Patent ID: 7822849

Claim:
A method for observing a network management zone, comprising the step: creating a real-time estimate of at least one network parameter for at least one responsive resource in said network management zone; and wherein each of said responsive resources in said network management zone respond to said management protocol compatible with a version of a Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP); wherein the step creating said real-time estimate, further comprises the steps: sending at least one request in a management protocol to said responsive resource at a transmission time; measuring a response to said request from said responsive resource based upon said transmission time to contribute to said real-time estimate of said network parameter; measuring a non-response to said request from said responsive resource after a time-out from said transmission time to further contribute to said real-time estimate of said network parameter; wherein said network management zone includes: each of said responsive resources capable of responding to said request to said responsive resource, and at least one management node sending at least one of said requests to at least one of said responsive resources in said network management zone, wherein said management node further receives said responses to said requests from said responsive resources; means for creating said real-time estimate of said at least one network parameter for said at least one responsive resource to said management protocol in said network management zone, further comprising: means for sending said at least one request in said management protocol to said responsive resource at said transmission time; means for measuring said response to said request from said responsive resource based upon said transmission time to contribute to said real-time estimate of said network parameter; and means for measuring said non-response to said request from said responsive resource after said TTL to further contribute to said real-time estimate of said network parameter.