# US 7,610,357 B1 · Predictively responding to SNMP commands > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 7,610,357 B1 - Document ID: US7610357B1 - Status: Granted - Kind: B1 - Application number: 09/895,047 - Filed: 2001-06-29 - Granted: 2009-10-27 - Earliest claimed: 2001-06-29 - Assignees: Cisco Technology, Inc. - Inventors: Santosh S. Chandrachood - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7610357B1 ## CPC - H04L 41/0213: Standardised network management protocols, e.g. simple network management protocol [SNMP] - H04L 41/046: comprising network management agents or mobile agents therefor - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) ## Abstract A method for predictively responding to network management data requests includes populating a memory with prefetched response data based on whether one or more requests matches a predetermined pattern and sending a response including the prefetched response data if a request matches the pattern and if the memory includes response data corresponding to the request. The pattern includes one or more expected requests and the periodicity of the one or more expected requests. The response data includes information prefetched from at least one subsystem on a managed network device. According to one aspect, the managed network device is configured with a Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) agent that responds to requests from a SNMP manager. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for predictively responding to a network management data request, the method comprising: receiving a first network management data request; determining if the first network management data request matches a pattern of request defined and stored in advance in a memory, the pattern including one or more expected management data requests; determining if data responsive to the first network management data request is contained in a cache of prefetched network management data if the first network management data request matches a pattern defined in the memory; sending a response including the data responsive to the first network management data request, if the data responsive to the first network management data request is contained in the cache and if the first network management data request matches a pattern defined in the memory; collecting, if the first network management data request matches a pattern defined in the memory, data responsive to any remaining network management data requests in the matched pattern, wherein the pattern further comprises a periodicity of the network management data requests contained in the pattern, and wherein the network management data request is a Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) request; and if the first network management data request matches a pattern defined in the memory, but data responsive to the first network management data request is not contained in the cache, initiating periodic data collections for data responsive to network management data requests in the pattern. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: transmitting the first network management data request to a network management data core to respond to the first network management data request if the first network management data request does not match a pattern defined in the memory. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the initiating includes initiating periodic data collections at a rate matching a periodicity of the network management data requests contained in the pattern. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the determining if a first network management request matches a pattern of request based on at least one of: a community string; a network management system IP address; or a network management system port number. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the determining if a first network management request matches a pattern of request is based at least in part on a community string. ### Claim 6 An apparatus for predictively responding to a network management data request, the apparatus comprising: a storage memory adapted to define and store in advance at least one pattern of request, the pattern of request including one or more expected network management data requests; a cache memory adapted to store prefetched network management data; a request classifier configured to determine if a first network management data request matches a pattern defined in the storage memory and further configured to determine if data responsive to the first network management data request is contained in the cache memory if the first network management data request matches a pattern defined in the memory; a sender coupled to the request classifier configured to send a response including the data responsive to the first network management data request, if the data responsive to the first network management data request is contained in the cache memory and if the network management data request matches a pattern defined in the storage memory; a lookahead processor coupled to the request classifier configured to collect, if the first network management data request matches a pattern defined in the storage memory, data responsive to any remaining network management data requests in the matched pattern, wherein the pattern further comprises a periodicity of the network management data requests contained in the pattern, and wherein the network management data request is a Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) request; and wherein the lookahead processor is further configured to initiate periodic data collections for data responsive to the network management data requests in the pattern, if the first network management data request matches a pattern defined in the memory, but data responsive to the first network management data request is not contained in the cache. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The apparatus of claim 6, further comprising: an interface coupled to the request classifier configured to transmit the first network management data request to a network management data core to respond to the first network management data request if the first network management data request does not match a pattern defined in the storage memory. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the lookahead processor is further configured to initiate periodic data collections at a rate matching a periodicity of the network management data requests contained in the pattern. ### Claim 9 (depends on 6) The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the request classifier uses, in determining if a first network management data request matches a pattern, at least one of: a community string; a network management system IP address; or a network management system port number. ### Claim 10 (depends on 6) The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the request classifier uses a community string in determining if a first network management data request matches a pattern. ### Claim 11 An apparatus for predictively responding to network management data requests, the apparatus comprising: a storage memory adapted to define and store in advance a pattern of request, the pattern including one or more expected network management data requests; a cache memory adapted to store prefetched network management data; means for determining if a first network management data request contains a pattern defined in the storage memory; means for determining if data responsive to the first network management data request is contained in the cache memory if the first network management data request contains a pattern defined in the storage memory; means for sending a response including data responsive to the first network management data request, if the data responsive to the first network management data request is contained in the cache memory and if the network management data request matches a pattern defined in the storage memory; means for collecting, if the first network management data request matches a pattern defined in the storage memory, data responsive to any remaining network management data requests in the matched pattern, wherein the pattern further comprises a periodicity of the network management data requests contained in the pattern, and wherein the network management data request is a Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) request; and means for initiating periodic data collections for data responsive to network management data requests in the pattern, if the first network management data request matches a pattern defined in the storage memory, but data responsive to the first network management data request is not contained in the cache memory. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising: means for transmitting the first network management data request to a network management data core to respond to the first network management data request if the first network management data request does not match a pattern defined in the storage memory. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the means for initiating includes means for initiating periodic data collections at a rate matching the periodicity of network management data requests contained in the pattern. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the means for determining if a first network management data request matches a pattern uses at least one of: a community string; a network management system IP address; or a network management system port number. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the means for determining if a first network management request matches a pattern of request further comprises means for determining if a first network management request matches a pattern of request based at least in part on a community string. ### Claim 16 A program storage device, readable by a machine, embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform a method for predictively responding to a network management data request, the method comprising: receiving a first network management data request; determining if the first network management data request matches a pattern of request defined and stored in advance in a memory, the pattern including one or more expected management data requests; determining if data responsive to the first network management data request is contained in a cache of prefetched network management data if the first network management data request matches a pattern defined in the memory; sending a response including the data responsive to the first network management data request, if the data responsive to the first network management data request is contained in the cache and if the first network management data request matches a pattern defined in the memory; collecting, if the first network management data request matches a pattern defined in the memory, data responsive to any remaining network management data requests in the matched pattern, wherein the pattern further comprises a periodicity of the network management data requests contained in the pattern, and wherein the network management data request is a Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) request; and if the first network management data request matches a pattern defined in the memory, but data responsive to the first network management data request is not contained in the cache, initiating periodic data collections for data responsive to network management data requests in the pattern. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The program storage device of claim 16, wherein the method further comprises: transmitting the first network management data request to a network management data core to respond to the first network management data request if the first network management data request does not match a pattern defined in the memory. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The program storage device of claim 16, wherein the initiating includes initiating periodic data collections at a rate matching a periodicity of the network management data requests contained in the pattern. ### Claim 19 (depends on 16) The program storage device of claim 16, wherein the determining if a first network management request matches a pattern of request based on at least one of: a community string; a network management system IP address; or a network management system port number. ### Claim 20 (depends on 16) The program storage device of claim 16 wherein the determining if a first network management request matches a pattern of request is based at least in part on a community string.