Management system and management method for managing a communication apparatus

Abstract

A management system for managing a plurality of communication apparatuses, the management system includes the plurality of communication apparatuses, a management apparatus managing the plurality of communication apparatuses by transmitting a periodic instruction to the plurality of communication apparatuses, and a network connecting the plurality of communication apparatuses and the management apparatus. Each of the plurality of communication apparatuses includes a first timer counting a first set time that elapses before a reboot processing of the self is performed, and each of the plurality of communication apparatuses performs the reboot processing of the self after a lapse of the first set time since detection of an abnormality.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The exemplary aspects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an IP telephony system according to an embodiment mode of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a VoIP terminal according to a first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing an operation of exchanging a value of a self reboot waiting timer performed by the VoIP terminal according to the first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a first sequence chart showing an operation performed when an abnormality is detected in the VoIP terminal according to the first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a second sequence chart showing an operation performed when an abnormality is detected in the VoIP terminal according to the first embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 6 is a sequence chart showing an operation performed by a VoIP terminal when an abnormality is detected in an MGC, according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

Claims

1. A management system for managing a plurality of communication apparatuses, the management system comprising: the plurality of communication apparatuses;a management apparatus managing the plurality of communication apparatuses by transmitting a periodic instruction to the plurality of communication apparatuses; anda network connecting the plurality of communication apparatuses and the management apparatus, wherein:each of the plurality of communication apparatuses comprises a first timer counting a first set time that elapses before a reboot processing of the self is performed, andeach of the plurality of communication apparatuses performs the reboot processing of the self after a lapse of the first set time since detection of an abnormality.

2. A management system according to claim 1, wherein: each of the plurality of communication apparatuses further comprises a communication controller mutually exchanging the first set time with another one of the plurality of communication apparatuses via the network; andeach of the plurality of communication apparatuses sets the first set time to have a value different from those for the others of the plurality of communication apparatuses.

3. A management system according to claim 1, wherein: each of the plurality of communication apparatuses further comprises a central processing unit, a main memory, and a storage device; andthe reboot processing of the self is performed when the central processing unit executes a control program stored in the main memory based on the first set time stored in the storage device.

4. A management system according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of communication apparatuses also performs the reboot processing of the self after a lapse of the first set time since reception of a reset instruction from the management apparatus.

5. A management system according to claim 1, wherein: each of the plurality of communication apparatuses further comprises a second timer counting a second set time that elapses before the periodic instruction is received from the management apparatus; andeach of the plurality of communication apparatuses performs, even when the instruction is not received from the management apparatus within the second set time, the reboot processing of the self after a lapse of the first set time since the end of the second set time.

6. A management system according to claim 1, wherein the abnormality is detected when each of the plurality of communication apparatuses does not receive the instruction from the management apparatus.

7. A management system according to claim 1, wherein the abnormality is detected in at least one of the management apparatus and the network.

8. A management system according to claim 1, wherein the instruction is an instruction for each of the plurality of communication apparatuses to perform normality diagnosis.

9. A management system according to claim 1, wherein the management apparatus performs call control with respect to each of the plurality of communication apparatuses.

10. A management system according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of communication apparatuses comprise a Voice over Internet Protocol terminal.

11. A management system according to claim 1, wherein the management apparatus comprises a Multimedia Gateway Controller.

12. A management system according to claim 1, wherein the network comprises an Internet Protocol network.

13. A communication apparatus, which is managed by receiving a periodic instruction from an outside via a network, the communication apparatus comprising a first timer counting a first set time that elapses before a reboot processing of the self is performed, wherein the communication apparatus performs the reboot processing of the self after a lapse of the first'set time since detection of an abnormality.

14. A communication apparatus according to claim 13, further comprising a communication controller mutually exchanging the first set time with another communication apparatus via the network, wherein the first set time is set to have a value different from that for the other communication apparatuses.

15. A communication apparatus according to claim 13, further comprising a central processing unit, a main memory, and a storage device, wherein the reboot processing of the self is performed when the central processing unit executes a control program stored in the main memory based on the first set time stored in the storage device.

16. A communication apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the reboot processing of the self is also performed after a lapse of the first set time since reception of a reset instruction from the outside.

17. A communication apparatus according to claim 13, further comprising a second timer counting a second set time that elapses before the periodic instruction is received from the outside, wherein, even when the instruction is not received from the management apparatus within the second set time, the reboot processing of the self is performed after a lapse of the first set time since the end of the second set time.

18. A communication apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the abnormality is detected when the instruction from the outside is not received.

19. A communication apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the instruction is an instruction for the communication apparatus to perform normality diagnosis.

20. A communication apparatus according to claim 13, wherein call control is applied to the communication apparatus from the outside.

21. A communication apparatus according to claim 13, further comprising a Voice over Internet Protocol terminal.

22. A management method of managing a plurality of communication apparatuses, for a management system comprising the plurality of communication apparatuses, a management apparatus managing the plurality of communication apparatuses by transmitting a periodic instruction to the plurality of communication apparatuses, and a network connecting the plurality of communication apparatuses and the management apparatus, the method comprising: counting, in each of the plurality of communication apparatuses, a first set time that elapses before a reboot processing of the self is performed; andperforming, by each of the plurality of communication apparatuses, the reboot processing of the self after a lapse of the first set time since detection of an abnormality.

23. A management method according to claim 22, further comprising: mutually exchanging the first set time among the plurality of communication apparatuses via the network; andsetting the first set time to have a value different from one another among the plurality of communication apparatuses.

24. A management method according to claim 22, wherein the reboot processing of the self is performed when a central processing unit executes a control program based on the first set time.

25. A management method according to claim 22, further comprising: transmitting, by the management apparatus, a reset instruction to each of the plurality of communication apparatuses;receiving, by each of the plurality of communication apparatuses, the reset instruction; andperforming, by each of the plurality of communication apparatuses that has received the reset instruction, the reboot processing of the self after a lapse of the first set time since the reception of the reset instruction.

26. A management method according to claim 22, further comprising: counting, in each of the plurality of communication apparatuses, a second set time that elapses before the periodic instruction is received from the management apparatus; andeven when the instruction is not received from the management apparatus within the second set time, performing, by each of the plurality of communication apparatuses, the reboot processing of the self after a lapse of the first set time since the end of the second set time.

27. A management method according to claim 22, wherein the abnormality is detected when each of the plurality of communication apparatuses does not receive the instruction from the management apparatus.

28. A management method according to claim 22, wherein the abnormality is detected in at least one of the management apparatus and the network.

29. A management method according to claim 22, wherein the instruction is an instruction for each of the plurality of communication apparatuses to perform normality diagnosis.

30. A management method according to claim 22, wherein the management apparatus performs call control with respect to each of the plurality of communication apparatuses.