Method and apparatus for identifying problems in computer networks

In an apparatus operatively coupled over a computer network to a plurality of device or process objects, a method comprising:

• (a) monitoring the status of the plurality of monitored objects;
• (b) receiving data indicating the status of a monitored object;
• (c) storing data relating to the status of the monitored objects in memory;
• (d) if the data indicating the status of a monitored object is not normal, verifying that the status of the monitored object is not normal by sending a verification request to the monitored object and requesting verification of abnormal status and receiving from the monitored object data confirming or denying abnormal status thereof;
• and
• (e) presenting data relating to the monitored object.

A computer program product for use with an computer system operatively coupled over a computer network to a plurality of device or process objects, the computer program product comprising a computer useable medium having embodied therein program code comprising:

• (a) program code for monitoring the status of the plurality of monitored objects;
• (b) program code for receiving data indicating the status of a monitored object, and, if the data indicating that the status of a monitored object is not normal, for verifying that the status of a monitored object is not normal:
• (b1) sending a verification query to said one monitored object, and
• (b2) receiving a response to the verification query from said one monitored object confirming or denying abnormal status thereof;
• and
• (c) program code for storing data relating to the status of the monitored objects in memory;
• (d) program code for presenting data relating to the monitored object.

A computer program product for use with a computer system operatively coupled over a computer network to a plurality of device or process objects, some of the plurality of objects existing over the computer network at different layers of an Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) network protocol model, the computer program product comprising a computer useable medium having embodied therein program code comprising:

• (a) poller program code for sending queries to the plurality of monitored objects and for receiving responses therefrom;
• (b) trap receiver program code for receiving traps generated by the monitored objects;
• (c) decision engine program code, responsive to decision requests from any of the trap receiver program code and poller program code, for sending a verification query to one of the plurality of monitored objects identified in the decision request and for a receiving response to the verification query confirming or denying abnormal status thereof;
• (d) program code for storing in memory data relating to status of the monitored object;
• and
• (e) program code for presenting a visual representation of a requested monitored object, a current state of the requested monitored object, and any dependency relationship of the requested monitored object to other of the monitored objects existing in the computer network at a same layer and at a different layer of the OSI network protocol model.

In a computer system operatively coupled over a computer network to a plurality of device or process objects, a method comprising:

• (a) sending queries to the plurality of monitored objects and receiving responses therefrom;
• (b) receiving traps generated by the monitored objects;
• (c) in response to a received decision request, sending a verification query to one of the plurality of monitored objects identified in the decision request and receiving response to the verification query confirming or denying abnormal status thereof;
• (d) storing in memory data relating to status of the monitored object;
• and
• (e) presenting a visual representation of a requested monitored object, a current state of the requested monitored object, and any dependency relationship of the requested monitored object to other of the monitored objects existing in the computer network at a same layer and at a different layer of an Open Systems Interconnect (OSI) network protocol model.

A computer program product for use with a computer system operatively coupled over a computer network to a plurality of device or process objects, some of the plurality of objects existing over the computer network at different layers of an Open Systems Interconnect (OSI) network protocol model, the computer program product comprising a computer useable medium having embodied therein program code comprising:

• (a) program code for monitoring the status of the plurality of monitored objects over the computer network;
• (b) program code, coupled to the program code for monitoring, for receiving data indicating that the status of a monitored object, and, if the data indicating that the status of the monitored object is not normal, for sending a verification request to the monitored object requesting verification of abnormal status and for receiving from the monitored object data confirming or denying abnormal status thereof;
• (c) program code for storing in memory data relating to the status of the monitored object;
• and
• (d) program code for presenting a visual representation of the monitored object, and a current state of a plurality of parameters associated with the status of the monitored object, the current state of the plurality of parameters represented as a visual icon.