Monitoring technique of a device connected to a network

Abstract

The invention provides a technique improving the reliability of acquisition of management information from a network device. A monitoring apparatus has a network device identifier extraction unit configured to extract a network device identifier to identify a network device in the network from communication data sent over the network by the network device, the network device identifier assigned to the network device being changeable over time; an individual identification information acquiring unit configured to acquire an individual identification information from a specific network device that is identified by the network device identifier, the individual identification information uniquely and universally identifying the network device; a monitoring subject determination unit configured to determine whether the specific network device is a monitoring subject device that is subject to monitoring, based on the individual identification information; and a management information acquiring unit configured to acquire a management information from the specific network device when the specific network device is determined to be a monitoring subject device, the management information being an information relating to the specific network device and changing over time.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an explanatory drawing showing the configuration of the printer management system in the first embodiment.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory drawing showing the configurations of the printer, the monitoring PC, and the management server.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory drawing showing an example of monitoring subject information.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the hierarchical configuration of the functions relating to data communication between the monitoring PC and the printer.

FIG. 5A shows the format of the data packet sent on the local area networks.

FIG. 5B shows the format of the IP datagram.

FIG. 5C shows the format of the UDP datagram.

FIG. 5D shows the format of the NTP3 message.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the time synchronization execution routine executed by the NTP client.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the printer address monitoring routine executed by the address monitoring unit.

FIG. 8A shows the state of the monitoring subject information after changing of the IP address of the printer.

FIG. 8B shows the typical message transmitted between the monitoring PC and the printer.

FIG. 8C shows the monitoring subject information after updating of the printer registered address.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing the printer address monitoring routine executed by the address monitoring unit in the second embodiment.

FIG. 10A shows an example of a dialog box displayed on the display of the monitoring PC.

FIG. 10B shows the monitoring subject information for which the specific device is added to the monitoring subjects.

FIG. 11 is an explanatory drawing showing the configuration of the network device that constitutes the printer management system of the third embodiment.

FIG. 12 is a block diagram showing the hierarchical structure of the functions relating to data communication between the monitoring PC, the printer, and the DNS server.

FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing the device registration execution routine executed by the device registration unit.

FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing the printer address monitoring routine executed by the address monitoring unit in the third embodiment.

Claims

1. A monitoring apparatus for monitoring one or more network devices connected to a network, the monitoring apparatus comprising: a network identifier extraction unit configured to extract a network device identifier to identify a network device in the network from communication data sent over the network by the network device according to a predetermined network protocol, the network device identifier being assigned to the network device being changeable over time;an individual identification information acquiring unit configured to acquire an individual identification information from a specific network device that is identified by the network device identifier extracted by the network device identifier extraction unit, the individual identification information uniquely and universally identifying a network device;a monitoring subject determination unit configured to determine whether the specific network device is a monitoring subject device that is subject to monitoring by the monitoring apparatus, based on the individual identification information acquired by the individual identification information acquiring unit; anda management information acquiring unit configured to acquire management information from the specific network device when the specific network device is determined to be a monitoring subject device by the monitoring subject determination unit, the management information being information relating to the specific network device and changing over time.

2. The monitoring apparatus in accordance with claim 1, further comprising: a time server unit configured to receive a synchronization message from the network device to synchronize a timer of the network device to a timer of the time server unit, whereinthe network device identifier extraction unit extracts the network device identifier from communication data to transmit the synchronization message sent from the network device to the time server unit.

3. The monitoring apparatus in accordance with claim 2, wherein the network device synchronizes the timer of the network device and the timer of the time server unit when the network device is started up.

4. The monitoring apparatus in accordance with claim 2, wherein the network device synchronizes the timer of the network device and the timer of the time server unit at least once every predetermined period.

5. The monitoring apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein the message sent from the network device notifies existence of the network to the network device so as to make the network device accessible on the network.

6. The monitoring apparatus in accordance with claims 1, further comprising: a monitoring subject information storage unit configured to store monitoring subject information relating to the monitoring subject device, the monitoring subject information being associated with the individual identification information of the monitoring subject device, whereinthe monitoring subject determination unit determines whether or not the specific network device is the monitoring subject device by matching the individual identification information acquired by the individual identification information acquiring unit and the monitoring subject information stored in the monitoring subject information storage unit.

7. The monitoring apparatus in accordance with claim 6, wherein when it is determined by the monitoring subject determination unit that the specific network device is not the monitoring subject device, the monitoring apparatus registers information relating to the specific network device and the individual identification information of the specific network device into the monitoring subject information responsive to instruction from user of the monitoring apparatus indicating to set the specific network device as the monitoring subject device.

8. The network device monitoring apparatus in accordance with claim 6, wherein when it is determined by the monitoring subject determination unit that the specific network device is not the monitoring subject device, the monitoring device determines whether or not the specific network device matches a predetermined monitoring subject addition condition, andwhen the specific network device matches the predetermined monitoring subject addition condition, the monitoring apparatus registers information relating to the specific network device and the individual identification information of the specific network device into the monitoring subject information.

9. The monitoring apparatus in accordance with claim 6, wherein when it is determined by the monitoring subject determination unit that the specific network device is not the monitoring subject device, the monitoring apparatus sends the individual identification information of the specific network device a management server via the network, and registers information relating to the specific network device and the individual identification information of the specific network device into the monitoring subject information according to information received from the management server indicating to set the specific network device as the monitoring subject device.

10. A method for monitoring one or more network devices connected to a network, the method comprising the steps of: (a) extracting a network device identifier to identify a network device in the network from communication data sent over the network by the network device according to a predetermined network protocol, the network device identifier assigned to the network device being changeable over time;(b) acquiring an individual identification information from a specific network device that is identified by the network device identifier extracted at the step (a), the individual identification information uniquely and universally identifying a network device;(c) determining whether the specific network device is a monitoring subject device that is subject to monitoring by the monitoring apparatus, based on the individual identification information acquired at the step (b); and(d) acquiring management information from the specific network device when the specific network device is determined to be a monitoring subject device at the step (c), the management information being information relating to the specific network device and changing over time.

11. The method in accordance with claim 10, further comprising: (d) receiving a synchronization message from the network device to synchronize a timer of the network device, whereinthe step (a) includes the step of extracting the network device identifier from communication data to transmit the synchronization message sent from the network device.

12. A computer program product for monitoring one or more network devices connected to a network, the computer program product comprising: a computer-readable medium; anda computer program stored on the computer-readable medium, the computer program includes:a first computer program for causing a computer to extract a network device identifier to identify a network device in the network from communication data sent over the network by the network device according to a predetermined network protocol, the network device identifier assigned to the single network device being changeable over time;a second computer program for causing the computer to acquire an individual identification information from a specific network device that is identified by the network device identifier extracted by the computer executing the first computer program, the individual identification information uniquely and universally identifying a network device;a third computer program for causing the computer to determine whether the specific network device is a monitoring subject device that is subject to monitoring by the computer, based on the individual identification information acquired by the computer executing the second computer program; anda fourth computer program for causing the computer to acquire a management information from the specific network device when the specific network device is determined to be a monitoring subject device by the computer executing the third computer program, the management information being information relating to the specific network device and changing over time.

13. The computer program product in accordance with claim 12, further comprising: a fifth computer program for causing the computer to receive a synchronization massage from the network device to synchronize a timer of the network device to a timer of the computer, whereinthe first computer program includes a computer program for causing the computer to extract the network device identifier from communication data to transmit the synchronization message sent from the network device to the computer.