Title of Invention	A METHOD OF TRAP GENERATION IN MOBILE AGENT BASED NETWORK MANAGEMENT
Abstract	This invention in general relates to network management. Particularly this invention relates to a trap generation in mobile agent based network management. The invention explains a method of trap generation in mobile agent based network management wherein a trap handler at the manager location listen for traps from the devices and forwards the same to the remote mobile agent acting as manager.

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FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention in general relates to network management. Particularly this invention relates to a trap generation in mobile agent based network management. DESCRIPTION OF RELATED ART Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) is the widely used protocol of choice for network management. It is a centralized management approach. As the networks sizes are increasing rapidly, the limitations with SNMP have been degrading the network management performance. Mobile Agent Technology (MAT) is a distributed paradigm that found many advantages in the field of network management. As most of the devices are already equipped with SNMP, this Mobile Agent based Network Management (MANM) framework integrates MAT and SNMP to obtain a hybrid model for network management to take advantage of both the technologies. MANM framework as shown in figure-1 forms a layer over SNMP and provides the flexibility of selecting the type of network management for the manager. When the network manager equips a mobile agent with management capability (Requests for object values and Agent Itinerary), the mobile agent traverses through the network performing defined tasks at each of the devices, collecting the results and gets back them to the manager. When the mobile agent reaches any of the devices, it will convert the requests into SNMP format (Get, Get-Next, Set Request types) and will interact locally with the SNMP Agent of those devices for object values. When the management is using SNMP, interaction will be between SNMP manager and SNMP agent. The following are limitations of the existing art: As it is not possible to locate the current location of a mobile agent (manager while using MAT for network management) till now, it is possible that: 1. If any device in the deployed mobile agent's itinerary I. Has generated a trap before the mobile agent reaches that device, the mobile agent may not be able to perform the predefined task to be done at the device. II. Has generated a trap after the mobile agent has moved away from the device then the information carried by it to the manager may be (depends on the type of the trap) obsolete or invalid. 2. If any device, i.e. not listed in the itinerary has generated the trap, still needs centralized manager's intervention for handling the same. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION To make the mobile agent carry valid information all the time and act according to the events occurring in the network, a method for trap generation is provided. With the existing mobile agent technology only the creator of the mobile agent can identify the present location of the mobile agent. As all the devices in the network know the location of the centralized manager, this method incorporates a trap handler at the manager location which will listen for traps from the devices and forwards the same to the remote mobile agent acting as manager (mobile manager). Accordingly, the present invention relates to a method of trap generation in mobile agent based network management wherein a trap handler at a manager location listens for traps from plurality of devices and forwards the said trap to a remote mobile agent acting as a manager. These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more readily apparent from the detailed description taken in conjunction with the drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCOMPANYING DIAGRAMS Figure 1 depicts the diagram of MANM framework. Figure 2 depicts the Block diagram showing the invention mechanism. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be explained with reference to the accompanying drawings. The following description and drawings are illustrative of the invention and are not to be construed as limiting the innovation. Numerous specific details are described to provide a through understanding of the present invention. However in certain instances well-known or conventional details are not described in order not to unnecessarily obscure the present invention in detail. To make the trap able to reach the mobile agent, each of the devices intending to generate the trap should locate the mobile agent in the network. But only the creator of the mobile agent (in this case the MAP at centralized manager) can locate and communicate with the mobile agent. So a trap handler at the centralized manager location solves this problem. 1. Every device in the network presumes that the centralized manager is the actual manager of the network all the time. 2. So any device generating the trap will send the trap addressing to the centralized manager location. 3. The trap handler at the manager will decide whether to display or log or forward trap to the remote mobile agent depending on the type of network management employed by the manager. 4. A decision making module can be provided with the mobile agent, which can act to the traps accordingly. SEQUENCE OF OPERATIONS INVOLVED: 1. The trap handler should listen for the traps from devices in the network continuously. 