Patent ID: 8045485
Filing Date: 2011-10-25
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A monitoring apparatus for monitoring a network device connected to a network, the monitoring apparatus comprising: a storage unit for storing monitoring subject information, wherein the monitoring subject information includes individual identification information for identifying a monitoring subject device, the individual identification information being associated with an IP address; a Network Time Protocol (NTP) server that synchronizes a timer of the network device in response to an NTP message from the network device; a first acquiring unit that acquires an individual identification information of the network device which has sent the NTP message, by making a request to a destination IP address of the NTP message; a determining unit that determines whether or not the acquired individual identification information of the network device is associated with the monitoring subject information, by searching the monitoring subject information stored in the storage unit for the acquired individual identification information, and, if the determining unit determines that the acquired individual identification information of the network device is associated with the monitoring subject information, the determining unit determines that the network device identified by the acquired individual identification information is the monitoring subject device; when the network device identified by the acquired individual identification information is determined to be the monitoring subject device by the determining unit, a changing unit that changes the IP address associated in the monitoring subject information into the destination IP address of the NTP message; and a second acquiring unit that acquires management information related to the monitoring subject device utilizing the IP address of the monitoring subject information stored in the storing unit; wherein the first acquiring unit sends a request for the individual identification information of the network device to the destination IP address extracted from the NTP message received from the network device, and acquires the individual identification information from the network device which has sent the NTP message.