JP2008148017A - Node detection device and program - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To quickly handle network failures while quickly grasping a network topology and a connection state of node devices existing on a communication path at a certain arbitrary time point by autonomous operations between node devices. <P>SOLUTION: A node detection device includes a detection means. The detection means is operated as follows. It receives unique node IDs from a plurality of node devices connected to a communication path when they are newly connected to the communication path and stores them in a storage means. After that, it transmits a monitoring request for detecting a connection state to each of the node devices of the stored node IDs at prescribed time intervals. When a response comes back within a time set by a timer, it updates the state information of the storage part as a normal connection state. When a response does not come back within the time set by the timer, it updates the state information of the storage part as an abnormal state. It displays the updated state information of each node device and a network configuration diagram on a display means. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an apparatus and a program for detecting a node apparatus connected via a communication path.

With the development of communication networks such as the Internet, the communication infrastructure that supports them is becoming increasingly complex and sophisticated. The communication infrastructure is composed of communication devices, which are physical transmission channels of information, and node devices represented by routers and switches that connect the communication channels. The number of node devices has increased explosively. Therefore, a great deal of labor and advanced technology have become necessary for grasping, setting, and managing the connection and operation status between node devices.
Recently, with the dramatic improvement in processing capability of computers, a form in which network management servers manage network device groups in a centralized manner or for a certain scale area has become common. In this embodiment, the network management server uses SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol) and CLI (Command Line Interface) to grasp and set the connection and operation status of node devices. SNMP and CLI are relatively simple and primitive management interfaces, but new network device management interfaces represented by the NETCONF (Network Configuration) protocol to enable advanced and complex management of network devices. Has also been developed and standardized.
In addition, there exists the following patent document 1 as a well-known technical document relevant to this invention.

JP-A-7-226740

The connection state of the node devices connected via the communication path changes from time to time due to the addition or reduction of node devices, failure, communication path failure, and the like. Also, because they are connected via a communication path, node devices are often located far away from the network management center, and when node devices fail or are laid between node devices When a failure occurs in the communication path, it is difficult to immediately grasp the connection status and operation status of the node device. It was necessary to take measures such as going to the site for the subsequent recovery.
In addition, even if the wiring is changed locally, the network configuration (topology) cannot be confirmed without relying on drawings or the like, and it is necessary to make a detailed topology change plan in advance.
Node devices connected to the communication path are arranged between a plurality of communication paths to which the node apparatus belongs, and each independently performs communication in the network layer. Therefore, for example, even if a communication line failure occurs in the physical layer, the node device can grasp the occurrence event, but it is difficult to grasp the influence on the entire communication path. .
It is also possible that even if a network topology design error or failure occurs, it will not even be noticed. Furthermore, the present situation is that there is no judgment as to whether or not the connection state is optimal in the network topology design.
For this reason, in order to know the latest connection state or operating state of the node device existing on the communication path, it is necessary to constantly monitor the state of the node device and the communication path on the communication path.

In conventional network management and node device management, processes up to detecting an abnormality by monitoring by an SNMP manager or a dedicated management system are automated.
The monitoring function provided to the manager by the SNMP manager (1) receives and displays a trap for notifying that a failure such as a broken link or communication disconnection with an adjacent device has occurred. (2) Collecting and displaying statistical information for each line.
However, SNMP only notifies the state where a failure has occurred, and cannot determine the cause of the failure. In order to analyze a failure, information such as the topology of the network, configuration information, and the status of the control function operating in the switch is required. However, it is an engineer who collects information and uses that information to analyze the failure. .
In addition, the engineers at the design stage are: (1) address allocation within a LAN (Local Area Network), (2) traffic volume design from the main business and network usage purpose, etc. Design logical networks such as address system and VLAN (Virtual LAN).
In addition, the following issues exist.
(1) Network topology setting means and its design data are for humans, and it is necessary to manually convert the design data into a format that can be understood by the network device. (2) Operation monitoring of communication paths and node devices. Can be realized by a computer, and when a failure occurs, the location of the failure can be notified, but the setting content related to the failure location and the cause of the failure cannot be presented.
(3) Failure analysis and examination of countermeasures are also manual tasks.
As a result, there is a problem that it is difficult to immediately grasp the form of the network topology and the setting contents of the node device from a remote location, and it becomes difficult to deal with a failure quickly.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a node detection device and a program capable of quickly grasping the network topology and operation status of a node device existing on a communication path at an arbitrary time and promptly responding when a network failure occurs. It is.

