP over IP (Internet Protocol) is used for network device management. Reference numeral 108 denotes another shared library that provides other functions.

  A search unit 109 is a module for searching for a network device connected to the network 101, and the searched network device is managed by a device list / device group module 110. The device list / device group management module 110 also manages network device groups.

  Here, the network device group is a function for grouping the searched network devices into groups according to their attributes or user designation.

  The plug-in module 113 is in the network device management apparatus and is managed by the plug-in module management module 111.

  The user interface module 114 manages communication between the network device management program and the user.

  FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of a network system to which the network management apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention can be applied. The network device management apparatus 203 and the network devices 204, 205, 206, and 207 are respectively This corresponds to the state of being connected to the network 101 and the network 201 connected by the router 202.

  2, reference numeral 203 denotes a network device management apparatus in which the network management module group shown in FIG. 1 is stored in a storage device. The network 101 includes a network device management apparatus 203 and network devices 204 and 205 to be managed. It is connected.

  The network 101 is connected to a network 201 that is a subnet different from the network 101 via a router 202. Also connected to the network 201 are a network device 206 to be managed by the network device management apparatus 203 and a network device 207 such as a printer or MFP.

  In this network system, the search for the network device is performed by, for example, searching for the network device 204 and the network device 205 connected to the same subnet as the network device management apparatus 203. The search for the device 206 and the network device 207 uses transmission of an SNMP request for a designated address.

[Configuration of network device management device]
3 is a block diagram for explaining the configuration of the network device management apparatus 203 shown in FIG. 2, and the same components as those in FIG. 1 are denoted by the same reference numerals.

  In the figure, reference numeral 501 denotes a CPU, which comprehensively controls devices connected to a CPU bus 509 based on control program codes held in a ROM 502. Reference numeral 503 denotes a RAM which functions as a temporary storage memory used by the CPU 501 and is configured such that the memory capacity can be expanded by an optional RAM connected to an expansion port (not shown).

  The RAM 503 stores drawing objects created as print data and a control program stored in the ROM 502 (the network device management program main body 103 shown in FIG. 1, the plug-in module group 104, and these modules in common. Used as a work memory temporarily used by the shared library 105).

  A media drive 504 serves as an access interface with various media such as a flexible disk, CD, and DVD. A hard disk (HDD) 505 stores various programs and data. Reference numeral 506 denotes an interface unit that receives input from the user with a keyboard / mouse. Reference numeral 507 denotes a display that serves as an output unit that transmits information to the user. Reference numeral 508 denotes a peripheral device interface unit for two-way communication connection with a peripheral device such as a printer via a network.

  Reference numeral 509 denotes a CPU bus including an address, data, and control bus. The ROM 502, RAM 503, media drive 504, HD 505, keyboard / mouse 506, display 507, and peripheral device interface unit 508 are all connected to the CPU bus 509. Is accessible to other devices.

[Network device configuration]
4 is a block diagram for explaining the configuration of the network device 207 shown in FIG. 2. An image input / output device (multifunction device) is connected to a LAN (Local Area Network) 201 such as Ethernet (registered trademark). This is an example.

  In FIG. 4, a network device 207 such as the image input / output device (multifunction device) includes a reader unit 200 that performs image data reading processing, a printer unit 300 that performs image data output processing, and image data input / output operations. Operation unit 170 including a liquid crystal panel for displaying / setting image data and various functions, image data read by controlling the reader device 200, and codes received from the host computer via the LAN 201 An image storage unit 180 that can store / save image data generated from data, and a finishing unit 400 that discharges printing paper can be mounted, and a controller unit that is connected to these components and controls the components 207C.

  The reader unit 200 includes a document feeding unit 250 that transports a document sheet, and a scanner unit 210 that optically reads a document image and converts it into image data as an electrical signal. A paper feed unit 310 having a plurality of paper feed cassettes to be accommodated, a marking unit 320 for transferring / fixing image data onto a recording paper, a reversing process of the printed recording paper, and the like are carried to the finishing section. And a paper discharge unit 330.

