Electrical computers and digital processing systems: multicomput – Distributed data processing
Reexamination Certificate
1999-12-20
2003-11-25
Feild, Joseph H. (Department: 2176)
Electrical computers and digital processing systems: multicomput
Distributed data processing
C709S202000, C709S224000, C709S241000, C709S241000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06654782
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates in general to network event management and, in particular, to a modular framework for dynamically processing network events using action sets in a distributed computing environment.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Information networks interconnecting a wide range of computational resources have become a mainstay of corporate enterprise computing environments. Typically, several host computer systems are interconnected internally over an intranetwork to which individual workstations and network resources are connected. These intranetworks, also known as local area networks (LANs), make legacy databases and information resources widely available for access and utilization throughout the corporation. These same corporate resources can also be interconnected to wide area networks (WANs), including public information internetworks such as the Internet, to enable internal users access to remote computational resources, such as the World Wide Web, and to allow outside users access to select corporate resources for the purpose of completing limited transactions or data transfer.
Structurally, these corporate networks generally are made up of a set of localized, often heterogeneous, subnetworks interconnected through a series of routers, hubs, bridges, gateways, and similar devices. Managing these subnetworks and the network as a whole has become increasingly complex and difficult as the size and topology of networks have grown. The Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP), described generally in W. Stallings, “SNMP, SNMPv2, SNMPv3, and RMON 1 and 2,” Chs. 1-4, Addison Wesley Longman (1999), the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference, defines a standardized framework of managers and agents for managing TCP/IP-based networks. Under the SNMP scheme, each manager is responsible for managing all or part of the network on behalf of network management applications and users. In turn, each agent, also known as sensor or listener, is responsible for collecting and maintaining local management information and delivering that information to one of the managers through messages in the form of SNMP traps or in response to a polling request by the manager.
A wide range of SNMP-compatible, manager/agent point products are presently available to meet various network management and security needs, such as applications for monitoring network performance and availability and proactively detecting network security vulnerabilities. One such application is the Sniffer Total Network Visibility (TNV) product, licensed by Network Associates, Inc., Santa Clara, Calif. By way of example, the Sniffer TNV product identifies network performance and security concerns through remote agents. A central manager analyzes the information collected by the remote agents and can generate a log file for use in identifying network fault and performance areas of interest. While useful for managing and troubleshooting enterprise computing environments, the Sniffer TNV manager is a dedicated application tied to a specific set of remote agents with whom the manager communicates via SNMP traps for indicating events unique to vendor specific network equipment.
Similarly, the OpenView product suite, licensed by Hewlett Packard Company, Palo Alto, Calif., provides a modular manager which responds to SNMP traps for use in legacy computing environments. The OpenView manager reports and can log the receipt of network events and includes an application programming interface (API) into which can be written plug-in actor applications. Likewise, the PATROL product, licensed by BMC Software, Houston, Tex., provides a management infrastructure for providing proactive monitoring and management of enterprise-wide computational resources through one or more SNMP managers. PATROL Knowledge Modules containing application-specific intelligence can be deployed to servers for reporting parameters and management options back to manager consoles.
The foregoing SNMP-based products represent specialized vertical products focused on resolving a particularized problem through vendor specific means. None provide a generic interface capable on interconnecting remote agents to actors via a centralized management framework. More specifically, there is no ability to flexibly and cooperatively integrate other manager/agent point products or response mechanisms into a single manager. For instance, each of the products can generate a log file specific to their respective interface, yet the log files are in non-uniform, proprietary formats which require analysis and management separate from other point products. Moreover, these products also lack a general purpose manager capable of integrating heterogeneous remote agents into a uniform framework for standardized processing of standard and proprietary SNMP events, such as node failures or active security concerns. Similarly, there is no general purpose manager for flexibly mapping actors capable of performing actions on behalf of network management applications and users in response to the receipt of disparate network events, such as automatic help desk ticket generation or electronic message notification.
Therefore, there is a need for an approach providing a modular framework within a centralized manager for flexibly interfacing network event generating agents or sensors to user-specified, executable actors or action sets. Such an approach would preferably include a capability to process standard and proprietary SNMP network events, provide a filtering function between the receipt of such events and the processing of such action sets, and allow for variable output notifications and actions.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides modular framework for dynamically processing network events using action sets in a distributed computing environment.
An embodiment of the present invention is a system and method for dynamically processing a network event using an action set in a distributed computing environment. The occurrence of a network event is sensed via a sensor thread through receipt of a message indicating a network event occurrence, the message including event data pertinent to the network event. A generate daemon via a generate thread is launched responsive to a notification from the sensor process. An event mapping is retrieved by the generate daemon. The event mapping corresponds to the network event and identifies an action set. A generated action set is generated from the event mapping by the generate daemon and the generated action set is enqueued onto an event queue within which can be queued a plurality of generated action sets which each correspond to an instance of an action set. A process daemon is launched via a process thread responsive to a notification from the generate daemon. The generated action set is retrieved from the event queue by the process daemon and the generated action set is processed by causing the execution of at least one action embedded therein. Still other embodiments of the present invention will become readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description, wherein is described embodiments of the invention by way of illustrating the best mode contemplated for carrying out the invention. As will be realized, the invention is capable of other and different embodiments and its several details are capable of modifications in various obvious respects, all without departing from the spirit and the scope of the present invention. Accordingly, the drawings and detailed description are to be regarded as illustrative in nature and not as restrictive.
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Snyder et al., Multi-threaded
O'Brien Eric David
Tryon, Jr. James Robert
Feild Joseph H.
Hamat Christopher J.
Inouye Patrick J. S.
Networks Associates Inc.
Nguyen Chau
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