JP2009020607A - Network device management system and network device management program - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To reduce a load when acquiring information from SNMP (Simple Network Management) in a network environment, and to easily use the information after the acquisition of the information when the information is acquired at a client device side. <P>SOLUTION: An image forming device 20 is loaded with an SNMP agent 21 performing option setting information response processing for generating an object identifier wherein option setting information is expressed by an integer and returning it to the client device 10 according to a request from the client device 10. The client device 10 is loaded with: a device option table 11A showing correspondence between the option setting information and the integer; and an SNMP manager 11 designating the object identifier having a value of the integer to request the option setting information from the image forming device 20, acquiring the integer held by the object identifier requested from the image forming device 20, collating the acquired integer with the device option table 11A, and deciding an installation option of the image forming device 20. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a network device management system and a network device management program for managing network devices represented by printers and routers on a network.

  Many network devices such as printers and routers are connected to a LAN (Local Area Network) installed in an office or company. In order to efficiently manage or monitor these network devices, a simple network management protocol (SNMP) has been conventionally used. In SNMP, information acquisition, parameter setting, and the like are performed using a management information base (MIB) for each device on a network.

  For example, a device management apparatus such as a personal computer on a LAN performs communication using a SNMP protocol with a device on the LAN, thereby acquiring necessary information from the MIB of each device for network management. In addition, necessary information is written into the MIB of each device by the device management apparatus, thereby controlling the operation of the device. The information acquired by the device management apparatus includes information indicating the state of the device and information indicating the model name and configuration of the device.

  Here, the MIB has a tree structure, and a labeled object is associated with each section. Each piece of information on the MIB is specified by an object identifier (OID: OBJECT IDENTIFIER) which is an option number string from the top of the tree structure. For example, system is specified in 1.3.6.1.2.1.1, and similarly SysObjectID is specified in 1.3.6.1.2.1.1.2. One object ID always corresponds to one object. In other words, information (parameters) can be manipulated (referenced or set) by specifying the object ID. This MIB structure is called a management information structure (SMI) and is defined in RFC1155 Structure and Identification of Management Information for TCP / IP-based Internets.

  In the MIB, the upper layer space is a common space, while the lower layer part of the space is open. The manufacturer of each device makes it possible to set a specific parameter for the device using the open space. Therefore, if the manufacturer and model of the device are different, the type of MIB as a whole is different, and therefore the parameter setting method (particularly the contents of the object ID) for each device is different. That is, even if the object is the same, if the type of MIB is different, the object ID that designates it is different.

  In Printer MIB v2 currently used, for example, as an object ID, for example, [prtInputDescription (1.3.6.1.2.1.43.8.2.1.18)], that is, iso (1) .org (3) .dod (6 ) .internet (1), mgmt (2) .mib-2 (1) .printmib (43) .prtInput (8) .prtInputTable (2) .prtInputEntry (1) .prtInputDescription (18) Will be returned.

  In addition, HP Web JetAdmin, which has been conventionally known as an application for managing devices by SNMP / MIB using a WWW browser program, has a unique interface for realizing a user interface on the WWW browser program. A template file composed of keywords and description in HTML format is used.

  Since the template file is not structured regularly, it is necessary to analyze all the necessary template files in order to recognize the information to be acquired from the device. Take it.

  Therefore, a command identifier for identifying acquisition and setting of network device information and a template identifier for identifying a template to be used are generated, and the network device corresponding to the command identifier is generated from the header description part of the file specified by the template identifier. Information is set, variables in the file body description part are set according to the acquired information, converted to a format to be output, and information to be acquired from the device and information to be output and set are distinguished and analyzed. There has been proposed a network device control apparatus that shortens the time required for analysis (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

JP 2000-181831 A

  However, as in the previously proposed network device control apparatus, the template file is divided into a header description part and a body description part, so that the information to be acquired from the device and the information to be output and set are separated. By analyzing separately, the time required for the analysis can be shortened, but information such as the type of device option defined in the character string on the MIB needs to be lexically analyzed, and the load is heavy was there.

  An object of the present invention is to reduce the load when acquiring information from SNMP in a network environment. In addition, when information is acquired on the device management apparatus side, the information is made easier to use thereafter.

  Other objects of the present invention and specific advantages obtained by the present invention will become more apparent from the description of embodiments described below.