  The finishing unit 400 includes an intermediate unit 410 that temporarily stores sheets for each bundle of jobs and sheets, and an optional discharge unit 420 that performs finishing processing such as stapling and job offset, and finally stores printed matter. And have.

  The controller unit 207C provides a copy function for controlling the reader unit 200 to read image data of a document and controlling the printer unit 300 to output the image data to a recording sheet. In addition, a network scanner function that converts image data read from the reader unit 200 into code data and transmits the code data to the host computer via the network 201, or a drawing command or code data such as PDL received from the host computer via the network 201 Are converted into image data, and output to the printer unit 300, such as a network printer function.

  Furthermore, it has finishing function blocks for storing, stapling, bookbinding, and job offset for paper printed by the copy function, network printer function, etc., making it possible to sort and process each unit. ing.

  FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing an example of a first data processing procedure in the network management apparatus according to the present invention, and processing at the start of the network device management program executed by the CPU of the network device management apparatus 203 shown in FIG. Corresponds to a part of (one procedure). Note that S301 to S312 indicate steps, and the CPU 501 shown in FIG. 3 is loaded onto the RAM 503 and executed.

  When the CPU 501 starts the program, it performs necessary initialization processing, and then is stored in the external storage device (hard disk 505 shown in FIG. 3) in step S301. For example, the device at the end of the previous program Data related to the group and device list is read into the RAM 503, and a device group and a device list are created.

  Next, the plug-in stored in the external storage device is read. Plug-in files are stored in a plurality of specific directories, and the program determines that files having a specific extension stored in these directories are plug-in files, and sequentially extracts them (S302). The process for each plug-in is performed until the process for the plug-in is completed (S303).

  In step S304, the network device management program main body 103 first opens the specified plug-in file, determines whether the opening is successful, and if it is determined that the opening has failed, the next plug-in file is determined. Perform the process.

  On the other hand, if it is determined in step S304 that the plug-in file has been successfully opened, it is checked in step S305 whether a function having the function name A exists in the plug-in. If it is determined that this function does not exist (failure), The process proceeds to step S307.

  On the other hand, if it is determined in step S305 that a function having the function name A exists (success), the program determines in step S306 that the plug-in file is a type A plug-in, and initializes the plug-in. After calling the function, this plug-in is added to the plug-in list of type A, and the process returns to step S302. Process the next plug-in file.

  On the other hand, if it is determined in step S305 that the plug-in file is not a type A plug-in, it is determined whether the plug-in file is a type B plug-in (S307), and it is determined that the plug-in file is a type B plug-in. The initialization and the additional registration process to the type B plug-in list are performed (S308), and the process returns to step S302. Process the next plug-in file.

  Thereafter, the same processing is performed for all types of plug-ins supported by the program (S309) and (S310). In the figure, for the sake of convenience, the last plug-in name is represented as Z.

  On the other hand, if the CPU 501 determines in step S309 that the plug-in file does not belong to any type, the plug-in file is closed in step S311, and the process returns to step S302 to process the next plug-in file.

  Then, after all plug-ins have been loaded and initialized, the program starts searching for network devices (S312) and ends the process.

  FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a device list display screen displayed on the display 507 of the network device management apparatus 203 shown in FIG. 3, and is a display example by the network device management program.

  In FIG. 6, a device group is displayed on the left side of the screen, and a list of devices belonging to the device group selected on the left side is displayed on the right side of the screen. The plug-in types are (1) Device, (2) Devices, (3 ) Groups, (4) All Devices, and (1) Hierarchical display that plug-ins of “Save / Revert Settings ...” are registered as (1) Device type plug-ins. Corresponds to the state of being.

  FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing an example of a second data processing procedure in the network management apparatus according to the present invention. In response to an event generated by a program executed by the CPU 501 of the network device management apparatus 203 shown in FIG. Corresponds to the processing procedure that calls the plug-in event function. S501 to S509 indicate each step.

  In step S501, the program waits for an event that needs to call a plug-in.

  Then, it is determined whether or not the event is a type A-1 event of the type A plug-in (S502), and if it is determined that the event is a type A-1 event of the plug-in, the type A plug-in is determined. For each plug-in registered in the list, an event function for event A-1 is called (S503), and the process proceeds to step S504.

