JP3550556B2 - Remote monitoring system and method - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a technique for securing network security, and more particularly, to a technique for securing network security in a remote monitoring system.
[0002]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
2. Description of the Related Art A remote monitoring system for monitoring a device such as a computer from a remote place via a network is known. For example, as shown in FIG. 5, a system for remotely monitoring a computer 91 or the like in a user site from a monitoring device 93 at an administrator site is known. The network of the user site and the network of the administrator site are connected by, for example, an IP network 95. The networks are usually connected by a router 92 or the like.
[0003]
By the way, in this system, a firewall must be built at the user site in order to ensure security. The firewall can prevent unauthorized intrusion by a third party from the outside, and prevent leakage of information from the inside easily.
[0004]
An object of the present invention is to provide a technique for performing remote monitoring while preventing unauthorized intrusion of a network to be remotely monitored from the outside.
[0005]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
To achieve the above object, according to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a system for monitoring a device to be monitored connected to a first network from a device connected to a second network, A first monitoring device connected to the first network for monitoring the monitoring target device; and information corresponding to the monitoring result of the first monitoring device connected to the first network for the second network. A first connection device for outputting, a second connection device connected to the second network for receiving information output by the first connection device, and monitoring based on information received by the second connection device. A second monitoring device that outputs information indicating a monitoring result of the target device, wherein the first connection device and the second connection device are connected to the first connection device and the second connection device. A program that can transfer information only in one direction Characterized in that it is connected with Tokoru.
[0006]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
[0007]
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an overall configuration of a remote monitoring system to which the present invention is applied. In this system, the device at the administrator site 1 and the device at the user site 3 are connected via a network 9 such as an IP network. Then, the administrator monitors the device at the user site 3. In the present embodiment, a plurality of user sites 3 are monitored.
[0008]
Each of the user sites 3 is provided with a user system 31, an individual monitoring device 32, a monitoring information output device 33, and a monitoring information detecting device 34. However, some or all of the individual monitoring device 32, the monitoring information output device 33, and the monitoring information detection device 34 may be installed at the administrator site 1. The user system 31, the individual monitoring device 32, and the monitoring information output device 33 form a user network. The monitoring information detecting device 34 and the centralized monitoring device 10 form an administrator network. The connection between the monitoring information output device 33 and the monitoring information detection device 34 will be described later.
[0009]
The user system 31 is a system of a user to be monitored. The user system includes, for example, a server / client system including a plurality of computers and a single device having a communication function.
[0010]
The individual monitoring device 32 monitors the state of the user system 31. For example, the individual monitoring device 32 checks whether communication with the computer of the user system 31 is possible. For example, when the user system 31 and the individual monitoring device 32 are connected by TCP / IP, whether or not communication is possible depending on whether or not there is a response to the ping command transmitted from the individual monitoring device 32 to the user system 31 Is determined. In addition, the individual monitoring device 32 receives a status notification from the user system 31 (for example, a notification of occurrence of an event such as an error, a warning, or abnormal termination of an application). The individual monitoring device 32 may be configured integrally with the monitoring information output device 33.
[0011]
The monitoring information output device 33 outputs predetermined monitoring information based on the notification from the individual monitoring device 32. Specifically, the monitoring information output device 33 receives a notification from the individual monitoring device 32 notifying that an event such as an error has occurred in the user system 31. Upon receiving this notification, the monitoring information output device 33 outputs monitoring information that is a signal corresponding to the notification. The monitoring information is output to the monitoring information detecting device 34.
[0012]
Here, the monitoring information output device 33 and the monitoring information detection device 34 are connected by a protocol that enables information transfer from the monitoring information output device 33 to the monitoring information detection device 34 in only one direction. Therefore, any information cannot be transferred from the monitoring information detection device 34 to the monitoring information output device 33. As a result, it is possible to prevent unauthorized invasion of the network including the user system 31 from the external network 9.
[0013]
Specifically, the monitoring information output device 33 may be, for example, a switch circuit including a plurality of switches configured by a relay circuit. When the monitoring information output device 33 is a switch circuit, the monitoring information is a current that is turned on / off by turning on / off the switch. A switch to be turned on / off according to the event that has occurred is predetermined. The monitoring information output device 33 and the monitoring information detection device 34 may be connected by an RS-232C cable.
[0014]
The monitoring information detection device 34 detects the monitoring information output by the monitoring information output device 33. When the monitoring information output device 33 is a switch circuit, the monitoring information detection device 34 includes a current detection circuit and detects a current flowing from the switch circuit.
[0015]
The monitoring information detection device 34 includes a monitoring information table 35 shown in FIG. In the monitoring information table 35, the monitoring information 351 is associated with the event 352 that has occurred.
[0016]
The monitoring information detection device 34 specifies the event that has occurred with reference to the monitoring information table 35. Then, the monitoring information detection device 34 outputs information for notifying the central management device 10 of an event that has occurred in the user system 31.
[0017]
The administrator site 1 includes a centralized monitoring device 10 and a display device 11.
[0018]
The centralized monitoring device 10 receives the event notification information sent from the monitoring information detection device 34. Thereby, the centralized monitoring apparatus 10 can centrally manage predetermined events generated in all the user systems 31 to be monitored. Then, the monitoring result can be displayed on the display device 11. The centralized monitoring device 10 can also log the received notification information. In addition to the display on the display device 11, the occurrence of an event may be notified to the administrator by the following method. That is, sound may be output from a speaker (not shown), output to a facsimile apparatus (not shown), displayed on an alarm lamp (not shown), or notified to a subscriber telephone or a mobile phone (not shown). When notifying a subscriber telephone or a mobile phone, the other party may be authenticated before the report.
[0019]
When an administrator provides a monitoring service to a user using the system according to the present embodiment, first, the user and the administrator conclude a monitoring contract. Items specified in the contract include, for example, the type of event to be reported, the contract period, the fee, the payment method, and the like. Various information related to the contract is stored in a contract database (not shown) at the administrator site. The individual monitoring device 32, the monitoring information output device 33, and the monitoring information detecting device 34 are installed after the contract is concluded. Thereafter, monitoring of the user system is started.
[0020]
Next, a processing procedure in the present system will be described. First, the individual monitoring device 32 performs the processing shown in FIG.
[0021]
The individual monitoring device 32 monitors the user system 31 to be monitored (S101). During this time, when the individual monitoring device 32 detects an abnormality of the user system 31 (S102) and receives an abnormality notification from the user system 31 (S103), the individual monitoring device 32 sends the monitoring information to the monitoring information output device 33. Is output (S105). At this time, the individual monitoring device 32 notifies the monitoring information output device 33 of information for identifying the event that has occurred. The above processing is repeated until the monitoring is completed (S104). For example, when the contract has not expired, such as when the contract has expired, the monitoring is terminated.
[0022]
FIG. 4 shows a processing procedure after the individual monitoring device 32 outputs the monitoring information output instruction to the monitoring information output device 33.
[0023]
The monitoring information output device 33 that has received the instruction from the individual monitoring device 32 outputs the monitoring information to the monitoring information detection device 34 according to the event that has occurred. When the monitoring information detection device 34 is a switch circuit, the switch corresponding to the event that has occurred is turned on.
[0024]
The monitoring information detection device 34 receives this monitoring information. Then, the monitoring information detection device 34 uses the monitoring information table 35 to specify an event that has occurred in the user system 31. Thereafter, the monitoring information detection device 34 notifies the centralized management device 10 of the specified event.
[0025]
The central management device 10 notifies the administrator of the occurrence of the event. As a result, the administrator can grasp events that have occurred in all the user systems 31.
[0026]
Further, the centralized monitoring device 10 performs a process of charging a fee. For example, the centralized monitoring device 10 refers to a contract database (not shown) and detects that the contract is within the validity period and the billing time has come. Then, the centralized monitoring device 10 performs a billing process for the user.
[0027]
【The invention's effect】
According to the present invention, a monitoring target can be remotely monitored while preventing unauthorized intrusion from the outside into a network to be remotely monitored.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a configuration of a network system that performs remote monitoring according to an embodiment to which the present invention is applied.
FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a monitoring information table 35.
FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure of the individual monitoring device 32.
FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a flow of information between the devices following a monitoring information output instruction.
FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing a configuration of a conventional remote monitoring system.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Administrator site, 3 ... User site, 10 ... Central monitoring device, 9 ... Network, 31 ... User system, 32 ... Individual monitoring device, 33 ... Monitoring information output device, 34 ... Monitoring information detecting device, 35 ... Monitoring information table.

