Network management device and method for discovering and managing network connected databases
Systems, software, and methods for managing traditional (i.e., TCP/IP-based), non-traditional, and traditional-non-traditional hybrid networks of connected electronic devices are described. In one example, network management policy and network management applications are downloaded automatically upon detection and identification of a new device, application or service on a network. In another example, information related to at least one aspect of the network is obtained by a network management device through connection to a non-TCP/IP network, or by way of a gateway device or application, at least one applicable management policy is identified, and the identified policy is used to manage at least one aspect of the network's operation. In another example, devices, applications or services presenting various behaviors under various scenarios are evaluated and placed under management.
1 . A method performed by at least one processor, of discovering and interoperating with a further network that is indirectly connected to a managed computer network, the at least one processor performing operations comprising:
discovering a network-connected computing device connected to the managed computer network, the network-connected computing device also connected to access the further, indirectly-connected network, wherein the further, indirectly-connected network is only indirectly connected to the managed computer network and is not addressable or routable to or from the managed computer network;
discovering at least one access to the further, indirectly-connected network by the network-connected computing device;
discovering, through the network-connected computing device, information about the further, indirectly-connected network including identifying said further, indirectly-connected network;
in response to discovering information about the further, indirectly-connected network and identifying said further, indirectly-connected network, instantiating and invoking an instance of a dynamic application;
using the instantiated and invoked dynamic application instance to perform additional discovery of said further, indirectly-connected network ; and
receiving, over the managed computer network, information relating to said additional discovery of said further, indirectly-connected network performed by said instantiated and invoked dynamic application instance.
2 . The method of claim 1 , further including:
evaluating said information related to said additional discovery;
accessing a template store;
matching a template in the template store against said information related to said additional discovery; and
instantiating a further dynamic application instance at least in part in response to information derived from the template matching.
3 . The method of claim 1 , further including instantiating subsequent dynamic applications in response to information related to the additional discovery performed by a previously-instantiated dynamic application until a determination is made that substantially all discoverable aspects of said further, indirectly-connected network have been discovered.
4 . The method of claim 3 further including placing discoverable aspects of the further, indirectly-connected network under management.
5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the dynamic application is configured to identify a fingerprint of type of said further, indirectly-connected network, and,
said using the instantiated and invoked dynamic application instance includes determining specific aspects and capabilities of said further, indirectly-connected network based upon the identified fingerprint, selecting a further dynamic application from a set of possible dynamic applications based at least in part upon the identified fingerprint and/or the determined specific aspects and/or capabilities, instantiating the selected further dynamic application and configuring the selected further dynamic application to manage said further, indirectly-connected network.
6 . The method of claim 5 , where the specific aspects of the further, indirectly-connected network include an identification of a device connected to the further, indirectly-connected network.
7 . The method of claim 6 , further including mapping an aspect of the specific aspects of the further, indirectly-connected network to one or more managed network elements.
8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the mapping includes mapping to a managed network element identifier.
9 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the aspect includes an operational parameter of the further, indirectly-connected network.
10 . The method of claim 9 , further including mapping the aspect to one or more managed network elements.
11 . The method of claim 9 , wherein mapping includes mapping to a managed network element identifier.
12 . The method of claim 6 , further including creating a managed element identifier in response to the discovery.
13 . The method of claim 1 , where the further, indirectly-connected network is not based upon TCP/IP-based networking protocol.
14 . The method of claim 1 , where the further, indirectly-connected network is based upon a CANbus protocol.
15 . The method of claim 1 , where the further, indirectly-connected network is based upon IEEE 488 protocol.
16 . The method of claim 1 , further including:
accessing a store of previously stored authentication and authorization materials, and
using said stored authentication and authorization materials in conjunction with an auto-discovery dynamic application to access the further, indirectly-connected network.
17 . The method of claim 16 , further including providing at least some access to at least one entity having less than full access authorization.
18 . The method of claim 16 , wherein:
said authentication and authorization materials provide differential access to said further, indirectly-connected network and/or to services provided by the further, indirectly-connected network;
performing auto-discovery using said authentication and authorization materials to obtain two or more sets of discovery results, each set of discovery results corresponding to a particular set of authentication and authorization materials;
identifying variations among said two or more sets of discovery results;
accessing a stored template-based device description for a device connected to the further, indirectly-connected; and
categorizing and classifying said device based at least in part upon the identified variations among said two or more sets of discovery results and the template-based device description.
19 . The method of claim 18 , further including determining at least one device personality of said network-connected computing device.
20 . The method of claim 19 , wherein said network-connected computing device has at least two personalities, and the method includes managing each personality of the at least two personalities independently.
21 . The method of claim 1 including instantiating and executing the dynamic application instance on the network-connected computing device.
22 . The method of claim 21 further including using the dynamic application instance instantiated on the network-connected computing device to discover at least one further device connected to the further, indirectly-connected network.
23 . The method of claim 21 further including using the dynamic application instance instantiated on the network-connected computing device to discover the further, indirectly-connected network.
24 . The method of claim 21 further including using the dynamic application instance instantiated on the network-connected computing device to determine identity of the further, indirectly-connected network.
25 . The method of claim 1 including instantiating the dynamic application instance on a further device other than the network-connected computing device and using the further device to discover aspects of the further, indirectly-connected network.
26 . The method of claim 1 further including the network-connected computing device indirectly connecting the managed computer network to the further, indirectly-connected network.