DEVICE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM FOR MANAGING STANDARDS-COMPLIANT AND NON-COMPLIANT NETWORK ELEMENTS USING STANDARD MANAGEMENT PROTOCOLS AND A UNIVERSA

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A universal device management communication interface comprising: at least one port for connecting to a legacy device, said legacy device being characterized as using a proprietary management protocol and proprietary parameter and command sets that are not compatible with standards-compliant devices, said at least one port being selected from the group consisting of a serial port, a contact closure port, and an analog port;

at least one terminal interface for connecting to a communication link between said communication interface and a user computer at a remote location being employed to remotely connect and configure said legacy device, said terminal interface being selected from the group consisting of a modem, and a local area network access board, said communication link being part of one of the internet, an intranet and a public switched telephone network, said communication interface being operable to process data for connection and configuration of said legacy device received from said user computer via said at least one terminal interface, said communication interface allowing said legacy device to be remotely connected and configured from said user computer via said communications link for device management using a standards-based network management protocol and manager;

a memory device for storing said data relating to said legacy device and at least by one Management Information-base or MIB file for allowing interpretation m a native protocol corresponding to said legacy device into operations in accordance with said standards-based network management protocol;

an agent for communicating with said manager connected to said communication interface via said terminal interface and one of the internet, an intranet and a public switched telephone network;

a web server connected to said terminal interface for allowing said communication interface to communicate with said user computer using at least one of the internet and the World Wide Web; and

a processor connected to said port, said terminal interface, said memory device and said server, said processor being programmable to generate a plurality of pages which can be accessed by said user computer via said server, said pages allowing said user computer to enter said data, said processor being programmable to automatically generate said MIB file for said legacy device to allow said agent to interpret native interface operations of said legacy device as said operations in accordance with said standards-based network management protocol and adapt said legacy device to standards-based device management without software development;

wherein said native interface operations are management protocol, and parameter and command sets unique to said legacy device, wherein a single command can set multiple inter-related parameters in the managed legacy device, wherein a single command can set multiple inter-related parameters in the managed legacy device.

2. A terminal as claimed in claim 1, wherein said pages prompt a user at said user computer to enter data selected from the group consisting of a logical device number for said legacy device, a port number corresponding to said port, a managed device driver for said legacy device selected from a group consisting of a command response driver, a page scraping driver, a menu-based driver and a custom driver, a port driver selected from the group consisting of a null driver, a parallel driver, an asynchronous serial port driver and an intelligent asynchronous serial port driver, at least one of a plurality of port parameters comprising baud rate, parity, number of data bits, and number of stop bits, and options for generating alert messages for transmission to said manager from said port, said data being stored in said memory device.

3. A universal device management terminal for managing a plurality of devices from different vendors using a single standards-based network management protocol and manager, the plurality of network devices comprising standards-compliant, manageable devices, previously unmanageable devices, and non-compliant manageable devices, the terminal comprising:

a plurality of ports for connecting to said plurality of network devices, said plurality of ports being selected from the group consisting of a serial port, a contact closure port, and an analog port;

at least one terminal interface for connecting said manager to said terminal via a communication link, said terminal interface being selected from the group consisting of a modem, and a local area network access board, said communication link being part of at least one of the internet, an intranet and a public switched telephone network;

a memory device for storing configuration data relating to each of said plurality of devices, at least one Management Information Base or MIB file for each of a plurality of classes in which said plurality of devices are classified for allowing interpretation of native interlace operations corresponding to said plurality of devices into manager operations corresponding to said network management protocol;

a processing device programmable to automatically generate said MIB file for each different of said non-compliant manageable devices and said previously unmanageable devices using minimal input of configuration data relating to said non-compliant manageable devices and said previously unmanageable devices and in the absence of software development to adapt said non-compliant manageable devices and said previously unmanageable devices to standards-based network management, said MIB file for a corresponding one of said non-compliant manageable devices and said previously unmanageable devices allowing said agent to interpret native interface operations unique to that device; and

an agent for communicating with said manager, said agent being operable to access said memory device and perform a plurality of operations to interpret native interface operations corresponding to each of said plurality of devices as said manager operations, said MIB files stored in said memory device having been created for said standards-compliant manageable devices, said previously unmanageable devices, and said non-compliant manageable devices to assist said agent when interpreting said native interface operations, said agent being programmable to bind a variable in a command from said manager to an instance in one of said MIB files corresponding to one of said plurality of devices specified by said manager, said MIB file comprising said manager operations required for processing said variable in accordance with said command, wherein a single command can set multiple inter-related parameters in the managed legacy device.