Claims (6)

A system for monitoring a device to be monitored connected to a first network from a device connected to a second network,
A first monitoring device connected to the first network and monitoring occurrence of an event in the monitoring target device;
When a plurality of switches are provided and a notification of the occurrence of an event is received from the first monitoring device, one switch that is associated in advance with the type of the notified event is turned on, and current is supplied to the second network. An output switch circuit connected to the first network ;
A current detection circuit connected to a second network for detecting a current output by the switch circuit;
Based on the current detected by the current detection circuit, a detection device that identifies an event that has occurred in the monitored device,
A second monitoring device that receives notification of the specified event from the detection device and outputs information indicating an event that has occurred in the monitoring target device . The first monitoring device is
2. The remote monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein an inquiry is issued to the monitored device, and if there is no response to the inquiry, the switch circuit is notified that the monitored device cannot communicate . The first monitoring device is
3. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein information indicating a state of the monitored device output from the monitored device is received , and an event occurred in the monitored device is notified to the switch circuit based on the received information. The remote monitoring system described. The second monitoring device includes:
The remote monitoring system according to any one of claims 1 to 3 , wherein an event occurred in the monitoring target device is visually displayed or output as a sound. The second monitoring device includes:
The remote monitoring system according to any one of claims 1 to 3 , wherein an event occurred in the monitored device is notified to a subscriber telephone or a mobile phone. A remote monitoring method for monitoring a device to be monitored connected to a first network from a device connected to a second network,
Monitoring the occurrence of an event in the monitored device,
A switch circuit, which is connected to the first network and includes a plurality of switches, turns on one switch that is associated in advance with the type of event that has occurred in the monitored device, and Output current,
A remote monitoring method in which a current detection circuit connected to a second network detects the current and identifies an event that has occurred in the monitored device based on the detected current.

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