Abstract:
A management switch includes a central processing unit (CPU), network ports, a modem, an RS-232 serial port for establishing communications with a server over a serial cable or with the modem, and a memory for storing programs and data. The memory holds a network management program for analyzing network traffic on the network ports, identifying an emergency condition according to the network traffic, and generating an associated emergency condition identifier; a contact telephone number; emergency messages, and an emergency call-out program. The emergency call-out program utilizes the modem to dial the contact telephone number and send an emergency message determined by the emergency condition identifier. A switch causes the RS-232C port to communicate either with the server or with the modem.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION  
         [0001]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0002]    The present invention relates to a management switch. More specifically, an intelligent management switch that has emergency call-out functionality is disclosed.  
           [0003]    2. Description of the Prior Art  
           [0004]    The explosive growth of computer networks has had a significant impact on modern life, leading to the creation of thousands of jobs to handle tasks that had heretofore been unheard of and unknown. A network manager is one such job, and various tools have been designed to help network managers in the performance of their jobs. A management switch is an example of such a tool. Please refer to FIG. 1. FIG. 1 is an environment diagram of a management switch  10  according to the prior art. The management switch  10  is used to monitor a network  12 . At an intermediate level, the network  12  can include relay devices, such as a switch  12   a , a hub  12   b  and a bridge  12   c , as well as other familiar types of networking equipment. The management switch  10  has network ports  10   p , which are used to connect the management switch  10  to components in the network  12 . Typically, this will be the intermediate level devices  12   a ,  12   b  and  12   c , as they afford the broadest possible reach for scanning network traffic. At the outermost level, the network  12  may include computers  13 , servers  15  (which, in turn, may be connected, for example, to printers  15   a ), workstations  16 , and minicomputers  14 . Certainly, other network-aware devices may also be connected to the network  12 . The management switch  10  is also typically connected to a dedicated server  11  through an RS-232C serial port  10   r . The dedicated server  11  is used by a network manager to monitor and control the management switch  10  via a monitor  11   a  and I/O devices  11   b  (such as a mouse, keyboard, etc.). The management switch  10  has a central processing unit (CPU)  10   c  connected to memory  10   m , and the CPU  10   c  executes a simple network managing protocol (SNMP) program  10   s  held in the memory  10   m . Other program applications may also be held in the memory  10   m  and executed by the CPU  10   c  to expand the functionality of the management switch  10 . For this reason, the management switch  10  is sometimes termed an intelligent management switch. The SNMP program  10   s  monitors the network activity on the ports  10   p  to detect unusual or emergency situations that may require the attention of the network manager. When such a situation arises, the SNMP program  10   s  informs the dedicated server  11  through the RS-232C port  10   r . The dedicated server  11 , in turn, will present a corresponding message on the monitor  11   a , or perhaps print out a message on a printer  11   p.    
           [0005]    Under this arrangement, the management switch  10  acts somewhat like a traffic guard, monitoring, and to a certain extent controlling, the flow of the network traffic. As unusual or emergency situations arise, a corresponding message is presented on the monitor  11   a , and in response to which the network manager can use the I/O devices  11   b  to communicate with and control the management switch  10  via commands issued by the server  11  through the RS-232C port  10   r . Further, the network manager utilizes the server  11  to service the management switch  10 , configuring and updating software in the memory  10   m . This arrangement, however, assumes that the network manager is always in the immediate vicinity of the server  11 , and so will immediately see and respond to any messages presented on the monitor  11   a , or output on the printer  11   p . However, this is not always the case. Frequently, a network manager will be absent from the locale of the server  11 . Under such situations, when the management switch  10  detects a condition that requires the attention of the network manager, and informs the server  11  of such, a great deal of time may elapse before the network manager returns to see the corresponding message presented on the monitor  11   a . In the worst-case scenario, during this interim, the network  12  may be slow, unstable or even entirely shut down.  
         SUMMARY OF INVENTION  
         [0006]    It is therefore a primary objective of this invention to provide an intelligent network management switch having an emergency calling capability to inform a user, by way of a telephone system, of a network situation that may require attention.  
