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EP0777357A2 Expired / Lapsed EP ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Network management system with improved node discovery and monitoring

Assignee: NCR International Inc
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Filing: 1996-11-21
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2016-11-21
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Abstract

Abstract A method and system for monitoring nodes in a network having at least one network management station and a plurality of nodes. A queue (10) stores polling messages for transmission to the nodes where each node is indexed by its network address. The network management station sends polling messages to the nodes in sequence at a predetermined rate controlled by a rate control mechanism (12). Polling messages are sent up to four times to a particular node. The transmission of these messages are recorded in a table which is indexed by the network address of each node, and by the time of the next scheduled timeout (the time period between successive polling messages) associated with each node. The network management station determines if another polling message should be sent to each of the nodes. If the fourth polling message has been sent to a particular node, it has been unacknowledged by that node and the timeout has expired, then the node is determined to have failed.

Inventors

  • 👤 Andre B. Bondi

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction EP
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-02 20:20
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04L; H04L41/00; H04L41/12

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 7
Claim 1
Independent Claim 136 words
A method for monitoring nodes in a network having at least one network management station and a plurality of nodes, characterised by the steps of:- providing a queue (10) of polling messages for transmission to the nodes, each polling message being indexed by the network address of one of the nodes; sending said queued polling messages from the network management station to the plurality of nodes at a predetermined rate; recording transmission of the polling messages in a table having a first portion indexed by the network address of each node and a second portion indexed by a timeout associated with a polling message count for each node having an outstanding status poll; and determining for each node if that node has failed after a predetermined number of polling messages have been sent to that node.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 86 words
A method according to claim 1, wherein said step of determining if a node has failed is characterized by the steps of:- determining if the count of polling messages sent to that node has reached the predetermined number; and determining if an elapsed timeout period for that particular polling message count has expired, such that when the polling messages sent to a node are unacknowledged and the polling message count reaches the predetermined number and the timeout has expired the node is determined to have failed.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 17 words
A method according to claim 2, characterized in that the elapsed timeout period is about 2.5 minutes.
Claim 4
Independent Claim 69 words
A method according to any preceding claim, characterized by the steps of:- deleting the network address of a node from said queue (10) after a polling message is transmitted to that node; and if that polling message is unacknowledged and the node was determined not to have failed then adding the network address of that node to said queue so that another polling message is sent to that node.
Claim 5
Independent Claim 38 words
A method according to any preceding claim, characterized in that the polling message is an internet control message protocol polling message; the network address is an internet protocol address; and said predetermined number of polling messages is four.
Claim 6
Independent Claim 112 words
A system for managing a network comprising at least one network management station, and a plurality of nodes connected to the network management station for data communications there between, characterized in that each said network management station includes a queue (10) of polling messages for transmission to the nodes, and a poll table having a first portion indexed by a network address of each node and a second portion indexed by a timeout associated with a polling message count; and wherein said network management station determines for each node if that node has failed after a predetermined number of polling messages have been sent to that node within an elapsed timeout period.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 29 words
A system according to claim 6, characterized in that said network management station has a rate control mechanism (12) for controlling the rate at which polling messages are transmitted.

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