# US 10,122,573 B1 · Managing a network element operating on a network > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,122,573 B1 - Document ID: US10122573B1 - Status: Granted - Kind: B1 - Application number: 15/696,008 - Filed: 2017-09-05 - Granted: 2018-11-06 - Earliest claimed: 2010-11-10 - Assignees: Open Invention Network, LLC - Applicants: Open Invention Network LLC - Inventors: William Charles Easttom - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10122573B1 ## CPC - H04L 41/046: comprising network management agents or mobile agents therefor - H04L 41/0213: Standardised network management protocols, e.g. simple network management protocol [SNMP] - H04L 41/048: {mobile agents} - H04L 41/06: Management of faults, events, alarms or notifications - H04L 43/0876: Network utilisation, e.g. volume of load or congestion level - H04L 41/0661: {by reconfiguring faulty entities} - H04L 43/04: Processing captured monitoring data, e.g. for logfile generation - H04L 43/16: Threshold monitoring - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) ## Abstract Disclosed are an apparatus and method of managing network elements operating on a network. One example method may include transmitting a request to receive at least one activity parameter of a network element operating on the network and monitoring the at least one activity parameter of the network element. The method may include determining whether a usage value of the at least one activity parameter exceeds a predetermined threshold usage value and transmitting a corrective function message to the network element responsive to determining that the usage value of the at least one activity parameter exceeds the predetermined threshold value. The method may further include performing a corrective function to reduce the usage value of the at least one activity parameter. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method, comprising: determining by a local SNMP agent whether a usage value of at least one activity parameter of a network element exceeds a predetermined threshold usage value, wherein the network element is at least one network computer, at least one network printer and at least one network router; transmitting by the local SNMP agent a corrective function message to the network element responsive to determining that the usage value of the at least one activity parameter exceeds the predetermined threshold value; and performing by the local SNMP agent, a corrective function to reduce the usage value of the at least one activity parameter, wherein the corrective function message comprises setting a flag set operation to determine the corrective function, the flag set operation increments a virtual memory swap file size and wherein the corrective function is added to an SMNP payload and is piggybacked on a protocol data unit. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising monitoring the at least one activity parameter of the network element, wherein the monitoring of the at least one activity parameter of the network element operating on a network is performed via a simple network management protocol (SNMP) monitoring function. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one activity parameter is a random access memory (RAM) usage, a central processor utilization (CPU) usage, a number of applications being operated, and an amount of network traffic being processed. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein the monitoring is performed via a simple network management protocol (SNMP) agent application operating on the network element. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the corrective function to reduce the usage value of the at least one activity parameter occurs after or concurrent with the determination of the usage value. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, further comprising: detecting via the SNMP agent that the predetermined threshold usage value has been exceeded; and initiating the corrective function via the SNMP agent locally on the network element. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, further comprising transmitting results of the corrective function to a SNMP server. ### Claim 8 An apparatus, comprising: a transmitter configured to transmit a request to receive at least one activity parameter of a network element operating on the network, wherein the network element is at least one network computer, at least one network printer and at least one network router; and a processor configured to determine by a local SNMP agent whether a usage value of the at least one activity parameter exceeds a predetermined threshold usage value, and wherein the transmitter is further configured to transmit from the local SNMP agent a corrective function message to the network element responsive to determining that the usage value of the at least one activity parameter exceeds the predetermined threshold value, and wherein the local SNMP agent performs a corrective function to reduce the usage value of the at least one activity parameter, wherein the corrective function message comprises setting a flag set operation to determine the corrective function, the flag set operation increments a virtual memory swap file size and wherein the corrective function is added to an SMNP payload and is piggybacked on a protocol data unit. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the processor is configured to monitor the at least one activity parameter of the network element, wherein the at least one activity parameter of the network element operating on the network is monitored via a simple network management protocol (SNMP) monitoring function. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the at least one activity parameter is a random access memory (RAM) usage, a central processor utilization (CPU) usage, a number of applications being operated, and an amount of network traffic being processed. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the at least one activity parameter is monitored via a simple network management protocol (SNMP) agent application operating on the network element. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the corrective function to reduce the usage value of the at least one activity parameter occurs after or concurrent with the determination of the usage value. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the SNMP agent is further configured to detect via the SNMP agent that the predetermined threshold usage value has been exceeded, and initiate the corrective function via the SNMP agent locally on the network element. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the SNMP agent is further configured to transmit results of the corrective function to a SNMP server. ### Claim 15 A non-transitory computer readable storage medium configured to store instructions that when executed cause a processor to perform: determining by a local SNMP agent whether a usage value of at least one activity parameter of a network element exceeds a predetermined threshold usage value, wherein the network element is at least one network computer, at least one network printer and at least one network router; transmitting by the local SNMP agent a corrective function message to the network element responsive to determining that the usage value of the at least one activity parameter exceeds the predetermined threshold value; and performing a corrective function by the local SNMP agent to reduce the usage value of the at least one activity parameter, wherein the corrective function message comprises setting a flag set operation to determine the corrective function, the flag set operation increments a virtual memory swap file size and wherein the corrective function is added to an SMNP payload and is piggybacked on a protocol data unit. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the processor is further configured to perform monitoring the at least one activity parameter of the network element, wherein the monitoring of the at least one activity parameter of the network element operating on a network is performed via a simple network management protocol (SNMP) monitoring function. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the at least one activity parameter is a random access memory (RAM) usage, a central processor utilization (CPU) usage, a number of applications being operated, and an amount of network traffic being processed. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the monitoring is performed via a simple network management protocol (SNMP) agent application operating on the network element. ### Claim 19 (depends on 15) The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the corrective function to reduce the usage value of the at least one activity parameter occurs after or concurrent with the determination of the usage value. ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the processor is further configured to perform: detecting via the SNMP agent that the predetermined threshold usage value has been exceeded; initiating the corrective function via the SNMP agent locally on the network element; and transmitting results of the corrective function to a SNMP server.