Network management system capable of easily switching from an active to

Abstract

In a network system comprising first through N-th agents, each of which performs a management operation on a management object (N representing a predetermined natural number which is not less than two), an active manager for managing the first through the N-th agents, and a backup manager for managing the first through the N-th agents when a fault occurs in the active manager, the active manager includes a fault detecting unit for detecting the fault in the active manager to produce a fault detection signal. Supplied with the fault detection signal, the backup managing process delivers a name signal representative of a backup manager name assigned to the backup manager as an indicated name to the first through the N-th agents through backup transmitting/receiving unit and the circuit switching device. In each of the first through the N-th agents, an agent process stores, as a stored manager name, the indicated name in a memory unit on reception of the name signal.