  A network device management system according to the present invention is connected to a network device connected to a network via the network device, and manages the network device using a simple network management protocol (SNMP). The network device performs an option setting information response process for generating an object identifier representing the option setting information as an integer value and returning the object identifier to the client device in response to a request from the client device. An agent is installed, and the client device specifies a device option table indicating the correspondence between option setting information and an integer value, and an object identifier having the integer value as a network device. Requesting option setting information, obtaining an integer value held by the object identifier requested from the network device, and comparing the obtained integer value with the device option table to determine a mounting option of the network device. It is characterized by having an SNMP manager.

  In the network device management system according to the present invention, the device option table defines, for example, integer values corresponding to various option names defined in a standard management information base (MIB).

  The present invention also provides a network device management program in a network device management system for managing a network device connected to a network from a client device using a simple network management protocol (SNMP). In response to a request from the client device, the computer provided in the network device functions as an SNMP agent that performs an option setting information response process that generates an object identifier representing the option setting information as an integer value and returns the object identifier to the client device. The computer provided in the client device requests option setting information from the network device by specifying an object identifier having an integer value, and from the network device. An SNMP manager that obtains an integer value held by the obtained object identifier and compares the obtained integer value with a device option table indicating correspondence between option setting information and the integer value to determine a mounting option of the network device. It is made to function as.

  In the MIB defined by the SNMP standard, the type of device option of the printer is defined by a character string. In the present invention, by setting this to an integer value, the load on the network can be reduced. Further, by receiving the value of the device option as an integer value, it becomes easier for the software of the client device to handle the received value.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Needless to say, the present invention is not limited to the following examples, and can be arbitrarily changed without departing from the gist of the present invention.

  In the present invention, for example, as shown in FIG. 1, a client apparatus 10 and a plurality of image forming apparatuses 20A, 20B, 20C... Are connected to each other via a network 30 such as a LAN (Local Area Network). This is applied to the print management system 100.

  The print management system 100 uses a simple network management protocol (SNMP). As shown in FIG. 2, the SNMP manager 11 installed in the client device 10 and each image that is a network device are used. SNMP agents 21A, 21B, 21C,... Mounted on the forming apparatuses 20A, 20B, 20C,.

  The client device 10 includes a so-called personal computer including an application program 10A, an operating system 10B, a device driver 10C, and the like. As illustrated in FIG. 3, the client device 10 includes a computer (CPU) that controls the entire device and performs various arithmetic processes. A control unit 12, a read only memory (ROM) 13 for storing control programs and data, and a random access memory (RAM) 14 for temporarily storing programs and data as a work area A hard disk 15 as an external storage device for storing various programs and data; a display unit 16 such as a liquid crystal display for displaying various information; and an input unit 17 including a keyboard and a mouse for inputting various instructions. , The above network Such as a communication unit 18 composed of a network interface such as a LAN card for connecting to the click 30 are connected to each other via a bus 19, the function of the SNMP manager 11 is mounted to the control unit 12.

  Further, the image forming apparatus 20 (20A, 20B, 20C,...) Is a printer apparatus having a function of printing print data supplied from the client apparatus 10, and as shown in FIG. Control unit 22 composed of a computer (CPU) for performing control and various arithmetic processes, read only memory (ROM) 23 for storing control programs and data, and random access for temporarily storing programs and data as work areas Various data is printed on a recording medium such as paper using a memory (RAM) 24, an operation panel unit 25 used for displaying various information and inputting various instructions, and a known image forming process such as an electrophotographic process. Network unit such as a LAN card for connecting to the printing unit 26 and the network 30 Such Ranaru communication unit 27 are connected to each other via a bus 28, SNMP agent 21 (21A, 21B, 21C ···) is the function of being mounted on the controller 22.

  In the print management system 100, the client apparatus 10 holds a device option table 11A specific to the model. In addition, the SNMP manager 11 on the client device 10 side acquires information by specifying an object identifier (OID: OBJECT IDENTIFIER) to the SNMP agent 21 on the image forming device 20 side. Then, the client apparatus 10 compares the value acquired from the SNMP agent 21 on the image forming apparatus 20 side with software (various utilities, printer driver, etc.) and the held device option table 11A to check the image forming apparatus 20. Determine the settings of the device attached to the.

  Here, the device option table 11A held by the client device 10 with software (each utility, printer driver, etc.) is defined in a standard management information base (MIB) as shown in FIG. 5, for example. Integer values corresponding to various option names are defined and stored in the ROM 13.