           [0007]    Briefly summarized, the preferred embodiment of the present invention discloses a management switch that provides emergency calling functionality. The management switch includes a central processing unit (CPU), network ports, a modem, an RS-232 serial port for establishing communications with a server over a serial cable or with the modem, and a memory for storing programs and data. The memory holds a network management program for analyzing network traffic on the network ports, identifying an emergency condition according to the network traffic, and generating an associated emergency condition identifier; a contact telephone number; an emergency message, and an emergency call-out program. The emergency call-out program utilizes the modem to dial the contact telephone number and send the emergency message determined by the emergency condition identifier. A switch causes the RS-232C port to communicate either with the server or with the modem.  
           [0008]    It is an advantage of the present invention that by providing the modem, contact number and an emergency message correlated with a detected network condition, the present invention server is able to immediately contact a network manager, regardless of whether or not the network manager is in the immediate vicinity of the server. Servicing times of the network are thus reduced, leading to better over-all network performance characteristics.  
           [0009]    It is a further advantage of the present invention that, in extreme situations where the network is totally inoperative so that the management switch is unable to communicate over the network, the management switch is still able to contact the network manager via the telephone system.  
           [0010]    These and other objectives of the present invention will no doubt become obvious to those of ordinary skill in the art after reading the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment, which is illustrated in the various figures and drawings. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS  
       [0011]    [0011]FIG. 1 is an environment diagram of a management switch according to the prior art.  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 2 an environment diagram of a management switch according to the present invention.  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a database shown in FIG. 2. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0014]    Please refer to FIG. 2. FIG. 2. is an environment diagram of an intelligent management switch  20  according to the present invention. The management switch  20  includes a plurality of ports  21 , which are used to establish physical connection to a network  30  in a well-known manner. Typically, the management switch  20  will be connected to intermediate-level relay devices in the network  30 , such as switches  31   a , hubs  31   b  and bridges  31   c , so as to maximize the amount of network traffic visible to the management switch  20 . The management switch  20  further includes a central processing unit (CPU)  22 , a modem  23 , a server I/O port  24 , a switch  25 , memory  26  and an RS-232C port  27 . The CPU  22  is electrically connected to the memory  26 , the ports  21 , the RS-232C port  27  and the switch  25 . The switch  25  is electrically connected to the modem  23  and the server I/O port  24 . Depending upon the setting of the switch  25 , the switch  25  will pass signals from either the modem  23  or the server I/O port  24  to the RS-232C port  27 . Hence, the switch  25  determines if the RS-232C port  27  communicates with the modem  23  or with the server I/O port  24 . The server I/O port  24  is used to establish an RS-232C connection with a server  40  by way of a serial cable  24   a . The server  40  has I/O devices  41 , such as a mouse and keyboard, and is used by a network manager to service the management switch  20 . The modem  23  is used to establish communications with a contact device  51  via a telephone system  50  in a well-known manner. The switch  25  is set by the network manager. When the network manager is in the immediate vicinity of the server  41 , the network manager sets the switch to a first setting so that the RS-232C port  27  communicates via the server I/O port  24 , and in this manner the network manager can use the server  40  to service the management switch  20 . On the other hand, when the network manager is leaving the area of the server  40  and will be gone for some time, he or she then sets the switch  25  to a second setting so that the RS-232C port  27  communicates with the modem  23 .  
         [0015]    The memory  26  is used to hold programs and data for the CPU  22 , and includes a simple network management protocol (SNMP) program  26   s , an emergency call-out program  26   e  and a database  29 . The SNMP program  26   s  monitors, and in some cases controls, network traffic on the ports  21 , looking for any condition that may require the attention of the network manager. Such conditions could include, for example, a denial of service (DoS) attack, a suddenly incommunicative device (such as the switch  31   a , hub  31   b  or bridge  31   c  going “quiet”), unusual port scans, etc. When such conditions or situations arise and are detected by the SNMP program  26   s , the SNMP program  26   s  generates a corresponding emergency condition identifier  26   r , which is stored in the memory  26 . The value of the emergency condition identifier  26   r  indicates the unusual or emergency condition identified by the SNMP program  26   s . The CPU  22  is able to determine the setting of the switch  25 . If the switch  25  is in the first setting such that the RS-232C port  27  is communicating with the server  40 , then the SNMP program  26   s  sends a message to the server  40  via the I/O server port  24 , indicating the condition specified by the emergency condition identifier  26   r . In response, the server  40  can generate an appropriate message on a monitor  42 , or print out a message by way of a printer  43 . If, however, the switch  25  is in the second setting such that the RS-232C port is in communications with the modem  23 , then the CPU  22  executes the emergency call-out program  26   e.    