  On the other hand, if it is determined in step S502 that the event is not a plug-in type A-1, it is determined whether or not the event is a type A plug-in type A-2 event (S504). If it is determined that the event is an event of type A-2, an event function for event A-2 is called for each plug-in registered in the plug-in list of type A (S505), and the process proceeds to step S506. .

  Then, it is determined whether or not the event is a type B-1 event of a type A plug-in (S506), and if it is determined that the event is a type B-1 event of a plug-in, the type A plug-in is determined. An event function for event B-1 is called for each plug-in registered in the list (S507), and the process proceeds to step S508.

  On the other hand, if it is determined in step S506 that the event is not an event of type B-1 of the plug-in, it is determined whether the event is an event of type B-2 of the plug-in of type B, and the type B of the plug-in is determined. -2 event is called, an event function for event B-2 is called for each of the plug-ins registered in the type B plug-in list, and the process proceeds to step S508.

  Similar processing is performed for all event types of all types of plug-ins (S506) and (S509).

  When all the processes are completed, the program returns to the event waiting state in step S501.

  FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing an example of a third data processing procedure in the network management apparatus according to the present invention. The plug at the end of the network device management program executed by the CPU of the network device management apparatus 203 shown in FIG. Corresponds to the processing procedure for in. In addition, S601-S611 shows each step.

  First, in step S601, the program sets an error count to zero (error_count = 0). If this value is non-zero, it means that there is a plug-in that returned an error for the call of termination in the termination processing.

  The program extracts all plug-ins in order (S602), determines whether the list is complete (S603), and if it is determined that the list is complete, proceeds to step S607.

  On the other hand, if it is determined in step S603 that the processing is not finished, the plug-in completion process can_close () is called for each plug-in (S602 and step S603) (S604).

  Each plug-in returns the normality to the calling network device management program by setting the plug-in state to the end-waiting state when the current plug-in can be terminated in the process of termination.

  If it is inconvenient to terminate the plug-in, the plug-in returns an error to the network device management program main body 103 that is the call source.

  Therefore, the network device management program main body 103 checks in step S605 whether or not the plug-in 113 has returned an error for the call of termination, and if it is determined that an error has occurred, the network device management program main body 103 determines in step S606 whether or not an error has occurred. In step S602, “1” is added to the error count cleared to zero in step S602.

  Then, after determining in step S603 that all plug-ins have been performed, the program checks whether the error count is “0” (S607). It is determined that there is a device that has returned an error in response to the call, that is, there is a plug-in that should not be terminated, and that is notified to the user and the termination is confirmed (S608).

  If it is determined that the user has selected not to terminate (S609), the program continues the network device management process, so that the plug-in is returned to the original process waiting state. Cancel processing cancel_close () is called (step S611), and the processing is stopped.

  On the other hand, if it is determined in step S609 that the user has agreed to terminate, or if it is determined in step S607 that the error count is zero, all plug-ins are plugged in to terminate the program. The in termination process close () is called (S610), and the termination process is completed.

  FIG. 9 is a first state transition diagram showing the state transition of the plug-in 113 shown in FIG. 1, and S701 to S705 indicate the respective states.

  First, the plug-in 113 is opened and loaded in step S304 from the storage state S701 of the external storage device (for example, the hard disk 505 shown in FIG. 3), and becomes indefinite state S702.

  Next, a function name search for a plug-in type check is performed (steps S305, S307, and S309 shown in FIG. 5). If the plug-in type does not match any plug-in type, this is a network device management plug. Since it is not in, it is closed in step S311 and deleted from the storage device (end state S705).

  If the plug-in is supported by the network device management program, the initialization process is called in step S306, S308, or S310, and the plug-in enters the process waiting state S703.

  Then, the user process or event process is called from the process waiting state S703 due to the occurrence of an event caused by the user request or an event unrelated to the user request. Upon completion of the process, the plug-in is again in the process waiting state S703. Return to.

  At the end, when the plug-in end process is called in step S604 shown in FIG. 8 and the plug-in is in a state that can be ended, a success is returned to the network device management program that is the call source, and the process waits. The state from S703 to the end wait state S705 changes.

