Data acquisition and remote administration system

Details Data acquisition and remote administration system Data acquisition and remote administration system

1999-06-09

2002-10-29

Rinehart, Mark H. (Department: 2153)

Electrical computers and digital processing systems: multicomput

Computer conferencing

Demand based messaging

C709S201000, C709S202000, C709S203000, C709S204000, C709S205000, C709S206000, C709S207000, C707S793000, C707S793000, C706S032000, C706S005000, C379S067100, C379S088130, C379S088170, C379S088180, C379S086000, C379S088250

Reexamination Certificate

active

06473786

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to computer communications, and more particularly to improving data transfer rates when managing remote systems via computer communications.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Communication between one computer and another is extremely important in today's society. Vast quantities of data and information are constantly being transferred from one location to another, with the need for improved computer communications methods growing as businesses and individuals become ever more dependent on receiving information and data as quickly and inexpensively as possible.
For communications between computers, the proper hardware (physical equipment) must be available. At a minimum, there must be at least two computers, each with the appropriate communications hardware. Typically, there are two communications methods. The first is where the two computers use modems to communicate via the phone lines. The first computer establishes a connection by having its modem dial the phone number of the modem attached to the second computer which, in turn, answers the call. This establishes a “circuit-switched connection”, which simply means that there is a dedicated communication path between the two computers. The two computers then begin a communication session.
A variation of this first method uses what is known as a null modem cable, which physically links the two computers together so that they share a dedicated, direct path to one another. Communication over a null modem cable works the same way that modem based communication works from the viewpoints of the computers involved, except that no dial-up or call answering process is required. Both variations of this method are referred to as serial communications.
The second method for establishing the link requires both computers to be attached to a common data network based on, for example, the set of TCP/IP (“transmission control protocol/internet protocol”) standards. Here, the first computer builds a connection to the second computer by “calling” the second computer on a prearranged network address and port. Network ports are roughly analogous to a set of different phone numbers that apply to a single computer at a given address, e.g. a server, which is typically a centralized computer containing a large storage of data which other computers access periodically. Having many different ports allow different programs running on the server, at the same time, to listen for connections without interfering with one another. The server accepts connections on specified ports, and the two computers begin a communication session. This method uses “packet switching” which, instead of serially transmitting data, transmits data in packets that are size-limited groups of data, each of which carries the associated destination address. Packet switching increases the efficiency of the communication between the computers.
FIG. 1
shows a known OSI diagram of the protocols for a common network, e.g. the INTERNET, that uses the TCP/IP protocols. The “levels” correspond to the hierarchy of layers in the computer communication process. At the top is the application level, which corresponds to the programs with which a user interacts with directly on a computer (a CAD program for example). The presentation level programs format one system's data so that it is compatible with another computer. At the session level, programs synchronize communications and manage the exchange of data. A number of different protocols are used at these levels with the communication performance varying accordingly.
The low-layer protocols, which coordinate the actual data transfer, exist below the session level. At the transport level, the TCP has methods for establishing virtual circuits, error correction, and information flow control. At the network level, the IP has methods for routing, ensuring that the data is transferred over the best path through the network and sub-networks. At the physical level, matters such as physical addressing, electrical characteristics (e.g. at what voltages a modem or network card sees a bit), and mechanical specifications are established, typically internally and proprietarily in the communications hardware.
One type of computer communication situation is where a user needs to download information from a voice-mail server computer to the user's “client” computer. The information can be system status data, administrative data (information about how many calls are received in each voice mailbox, cost summaries, statistical data, usage summaries, etc.), or the like. For large companies having large voice-mail systems, the information download time is often considerable, especially if older protocols and serial-based communication are employed.
One large scale telecommunication systems producer is Lucent Technologies (“Lucent”). Lucent markets several lines of corporate voice-mail system products for its many business customers. Quite often such customers require extensive voice-mail system reporting capabilities so that the support personnel can track system usage, respond to problems quickly, and plan for future expansion.
This reporting capability can be implemented in a reporting/administration/database software package. For example, computer software sold under the trademark VMACS-Plus by Vitel Software Inc. of Worcester, Mass., provides this functionality. In the past, a software component developed by Lucent was used in conjunction with the VMACS-Plus software to collect raw data from the voice-mail systems for the reports. This “Administration and Data Acquisition Package” (ADAP) consists of a set of DOS-based programs that run on the client's computer and a corresponding server program that runs on the voice-mail computer system itself. The client (user)-side ADAP software would establish a dial-up connection to the voice mail machine, launch the server software, transfer the requested data from the server using the well known KERMIT file transfer protocol developed by Columbia University, and disconnect when finished. VMACS-Plus used the ADAP software to conduct a polling or communication session by calling the DOS executables with the necessary command line parameters to retrieve the necessary data. The outputs of these programs were then captured and parsed by VMACS-Plus for inclusion in its database. The relationship of the components in the system just described are illustrated in FIG.
2
.
Although this method for collecting raw data functions reasonably, it is disadvantageous for three reasons:
1) The ADAP client supports only serial-based communication using a modem, which severely limits the speed at which VMACS can poll the voice-mail machines for their data. For large customers, it can often take hours to poll a single computer. The ADAP limitation exists despite the fact that most of the newer voice-mail servers are capable of communicating over faster TCP/IP based networks for peer coordination and maintenance purposes. p 2) ADAP, as a separate program, has to be installed in a user's computer in addition to the VMACS-Plus software. This complicates the installation process for a majority of users who do not need the acquisition software for any other reason, and also creates more expense. Also, since the ADAP client component is a DOS-based program, proper configuration is problematic under such operating systems as WINDOWS NT or other GUI based systems. p 3) Finally, the rudimentary DOS interface VMACS was required to use when calling the ADAP executables did not provide VMACS with a way to respond dynamically to different error conditions. In fact, any error(s) encountered during a polling session forced the VMACS software to abort the process and try again.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Wherefore, it is an object of the present invention to overcome the aforementioned problems and drawbacks associated with the prior art designs.
The Data acquisition and Remote administration System, according to the present invention, consists of a graphical user interface (GUI) app

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