# US 8,751,637 B2 · Network monitoring server and network monitoring system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,751,637 B2 - Document ID: US8751637B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 12/980,606 - Filed: 2010-12-29 - Published: 2011-09-29 - Granted: 2014-06-10 - Earliest claimed: 2010-03-25 - Assignees: Hitachi, Ltd. - Applicants: Hideki Okita; Masahiro Yoshizawa; Keitaro Uehara - Inventors: Hideki Okita; Masahiro Yoshizawa; Keitaro Uehara - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8751637B2 ## CPC - H04L 43/0817: by checking functioning - H04L 41/142: using statistical or mathematical methods - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) ## Abstract A failure factor can be promptly carved up by effectively prioritizing the ports to which MEPs are assigned in a condition where the maximum number of MEPs is limited. A network monitoring server monitors a network having plural switch devices. The plural switch devices each have a communication confirmation function using transmission and reception of a monitoring frame between ports. An upper limit is set to the number of ports to which maintenance end points (MEPs) are assignable among the respective ports of the plural switch devices. The network monitoring server calculates, for each of the plural switch devices, a monitoring priority corresponding to the probability of failures of a device connected to a network path including the port or the port, and generates data for displaying the calculated monitoring priority of each port in association with each port. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A network monitoring server that monitors a network having a plurality of switch devices, in which the plurality of switch devices each have a communication confirmation function using transmission and reception of a monitoring frame between ports, and an upper limit is set to the number of ports to which maintenance end points are assignable among the respective ports of the plurality of switch devices, the network monitoring server comprising: a processor that executes a program; a memory that stores the program executed by the processor therein; and an interface that is connected to the processor, wherein the processor calculates, for each of the plurality of switch devices, a monitoring priority corresponding to the probability of failures of a device connected to a network path including the port or the port, and generates data for displaying the calculated monitoring priority of each port in association with each port, and when the processor calculates the monitoring priority of a given port, the processor enhances the monitoring priority of the given port based on an accumulative operating time of a device connected to the given port or an accumulative operating time of each switch device that exists on a network path between one device connected to the given port and another device connected to the one device. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The network monitoring server according to claim 1, wherein when the processor calculates the monitoring priority of a given port, the processor temporarily increases the monitoring priority of the given port until a given period of time elapses since a device newly connected to the given port starts to operate. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The network monitoring server according to claim 1, wherein when the processor generates the data for displaying, the processor selects the ports in the descending order of the monitoring priority, and repeats a comparison of the number of ports from a port highest in the monitoring priority to a port currently selected with a minimum value among the number of monitored points assignable to each switch device having the ports, and wherein when the number of ports is equal to or lower than the minimum value, the processor selects, as ports to be monitored, ports from a port highest in the monitoring priority to the port currently selected, and generates data for distinctly displaying the selected ports to be monitored and the other ports. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The network monitoring server according to claim 1, wherein the network further includes a switch device having no communication confirmation function, and wherein when the processor calculates the monitoring priority, the processor sets the monitoring priority of the ports of the switch device having no communication confirmation function to be lower than the monitoring priority of the ports of the switches each having the communication confirmation function, and calculates the monitoring priority of the ports that connect the device through the switch device having no communication confirmation function among the ports that connects between the switch devices each having the communication confirmation function on the basis of operating information on one or a plurality of devices connected through the switch device having no communication confirmation function. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The network monitoring server according to claim 1, wherein the network is connected with a management server that manages a device connected to the plurality of switch devices, wherein the management server transmits, to the network monitoring server, a configuration change notification message including identification information on the device and a configuration change time of the device, and wherein the processor calculates the monitoring priority of each port on the basis of the configuration change notification message received from the management server. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The network monitoring server according to claim 1, wherein the processor calculates the probability of failure of the device based on a degradation failure rate of the device or the switch devices calculated according to the accumulative operating time of the device or the accumulative operating time of each switch device. