Device status identification

1. A network management station, comprising:

a processor;

a memory coupled to the processor; and

program instructions provided to the memory and executable by the processor to:

transmit an SNMP message to a device connected to the management station over a network;

open a socket connection on the device in response to an SNMP error message returned from the device;

initiate a time-out function upon opening the socket connection; and

indicate a status of the device based on successful SNMP messages and the time-out function.

2. The network management station of claim 1 , wherein the program instructions include a platform independent function call to execute instructions which open the socket connection.

3. The network management station of claim 2 , wherein the platform independent function call is a Java based function call.

4. The network management station of claim 1 , wherein the SNMP error message includes a generic error message.

5. The network management station of claim 1 , further including program instructions which can execute to selectably establish a time period in connection with the time-out function based on input from a network administrator.

6. The network management station of claim 1 , wherein the program instructions execute to indicate a device is down when both the SNMP error message and a time-out failure message are received.

7. The network management station of claim 1 , wherein the device and the station are connected over a local area network (LAN).

8. The network management station of claim 1 , wherein the device and the station are connected over a wide area network (WAN).

9. A network management station, comprising:

a processor;

a memory coupled to the processor; and

program instructions provided to the memory and executable by the processor to:

send an SNMP request to a device connected to the management station over a network;

register a return error message to the SNMP request from device;

execute a Java based function call to open a socket connection on the device in response to the return error message;

initiate a time-out function upon opening the socket connection; and

indicate a device status based on successful SNMP requests and the time-out function.

10. The network management station of claim 9 , wherein the program instructions execute to indicate the device status is up upon receiving successful SNMP requests.

11. The network management station of claim 9 , wherein the program instructions execute to indicate the device status is up when:

a return error message to the SNMP request is registered by the program instructions; and

a response is received by the program instructions prior to an expiration of the time-out function.

12. The network management station of claim 9 , further including program instructions to selectably establish a time-out period in association with the time-out function.

13. The network management station of claim 12 , wherein the program instructions execute to indicate the device status is down when:

a return error message to the SNMP request is registered by the program instructions; and

a time-out failure message associated with the time-out function is received by the program instructions.

14. A method for device status identification, comprising:

transmitting an SNMP message to a device;

opening a socket connection on the device in response to an SNMP error message returned from the device;

initiating a time-out function upon opening the socket connection; and

indicate a status of the device based on successful SNMP messages and the time-out function.

15. The method of claim 14 , further including using a platform independent function call to open the socket connection on the device.

16. The method of claim 15 , further including using a Java based function call to open the socket connection on the device.

17. The method of claim 14 , further including establishing a time out period in association wit the time-out function.

18. The method of claim 17 , further including indicating the device is down upon:

registering the SNMP error message; and

receiving a lime-out failure message associated with the time-out function.

19. The method of claim 18 , further including visually indicating the device is down using a colored icon.

20. The method of claim 14 , further including indicating the device is up upon receiving successful SNMP requests.

21. The method of claim 14 , further including indicating the device is up upon:

Registering the returned SNMP error message to the transmitted SNMP message; and

receiving a response prior to an expiration of the time-out function upon opening the socket connection.

22. A method for device status identification, comprising:

sending an SNMP request to a device;

registering a return error message from the device in response to the SNMp request;

executing a Java based function call to open a socket connection on the device in response to the return error message;

initiating a time-out function upon opening the socket connection; and

indicating a device status based on successful SNMP requests and the time-out function.

23. The method of claim 22 , further including indicating a device is up if a message is returned from the socket connection of the device prior to an expiration of the time-out function.

24. The method of claim 22 , further including indicating a device is down if no message is returned from the socket connection of the device prior to an expiration of the time-out function.

25. A computer readable medium having instructions for causing a device to perform a method, comprising:

transmitting an SNMP message to a device on a network;

opening a socket connection on the device in response to an SNMP error message returned from the device;

initiating a time-out function upon opening the socket connection; and

indicating a status of the device based on successful SNMP messages and the time-out function.

26. A network management station, comprising:

a processor;

a memory coupled to the processor;

means for determining a status of a device connected to the management station over a network in a platform independent manner; and

wherein the means includes program instruction which execute to send a simple network management protocol (SNMP) request to the device;

wherein the means includes program instruction which execute to open a socket connection on the device in response to an ANMP error message returned from the device;

wherein the means includes program instruction which execute to initiate a time-out function upon opening the socket connection; and

wherein the means includes program instruction which execute to indicate a status of the device based on successful SNMP messages and the time-out function.

27. The network management station of claim 26 , wherein the means includes program instruction which execute to register successful SNMP requests as an up status for the device.

28. The network management station of claim 26 , wherein the means includes program instructions which execute to register an up status for the device when:

a return error message to an SNMP request is received by the program instructions; and

a response message associated with opening a socket connection on the device is received by the program instructions prior to an expiration of a time-out function.

29. The network management station of claim 26 , wherein the means includes program instructions which execute to register a down status for the device when:

a return error message to an SNMP request is received by the program instructions; and

a time-out failure message associated with a time-out function is received by the program instructions.

30. The network management station of claim 26 , wherein the means includes program instructions having a platform independent function call to execute instructions which open a socket connection on the device.

31. The network management station of claim 30 , wherein the platform independent function call is a Java based function.