JP2003244144A - Network management system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To solve the problem in a conventional network management system that a communication packet between a network management manager and a management agent disappears due to the influence of a system communication load, and abnormality of the agent is wrongly recognized. <P>SOLUTION: The network management manager 1 and management agents 4, 6 are connected by an IP-VPN line to prevent the missing of communication packets. The manager 1 transmits command packets to the agents 4, 6 by using a network management protocol. Upon receiving the packets, the agents 4, 6 forms state information of their own devices into a packet to reply. In this way, the manager 1 monitors the status of the agents 4, 6. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2003,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention is composed of a management agent and a network management manager for monitoring the status of the management agent, such as a monitoring control system using the Internet, and guarantees the arrival of communication on a wide range of networks. The present invention relates to a network management method that has been adopted.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing a conventional network management system, which is composed of a network management manager and a management agent.
It is built on a local area network (LAN). In FIG. 9, 1 is a network management manager, 2 is a network management protocol stack (network management protocol / network management protocol / implemented on the network management manager 1).
(UDP / IP / data link / physical), 3 is a LAN cable to which the network management manager 1 is connected, 4 is a management agent consisting of a terminal device connected to the network, and 5 is network management implemented on the management agent 4. Network management protocol stack (Network management protocol / UDP /
IP / data link / physical), 6 is a management agent that is a network component, and 7 is a network management protocol stack (network management protocol / UDP / IP / data link) that realizes a network management function implemented on the management agent 6. / Physical).

In this conventional network management system, when the status of the management agents 4 and 6 is monitored from the network management manager 1, for example, SN
MP (Simple Network Management)
ent Protocol), the network management manager 1 issues a request using a general-purpose network management protocol, and the management agents 4 and 6 send back a response to the request. From the status information of the management agents 4 and 6 collected by the network management manager 1, whether or not there is a change in the operating state or an abnormal operation state is compared with the previous value or with a threshold value for determining an abnormality. To monitor.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing the behavior of a conventional network management manager. FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing the behavior of a conventional management agent. The processing flows of FIGS. 10 and 11 do not depend on the types of lower layers such as the fourth and lower layers of the seven layers of the network layer, and are the highest when viewed from the network management protocol units located in the fifth and higher layers. Adjacent protocol sites are mostly at the UDP layer.

The behaviors of the network management manager 1 and the management agents 4 and 6 in this system are shown in FIGS.
This will be described using 1. In FIG. 10, the network management manager 1 includes management agents 4 and 6 to be monitored.
A status request command packet for the management agent 4 and 6 (step S
2). After the transmission, the response monitoring timer is set and waits until the response packet to which the status information is added is received from the management agent (step S3). When the response packet from the management agent is received within the response monitoring timer time (step S4) and the status information added thereto is normal (step S5), the management agent is determined to be normal, The user interface provided by the network management manager 1 displays "normal" and waits until the status request command packet of the next cycle is generated (step S1). On the other hand, if the response packet from the management agent cannot be received, or if the response packet from the management agent is received but the status information added thereto is abnormal (step S5), the management agent is abnormal. It is determined that the status is abnormal, and the user interface provided by the network management manager 1 displays an error, and a status request command packet for the management agent is generated and transmitted (step S6).

As shown in FIG. 11, the management agent receives the status request command packet from the network management manager 1 (step S1).
1) and correspondingly, the status information of the self management agent is added to the response packet and transmitted to the network management manager 1 which is the request source (step S12). As a matter of course, when the response cannot be returned, the network management manager 1 determines that the state is abnormal.

[0007]

In the conventional network management manager / management agent type status monitoring system, a status request command packet is sent from the network management manager 1 to the management agents 4 and 6 and a response packet is received. It was not accompanied by the guarantee of the communication line path. In the past, most systems have used UDP / IP as their underlying protocol on local area networks (LANs).
Although it has been realized by communication, the communication load on the LAN is not constant due to the application software processing load of the system, and when there is coexistence with the above-mentioned communication between the network management manager / management agent, system status monitoring is performed. There is a sufficient possibility that the packet for deleting will disappear on the network, or in the network constituent device or the connection terminal device.

The LAN has such a problem, and the same applies to the state monitoring system in the wide area system. In the system applying the Internet, not only the communication traffic load but also the network through a plurality of communication lines is used. I have similar problems because of them. As a result, the network management manager 1 monitors the management agents 4 and 6 for the actual state of any network constituent device existing in the system, or the actual state of the network connection terminal device, although it is operating normally. In the processing operation, the status request command packet or the response packet corresponding thereto disappears under the influence of the system communication load, and as a result, the network management manager 1 erroneously recognizes the management agents 4, 6 as abnormal. I had a problem.