         [0016]    Please refer to FIG. 3 with reference to FIG. 2. FIG. 3 is a block diagram of the database  29  shown in FIG. 2. The database  29  includes a plurality of entries  29   e . Each entry  29   e  includes a condition event  29   a , which corresponds to one of the possible values of the emergency condition identifier  26   r ; a contact number  29   b ; a device type  29   c , and message data  29   d . Other entry-types are certainly possible, such as alternate contact numbers, alternate device types, etc. The illustrated database  29  is merely indicative of a best, minimum configuration. For an entry  29   e , the contact number  29   b  indicates a telephone number that is to be dialed to reach a contact device  51  over the telephone system  50  when a situation as indicated by the condition event  29   a  arises. The device type  29   c  indicates the device type of the contact device  51  at the contact number  29   b , which could indicate, for example, a pager access number, a modem for a remote computer, an access point for another network, a voice mailbox, a personal data assistant (PDA), cell phone, etc. Finally, the message data entry  29   d  holds data that is specific for the device type  29   c , and which indicates the network situation that has been detected by the SNMP program  26   s , as indicated by the corresponding condition event entry  29   a.    
         [0017]    When executed by the CPU  22 , the emergency call-out program  26   e  indexes into the database  29  using the emergency condition identifier  26   r  to locate an entry  29   e  with a condition event entry  29   a  that corresponds to the emergency condition identifier  26   r . The emergency call-out program  26   e  then controls the modem  23  via the RS-232C port  27  to dial the contact number  29   b  of the located entry  29   e . Depending upon the device type  29   c , the emergency call-out program  26   e  parses the message data  29   d  to control the modem  23  to leave an appropriate message at the contact device  51 . For example, if the device type  29   c  indicates a pager service number for the contact device  51 , the message data  29   d  will contain the pager access number for a pager of the network manager, and a numerical code indicative of the condition entry  29   a , and which possibly further identifies the management switch  20 . The emergency call-out program  26   e  controls the modem  23  to act as a simple dialer device, so that no carrier tones are generated, and parses the message data  29   d  to properly contact the contact device  51  (in this case, a pager access service), and leave the numerical code at the specific pager access number, by way of touch-tone dialing. At another extreme, the contact device  51  may be a network access point (i.e., via Point-to-Point protocol (PPP)). In this case, the device type  29   c  would indicate a PPP device, and the message data  29   d  would have login and password data, as well as information indicative of the condition event  29   a  and information for a device on the remote network to be contacted and the contact protocol to use (e-mail, instant messaging, etc.). The emergency call-out program  26   e  would control the modem  23  to act as a true modem, generating a carrier frequency to carry data, connecting to the contact device  51  (in this case, a PPP access number), and utilizing the message data  29   d  to log into the remote network to deliver a message to a device on the remote network. Hence, it should be clear that the message data  29   d  varies not only according to the condition entry  29   a , but also according to the device type  29   c . The emergency call-out program  26   e  must therefore parse the message data  29   d  according to the device type  29   c . Of course, in a trivial reduction, all contact numbers  29   b  and device types  29   c  may be the same, in which case the message data  29   d  would vary only as a function of the condition event entry  29   a.    
         [0018]    In contrast to the prior art, the present invention provides a management switch with a modem and emergency call-out functionality to leave a message on a contact device at a predetermined contact telephone number. The contact telephone number and message can be determined by the network emergency condition identified by the management switch. Consequently, even when a network manager is not physically near a server for the management switch, the network manager can receive pertinent messages from the management switch via a telephone system and an appropriate contact device.  
         [0019]    Those skilled in the art will readily observe that numerous modifications and alterations of the device may be made while retaining the teachings of the invention. Accordingly, the above disclosure should be construed as limited only by the metes and bounds of the appended claims.