  If the plug-in is not in a state where it can be terminated, an error is returned for the termination call, and the plug-in remains in a process waiting state.

  When the termination is canceled by the user termination cancellation request from the termination waiting state S704, the program calls the plug-in termination cancellation processing cancel_close (), and the plug-in returns to the processing waiting state S703 (FIG. 8). Step S611).

  On the other hand, when the program is terminated (step S610), there are two types, forcible termination from the processing wait state 703 and normal termination from the termination waiting state.

  FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a part of the source code of the plug-in 113 shown in FIG. 1, and this example is a part of the C language source code showing the structure of the type A plug-in. Reference numerals 801 to 814 denote code numbers.

In FIG. 10, the plug-in is declared as a structure, and in the structure pair,
-Handle: Plug-in handle-plug_name: pointer to the character string indicating the name of the plug-in-plug_description: pointer to the plug-in description character string-(* init): pointer to the function that performs initialization processing-( * Can_process): Pointer to a function that returns whether or not user processing can be called-(process): Pointer to a function that performs user processing-(* event_a_callback): Pointer to a function that performs processing of event a-(* event_b_callback): Pointer to the function that performs event b processing-(* can_close): Pointer to the function that performs termination processing-(* cancel_close): Pointer to the function that performs termination cancellation processing (* Close): a pointer to a function that performs the termination process are respectively stored. In addition, the plug-in has a function plugin_typeA_properties that returns a pointer to the structure.

  FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a part of C language code for opening, loading and initializing the plug-in declared in the source code shown in FIG. Reference numerals 901 to 905 and 907 to 918 indicate code numbers.

  The program opens and loads a plug-in with a code number 902 and a file name indicated by plug-in_fullpath by the droppen function. When the plug-in has been successfully loaded (904), it is checked whether or not the function plugin_typeA_get_properties exists in the plug-in (905). If it exists, this function is called (907). The plugin_typeA_get_properties function fills the structure shown in FIG. 10 with an appropriate value and returns a pointer to the structure.

  When the calling of the plugin_typeA_get_properties function is completed normally (908), a necessary value is substituted for the structure field (909), and the initialization function of the plug-in is called (910). If the initialization of the plug-in is successful (910), the plug-in is added to the type A plug-in list (911).

If the addition of the plug-in fails (916), the loaded plug-in is closed (917).

[Second Embodiment]
In the second embodiment, a single plug-in can belong to a plurality of plug-in types.

  FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing an example of a fourth data processing procedure in the network management apparatus according to the present invention, and processing at the start of the network device management program executed by the CPU of the network device management apparatus 203 shown in FIG. Corresponds to a part of (one procedure). Note that S301 to S312 indicate steps, and the CPU 501 shown in FIG. 3 is loaded onto the RAM 503 and executed.

  When the CPU 501 starts the program, it performs necessary initialization processing, and then is stored in the external storage device (hard disk 505 shown in FIG. 3) in step S301. For example, the device at the end of the previous program Data related to the group and device list is read into the RAM 503, and a device group and a device list are created.

  Next, the plug-in is read out. Plug-in files are stored in a plurality of specific directories, and the program determines that files having a specific extension stored in these directories are plug-in files, and sequentially extracts them (S302). It is determined whether or not the process for the plug-in is finished (S303). If NO, the process proceeds to step S304, and if YES, the process proceeds to step S312 to search for a network device and the process is terminated.

  In step S304, the network device management program 103 first opens the specified plug-in file, determines whether the open is successful, and if it is determined that the open has failed, Process.

  On the other hand, if it is determined in step S304 that the plug-in file has been successfully opened, it is checked in step S305 whether a function having the function name A exists in the plug-in. If it is determined that this does not exist (failure), The process proceeds to step S307.

  On the other hand, if it is determined in step S305 that a function having the function name A exists (success), the program determines in step S306a that the plug-in file is a type A plug-in, and initializes the plug-in. After calling the function, this plug-in is added to the plug-in list of type A, and the process proceeds to step S307.

