Method and system for extracting status information from networked devices using the SNMP protocol

A system for extracting, using an SNMP protocol, information associated with a monitored device communicatively coupled to a network, comprising:

• means for accessing a first memory to obtain access information for accessing the monitored device, the access information including (1) a type of status information to obtain from the monitored device, and (2) an access string used for obtaining the type of status information from the monitored device;
• means for parsing the access string to determine whether the access string is empty, and to determine whether the access string includes a first predetermined string when the access string is not empty;
• if the means for parsing determines that the access string is not empty and that the access string includes the first predetermined string, means for accessing the device using a first SNMP access function to obtain a value associated with the type of status information;
• and
• if the means for parsing determines that the access string is empty or that the access string does not include the first predetermined string, means for accessing the device using a second SNMP access function to obtain the value associated with the type of status information.

A computer program product storing instructions for execution on a computer system, which when executed by the computer system, causes the computer system to extract, using an SNMP protocol, information associated with a monitored device communicatively coupled to a network, the computer program product comprising:

• instructions for accessing a first memory to obtain access information for accessing the monitored device, the access information including (1) a type of status information to obtain from the monitored device, and (2) an access string used for obtaining the type of status information from the monitored device;
• instructions for parsing the access string to determine whether the access string is empty, and to determine whether the access string includes a first predetermined string when the access string is not empty;
• if the instructions for parsing determines that the access string is not empty and that the access string includes the first predetermined string, instructions for accessing the device using a first SNMP access function to obtain a value associated with the type of status information;
• and
• if the instructions for parsing determines that the access string is empty or that the access string does not include the first predetermined string, instructions for accessing the device using a second SNMP access function to obtain the value associated with the type of status information.