To achieve the above object, a node detection device of the present invention is a node detection device that detects a connection state of a plurality of node devices connected to a communication path,
A unique node ID is received from a plurality of node devices connected to the communication path at the time of new connection to the communication path, stored in the storage means, and then connected to each of the node devices having the stored node ID. When the monitoring request is detected at predetermined time intervals and a response is returned within the time set by the timer, the state information of the storage unit is updated as a normal connection state, and is set by the timer. When a response is not replied within the time, the detection unit updates the state information of the storage unit as an abnormal state, and displays the updated state information of each node device and the network configuration diagram on the display unit. Features.
The node ID stored in the storage means is received by sequentially propagating the adjacent node device connected to the communication path from the node device newly connected to the communication path. To do.

Further, a node detection program for causing a computer to function as a node detection device that detects a connection state of a plurality of node devices connected to a communication path,
A unique node ID is received from a plurality of node devices connected to the communication path at the time of new connection to the communication path, stored in the storage means, and then connected to each of the node devices having the stored node ID. When the monitoring request is detected at predetermined time intervals and a response is returned within the time set by the timer, the state information of the storage unit is updated as a normal connection state, and is set by the timer. When a response is not returned within the time, the state information of the storage unit is updated as an abnormal state, and the updated state information and network configuration diagram are displayed on the display means. And

The present invention has the following effects.
By autonomous operation between node devices,
(1) The connection status of the node devices existing on the communication path at a certain arbitrary time can be visualized as a network topology.
(2) It is possible to monitor in real time when a communication path or a node device fails, and display it as the operating status of the node device.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of a node detection apparatus to which the present invention is applied will be described.
FIG. 1 is a system configuration diagram showing an example of an embodiment of the present invention.
The node detection system shown in FIG. 1 includes a node detection device 1 installed in the network management server S and a plurality of node devices 7a, 7b, and 7n that transmit and receive node IDs to and from this node detection device 1. The node devices 7a, 7b, and 7n are connected to the node detection device 1 through the communication path 6.
In addition, the node detection device 1 receives the notification packet including the node ID from the storage unit 2 storing the list of node IDs and the node devices 7a to 7n, and further transmits and receives the request packet to the node devices 7a to 7n. Unit 3, display unit 5 that displays the connection status of node devices 7 a to 7 n, confirms whether the node ID notified from each node device is present in the registered device information of storage unit 2, and further includes node devices 7 a to 7 n A detection unit 4 for displaying the connection state on the display unit 5 is provided.
The node devices 7a to 7n are configured to store and update the unique ID of each node device in the storage units 8a to 8n.
The node detection apparatus 1 can be implemented as a node detection program that operates inside the network management server S.

FIG. 2 shows registration device information 206 of each of the node devices 7a to 7n registered in the storage unit 2 of the node detection device 1.
The registered device information 206 includes a node ID 201 that is a unique ID of the node devices 7a to 7n, a node name 202 that is an easy-to-understand name given to the node devices 7a to 7n, and a location 203 that is an installation location of the node devices 7a to 7n. The upper node ID 204 represents a node device connected to the upper level of the node devices 7a to 7n, and the status 205 represents the operating status of the node devices 7a to 7n.
The node ID 201, node name 202, location 203, and upper node ID 204 of the registered device information 206 are registered based on the device information registration request of FIG. 4A transmitted from the node devices 7a to 7n.
In the state 205, the node detection device 1 transmits the device state monitoring request in FIG. 4C to the node devices 7a to 7n, and the node devices 7a to 7n respond to the request by the device state in FIG. 4D. It is updated by the result of transmitting the monitoring response to the node detection apparatus 1.