  On the other hand, if it is determined in step S305 that the plug-in file is not a type A plug-in, it is determined whether the plug-in file is a type B plug-in (S307), and it is determined that the plug-in file is a type B plug-in. The initialization and the additional registration process to the plug-in list of type B are performed (S308a), and the process proceeds to step S309.

  Thereafter, the same processing is performed for all types of plug-ins supported by the program (S309) and (S310a). In the figure, for the sake of convenience, the last plug-in name is represented as Z.

  On the other hand, if the CPU 501 determines in step S309 that the plug-in file does not belong to any type, the plug-in file is closed in step S311, and the process returns to step S302 to process the next plug-in file.

  Then, after all plug-ins have been loaded and initialized, the program starts searching for network devices (S312) and ends the process.

  In this example, the initialization process of FIG. 3 is changed, and in the case of FIG. 3, instead of performing the next plug-in process after the process of each step in steps S306a, S308a, and S310a. The difference is that the following plug-in type inspection is performed.

[Third Embodiment]
In the first and second embodiments, a process is added in which the plug-in calls a function specified by the plug-in itself after the time interval set by the plug-in or after the time set by the plug-in has elapsed.

  FIG. 13 is a second state transition diagram showing the state transition of the plug-in 113 shown in FIG. 1, and S701 to S705 indicate the respective states.

  This example is different from the state transition shown in FIG. 9 in that processing by a timer interrupt is added.

  The configuration of a data processing program that can be read by the network device management apparatus according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the memory map shown in FIG.

  FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating a memory map of a storage medium that stores various data processing programs readable by the network device management apparatus according to the present invention.

  Although not particularly illustrated, information for managing a program group stored in the storage medium, for example, version information, creator, etc. is also stored, and information depending on the OS on the program reading side, for example, a program is identified and displayed. Icons may also be stored.

  Further, data depending on various programs is also managed in the directory. In addition, a program for installing various programs in the computer, and a program for decompressing when the program to be installed is compressed may be stored.

  The functions shown in FIGS. 5, 7, 8, and 12 in this embodiment may be performed by a host computer by a program installed from the outside. In this case, the present invention is applied even when an information group including a program is supplied to the output device from a storage medium such as a CD-ROM, a flash memory, or an FD, or from an external storage medium via a network. Is.

  As described above, a storage medium storing software program codes for realizing the functions of the above-described embodiments is supplied to the system or apparatus, and the computer (or CPU or MPU) of the system or apparatus stores the storage medium in the storage medium. It goes without saying that the object of the present invention can also be achieved by reading and executing the programmed program code.

  In this case, the program code itself read from the storage medium realizes the novel function of the present invention, and the storage medium storing the program code constitutes the present invention.

  Therefore, as long as it has the function of the program, the form of the program such as an object code, a program executed by an interpreter, or script data supplied to the OS is not limited.

  As a storage medium for supplying the program, for example, a flexible disk, hard disk, optical disk, magneto-optical disk, MO, CD-ROM, CD-R, CD-RW, magnetic tape, nonvolatile memory card, ROM, DVD, etc. Can be used.

  In this case, the program code itself read from the storage medium realizes the functions of the above-described embodiments, and the storage medium storing the program code constitutes the present invention.

  As another program supply method, a browser of a client computer is used to connect to a homepage on the Internet, and the computer program itself of the present invention or a compressed file including an automatic installation function is stored on a recording medium such as a hard disk from the homepage. It can also be supplied by downloading. It can also be realized by dividing the program code constituting the program of the present invention into a plurality of files and downloading each file from a different homepage. That is, a WWW server, an ftp server, and the like that allow a plurality of users to download a program file for realizing the functional processing of the present invention on a computer are also included in the claims of the present invention.

  In addition, the program of the present invention is encrypted, stored in a storage medium such as a CD-ROM, distributed to users, and key information for decryption is downloaded from a homepage via the Internet to users who have cleared predetermined conditions. It is also possible to execute the encrypted program by using the key information and install the program on a computer.

  Further, by executing the program code read by the computer, not only the functions of the above-described embodiments are realized, but also an OS (operating system) or the like running on the computer based on the instruction of the program code. It goes without saying that a case where the function of the above-described embodiment is realized by performing part or all of the actual processing and the processing is included.

