Abstract: A method and apparatus for discovering, identifying and graphically representing network devices on a network. The devices are discovered by obtaining the gateway address of the management workstations and then reading the internet protocol address table and the ARP cache from each gateway via SNMP. Each address read is compared with existing IP addresses, and if new, device IDs are created and assigned. Select attributes are then assigned to each device and then the devices are then identified. The devices are identified by making a DNS request on the corresponding IP address to determine the network name of the device. The SNMP then obtains the system name and object ID (OID) for each of the devices. The OID is then compared and matched with known OIDs to identify the device. the devices are graphically connected and laid out by creating a submap based on the IP address and mask pairs for each device. The routers connected, the bridges are then connected and finally the repeaters are connected.

Abstract: The present invention provides an apparatus and method for accessing system status or management information for a headless high- density rack mounted computer server. The server is provided with a serial port on its front surface which provides access to the server's health management software. A small display device is provided with a mating serial port on its backside. The serial ports are positioned to mechanically support the display in a position where the display of management information may be read by a system administrator or maintenance personnel. During maintenance operations, the user plugs the display into the serial port on the front of a server to read status, then removes the display and plugs it into the next server and so on. The display may include at least one pushbutton which allows a user to send information or commands to the server.

Abstract: A configuration manager for configuring a network device remotely coupled thereto and an associated computer-implemented method for configuring the network device. The configuration manager includes a configuration script stored in a memory subsystem of a computer system and first and second software modules respectively executable by a processor subsystem of the computer system. The configuration script contains a series of executable instructions for constructing a configuration file and a bootptab file for a first specified type of network device. By executing the instructions contained in the configuration script, the first software module may construct a configuration file suitable for upload to a network device and a bootptab file suitable for identifying the network device.

Abstract: Computer-implemented method and apparatus and associated for constructing a network configuration map comprised of at least two interconnected network entities selected from a series of network entities. A series of configuration scripts, each corresponding to one of the series of network entities include a first section comprised of a first portion containing an icon file for generating an icon representative of the corresponding one of the series of network entities, a second portion containing a set of connection rules for the corresponding one of the series of network entities and a second section containing a series of executable instructions for constructing a configuration file for the network entity.