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The network monitoring server according to claim 1, wherein the processor calculates the accumulative operating time of the device or the accumulative operating time of each switch device based on a deployment date and time of the device or each switch device. ### Claim 8 (depends on 2) The network monitoring server according to claim 2, wherein the processor decreases the monitoring priority that has temporarily been increased after the given period of time elapses. ### Claim 9 (depends on 3) The network monitoring server according to claim 3, wherein when the processor generates the data for displaying, the processor generates data for distinctly displaying ports that are to be monitored and to which the point to be monitored has not yet been assigned, and ports that are to be monitored and to which the point to be monitored has been already assigned. ### Claim 10 (depends on 3) The network monitoring server according to claim 3, wherein the processor calculates the monitoring priority of each port of the plurality of switch devices every plurality of time points designated by a user in a period of time designated by the user, selects the ports to be monitored at each of the plurality of time points, and selects the ports to which the maintenance end points should be assigned or from which the maintenance end points should be deleted at each of the time points, on the basis of a difference between the ports to be monitored which have been selected at each of the time points and the ports to be monitored which have been selected before and after each of the time points, and generates data for displaying information on the selected ports to which the maintenance end points should be assigned or from which the maintenance end points should be deleted in association with each of the time points. ### Claim 11 (depends on 3) The network monitoring server according to claim 3, wherein the network is configured by a plurality of virtual networks, wherein each of the plurality of switches belongs to any one of the plurality of virtual networks, wherein when the processor generates the data for displaying, the processor selects the ports to be monitored in each of the plurality of virtual networks. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The network monitoring server according to claim 11, wherein the processor calculates, in each of the plurality of virtual networks, the monitoring priority of each port of each switch device belonging to the virtual network every plurality of time points designated by a user in a period of time designated by the user, selects the ports to be monitored at each of the plurality of time points, and selects the ports to which the maintenance end points should be assigned or from which the maintenance end points should be deleted at each of the time points in each of the virtual networks, on the basis of a difference between the ports to be monitored which have been selected at each of the time points and the ports to be monitored which have been selected before and after each of the time points, and generates data for displaying information on the selected ports to which the maintenance end points should be assigned or from which the maintenance end points should be deleted, each of the time points, and each of the virtual networks in association with each other. ### Claim 13 A network monitoring system comprising: a plurality of switch devices; and a network monitoring server that monitors a network having the plurality of switch devices, wherein the plurality of switch devices has a communication confirmation function using transmission and reception of a monitoring frame between ports, and an upper limit is set to the number of ports to which maintenance end points are assignable among the respective ports of the plurality of switch devices, the network monitoring server includes a processor that executes a program, a memory that stores the program executed by the processor therein, and an interface that is connected to the processor, the processor calculates, for each port of the plurality of switch devices, a monitoring priority corresponding to the probability of failures of a device connected to a network path having the port or the port, and generates data for displaying the calculated monitoring priority of each port in association with each port, and when the processor calculates the monitoring priority of a given port, the processor enhances the monitoring priority of the given port based on an accumulative operating time of a device connected to the given port or an accumulative operating time of each switch device that exists on a network path between one device connected to the given port and another device connected to the one device. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The network monitoring system according to claim 13, wherein when the processor calculates the monitoring priority of a given port, the processor temporarily increases the monitoring priority of the given port until a given period of time elapses since a device newly connected to the given port starts to operate. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The network monitoring system according to claim 13, wherein the processor calculates the probability of failure of the device based on a degradation failure rate of the device or the switch devices calculated according to the accumulative operating time of the device or the accumulative operating time of each switch device. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The network monitoring system according to claim 13, wherein the processor calculates the accumulative operating time of the device or the accumulative operating time of each switch device based on a deployment date and time of the device or each switch device. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14) The network monitoring system according to claim 14, wherein the processor decreases the monitoring priority that has temporarily been increased after the given period of time elapses.