  Further, after the program code read from the storage medium is written to a memory provided in a function expansion board inserted into the computer or a function expansion unit connected to the computer, the function expansion is performed based on the instruction of the program code. It goes without saying that the case where the CPU or the like provided in the board or the function expansion unit performs part or all of the actual processing and the functions of the above-described embodiments are realized by the processing.

  The present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications (including organic combinations of the embodiments) are possible based on the spirit of the present invention, and these are excluded from the scope of the present invention. is not.

  Although various examples and embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, those skilled in the art will not limit the spirit and scope of the present invention to the specific description in the present specification.

  Note that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and it is needless to say that various modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention.

  According to the above-described embodiment, by adding a function for calling a plug-in when an event independent of a request from a user is added, the degree of freedom of a function that can be expanded by the plug-in increases.

  In addition, it is possible to safely terminate the plug-in by adding processing at the end of the plug-in.

  Furthermore, by enabling a single plug-in to implement multiple plug-in types, when implementing similar functions in multiple plug-in types, or implementing related functions across multiple plug-in types In this case, there is no need to prepare a plurality of plug-in files, which makes it easy to manage plug-in files and share codes.

  Further, by adding a function for calling the plug-in itself with a timer to the plug-in, the plug-in can be operated independently from the network device management program body, and the degree of freedom of the expandable function is increased.

It is a block diagram explaining the module structure of the network device management program which operate | moves on the network device management apparatus which shows 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram explaining the structure of the network system which can apply the network management apparatus which shows 1st Embodiment of this invention. FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a network device management apparatus illustrated in FIG. 2. FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of the network device illustrated in FIG. 2. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the 1st data processing procedure in the network management apparatus which concerns on this invention. It is a figure which shows an example of the device list display screen displayed on the display of the network device management apparatus shown in FIG. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the 2nd data processing procedure in the network management apparatus which concerns on this invention. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the 3rd data processing procedure in the network management apparatus which concerns on this invention. FIG. 3 is a first state transition diagram illustrating state transition of the plug-in illustrated in FIG. 1. It is a figure which shows a part of source code of the plug-in shown in FIG. It is a figure which shows a part of C language code for opening, loading, and initializing the plug-in declared by the source code shown in FIG. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the 4th data processing procedure in the network management apparatus which concerns on this invention. FIG. 6 is a second state transition diagram illustrating state transition of the plug-in illustrated in FIG. 1. It is a figure explaining the memory map of the storage medium which stores the various data processing program which can be read with the image processing apparatus which concerns on this invention.

Explanation of symbols

101, 201 Network 202 Router 203 Network device management device 204, 205, 206, 207 Network device

Claims (18)

