Patent ID: 6981041

Claim:
Apparatus for monitoring a local area network (LAN) through a remote administrative web site, the apparatus comprising: a service enablement platform (SEP) for connection to the LAN and for connection, through a wide area network (WAN) connection, to the administrative web site, wherein the SEP comprises: a processor; a memory, connected to the processor, for storing computer executable instructions therein; and first and second network interfaces, operable in conjunction with the processor, for communicatively interfacing the SEP, through a first network connection, to the WAN and, through a second network connection, to the LAN, respectively; wherein the processor, in response to execution of the instructions: continually monitors operational status of a monitored entity so as to detect an alarm condition resulting from an operational failure in the monitored entity, the monitored entity comprising the SEP, at least one of the first and second connections or at least one of a plurality of servers residing on the LAN; generates, in response to the alarm condition, an alarm message containing information related to the alarm condition; converts the alarm message into a predefined format suitable for communication over a web connection so as to yield a web-communicable alarm message; and transmits the web-communicable alarm message, via the WAN interface and the first network connection, to the administrative web site which, in response to receipt of the web-communicable alarm message: extracts the alarm information from the web-communicable alarm message so as to define extracted alarm information; and updates a record in a database, maintained by the administrative web site and associated with the SEP, to reflect the extracted alarm information.