Abstract: A system for providing related information of a network error event to a user in a hand-held device format. In one aspect, the present invention may include a desktop computer system executing a network management software (“NMS”), a hand-held formatter module and a hand-held device interface. The NMS provides a network manager (or administrator/user) the capability to manager, monitor, and/or diagnose a network. In response to a network error event, e.g., a faulty network card, disabled repeater, and the like, the NMS may be configured to generate a repair message, e.g., a trouble ticket, to notify the user of the network error event. The NMS may be further configured to gather related information such network wiring diagrams related to the location of the network error event and/or user, other events that have occurred in a temporally close time, repair checklists, and the like, in response to the repair message.

Abstract: Automatic failover methodology provides a mechanism whereby a central control unit, such as a management station, will automatically takeover interface status polling of objects of a collection station that is temporarily unreachable. This methodology is applicable to any distributed computing environment, such as a data communications network, in which it is desirable to have a central control unit assume the interface status polling operation of a temporarily inaccessible collection station. The collection station may be inaccessible due to the network on which the central control unit and the collection station reside being down or due to the collection station being down for maintenance.

Abstract: Automatic failover methodology provides a mechanism whereby a central control unit, such as a management station, will automatically takeover interface status polling of objects of a collection station that is temporarily unreachable. This methodology is applicable to any distributed computing environment, such as a data communications network, in which it is desirable to have a central control unit assume the interface status polling operation of a temporarily inaccessible collection station. The collection station may be inaccessible due to the network on which the central control unit and the collection station reside being down or due to the collection station being down for maintenance.

Abstract: A network monitor for distinguishing between broken and inaccessible network elements. The network monitor includes one or more computer readable storage mediums, and computer readable program code stored in the one or more computer readable storage mediums. The computer readable program code includes code for discovering the topology of a plurality of network elements, code for periodically polling a plurality of network interfaces associated with the plurality of network elements, code for computing or validating a criticalRoute attribute for each of the plurality of network interfaces, and code for analyzing a status of network interfaces identified by the criticalRoute attribute of an interface in question (IIQ) which is not responding to a poll or ping.

Abstract: An internet monitoring system efficiently discovers topology data of a network by utilizing a distributed object model. The topology data represents the devices and interconnections of the network and can be used to display various conceptual views of the network at a management station. In accordance with the internet monitoring system, different sets of topology data are discovered with corresponding sets of computer-based stations, such as management stations or collection stations, by discovering the topology at respective regions of the network. Further, the different sets of topology data can be combined at a management station to derive a global view of the network. Both management and remote stations include a layout mechanism for receiving topology data and driving the output device based upon the topology data and a discovery mechanism for discovering and storing the topology data.

Abstract: Discovery/layout software configures a general purpose computer system to act as a management station using an industry standard SNMP protocol. The discovery/layout software has a discovery mechanism and a layout mechanism which, in combination, permit the discovery/layout software to provide various submaps to a display for illustrating network topology, which includes devices and device interconnections of a network. The submaps correspond to various hierarchical views of a network. Significantly, one or more filtering systems are provided in the discovery/layout software for filtering objects to be displayed within the submaps. The filtering systems reduce clutter in the submaps, reduce memory usage and associated expense, and reduce interprocess communication (context switching) to achieve higher performance.