Apparatus and method for generating automatic customized event requests

Claim 3

The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of generating at least one of the predefined event requests by forming a variable/threshold pair and storing it in a predefined event request data structure.

Claim 4

The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of generating at least one predefined event request by forming a plurality of variable/threshold pairs and storing the formed pairs in the event request, such that multiple events for the associated device are defined.

Claim 5

The method of claim 1, wherein the step of generating is performed by selecting a device from the list of devices and a predefined event request from the list of predefined event requests to be associated with the selected device, wherein the selecting step is performed one time for a device in the list of devices.

Claim 6

The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of: generating a graphical user interface having means for a user to select custom automatic management; and reading, generating and sending the customized event requests when custom automatic management is selected; and sending default event requests to the devices when custom automatic management is not selected.

Claim 7

The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of: monitoring at least some of the devices; displaying the devices that are being monitored, the displayed devices being represented by glyphs; and color-coding the glyphs to indicate the status of the devices being monitored.

Claim 10

The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the processor also generates the predefined event requests and stores the generated predefined event requests in the memory.

Claim 11

The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the processor generates each predefined event request by receiving at least one variable/threshold pair and writing each received pair in a predefined event request data structure.

Claim 12

The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising a video monitor and at least one input device, wherein the processor generates a graphical user interface for receiving the at least one variable/threshold pair and for allowing the event requests to be associated with the devices.

Claim 13

The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the processor selectively displays glyphs representing the devices on the video monitor, and wherein the processor color-codes the glyphs to indicate status of the displayed devices.

Claim 14

The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the processor is programmed to: display glyphs representing the devices receive responses from the devices; and display status of the devices based on the received responses.

Claim 15

The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the processor is programmed to indicate status by color-coding the glyphs.

Claim 16

The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the processor generates a graphical user interface having means for a user to select custom automatic management; and reads, generates and sends the customized event requests when custom automatic management is selected, and wherein the processor sends default event requests to the devices when custom automatic management is not selected.

Claim 17

A computer program product for monitoring a plurality of network devices, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium and a computer program mechanism embedded therein, the computer program mechanism comprising: a plurality of different predefined event requests; and each predefined event request including at least one variable/threshold pair where the variable in each pair corresponds to a variable whose value is stored in a respective network device's Management Information Base and the threshold in each pair is a threshold value for the variable in that pair; each variable/threshold pair defining an event corresponding to the variable in the pair reaching a value having a predefined relationship to the threshold in the pair; a first set of instructions that read the predefined event requests from a memory, a second set of instructions that in response to a user request, display a list of devices, and display a list of predefined event requests, and generate customized event requests by associating various one of the displayed predefined event requests with various ones of the displayed devices in response to user customization commands, wherein at most one respective predefined event request is associated with each device, and a third set of instructions that periodically, at a defined polling interval, transmit the customized event request to the respective devices; a fourth set of instructions that receive response messages from the devices in accordance with the predefined event requests sent to the devices; and a fifth set of instructions that indicate status of the responding devices according to the response messages that are received.

Claim 18

A computer program product for monitoring a plurality of network devices, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium and a computer program mechanism embedded therein, the computer program mechanism comprising: a plurality of different predefined event requests; and each predefined event request including at least one variable/threshold pair where the variable in each pair corresponds to a variable whose value is stored in a respective network device's Management Information Base and the threshold in each pair is a threshold value for the variable in that pair; each variable/threshold pair defining an event corresponding to the variable in the pair reaching a value having a predefined relationship to the threshold in the pair; a first set of instructions that read the predefined event requests from a memory, a second set of instructions that in response to a user request, display a list of devices, and display a list of predefined event requests, and generate customized event requests by associating various one of the displayed predefined event requests with various ones of the displayed devices in response to user customization commands, wherein at most one respective predefined event request is associated with each device, and a third set of instructions that periodically, at a defined polling interval, transmit the customized event request to the respective devices; a fourth set of instructions that receive response messages from the devices in accordance with the predefined event requests sent to the devices; and a fifth set of instructions that indicate status of the responding devices according to the response messages that are received.

Claim 19

The computer program product of claim 15, further comprising a sixth set of instructions that generate the predefined event requests and stores the generated predefined even requests in the memory.

Claim 20

The computer program product of claim 16, further comprising instructions that generate each predefined event request by receiving at least one variable/threshold pair and writing each received pair in a predefined event request data structure.

Claim 21

The computer program product of claim 16, further comprising instructions that generate a graphical user interface for receiving the at least one variable/threshold pair and allow the predefined event requests to be associated with the devices.

Claim 22

The computer program product of claim 18, further comprising instructions that display glyphs representing the devices on a video monitor, and color-code the glyphs to indicate status of the displayed devices.

Claim 23

The computer program product of claim 16, further comprising instructions that: display glyphs representing the devices; receive responses from the devices; and display status of the devices based on the received responses.

Claim 24

The computer program product of claim 20, further including instructions that indicate status by color-coding the glyphs.

Claim 25

The computer program product of claim 16, further including instructions that generate a graphical user interface having means for a user to select custom automatic management; and read, generate and send the customized event requests when custom automatic management is selected, and that send default event requests to the devices when custom automatic management is not selected.