Network device monitoring with E-mail reporting

Details Network device monitoring with E-mail reporting Network device monitoring with E-mail reporting

1999-04-08

2003-01-21

Barot, Bharat (Department: 2154)

Electrical computers and digital processing systems: multicomput

Computer conferencing

Demand based messaging

C709S200000, C709S224000, C709S230000, C709S250000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06510454

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND
FIG. 1
shows a computer network
100
. The network
100
includes nodes
101
-
109
that send and receive data over interconnecting communications media
131
-
139
. The nodes include computer work stations
101
-
105
, a bridge
109
and switches or routers
106
-
108
. Communications media
131
-
139
can include twisted-pair wire, coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, radio, infrared and microwave data links, and other data interconnections. The data connections
131
-
139
may be ‘point-to-point’ connections or shared media local area network connections.
Business and individual users may rely on nodes in a computer network for data exchange, information storage, and other information services. As user's reliance on a computer network increases, so too do reliability demands. To help meet user reliability demands, sub-components of a network may be monitored to detect alarm conditions such as actual or predicted equipment failure and/or degraded equipment operation. When an alarm condition is detected, efficient reporting of the alarm condition is needed so that automatic or manual problem correction procedures can be initiated. For example, when an alarm condition is reported, a technician may be dispatched to correct the problem or an automated algorithm may be executed to reconfigure network equipment so as to correct or minimize the impact of the detected problem condition.
Network nodes can report alarm conditions to a central operations, administration, maintenance, and provisioning (OAMP) work station over a direct dial-up connection to that work station.
FIG. 2
shows a network having nodes
201
-
204
that communicate with an OAMP work station
210
using direct dial-up data links
205
-
208
. The dial-up data links
205
-
208
may be received at the work station
210
using individual modems
211
-
214
. The modems
211
can exchange modulated data over voice-grade telephone connections through a plain old telephone service (POTS) phone network
220
to modem circuitry in the nodes
201
-
204
. The nodes
201
-
204
may also communicate with other nodes using network communications links
231
-
235
. The network links may be Internet protocol (IP)-based links allowing for the exchange of packets of data over a wide-area TCP/IP network.
Node
201
-
204
can perform self-monitoring to detect alarm conditions. When an alarm condition is detected, the nodes
201
-
204
can respond by dialing a phone number to establish a dial-up connection with the OAMP work station
210
through the phone network
220
. OAMP data identifying the alarm condition may then be sent from the node
201
-
204
to the work station
210
.
In the network
200
, each node
201
-
204
relies on a separate dial-up phone connection
205
-
208
to exchange OAMP data with the work station
210
. The use of numerous phone lines
205
-
208
for OAMP data exchange may be an additional sources or network problems and may add to the cost of operating the data network
200
.
Network nodes also may use the Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) to exchange OAMP data over network links that can be shared by data traffic between nodes. For example, referring to
FIG. 2
, the SNMP protocol can be used to exchange OAMP data over network links
231
-
235
using the user datagram protocol (UDP). UDP is an Internet data transport protocol for the exchange of datagrams that does not acknowledge or guarantee delivery. Since UDP does not acknowledge or guarantee delivery, lost data sent using the UDP protocol may not be detected.
The present inventors recognize that methods of transferring OAMP data, such as the use of dedicated dial-up phone lines and the transfer of SNMP data over a UDP/IP connection, may not be adequate for all network architectures. Consequently, alternative means of exchanging OAMP data are provided.
SUMMARY
In general, in one aspect, the invention features a method of reporting device status data. The method includes detecting an alarm condition at a network device and sending a mail message to a recipient device to report the alarm condition.
Implementations may include one or more of the following features. Sending a mail message may include formatting a mail message that includes data to report the alarm condition and a recipient mail address. The recipient device may be a simple mail transfer protocol (SMTP) server. Sending the mail message to the recipient may include routing the mail message through an intermediate mail server to the recipient. Detecting an alarm condition may include monitoring a data communications link to detect a communication error and/or detecting an operating condition outside an operating threshold. Data associated with the detecting alarm condition may be stored and stored data may be aggregated before it is sent. Sending the mail message to report the alarm condition may include sending aggregated alarm data.
In general, in another aspect, the invention features a network device. The device includes a network interface, monitoring circuitry, and a processor. The network interface is operative to couple the network device to a communications link and to exchange mail message data over the communications link. The monitoring circuitry is configured to monitor an operating state of the network device and to detect an alarm condition. The processor is operatively coupled to the network interface, the monitoring circuitry, and to a memory. The memory includes executable instructions for causing the processor to send a mail message to report a detected alarm condition when the monitoring circuitry detects the alarm condition.
Implementations may include one or more of the following features. The memory may also include instructions for causing the processor to transmit the mail message using the simple mail transfer protocol and/or instructions for causing the processor to form the mail message. The monitoring circuitry may include network interface circuitry to detect the operating state of a communications link.
The details of one or more embodiments of the invention are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Implementations may provide advantages such as improved reliability in the reporting of network device operating errors, status information, or other device operating information. Other features, objects, and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the description and drawings, and from the claims.


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