Determining the Status of A Device Through Use of a Publisher/Subscriber Interface

摘要

A publish/subscribe interface is used to enable a non-publish/subscribe first system (such as an IP network device) to obtain status information about a publish/subscribe device that cannot be pinged by the first system. The first system sends a status request to a domain name server associated with a system known to include the publish/subscribe device. The status request includes a domain name for the publish/subscribe device. Topic space maintained by a message broker in the publish/subscribe system includes status topics associated with publish/subscribe devices. The status topics contents reflect the current availability of the associated publish/subscribe device. The domain name is mapped to a status topic associated to the publish/subscribe device identified in the status request and the contents of that status topic are retrieved. If the contents have a first value, a “good” IP address is returned to the first system. If the contents have the second value, a “bad” IP address is returned. The return address is used in ping messages. If the ping operation succeeds, it is concluded the publish/subscribe device is online. If the ping operation fails, it is concluded that the publish/subscribe device is off-line.

主权项

1. A device for enabling a first computer network device to determine whether a second computer network device has an online status or an off-line status where the first computer network device cannot directly contact the second computer network device, the device comprising:
a processor; a memory device for use by the processor, the memory device comprising instructions for execution by the processor to: receive a request from the first computer network device for a status of the second computer network device; determine whether the second computer network device is online or off-line by accessing information about the second computer network device from a publish/subscribe system; and indicate to the first computer network device whether the second computer network device is online or off-line based on said information from said publish/subscribe system.