FIG. 3 shows information registered in the storage units 8a to 8n of the node devices 7a to 7n.
There are roughly two types of information to be registered in the storage units 8a to 8n. One is the own device information 305 of the node devices 7a to 7n, and includes a node ID 301, a node name 302, a location 303, and an upper node ID 304. The node devices 7a to 7n use the own device information 305 to generate a device information registration request for the node detection device 1. The other is registration apparatus information 311, which includes a node ID 306, a node name 307, a location 308, an upper node ID 309, and a status 310.
The registered device information 311 is a diagram sent from the node device adjacent to each of the node devices 7a to 7n in FIG. 4A, and a diagram transmitted from the node detecting device 1 to the node devices 7a to 7n. Registration is performed based on the device information registration response in 4 (b).

4A to 4D show the contents of notifications transmitted and received between the node detection device 1 and the node devices 7a to 7n and between the node devices 7a to 7n. There are four types of notifications, each of which stores the following information.
FIG. 4A shows a device information registration request, which includes a communication message type = device information registration request 41, a node ID 42, a node name 43, a location 44, and an upper node ID 45.
The device information registration request 41 is a notification that the node devices 7a to 7n transmit in order to register the information of the own node device to the adjacent node device and the node detection device 1.
FIG. 4B shows a device information registration response, which is a response returned from the node detection device 1 to the node devices 7 a to 7 n in response to the device information registration request 41. The content of the notification itself differs from the device information registration request 41 in FIG. 4A only in the type of notification and is a device information registration response 46, and the other information is the same.
FIG. 4C shows a device state inspection request, which is transmitted by the node detection device 1 to inquire about the state of the node devices 7a to 7n. The contents of the notification are the same as the apparatus information registration request in FIG. 4A except that the notification type is the apparatus status monitoring request 47.
FIG. 4D shows a device state monitoring response, which is transmitted to the adjacent node device and the node detection device 1 by the node devices 7a to 7n in response to the device state monitoring request 47 of FIG. The contents of the notification are the same as the apparatus information registration request 41 in FIG. 4A except that the notification type is the apparatus status monitoring response 48.

The operation of the node detection system configured as described above will be described below.
FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing an outline of a device information registration request transmission process in the node devices 7a to 7n.
First, the node devices 7a to 7n confirm whether the transmission / reception units 9a to 9n are newly physically connected to the adjacent node device (step 501). Whether or not a new physical connection with the adjacent node device is confirmed is confirmed, for example, by operating a new connection switch attached to the node device. For example, when the node device 7n is newly connected to the node device 7b and the new connection switch of the node device 7n is operated, the node device 7n confirms that the node device 7n is connected to some physically adjacent node device 7b. To do. If confirmed, own device information 305 is acquired from the storage unit 8n of the own node device (step 502). Then, a device information registration request 41 is generated from the own device information 305, and the generated device information registration request 41 is transmitted from the transmission / reception unit 9n to the node device 7b that has newly made a physical connection (step 503).
The device information registration request 41 is transferred from the node device 7b to the node device 7a by the process of FIG.
In this way, the device information 305 of the node device newly connected to the communication path is propagated to all the node devices and registered in each node device.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing an outline of message reception processing in the node devices 7a to 7n.
First, the node devices 7a to 7n receive the message transmitted from the adjacent node device or the node detection device 1 from the transmission / reception units 9a to 9n (step 601). If no message is received, it waits in a reception waiting state. If a message is received, it is determined whether the destination of the message is addressed to the own node device (step 602). If not addressed to the own node device, the message is transferred to the adjacent node device registered in the recording units 8a to 8n (step 607). Thereafter, the process returns to step 601 to prepare for the next message reception.
If the message is addressed to the own node device, it is confirmed whether or not the message is a device status monitoring request 47 (step 603). If it is the device status monitoring request 47, a device status monitoring response is generated to report the status of the own node device, and is transmitted from the transmission / reception units 9a to 9n to the request source (step 608). Thereafter, the process returns to step 601 to prepare for the next message reception.