Further, a workaround for loosening the sensitivity of this problem so that it does not affect the system (when the response monitoring timer value is increased or no response packet is returned, 1
It is necessary to determine that the management agent is abnormal because the abnormal state continues several times due to the transmission retry of the status request command packet from the network management manager 1). Further, the judgment condition for considering the management agents 4, 6 as abnormal cannot be judged only by the status information added to the response packet from the management agents 4, 6, and it can be combined with the response information from a plurality of management agents. In some cases, it may be necessary to make a judgment. Therefore, the overhead of tuning the monitoring timer value as described above and the retry processing of the status request command packet from the network management manager 1 becomes a problem, and the network management manager 1 manages the overhead. There is a problem that it takes a long time to determine that the agents 4 and 6 are abnormal.

The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and an object of the present invention is to obtain a network management system that guarantees communication arrival on a wide range of networks composed of a network management manager and a management agent. Has an aim.

[0011]

In a network management system according to the present invention, the network management manager monitors the states of a plurality of management agents connected via a network. The agents are connected by an IP-VPN line, and the network management manager monitors the status of the management agents by collecting status information of the management agents using a network management protocol.

Further, the network management manager is
It has a function of adjusting the communication bandwidth of the P-VPN line. Further, the plurality of management agents are all connected to each other by an IP-VPN line, and exchange state information with each other, and the network management manager sends the status of all management agents from an arbitrary management agent of the plurality of management agents. It collects information and monitors the status of all management agents.

Further, the management agent is configured to actively notify the network management manager, and the network management manager collects status information of the management agent in response to the active notification and It monitors the state of.

Further, the network management manager is arranged on the same device as an arbitrary management agent. Further, the network management manager is configured redundantly.

[0015]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiment 1. Hereinafter, Embodiment 1 of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing a network management system according to the first embodiment.
In FIG. 1, 1 is a network management manager, 2 is a network management protocol stack (network management protocol / UDP / I) that realizes a network management function implemented on the network management manager 1.
P / data link / physical), 3 is a LAN cable to which the network management manager 1 is connected, 4 is a management agent composed of terminal devices connected to the network, 5
Is a network management protocol stack (network management protocol / UDP / IP / data link / physical) that realizes the network management function implemented on the management agent 4, 6 is a management agent that is a network component, and 7 is a management agent 6 Network management protocol stack (network management protocol /
UDP / IP / data link / physical). 8 is an Internet line, and 9 is an ordinary line that is used as a dedicated line, and an IP-VPN (Vir) can secure a band.
An add-on VPN device 10 for providing a private private network) is an IP-VPN logical communication path logically configured by the VPN device 9.

Next, the operation will be described. When the status of the management agents 4 and 6 is monitored from the network management manager 1, a method is used in which the network management protocol is used to issue a request from the network management manager 1 and the management agents 4 and 6 respond to the request. Then, the network management manager 1 collects the status information of the management agents 4 and 6, and compares the collected status information of the management agents 4 and 6 with the previous value to determine whether or not there is a change in the operating status or an abnormal operation status. Alternatively, monitoring is performed by comparison with a threshold value for determining abnormality.

The behaviors of the network management manager 1 and the management agents 4 and 6 of the network management system according to the first embodiment are the same as those shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, respectively. First, FIG. 10 will be described. However, since the infrastructure realizing the processing flow of FIG. 10 is the IP-VPN line in the first embodiment, the network management manager 1 generates the status request command packet for the management agents 4 and 6 to be monitored. However, even if it is transmitted to the request agents 4 and 6 (step S2), the disappearance rate through the Internet 8 is remarkably small. After the transmission, the response monitoring timer is set and waits until the response packet to which the status information is added is received from the management agents 4 and 6 (step S3). Response packets from the management agents 4 and 6 are received within the response monitoring timer time (step S4),
If the status information added to this is normal (step S5), the management agents 4 and 6 are determined to be normal, are displayed as normal on the user interface provided by the network management manager 1, and the next cycle is restarted. The process waits until the status request command packet is generated (step S1). On the other hand, the response packet from the management agent 4, 6 could not be received, or the response packet from the management agent 4, 6 was received,
If the status information added to this is abnormal (step S5), the management agents 4 and 6 are determined to be abnormal, are displayed as abnormal in the user interface provided by the network management manager 1, and the management agent 4, A status request command packet for 6 is generated and transmitted (step S6).

