Systems and methods for managing network devices based on server capacity

1. A network management system, comprising:

a management server coupled to a network; and

a plurality of network devices coupled to the network, the network devices configured to communicate with the management server via the network, the network devices configured to transmit check-in requests to the management server via the network,

wherein the management server is configured to determine, in response to one of the check-in requests received from one of the network devices during a communication session initiated by the one check-in request, at least one task that requires communication with the one network device, wherein the management server is configured to determine a first weight value indicating an expected processing burden for the management server in performing the one task, wherein the management server is configured to maintain a second weight value indicating an overall processing burden for the management server for each of a plurality of tasks currently being performed by the management server, and wherein the management server is configured to update the second weight value based on the first weight value in response to the one check-in request and to determine whether to perform the one task during the communication session based on a comparison of the second weight value to a predefined threshold.

2. The network management system of claim 1 , wherein the management server is configured to determine the second weight value by combining a plurality of weight values, each of the plurality of weight values indicating a respective processing burden for the management server for a task currently being performed by the management server.

3. The network management system of claim 1 , wherein the management server is configured to determine the second weight value by summing a plurality of weight values, each of the plurality of weight values indicating a respective processing burden for the management server for a task currently being performed by the management server.

4. A management server, comprising:

memory for storing weight values, each of the weight values corresponding to a task and indicating an expected processing burden for the management server in performing the corresponding task; and

logic configured to manage a plurality of network devices of a network and to communicate with each of the network devices via the network, the logic configured to receive a check-in request from one of the network devices during a communication session initiated via the check-in request, the logic further configured to determine in response to the check-in request at least one task that requires communication with the one network device and to determine whether to perform the one task during the communication session, based on the weight value corresponding to the one task and an overall processing burden for the management server for each of a plurality of tasks currently being performed by the management server, such that the logic ensures sufficient capacity at the management server to process check-in requests from each of the plurality of network devices.

5. The management server of claim 4 , wherein the logic is configured to compare the weight value corresponding to the one task and a value indicative of the overall processing burden.

6. The management server of claim 5 , wherein the logic is configured to determine the value indicative of the overall processing burden by mathematically combining each of the weight values corresponding to a respective one of the plurality of tasks.

7. The management server of claim 5 , wherein the logic is configured to determine the value indicative of the overall processing burden by summing each of the weight values corresponding to a respective one of the plurality of tasks.

8. The management server of claim 5 , wherein the logic is configured to determine whether increasing the value indicative of the overall processing burden by the weight value causes the value indicative of the overall processing burden to exceed a predefined threshold.

9. A network management method, comprising:

storing, in memory, a plurality of weight values, each of the weight values corresponding to a task and indicating an expected processing burden for a management server in performing the corresponding task;

communicating between a plurality of network devices and the management server;

receiving a check-in request at the management server during a communication session between the management server and one of the network devices, the communication session initiated by the check-in request;

identifying, in response to the check-in request, at least one task that requires communication with the one network device;

determining whether to perform the one task during the communication session based on the weight value corresponding to the one task and an overall processing burden for the management server for each of a plurality of tasks currently being performed by the management server; and

ensuring, based on the determining, that the management server has sufficient capacity to process check-in requests from each of the plurality of network devices.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising comparing the weight value corresponding to the one task and a value indicative of the overall processing burden, wherein the determining is based on the comparing.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising determining the value indicative of the overall processing burden by mathematically combining each of the weight values corresponding to a respective one of the plurality of tasks.

12. The method of claim 10 , further comprising determining the value indicative of the overall processing burden by summing each of the weight values corresponding to a respective one of the plurality of tasks.

13. The method of claim 9 , further comprising initiating an alarm in response to a determination that the management server fails to receive a check-in request from one of the network devices within an expected time period.

14. The network management system of claim 1 , wherein the threshold is set such that the management server sufficiently conserves capacity at the management server to process the check-in requests transmitted by the network devices, thereby preventing false alarms associated with the check-in requests.

15. The network management system of claim 14 , wherein the management server is configured to initiate an alarm if the network management server fails to receive a check-in request from the one network device within an expected time period.

16. The management server of claim 4 , wherein the logic is configured to initiate an alarm when the management server fails to receive a check-in request from one of the network devices within an expected time period.

17. A network management method, comprising:

receiving at a management server a plurality of check-in requests from a plurality of network devices in communication with the management server via a network;

for each of the network devices, storing at the server a list of tasks to be performed by the management server when the management server receives a check-in request from the respective network device;

determining weight values indicative of expected processing burdens for the management server to perform the tasks;

determining a weight value indicative of an overall processing burden for tasks currently being performed by the management server;

initiating an alarm if the network management server fails to receive a check-in request from one of the network devices within an expected time period; and

determining whether to perform tasks in response to the check-in requests based on the weight values indicative of the expected processing burdens and the weight value indicative of the overall processing burden such that the management server has sufficient capacity to process each of the check-in requests, thereby preventing false alarms resulting from the initiating.