Patent ID: 6389464
Filing Date: 2002-05-14
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
A universal device management communication interface comprising: at least one port for connecting to a legacy device, said legacy device being characterized as using a proprietary management protocol and proprietary parameter and command sets that are not compatible with standards-compliant devices, said at least one port being selected from the group consisting of a serial port, a contact closure port, and an analog port;at least one terminal interface for connecting to a communication link between said communication interface and a user computer at a remote location being employed to remotely connect and configure said legacy device, said terminal interface being selected from the group consisting of a modem, and a local area network access board, said communication link being part of one of the internet, an intranet and a public switched telephone network, said communication interface being operable to process data for connection and configuration of said legacy device received from said user computer via said at least one terminal interface, said communication interface allowing said legacy device to be remotely connected and configured from said user computer via said communications link for device management using a standards-based network management protocol and manager; a memory device for storing said data relating to said legacy device and at least by one Management Information-base or MIB file for allowing interpretation m a native protocol corresponding to said legacy device into operations in accordance with said standards-based network management protocol; an agent for communicating with said manager connected to said communication interface via said terminal interface and one of the internet, an intranet and a public switched telephone network; a web server connected to said terminal interface for allowing said communication interface to communicate with said user computer using at least one of the internet and the World Wide Web; and a processor connected to said port, said terminal interface, said memory device and said server, said processor being programmable to generate a plurality of pages which can be accessed by said user computer via said server, said pages allowing said user computer to enter said data, said processor being programmable to automatically generate said MIB file for said legacy device to allow said agent to interpret native interface operations of said legacy device as said operations in accordance with said standards-based network management protocol and adapt said legacy device to standards-based device management without software development; wherein said native interface operations are management protocol, and parameter and command sets unique to said legacy device, wherein a single command can set multiple inter-related parameters in the managed legacy device, wherein a single command can set multiple inter-related parameters in the managed legacy device.