Hardware independent simple network management protocol based on a generic data collection scheme
A method and/or a system for a generic agent in a managed network are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method of a generic simple network management protocol (SNMP) module on a network node includes communicating with a device succeedingly coupled to the network node using a data collector module assigned to the device. The method also includes translating data passed between the device and a management module managing the device based on a simple network management protocol.
1. A method comprising:
communicating between a plurality of hardware devices and a management module controlling the plurality of hardware devices based on a simple network management protocol (SNMP), the plurality of hardware devices and the management module being coupled through a computer network;
associating, in accordance with the communication, a data collector module based on an object-oriented structure with a hardware device of the plurality of hardware devices through an SNMP module executing on at least one of the hardware device and another hardware device of the plurality of hardware devices coupled to the computer network;
providing a capability to collect a definition of at least one unique object associated with each hardware device of the plurality of hardware devices in a management information database (MIB) associated therewith;
invoking, through the SNMP module, the data collector module to collect instances of the at least one unique object associated with the hardware device based on an object identifier thereof, the instances residing at leaf nodes of a tree data structure of the MIB and the at least one unique object residing at a root node of the tree data structure;
caching the instances of the at least one unique object associated with the hardware device through the data collector module; and
dispensing with a need to modify instructions associated with the SNMP module in accordance with a modification in the MIB associated with the hardware device through the collection of the definition of the at least one unique object in the MIB and the caching of the instances thereof;
wherein the at least one unique object associated with each hardware device of the plurality of hardware devices in the MIB comprises a hardware, a configuration parameter or a performance statistics, which is directly related to a current operation of the device.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein associating the data collector module with the hardware device includes one of:
building the data collector module with a configuration file associated with the hardware device; and
utilizing the built data collector module with the configuration file associated with the hardware device.
3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising storing, through the configuration file, at least one of MIB attributes and property information of the hardware device.
4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising:
processing the configuration file through the SNMP module to obtain configuration data associated with the hardware device.
5. The method of claim 3 , wherein:
the configuration file is stored in a platform independent file format, and the MIB includes a unique set of objects associated with the hardware device.
6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising communicating, through the SNMP module, a trap data to the hardware device to detect an error condition therein.
7. The method of claim 2 , further comprising newly generating the configuration file when a new hardware device is coupled to the computer network.
8. A system comprising:
a computer network;
a plurality of hardware devices coupled to the computer network;
a management module coupled to the plurality of hardware devices through the computer network;
a set of instructions stored on a memory;
an SNMP module configured to execute the set of instructions on a processor of the at least one hardware device of the computer network, the management module being configured to control the plurality of hardware devices and communicate therewith based on an SNMP,
wherein, in accordance with the communication between a hardware device and the management module, a data collector module based on an object-oriented structure is associated with the hardware device through the SNMP module, the data collector module being configured to be invoked by the SNMP module to collect instances of at least one unique object associated with the hardware device based on an object identifier thereof, and the data collector module also being configured to enable caching of the instances of the at least one unique object associated with the hardware device; and
a MIB having a capability to collect definitions of unique objects associated with the plurality of hardware devices, the collection of the definition of the at least one unique object and the caching of the instances thereof enabling dispensing with a need to modify instructions associated with the SNMP module in accordance with a modification in the MIB associated with the hardware device, the instances residing at leaf nodes of a tree data structure of the MIB and the at least one unique object residing at a root node of the tree data structure;
wherein the at least one unique object associated with each hardware device of the plurality of hardware devices in the MIB comprises a hardware, a configuration parameter or a performance statistics, which is directly related to a current operation of the device.
9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the data collector module associated with the hardware device is one of built from a configuration file associated with the hardware device and utilized by the management module when the data collector module associated with the hardware device is available.
10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the configuration file of the hardware device is processed through the SNMP module to obtain configuration data associated with the hardware device.
11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the configuration file is used to store MIB attributes and property information of the hardware device in a platform independent file format.
12. The system of claim 9 , wherein the configuration file is newly generated when a new hardware device is coupled to the computer network.
13. The system of claim 9 , wherein the SNMP module is one of a generic and non-generic type,
wherein the generic SNMP module is configured to provide a universal interface to the plurality of hardware devices of the computer network, and
wherein the non-genetic SNMP module operates on the hardware device when the configuration file does not include information data of the hardware device.
14. A hardware device comprising:
a set of instructions stored on a memory;
an interface to a computer network;
an SNMP module, configured to execute the set of instructions on a processor on the hardware device to facilitate communication between the hardware device and a management module configured to control a plurality of hardware devices coupled to the computer network and communicate therewith based on an SNMP,
wherein the hardware device is coupled to the management module through the interface to the computer network,
wherein in accordance with the communication, a data collector module based on an object-oriented structure is configured to be associated with the hardware device through the SNMP module,
wherein the data collector module is configured to be invoked by the SNMP module to collect instances of a unique object associated with the hardware device based on an object identifier thereof, and
wherein the data collector module is also configured to enable caching of the instances of the unique object associated with the hardware device; and
a MIB configured to store properties of the unique object associated with the hardware device, which, in conjunction with the caching of the instances of the unique object, is configured to enable dispensing with a need to modify instructions associated with the SNMP module in accordance with a modification in the MIB, the instances residing at leaf nodes of a tree data structure of the MIB and the unique object residing at a root node of the tree data structure;
wherein the at least one unique object associated with each hardware device of the plurality of hardware devices in the MIB comprises a hardware, a configuration parameter or a performance statistics, which is directly related to a current operation of the device.
15. The hardware device of claim 14 , wherein the data collector module is one of built with a configuration file associated with the hardware device and utilized by the management module when the data collector module associated with the hardware device is available.
16. The hardware device of claim 15 , wherein the configuration file of the hardware device is processed through the SNMP module to obtain configuration data associated with the hardware device.
17. The hardware device of claim 15 , wherein the configuration file is used to store MIB attributes and property information of the hardware device in a platform independent file format.
18. The hardware device of claim 14 , wherein the SNMP module is configured to communicate a trap data to the hardware device to capture an error condition therein.
19. The hardware device of claim 14 , wherein an alert data is communicated to the SNMP module with the occurrence of an event in the hardware device.
20. The hardware device of claim 15 , wherein the SNMP module is one of a generic and non-generic type,
wherein the generic SNMP module is configured to provide a universal interface to the plurality of hardware devices of the computer network, and
wherein the non-genetic SNMP module operates on the hardware device when the configuration file does not include information data of the hardware device.