Patent ID: 7457866

Claim:
A method comprising: generating a user interface to enable a user of a network management station to control management functions on a set of devices managed by the network management station via a network; in the network management station, detecting a connectivity problem related to accessing a device on the network; receiving, via the user interface, a command from the user of the network management station, the command for initiating a diagnostic process from the network management station in relation to the device; executing the diagnostic process from the management station in response to the command, wherein the diagnostic process includes applying a set of heuristics to diagnose the connectivity problem, including determining a device type to which the device belongs, from a plurality of device types that can be managed by the network management station; selecting a device type-specific protocol according to the device type to which the device belongs; and after determining the device type to which the device belongs, attempting to communicate with the device from the network management station by separately using each of a plurality of communication protocols, including said device type-specific protocol; and displaying to the user, via the user interface, results of the diagnostic process, including displaying information about the device and displaying individual results of attempts to communicate with the device with each of the plurality of communication protocols.