Also in the management agent, FIG.
As shown in FIG. 1, when the status request command packet is received from the network management manager 1 (step S11), the status information of the self management agent is correspondingly added to the response packet, and the requesting network Send to management manager 1 (step S1
2). In this case as well, the processing flow as the management agent does not change from the conventional system, but the probability of packet loss is small because the infrastructure is an IP-VPN line on the Internet. As a matter of course, if the state of the management agent is such that no response can be returned, the network management manager 1 determines that the state is abnormal.

According to the first embodiment, in the network management method for monitoring the status using the Internet, in order to realize the network management manager / management agent type network management function, the IP is provided between the network management manager and the management agent. -By using the network management protocol after making a VPN connection, the network management protocol for monitoring the status of the network constituent devices and the terminal devices connected to the network from the network management manager is the application communication load and the network. It is possible to reduce packet loss due to being constructed via multiple communication of, and there is an effect that a workaround for the manager management software for that is unnecessary.

Embodiment 2. The second embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. 2 is a configuration diagram showing a network management system according to a second embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 2, 1 to 10 are the same as those in FIG. Reference numeral 11 is a communication bandwidth adjustment logic (program) mounted on a higher level of the network management protocol stack mounted on the network management manager.

Next, the operation will be described. When the status of the management agents 4 and 6 is monitored from the network management manager 1, a method is used in which the network management protocol is used to issue a request from the network management manager 1 and the management agents 4 and 6 respond to the request. Then, the network management manager 1 collects the status information of the management agents 4 and 6, and compares the collected status information of the management agents 4 and 6 with the previous value to determine whether or not there is a change in the operating status or an abnormal operation status. Alternatively, monitoring is performed by comparison with a threshold value for determining abnormality.

FIG. 3 is a flow chart showing the behavior of the network management manager according to the second embodiment of the present invention. The function itself to be implemented in the second embodiment is the same as that of the first embodiment, but the difference is that the network management manager 1 reserves a line bandwidth in advance when using the IP-VPN line. The network management manager 1 activates transmission to the management agents 4 and 6 while confirming the maximum value. However, in the second embodiment, the communication infrastructure that realizes this processing flow is an IP-VPN line, and the band secured by this IP-VPN line is used effectively above it. The feature is that

First, the flowchart of FIG. 3 will be described. The network management manager 1 generates a status request command packet for the monitoring target management agents 4, 6 and sends it to the management agents 4, 6 (step S2). The network has an IP-VPN connection via the Internet, and the loss probability of a packet to be transmitted is usually extremely small. After the transmission, the response monitoring timer is set and waits until the response packet to which the status information is added is received from the management agents 4 and 6 (step S3). Management agent 4, 6
If the response packet from the server is received within the response monitoring timer time (step S4) and the status information added thereto is normal, the management agents 4 and 6 are determined to be normal, and the network management manager 1 Is displayed as normal in the user interface provided by, and waits until the status request command packet is generated again in the next cycle (step S1). On the other hand, the management agents 4, 6
If the response packet from the management agent 4 or 6 is not received or the response packet from the management agent 4 or 6 is received but the status information added thereto is abnormal (step S5), the management agent 4 or 6 It is determined that the status is abnormal and the user interface provided by the network management manager 1 displays the status as abnormal, and a status request command packet for the management agents 4 and 6 is generated and transmitted (step S6).

The communication bandwidth adjustment logic 11 implemented in the network management manager 1 controls the amount of communication used for the network management function on the IP-VPN line. That is, the amount of response packets received from the management agent is monitored and whether the communication bandwidth has a margin is checked regularly. If the communication bandwidth has a small margin, the status request command is used to suppress the communication volume. The packet transmission cycle is adjusted (step S21). Since the amount of data received from the management agents 4 and 6 is determined in response to the status request request packet from the network management manager 1, the communication bandwidth adjustment logic 11 uses the status request command packet from the network management manager 1. It can be adjusted by the transmission cycle and the number of management agents that are destinations. In addition,
The behavior of the management agent is the same as in FIG.

According to the second embodiment, the network bandwidth management logic implemented in the network management manager controls the amount of communication used for the network management function in the IP-VPN line, thereby performing network management. Since the amount of data received from the management agent is determined according to the status request command packet from the manager, the communication bandwidth adjustment logic controls the transmission cycle and destination of the status request command packet from the network management manager. The effect is that it can be adjusted depending on the number of agents.

