Cabletron Systems, Inc.

Aprisma Management Technologies, Inc.

Eric W Gray

Roger H Dev

Eric S Rustici

Walter P Scott

Dwayne S Wiggin

Dale H Emery

Howard M Brown

Timothy L Orr

A network management system includes a user interface, a virtual network and a device communication manager. The virtual network includes models which represent network entities and model relations which represent relations between network entities. Each model includes network data relating to a corresponding network entity and one or more inference handlers for processing the network data to provide user information. The system performs a fault isolation technique wherein the fault status of a network device is suppressed when it is determined that the device is not defective. User displays include hierarchical location views and topological views of the network configuration. Network devices are represented on the displays by multifunction icons which permit the user to select additional displays showing detailed information regarding different aspects of the corresponding network device.

Network management system using model-based intelligence

An apparatus and method for determining the topology of a computer network including data-relay devices and node devices, based on a comparison of source adddresses heard by the various data relay-devices. A source address table is compiled for each port of each data-relay device, and for each select pair of ports the addresses in the source tables are compared to determined whether there is an intersection of heard devices. In order to account for directed transmissions which are not heard at every port, further comparison is made of all of the other ports of the device, eliminating the ports for which the intersection is the empty set. From the determined connections, a topology of the network is graphed showing direct and transitive connections. In cases where there is both a direct and transitive connection, the redundant direct connection is eliminated.

Apparatus and method for determining a computer network topology

A network management system includes a user interface, a virtual network and a device communication manager. The virtual network includes models which represent network entities and model relations which represent relations between network entities. Each model includes network data relating to a corresponding network device and one or more inference handlers for processing the network data to provide user information. The system performs a fault isolation technique wherein the fault status of a network device is suppressed when it is determined that the device is not defective. User displays include hierarchical location views and topological views of the network configuration. Network devices are represented on the displays by multifunction icons which permit the user to select additional displays showing detailed information regarding different aspects of the corresponding network device.

Network management system using multifunction icons for information

Growing community of inventors

Manchester, NH, United States of America

Eric W Gray