4. A terminal as claimed in claim 3, wherein said memory device further comprises a plurality of managed device drivers selected from the group consisting of a command response driver, a page scraping driver, a menu-based driver and a custom driver, said agent being programmable to select one of said instrumentation drivers to convert said manager operations into a sequence of input and output events that are compatible with said device.

5. A terminal as claimed in claim 3, wherein said memory device further comprises a plurality of port drivers selected from the group consisting of a null driver, a parallel driver, an asynchronous serial port drive and an intelligent asynchronous serial port driver, said agent being programmable to execute one of said port drivers corresponding to said port to which said device is connected.

6. A terminal as claimed in claim 3, wherein said MIB files comprise data relating to generation of alert messages by said terminal, said agent being programmable transmit trap messages to said manager when selected events occur with respect to said plurality of devices in accordance with said MIB files.

7. A terminal as claimed in claim 3, wherein said MIB files comprise data relating to generation of alert messages by said terminal, said terminal comprising a facsimile server and being configured to transmit alert messages via said facsimile server to telephone numbers specified in said MIB files when selected events occur with respect to said plurality of devices.

8. A terminal as claimed in claim 3, wherein said MIB files comprise data relating to generation of alert messages by said terminal, said terminal being configured to transmit alert messages via electronic mail to hosts using said server when selected events occur with respect to said plurality of devices in accordance with said MIB files, said MIB files specifying internet protocol addresses for said hosts.

9. A terminal as claimed in claim 3, wherein said MIB files comprise data relating to generation of alert messages by said terminal, said terminal being configured to generate entries in an event log stored in said memory device when selected events occur with respect to said plurality of devices in accordance with said MIB files.

10. A terminal as claimed in claim 3, wherein at least one of said plurality of devices is operable to transmit data corresponding to each of a plurality of selected parameters to said terminal in a single response, and one of said manager operations is a get operation for obtaining said data corresponding to at least one of said plurality of selected parameters from at least one of said plurality of devices, said terminal being operable to maintain a response cache in said memory device for storing said data and to determine whether said response cache comprises the most recent said data before transmitting a command from said manager for another said single response.

11. A terminal as claimed in claim 3, wherein at least one of said plurality of devices is operable to receive data corresponding to each of a plurality of selected parameters from said terminal in a single command, and one of said manager operations is a set operation for transmitting said data corresponding to at least one of said plurality of selected parameters to at least one of said plurality of devices, said terminal being operable to determine when one of said plurality of selected parameters is set by said manager before transmitting a single command to said at least one of said plurality of devices to set each of said plurality of selected parameters.

12. A method of configuring a site server for managing a plurality of devices connected to the site server comprising the steps of:

accessing said site server from a remote computer running a browser application program and connected to said site server via a communication link, said remote computer transmitting a page request and query data to said site server using said browser application program;

downloading at least one page from said site server using said remote computer, said page being accessible from said site server in response to said page request and configured to prompt a user at said remote computer to enter configuration data relating to at least one of said plurality of devices for transmission to said site server; and

entering said configuration data on said at least one page to configure said site server to perform device adaptation by communicating with at least one of said plurality of devices and performing at least one operation selected from the group consisting of obtaining selected data from said at least one of said plurality of devices, providing at least one of said plurality of devices with a command for execution, and providing at least one of said plurality of devices with data, wherein a single command can set multiple inter-related parameters in the managed legacy device; and

transmitting said configuration data to said site server, said configuration data allowing said user at said remote computer to configure said site server to manage said at least one of said plurality of devices without having to write program code for said site server.

13. A method as claimed in claim 12, wherein said downloading step comprises the step of downloading a page using HyperText Markup Language or HTML.

14. A method as claimed in claim 12, wherein said page request is transmitted using HyperText Transfer Protocol or HTTP.

15. A method as claimed in claim 12, wherein said downloading step comprises the step of downloading a home page corresponding to said site server, said home page providing said user at said remote computer with at least one option selected from the group consisting of browsing a Management Information Base or MIB, viewing an event log generated by said site server, configuring said site server to communicate with at least one of said plurality of devices, and performing administrative operations.