If the message is not the device status monitoring request 47, it is confirmed whether it is a device information registration request 41 (step 604). If it is the device information registration request 41, the information of the node ID 42, the node name 43, the location 44, and the upper node ID 45 included in the device information registration request 41 is registered in the storage units 8a to 8n (step 609). Also, the received device information registration request 41 is transferred to one or more adjacent node devices registered in the storage units 8a to 8n (step 610). Thereafter, the process returns to step 601 to prepare for the next message reception.
If the message is not a device information registration request, it is confirmed whether it is a device information registration response 46 (step 605). If it is not the device information registration response 46, it means that an invalid message has been received, so that the message is not processed, and the process returns to step 601 to prepare for the reception of the next message.
When the message is the device information registration response 46, the node device information registered in the storage units 8a to 8n is searched using the node ID 42 included in the device information registration response 46 as a search key, and the registered device information 311 found. State 310 is updated to “registration completed” (step 606).

FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating an overview of the node detection process in the detection unit 4 of the node detection device 1.
First, the node detection device 1 receives the device information registration request 41 from the node devices 7a to 7n (step 701). If the device information registration request 41 has not been received, the apparatus waits in a reception waiting state.
When the device information registration request 41 is received by the transmission / reception unit 3, the node detection device 1 checks whether the node ID 42 stored in the device information registration request 41 is already registered in the storage unit 2 (step 702). When the node ID 42 is not registered in the storage unit 2, the detection unit 4 registers the node device information of the received device information registration request 41, that is, the node ID 42, the node name 43, the location 44, and the upper node ID 45 in the storage unit 2. (Step 703).
Next, it is confirmed whether or not the node device information included in the received device information registration request 41 matches the registered device information in the storage unit 2 (step 704). If the node device information included in the device information registration request 41 does not match the node device information registered in the storage unit 2, the node device included in the device information registration request 41 that has received the registered device information in the storage unit 2 Update with information (step 705).
Thereafter, the node device information included in the device information registration request 41 is transmitted to the display unit 5 as information on the detected device (step 706). At that time, the information of the node ID 42 and the upper node ID 45 is used to update and display the network topology that is the relationship between the node ID devices. In addition, a device information registration response is generated and transmitted to the node device with the node ID 42 included in the device information registration request 41 to notify the node detection device 1 that the device has been detected (step 707).

FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing an outline of the abnormality monitoring process of the node device in the node detection device 1.
First, the node detection device 1 extracts the first registered device information 206 from the storage unit 2 (step 801).
Next, in order to execute the following processing for the node devices 7a to 7n corresponding to all the registered device information 206 registered in the storage unit 2, the currently acquired registered device information 206 is stored in the last node device. It is confirmed whether it is a thing (step 802). If it is the registered device information of the last registered device, in order to wait until the next node device abnormality monitoring process is executed, a timer is set and the device waits until timeout (step 803). Thereafter, in order to start the next node device abnormality monitoring process, the node detection device 1 extracts the first registered device information 206 from the storage unit 2 (step 804), and returns to step 802, as in step 801.
If it is not the last registered device information 206, a device state monitoring request 47 is created (step 805) and transmitted to the node device indicated by the registered device information 206 (step 806).

After transmitting the device status monitoring request 47, a timer for receiving the device status monitoring response is set (step 807). It waits for reception of some message or timeout, and checks whether or not a reception timeout has occurred (step 808). If any message is received before the timeout occurs, it is confirmed whether the response is a device status monitoring response (step 809). If the received message is the device status monitoring response 48, the status 205 of the registered device information 206 corresponding to the node device that transmitted the device status monitoring response 48 on the storage unit 2 is set to “normal” (step 810).
If the received notification is not the device status monitoring response 47, nothing is done and the process returns to step 808 to wait for the notification.