Embodiment 3. The third embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIG. FIG. 4 is a configuration diagram showing a network management system according to the third embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 4, 1, 2, 4, 5, 8 to 10 are shown in FIG.
Is the same as in. The communication path 10 formed by the IP-VPN connection has a full-mesh structure among the management agents.

Next, the operation will be described. The management agent 4 configures an IP-VPN line with a full mesh, and the management agents 4 mutually actively send status information of their own management agents to other management agents at a fixed cycle. Each management agent 4 has its own status. In addition to updating the information, the status information from the other management agent is received and updated to the latest information. Since this is performed independently by the management agents 4 without the operation from the network management manager 1 as a trigger, the communication band of the IP-VPN line is constantly used. However, the management agent 4 does not judge normal / abnormal status of any other status information, and always updates only the latest status information.

When the network management manager 1 recognizes a status change in each management agent, it considers that a status change has occurred in the management agent, and the status change or abnormality is displayed on the user interface provided by the network management manager 1 to the user. It becomes possible to do. The network management manager 1
Although it is connected to the management agent 4 via a P-VPN line,
It is not necessary to connect to all the management agents 4, and it is sufficient to connect to any management agent 4.

FIG. 5 is a flow chart showing the behavior of the network management manager according to the third embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the behavior of the management agent according to the third embodiment of the present invention. The function to be realized in FIG. 5 is the same as that of the first embodiment, but the difference is that step S2 of FIG.
In place of 31, the network management manager 1 uses the IP-
When using VPN line, all management agents 4
A status request command packet is not generated and issued to the management agent 4 but to any management agent 4 (step S31). Further, instead of step S5 in FIG. 10, in step S32, the states of all management agents are checked.

On the management agent 4 side, as shown in FIG. 6A, in step S41, each management agent transmits its own status to another management agent as a status packet, and in step S42, each management agent
It stores the status of its own and other management agents as import information. Next, as shown in FIG. 6B, when a status request command packet is received from the network management manager (status S11), the self management agent status is generated and transmitted as a response packet (step S43). In the third embodiment, the communication infrastructure that realizes the processing flows of FIGS. 5 and 6 is an IP-VPN line, and what is connected by this IP-VPN line is a network management manager and arbitrary management. It is a system of agents, and it is a system that aims to reduce the processing load on the system.

According to the third embodiment, by sharing the status information of all management agents by the management agents, it is possible to reduce the processing of the management manager when the network management manager monitors the status of the management agents. .

Fourth Embodiment Hereinafter, Embodiment 4 of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. Embodiment 4
Are configured as shown in FIG. Next, the operation will be described. In addition to the response operation to the status request command packet from the network management manager 1, each management agent 4, 6
Depending on the state, the network management manager 1 is actively notified, and this is used as a trigger to send a control instruction from the network management manager 1 to the management agents 4 and 6. To do. In this case, the management agent 4,
Since the active notification from 6 is a trigger, the loss of this notification is not allowed in this network system, and
-Through a communication path 10 secured by a VPN line,
Also, the control instruction from the network management manager 1 to the management agents 4, 6 corresponding to the active notification from the management agents 4, 6 is also positioned as an essential function in the system, and the communication path connected by the IP-VPN. 10 is an essential condition for the system.

FIG. 7 is a flow chart showing the behavior of the network management manager according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the behavior of the management agent according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention. The difference between the function to be realized in the fourth embodiment and the first to third embodiments is that the active notification from the management agent is the trigger of this function.

In FIG. 7, the network management manager 1
After receiving the active notification from the management agents 4 and 6 (step S51), the contents of the active notification from the management agents 4 and 6 are confirmed (step S52), and the IP-
Management agents 4, 6 using the VPN connection line
In response, a control command packet is generated and issued (step S53). This need only be issued to the management agent that issued the active notification. Next, a timer for monitoring the response packet from the management agent is set, and a response packet reception waiting state is set (step S
3) If a response packet is received from the management agent (step S4), a control instruction is given to the management agent (step S54). If it succeeds, the process ends. If it fails, the process goes to the next process (step S55).

In FIG. 8A, the management agent sends an active notification to the network management manager in response to a specified event (step S61). Figure 8 (b)
Then, the control instruction command packet received from the network management manager is received (step S6).
2) Then, processing according to this control instruction command is performed (step S63). However, in the fourth embodiment, the communication infrastructure that realizes this processing flow is an IP-VPN line, and what is connected by this IP-VPN is a network management manager and an arbitrary management agent. It is a system and is a system intended to improve the reliability of processing in the system.