16. A method as claimed in claim 12, wherein said downloading step comprises the step of downloading at least one configuration page to provide said user at said remote computer with at least one option selected from the group consisting of specifying a password which must be entered by said user to perform administrative functions relating to said site server, specifying a password which must be entered by said user before entering said configuration data, specifying a facsimile number to which said site server can send status data relating to at least one of said plurality of devices, specifying at least one of a telephone number and an Internet protocol address for connecting said site server to a network manager, and specifying an Internet protocol address for use by said site server.

17. A method as claimed in claim 12, wherein said site server maintains a Management Information Base and said downloading step comprises the step of downloading at least one configuration page to provide said user at said remote computer with at least one option selected from the group consisting of specifying a device class in which at least one of said plurality of devices is classified, specifying an instrumentation driver for allowing said site server to communicate with said plurality of devices in said device class, and specifying which of a number of ports corresponding to said site server said plurality of devices in said device class are connected.

18. A method as claimed in claim 12, wherein said site server comprises a plurality of ports to which said plurality of devices are connected, a plurality of port drivers and a plurality of instrumentation drivers, and said entering step further comprises the step of selecting at least one of said plurality of instrument drivers and at least one of said port drivers using said browser application program at said remote computer for configuring said site server to manage a selected one of said plurality of devices.

19. A method as claimed in claim 18, further comprising the steps of:

downloading at least one page from said site server using said remote computer to prompt said user to configure said selected one of said plurality of instrumentation drivers using said browser application program; and

using said browser application program to specify device parameter data selected from the group consisting of at least one of a device class in which corresponding ones of said plurality of devices are classified, specifying a table in a Management Information Base stored at said site server, specifying an entry in said table for a selected parameter relating to at least one of said plurality of devices in said device class, and specifying by which of read-only and write-only operations said selected parameter is accessible.

20. A method as claimed in claim 19, further comprising the steps of:

downloading at least one page from said site server using said remote computer to prompt said user to configure a network management command for said selected parameter; and

entering command data for transmission to said site server, said command data being selected from group consisting of a string of data corresponding to said network management command and formatted in accordance with the native protocol of said plurality of devices in said device class, a duration of time for said site server to wait for a response to said network management command from one of said plurality of devices in said device class, and characteristics of said response.

21. A method as claimed in claim 20, wherein said network management command is one of a simple network management protocol or SNMP Get command and an SNMP Set command.

22. A method as claimed in claim 12, wherein said at least one operation is formatted in accordance with a network management protocol selected from the group consisting of Simple Network Management Protocol or SNMP, Common Management Information Protocol or CMIP, and Telecommunications Management Network or TMN protocol.

23. A method as claimed in claim 12, wherein said site server is configured to be accessed by said remote computer using a plurality of internet protocol addresses, said site server operating as a host for a plurality of internet sites using different ones of said plurality of internet protocol addresses.

24. A method as claimed in claim 12, wherein said site server is configured to operate in accordance with a plurality of internet protocol addresses, and further comprising the steps of:

assigning one of said plurality of internet protocol addresses to selected ones of said plurality of devices; and

generating a screen on a network terminal having a plurality of icons corresponding in number to said selected ones of said plurality of devices having one of said plurality of internet protocol addresses assigned thereto.

25. A terminal as claimed in claim 6, wherein said terminal uses Internet Protocol aliasing and said trap messages appear to said manager to come from said plurality of devices and not said terminal.

26. A method for configuring a device to be managed comprising the steps of:

generating web pages to allow a user to enter configuration data, said configuration data relating to a legacy device that is one of unmanageable, and manageable using a proprietary vendor specific management native interface and protocol, and is not compatible with a standards-based management protocol;

storing said configuration data in a database at a terminal; and

interpreting said native interface of said legacy device as at least one standards-based management operation using said configuration data in conjunction with at least one of a plurality of management information base or MIB files in said database in the absence of the user having to write program code, said terminal being configured to allow any device selected from the group consisting of standards-compliant devices and legacy devices to be managed from any manager in either of a standards-based network management system or a proprietary, vendor-specific system, wherein a single command can set multiple inter-related parameters in the managed legacy device.

27. A method as claimed in claim 26, wherein said interpreting step comprises the steps of:

accessing said database using scripting language for a selected operation of said native interface;

demand-loading selected drivers stored in said database;

demand-loading selected said MIB files from said database; and

binding variables located in said scripting language with instances from the selected said MIB files.

28. A computer program product for device management comprising:

a computer-readable medium;

a web page generation module stored on the computer-readable medium that generates at least one