When a reception timeout occurs, there is no response to the device status monitoring request 47, so the status 205 of the registered device information 206 corresponding to the node device specified by the device status monitoring request 47 is set to “abnormal” (step) 811).
Next, the network topology related to the node device indicated by the registered device information 206 on the storage unit 2 is changed (step 812).
After step 810 or step 812, the changed part of the storage unit 2 is notified to the display unit 5 to display the latest state of the node device (step 813).
Thus far, the processing for one registered device information is completed.
Thereafter, the next registered device information on the storage unit 2 is extracted, and the process returns to Step 802.

As described above, the operation statuses and network topologies of all the node devices 7a to 7n can be updated and displayed by the autonomous operation between the node devices.
FIG. 9 shows a display example of the network topology and operation status of the node device displayed as the output result of the display unit 5.

In FIG. 9, the node detection device 1 and the node devices 7a to 7n are connected by a connection line representing the communication path 6, and a network topology is displayed as a connection form between the node devices.
In the network topology display, the node detection device 1 and the node devices 7a to 7n display a node name 202 to identify each device on the display.
Further, the operating status of the node device is indicated by a background rectangular color based on the information of the status 205. For example, when the background color is green, it is normal, and when it is red, it indicates a failure.

1 is a system configuration diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram of data stored in a storage unit 2 of the node detection device 1. It is a block diagram of the data stored in the memory | storage parts 8a-8n of node apparatus 7a-7n. It is a block diagram of the notification transmitted / received between the node detection apparatus 1 and node apparatus 7a-7n. It is a flowchart which shows the outline | summary of the notification transmission process of node apparatus 7a-7n. It is a flowchart which shows the outline | summary of the notification reception process of node apparatus 7a-7n. 4 is a flowchart showing an outline of detection processing in the node detection apparatus 1. 4 is a flowchart illustrating an overview of an abnormality monitoring process in the node detection device 1. It is a display example of the network topology and operation state of a node device by the display unit 5 of the node detection device 1.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Node detection apparatus, 2 ... Memory | storage part, 3 ... Transmission / reception part, 4 ... Detection part, 5 ... Display part, 6 ... Communication path, 7a, 7b, 7n ... Node apparatus, 8a, 8b, 8n ... Storage part, 9a , 9b, 9n... Transceiver unit.

Claims (3)

A node detection device that detects a connection state of a plurality of node devices connected to a communication path,
A unique node ID is received from a plurality of node devices connected to the communication path at the time of new connection to the communication path, stored in the storage means, and then connected to each of the node devices having the stored node ID. When the monitoring request is detected at predetermined time intervals and a response is returned within the time set by the timer, the state information of the storage unit is updated as a normal connection state, and is set by the timer. When a response is not replied within the time, the detection unit updates the state information of the storage unit as an abnormal state, and displays the updated state information of each node device and the network configuration diagram on the display unit. A node detection device.   The node ID stored in the storage means is received by sequentially propagating adjacent node devices connected to the communication path from node devices newly connected to the communication path. Item 2. The node detection device according to Item 1. A node detection program for causing a computer to function as a node detection device that detects a connection state of a plurality of node devices connected to a communication path,
A unique node ID is received from a plurality of node devices connected to the communication path at the time of new connection to the communication path, stored in the storage means, and then connected to each of the node devices having the stored node ID. When the monitoring request is detected at predetermined time intervals and a response is returned within the time set by the timer, the state information of the storage unit is updated as a normal connection state, and is set by the timer. When a response is not returned within the time, the state information of the storage unit is updated as an abnormal state, and the updated state information and network configuration diagram are displayed on the display means. Node detection program.

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