JPH06187272A - Network state automatic updating device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To make it possible to cope with the change of a network by utilizing an information processor under a network environment. CONSTITUTION:This device is provided with a display device 12 displaying graphics and characters, a central arithmetic processor 13, a storage device 14 for storing information on graphics and characters, a pointing device 15 for designating the two-dimensional coordinate location on the display device 12, a network state display device 17 for displaying the state of a network on the display device 12, and a network state monitor device 18 always monitoring the state of the network under a network environment where an information processor is connected and dynamically reflecting the state change on the network state display device 17 when this state of the network changes.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a network status automatic updating device for a network system in which a plurality of information processing devices and peripheral devices are connected in a network form for use.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Nowadays, the performance of information processing devices has dramatically increased, and it has become possible to organically combine inexpensive and high-performance small information processing devices through a network rather than using one huge information processing device. The movement to use it has increased. Under such circumstances, a network status display device that displays the network status of a connected information processing device or related equipment on a display device has become widespread.

FIG. 5 is a view showing a display condition in a conventional network status display device, 1 is a display device, 2 is a network status display device, and 3 is a window for displaying the network condition displayed on the display device 1.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an actual connection status in a conventional information processing apparatus. Network in Figure 6
A state in which the first information processing device 5 and the second information processing device 6 are connected to the cable 4 is an icon representing the first information processing device 5 on a line 7 representing the network cable 4 in FIG. 8 and the icon 9 representing the second information processing device 6 are displayed in a connected state.

That is, the actual connection status shown in FIG.
This is completely consistent with the display status of window 3 in FIG. Therefore, in this state, either the icon 8 representing the first information processing device 5 or the icon 9 representing the second information processing device 6 is designated by a pointing device (not shown) such as a mouse. Thus, it becomes possible to access a necessary information processing device connected to the network.

[0006]

However, while the information processing device is being used, another information processing device is newly added to the network.
It is assumed that the network configuration is changed by being connected to the cable 4. In this case, the conventional network status display device 2
Then, to know the network configuration,
Since the resource is read only once at the time of startup, the display contents of the display device 1 cannot cope with the network state change such as the addition of the information processing device, and the state shown in FIG. 5 remains. Further, such a situation is not limited to the case where the information processing device is added, but the first information processing device 5 or the second information processing device 5
Similarly, when the information processing device 6 is deleted, or when the related device is added or deleted.

As described above, the conventional network status display device 2 cannot accurately reflect the status change of the network during the operation on the display device 1, and the effective utilization of the added equipment cannot be achieved. In addition, there is a problem such as an access error to the deleted device.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a network status automatic updating apparatus for accurately reflecting a status change of a network under a network environment on a display device and effectively utilizing the network.

[0009]

In addition to the conventional network status display device, the present invention constantly monitors the network condition under a network environment, and when the network condition changes such as the addition of an information processing device, The above problem is solved by providing a network status monitoring device capable of dynamically reflecting a status change in the network status display device.

[0010]

According to the present invention, it is possible to immediately notify the user of a change in the state of the network by means of the display device, and the information processing device and peripheral equipment newly connected to the network can be immediately used. Further, since the information processing device deleted from the network disappears from the network status display window, it is possible to prevent access to the information processing device which is not actually connected.

[0011]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a network status automatic updating device according to an embodiment of the present invention. 12 is a display device for displaying graphics and characters, 13 is a central processing unit, and 14 is a storage device for graphics. And a random access memory provided with network resource data 20 in which a file that stores information of characters and which information processing device is connected to the network and can be used is created. Reference numeral 15 is a mouse as a pointing device for designating a two-dimensional coordinate position on the display device 12, 16 is a keyboard, 17 is a network status display device for displaying the network status on the display device 12, and 18 is a network status display device. The network status monitor 17 constantly monitors the status, and the network status display 17 and the network status monitor 18 are realized by the central processing unit 13 executing a program stored in the storage 14.
Then, the activation status of the information processing apparatus connected by the network cable 4 shown in FIG. 1 is monitored. In addition, about the component similar to the component shown in FIG. 5, FIG. 6 which shows a prior art, the description of a structure is abbreviate | omitted by showing the same code | symbol.

