GENERIC SNMP INFORMATION COLLECTION

摘要

The present invention provides a technique to define objects and object instances in a dynamically modifiable table within the confines of a management information base definition. With the invention, new objects and object instances may be added to the table without changing the management information base definition at a managed device or network management system. The managed device can change the table, yet allow the network management system to access the table using an associated object identifier. The network management system can systematically step through the various objects or object instances, which may correspond to rows and columns of the table, to detect additions or modifications to the table. The various objects and object instances in the table may be individually accessed, once identified, using a unique object identifier.

主权项

1. A method of operating a network management system for a network implementing a simple network management protocol environment, the network comprising a network management system controller and a managed device coupled to the network management system controller by the network, the method comprising:
providing a managed information base definition, the managed information base definition associating a unique identifier with a table located at the managed device and associating a respective unique object identifier with each object in the table, the managed information base definition being known to the network management system controller and to the managed device; sending a request to obtain information for objects and associated object instances in the table from the network management system controller to the managed object, the objects and object instances not being included in the managed information base definition; receiving the request at the managed device; responsive to the received request, sending the requested information from the managed device to the network management system controller; and receiving the requested information at the network management system controller.