  The image forming apparatus 20 has an integer value for representing a device option attached to the image forming apparatus 20 in an object identifier (OID: OBJECT IDENTIFIER) held on the SNMP agent 21 side that can be extended. This integer value matches the contents of the device option table 11A held on the client device 10 side. Further, the SNMP agent 21 on the image forming apparatus 20 side returns a specified object identifier (OID: OBJECT IDENTIFIER) value (integer value) to the client apparatus 10 side in response to a request from the client apparatus 10.

  In the print management system 100 having such a configuration, the client apparatus 10 determines the mounting option of the image forming apparatus 20 connected via the network 30 according to the procedure shown in the flowchart of FIG.

  That is, in this print management system 100, the image forming apparatus 20 holds an integer value that matches the mounting option in the device setting OID (step S1).

  Further, the client device 10 reads and holds the device option table 11A from the ROM 13 onto the RAM 14 by software (each utility, printer driver, etc.) (step S2).

  Next, the SNMP manager 11 on the client apparatus 10 side performs option setting information request processing for requesting option setting information to the SNMP agent 21 on the image forming apparatus 20 side. At this time, an OID having an integer value is designated (step S3).

  In response to a request from the SNMP manager 11 on the client apparatus 10 side, the SNMP agent 21 on the image forming apparatus 20 side returns an integer value held in the requested OID to the SNMP manager 11 on the client apparatus 10 side. A setting information response process is performed (step S4).

  Then, the client device 10 side compares the held device option table 11A with the integer value acquired from the SNMP agent 21 on the image forming apparatus 20 side, and determines the mounting option for determining the mounting option of the image forming apparatus 20 Judgment processing is performed (step S5).

  As described above, in the MIB defined by the SNMP standard, the type of the device option of the printer is defined by the character string. In the print management system 100, the type of the device option defined by the character string is used. Since the corresponding integer value is sent from the image forming apparatus 20 to the client apparatus 10, it is possible to reduce the load on the network rather than sending a character string. Further, by receiving the value of the device option as an integer value, the software on the client device 10 side can easily handle the received value.

1 is a diagram illustrating a print management system including a client device to which the present invention is applied and a plurality of image processing devices. FIG. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the said printing management system. It is a block diagram which shows the functional structure of the said client apparatus. It is a block diagram which shows the functional structure of the said image processing apparatus. It is a figure which shows an example of the device option table with which the said client apparatus is provided. 6 is a flowchart illustrating a processing procedure in which the client device determines a mounting option of the image processing device.

Explanation of symbols

10 client device,
10A application program,
10B operating system,
10C device driver,
11 SNMP manager,
11A Device option table,
12 control unit,
13 ROM,
14 RAM,
15 hard disk,
16 display section,
17 Input section,
18 Communication Department,
19 Bus,
20 (20A, 20B, 20C ...) Image forming apparatus,
21 (21A, 21B, 21C ...) SNMP agent,
22 control unit,
23 ROM,
24 RAM,
25 Operation panel section,
26 printing department,
27 communication interface,
28 Bus,
30 network,
100 print management system,

Claims (3)

A network device connected to the network;
A client device connected to the network device via a network and managing the network device using a simple network management protocol (SNMP);
In response to a request from the client device, the network device includes an SNMP agent that performs an option setting information response process that generates an object identifier representing the option setting information as an integer value and returns the object identifier to the client device.
The client device requests option setting information from the network device by designating a device option table indicating correspondence between the option setting information and the integer value, and an object identifier having the integer value. It is equipped with an SNMP manager that acquires the integer value held by the requested object identifier and compares the acquired integer value with the device option table to determine the installation option of the network device. Network device management system.   2. The network device management according to claim 1, wherein the device option table defines integer values corresponding to various option names defined in a standard management information base (MIB). system. A network device management program in a network device management system for managing a network device connected to a network from a client device using a simple network management protocol (SNMP),
The computer provided in the network device functions as an SNMP agent that performs an option setting information response process that generates an object identifier representing the option setting information as an integer value and returns it to the client device in response to a request from the client device. ,
The computer provided in the client device requests an option setting information from the network device by specifying an object identifier having an integer value, and obtains an integer value held by the object identifier requested from the network device. A network device management program that causes the obtained integer value to function as an SNMP manager that determines a mounting option of the network device by comparing the obtained integer value with a device option table indicating correspondence between option setting information and the integer value.

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