According to the fourth embodiment, an active notification from the management agent to the network management manager can be used as a trigger, and a subsequent system including a control instruction from the network management manager to the management agent can be improved in reliability. is there.

Embodiment 5. Hereinafter, a fifth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. Embodiment 5 is shown in FIG.
The network management manager and the management agent are configured in the same device. Next, the operation will be described. By configuring the network management manager and the management agent in the same device, this device operates as both the network management manager and the management agent. In the first to fourth embodiments so far, the IP-VPN line for the network management manager and the IP-VPN line for the management agent have different functional purposes, but this is an integrated device. By being configured, the system will behave as both a network management manager and a management agent in the system. Therefore, it has both an IP-VPN line for that purpose.

Since the network management manager is connected to a unique place in the system from the viewpoint of the management agent, if the network management manager exists in the system in the position of the management agent that constitutes the system, It is possible to have a plurality of management managers, and as a result, it is possible to make the network management manager redundant as a system. However, even if a plurality of network management managers exist in the system, it is not necessary for the network management managers to be aware of each other. Even with the integrated configuration, as a function, the network management manager and the management agent are independent of each other, and do not affect each other, and the IP-VPN connection for communication is also special. However, the functions are the same as those in the first embodiment when viewed in a closed manner.

According to the fifth embodiment, the network management manager can be arranged and arranged at an arbitrary position in the system, and a redundant structure can be constructed in the system of the network management manager. There is an effect that reliability can be improved.

[0040]

Since the present invention is constructed as described above, it has the following effects. In a network management method in which a network management manager monitors the states of a plurality of management agents connected via a network, the network management manager and the management agent are connected by an IP-VPN line, and the network management manager is a network management protocol. Collects status information of the management agent and monitors the status of the management agent, so that packet loss of the network management protocol can be mitigated and no software workaround for preventing packet loss is required.

Further, the network management manager is
Since the communication bandwidth of the P-VPN line is adjusted, the communication bandwidth can be adjusted according to the amount of data. Also, multiple management agents are all I
The network management manager is connected by a P-VPN line and exchanges status information with each other, and the network management manager collects status information of all management agents from an arbitrary management agent of a plurality of management agents and Since the status is monitored, the processing of the network management manager can be reduced.

Further, the management agent is configured to actively notify the network management manager, and the network management manager collects status information of the management agent in response to the active notification and Since the status is monitored, the network management manager can monitor the status by using the notification from the management agent as a trigger.

Further, since the network management manager is arranged on the same device as an arbitrary management agent, the network management manager can be arranged at an arbitrary position in the system. Further, the network management manager is configured redundantly, so that the reliability can be improved.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing a network management system according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram showing a network management system according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the behavior of the network management manager according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a configuration diagram showing a network management system according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the behavior of the network management manager according to the third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the behavior of the management agent according to the third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the behavior of the network management manager according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the behavior of the management agent according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a configuration diagram showing a conventional network management system.

FIG. 10 is a flow chart showing the behavior of the network management manager according to the related art and the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a flow chart showing the behavior of the management agent according to the related art and the first embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 network management manager, 2 network management protocol stacks, 3 LAN cables, 4, 6
Management agent, 5, 7 Network management protocol stack, 8 Internet line, 9 Add-on type VPN device, 10 IP-VPN logical communication path, 11
Communication bandwidth adjustment logic.

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A network management method in which a network management manager monitors the states of a plurality of management agents connected via a network, wherein the network management manager and the management agent are IP
A network management method, which is connected by a VPN line, wherein the network management manager monitors the status of the management agent by collecting status information of the management agent using a network management protocol. 2. The network management manager is an IP-
2. The network management system according to claim 1, which has a function of adjusting the communication bandwidth of the VPN line. 3. A plurality of management agents are all connected to each other by an IP-VPN line and exchange state information with each other, and a network management manager is configured to manage all the management agents from any of the plurality of management agents. 3. The network management method according to claim 1, wherein status information of management agents is collected and the statuses of all the management agents are monitored. 4. The management agent is configured to actively notify the network management manager, and the network management manager collects status information of the management agent in response to the active notification, 4. The network management method according to claim 1, wherein the status of the management agent is monitored. 5. The network management system according to claim 1, wherein the network management manager is arranged on the same device as an arbitrary management agent. 6. The network management method according to claim 5, wherein the network management manager is configured redundantly.