A network device management apparatus that manages network devices connected to a network,
Network device management means for managing each network device based on the network device management program;
When the network device management program is activated by the network device management means, it is determined that the stored plug-ins can be opened by the first determination process and the first determination process. Second determination process for determining whether or not a plug-in belongs to a specific group, and registration for classifying the plug-in for each specific group determined by the second determination process and registering it in the management file Plug-in management means for executing processing;
A network device management apparatus comprising:   The plug-in management means refers to a monitoring process for monitoring whether or not a specific event occurs, and a plug that corresponds to the management file by referring to the management file when the monitoring process determines that the specific event has occurred. The network device management apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a call process for calling a specific event process of an in can be executed.   The plug-in management means determines whether each plug-in is based on a third determination process for determining an end response from an operating plug-in when the network device management program ends, and a determination result obtained by the third determination process. The network device management apparatus according to claim 1, wherein an end process for controlling the execution of the end process or an end cancellation process is executable. A network device management apparatus that manages network devices connected to a network,
Network device management means for managing each network device based on the network device management program;
Initialization process that can be called from the network device management program by the network device management means, user process that is called by a user request, event process that is called by an event, end process for confirmation of plug-in end, process for waiting for end Plug-in management means for managing each call of termination cancellation processing for returning from the state to the initial state and termination processing for terminating plug-in processing for each plug-in,
Plug-in file search means for searching a directory and searching for a plug-in file storing the plug-in when the network management program is started,
A network device management apparatus comprising:   The plug-in management means loads a plug-in on a storage device for each plug-in searched by the plug-in file search means, and calls a plug-in initialization function to call the plug-in initialization function; A user process call process that calls a user process of the plug-in in response to a request from a user; an event process call process that calls an event process of the plug-in in response to an event unrelated to the user request; and the network management When the program termination is confirmed, the plug-in termination process is called. When the program termination is interrupted, the termination cancellation process is called for the plug-in that called the termination process. Processing call processing and termination of calling the plug-in termination processing at the end of the program Network device management apparatus according to claim 4, wherein performing a physical call processing.   6. The network according to claim 4, wherein the plug-in managing means manages a plug-in having a plurality of classifications for each classification and calls a specific user process and a specific event process corresponding to the classification. Device management device.   The network device according to claim 4, wherein the plug-in management unit has a function in which a single plug-in belongs to a plurality of classifications, and manages the plug-ins having the plurality of classifications. Management device.   In addition to user processing and event processing called from the network device management unit, the plug-in management unit includes a timer in the plug-in by a system timer after a predetermined time specified by the plug-in in advance or every predetermined time. The network device management apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the network device management apparatus calls a process. A network device management method in a network device management apparatus for managing network devices connected to a network,
A network device management step for managing each network device based on the network device management program;
When the network device management program is activated by the network device management step, it is determined that the stored plug-ins can be opened by the first determination process and the first determination process determines that the plug-in can be opened. A second determination process for determining whether or not a plug-in belongs to a specific group, and a registration for classifying the plug-in for each specific group determined by the second determination process and registering it in the management file Plug-in management steps to perform processing,
A network device management method comprising:   The plug-in management step includes a monitoring process for monitoring whether or not a specific event occurs, and a plug corresponding to the management file when the monitoring process determines that the specific event has occurred. The network device management method according to claim 9, wherein a call process for calling a specific event process of an in-line can be executed.   The plug-in management step includes a third determination process for determining an end response from an operating plug-in at the end of the network device management program, and each plug-in based on a determination result obtained by the third determination process. 10. The network device management method according to claim 9, wherein the termination process for controlling the execution of the termination process or the termination cancellation process can be executed. A network device management method in a network device management apparatus for managing network devices connected to a network,
A network device management step for managing each network device based on the network device management program;
Initialization process that can be called from the network device management program by the network device management step, user process that is called by a user request, event process that is called by an event, end process for confirmation of plug-in end, process for waiting for end A plug-in management step for managing each call of termination cancellation processing for returning from the state to the initial state and termination processing for terminating the plug-in processing;
A plug-in file search step of searching a directory and searching for a plug-in file storing the plug-in when starting the network management program;
A network device management method comprising:   The plug-in management step loads a plug-in on a storage device for each plug-in searched in the plug-in file search step, and calls a plug-in initialization process for calling the plug-in initialization function; A user process call process that calls a user process of the plug-in in response to a request from the user, an event process call process that calls an event process of the plug-in in response to an event unrelated to the user request, and an end of the program Termination process call process that calls the termination process of the plug-in upon confirmation and termination cancellation process call process that calls the termination cancellation process for the plug-in that called the termination process when the program termination is interrupted And an end process call process that calls the end process of the plug-in when the program ends. Network device management method according to claim 12, wherein the performing and.   14. The network according to claim 12, wherein the plug-in management step manages a plug-in having a plurality of classifications for each classification, and calls a specific user process and a specific event process corresponding to the classification. Device management method.   15. The network device according to claim 12, wherein in the plug-in management step, a single plug-in has a function belonging to a plurality of classifications, and manages the plug-ins having the plurality of classifications. Management method.   In addition to user processing and event processing called from the network device management means, the plug-in management step includes a timer in the plug-in by a system timer after a predetermined time specified by the plug-in in advance or every predetermined time. The network device management method according to claim 12, wherein the process is called.   A computer-readable storage medium storing a program for executing the network device management method according to claim 9.   A program for executing the network device management method according to any one of claims 9 to 16.

Images