Next, the operation of the network state automatic updating apparatus of the present embodiment having the above configuration will be described. First, it is assumed that the user is using the first information processing device 5 and the second information processing device 6 in the network environment connected as shown in FIG. 6 as in the conventional example.

In this case, the window of the network status display device 17 displayed on the display device 12 is shown in FIG.
As shown in the related art, the line 8 representing the network cable 4 has an icon 8 representing the first information processing device 5 on the line 7.
And the icon 9 representing the second information processing device 6 is displayed in a connected state. The user can
Alternatively, by designating the icon 9, the first information processing device 5 and the second information processing device 5 which are actually connected to the network are displayed.
It is possible to use any of the information processing devices 6 of FIG. Up to this point, the process is exactly the same as the conventional one.

Next, it is assumed that the network configuration changes during operation by the user, and the third information processing apparatus 10 is newly connected and activated as shown in FIG.

In this case, in the window of the network status display device 17 operated by the user, as shown in FIG. 3, the icon 19 indicating the third information processing device 10 is displayed in a connected state. That is, the display content of the display device 12 is completely consistent with the situation where the third information processing device 10 is actually connected, that is, the situation of FIG.

This principle will be described with reference to the flowcharts showing the operation of the network status monitoring device 18 shown in FIGS. Now, the third information processing apparatus 10 shown in FIG.
Is connected to the network. The activated third information processing device 10 uses the network resource data 20 provided in the storage device 14 with a file name (for example, “information processing device identifier name ON”) indicating that the third information processing device 10 can be used by itself. To create a file. When a file is created in the network resource data 20, as shown in FIG. 4, the network status monitoring device 18 that constantly monitors the network resource data 20 detects the creation of the file (step 401) and immediately This is notified to the network status display device 17 (step 40).
2). The network status display device 17 displaying the status before the expansion by the file name in the network resource data 20 (step 403) displays this on the display device 12 according to the notification. As a result, the window 3 is displayed in conformity with the actual connection status of the third information processing apparatus 10.

As described above, according to this embodiment, the network status display device 17 and the network status monitoring device 18 for constantly monitoring the file of the network resource data 20 updated by the addition or deletion are provided. Thus, it is possible to immediately detect the addition or deletion of the information processing device or the related device and display it on the display device 12.
Therefore, the display device 12 always displays a state consistent with the actual network condition, which enables effective use of the newly added device and prevents access mistakes to the deleted device.

[0019]

According to the present invention, by the above-mentioned means, the user can be dynamically informed of a change in the state of the network, and the user can immediately recognize the information processing device or the peripheral device newly connected to the network. Will be available. Further, since the information processing device deleted from the network disappears from the network status display window, it is possible to prevent access to the information processing device which is not actually connected. Further, the network status monitoring device does not need to read the contents of the file stored in the network resource data and can grasp the network status only from the file name, so that the network status display device can be notified quickly. .

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a network status automatic updating device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an actual connection status of a network status automatic updating device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of a window of a display device of a network status automatic updating device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the operation of the network status automatic updating device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a display situation in a conventional network status display device.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an actual connection status in a conventional information processing device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 5 first information processing device 6 second information processing device 10 third information processing device 12 display device 13 central processing unit 14 storage device 15 mouse (pointing device) 16 keyboard 17 network status display device 18 network status monitoring device 20 network resource data

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A display device for displaying graphics and characters, a central processing unit, a storage device for storing information, and a pointing device for designating a two-dimensional coordinate position on the display device. A network status automatic update device having a network for transmitting information between a plurality of the arithmetic processing devices and a network status display device for displaying the status of the network on the display device, the network status automatic updating device being connected to the network. A network status monitoring device for monitoring a file created / updated in the storage device when the information processing device has been changed, and notifying the network status display device of the change of the file. Automatic network status update device.