Abstract: A computer network resource monitoring and locating system includes one or more hierarchical management information bases (HMIBs) through which a user can locate or obtain information relevant to managing or locating various network resources. The system maintains a portion of the HMIB information on each node, and a user starts from a local node and navigates through the system using the contact information that is part of the HMIBs. Each network node provides information directly to an associated lowest level MIB, referred to herein as a group MIB, and maintains a copy of that MIB. The system condenses the information in the gossip MIB and provides the condensed information as a row of a next highest level MIB, which is referred to herein as a subnetwork MIB. The system further condenses the information in this MIB to produce a row of a next highest level MIB, and so forth.

Abstract: A replicated management information base (RMIB), or replicated spreadsheet, is maintained at nodes to share information among the nodes. The RMIB includes columns, or categories, of the information to be shared and rows for the respective “member” nodes. Each member node is responsible for the contents of its own row. When the node updates its row, the node sends out an update message to the other members. As the update message propagates through the membership, each member updates the row in its copy, or view, of the RMIB. The nodes may include version numbers in the update messages, so that the receiving node ignores older messages or applies the messages in order. The member nodes may gossip among themselves, to ensure that each node receives the most recent updates. Also, the nodes may monitor their respective network interfaces and send as updates any changes to the status of the interfaces.