2. Whenever a trap is received, it checks for the type of network management approach being used (i.e. MAT or SNMP). a. If the approach is SNMP based it should display the trap on the display unit and log or forward the same. b. If MAT is used for network management, it gets the current location of the mobile manager from the MAP and the trap is forwarded to the current location of the mobile agent. i. When the mobile agent receives a trap it takes the relevant action using the decision making module available with in it. By this process the mobile manager will be able to respond to the events in the network more early than centralized manager which also reduces the intervention of centralized manager to a great extent. EXAMPLE APPLICA TION Consider a network of size of 4 including the manager. Manager has created a mobile agent to perform certain tasks at each of the other three devices in the network. After some time the mobile agent is currently at second device doing the specified operation. Then if a file corruption error is occurred in the third device, the SNMP agent at that device will generate a trap addressing it to the centralized manager (one that created the mobile agent). Then the trap handler receives the trap and finds that the current network management approach is using MAT. It will forward the trap information to the current location of the mobile agent (in this case second device). When the mobile agent receives the trap, it finds that there is a file corruption occurred at third device. Now, according to the decision making module, the mobile agent will transfer itself to the third device and will install FTP client software (using existing dynamic service provisioning feature of MAT) and will transfer the required file from a remote FTP server site and then uninstalls the FTP client. Now the third device continues to resume its functionality. The way the mobile agent handles these tasks is implementation specific of the decision making module i.e. the decision making module can be programmed to prioritize the tasks to be done by the mobile agent i.e. it can first complete the task at device 2 and then go to device 3 or it can immediately go and complete the task at device 3 and come back to resume its predefined tasks at device 2 and follow the predefined itinerary etc. Figure 1 describes the MANM framework. The GUI module provides the manager to create SNMP requests for both mobile agent based as well as SNMP based network management. An option in the GUI identifies the type of network management approach preferred. 1. If SNMP based network management is selected the requests are sent to the selected device where the SNMP Agent responds with the results, which are sent back to the manager. 2. If MAT based network management is selected, manager has to select the mobile agent itinerary and polling interval etc. Then the MAP creates the mobile agent with the specified tasks and deployed into the network. The MAEE at the device receives the mobile agent and converts the requests in SNMP format and interacts with the SNMP Agent for results. The obtained results are carried forward to the next device in the itinerary. After the completion of the itinerary the results are bought back to the manager. Figure 2 is the Block diagram showing the invention mechanism which demonstrates the operation of trap generation mechanism with the inclusion of TH module at the MS in a network of n devices. From the figure it is clear that the mobile agent is deployed for network management and it is currently at device 2. Suppose any device other than device 2 (as the events being generated in device 2 is currently being monitored by the residing mobile agent itself this case doesn't need explanation) has generated a trap to the MS, the TH module in the system identifies that MAT is being used for network management. Then it gets the current location of mobile agent (in this case Device 2), and sends the received traps to the mobile agent operating at device 2. Then according to the decision making module corresponding action is taken by the mobile agent. In the description herein, numerous specific details are provided, such as examples of components and/or methods, to provide a thorough understanding of embodiments of the present invention. One skilled in the relevant art will recognize, however, that an embodiment of the invention can be practiced without one or more of the specific details. In other instances, well-known operations are not specifically shown or described in detail to avoid obscuring aspects of embodiments of the present invention. It will also be appreciated that one or more of the elements depicted in the drawings/figures can also be implemented in a more separated or integrated manner, or even removed or rendered as inoperable in certain cases, as is useful in accordance with a particular application. The foregoing description of illustrated embodiments of the present invention, including what is described in the Abstract, is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed herein. While specific embodiments of, and examples for, the invention are described herein for illustrative purposes only, various equivalent modifications are possible within the spirit and scope of the present invention, as those skilled in the relevant art will recognize and appreciate. As indicated, these modifications may be made to the present invention in light of the foregoing description of illustrated embodiments of the present invention and are to be included within the spirit and scope of the present invention. Thus, while the present invention has been described herein with reference to particular embodiments thereof, a latitude of modification, various changes and substitutions are intended in the foregoing disclosures, and it will be appreciated that in some instances some features of embodiments of the invention will be employed without a corresponding use of other features without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention as set forth. Therefore, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation to the essential scope and spirit of the present invention. It is intended that the invention not be limited to the particular terms used in following claims, but that the invention will include any and all embodiments and equivalents falling within the scope of the appended claims. GLOSSARY OF TERMS AND THEIR DEFINITIONS MAEE - Mobile Agent Execution Environment MANM - Mobile Agent based Network Management MAP - Mobile Agent Producer MAT - Mobile Agent Technology MD - Managed Device MIB - Management Information Base MS - Management Station SNMP - Simple Network Management Protocol SA-SNMP Agent TH - Trap Handler WE CLAIM 1. A method of trap generation in mobile agent based network management wherein a trap handler at a manager location listens for traps from plurality of devices and forwards the said trap to a remote mobile agent acting as a manager. 2. A method according to claim 1 where each device inside the network is configured to consider a centralized network manager's location to be the destination for traps. 3. A method according to claim 2 where in each device generating the trap sends a trap addressing to the centralized manager location. 4. A method according to claim 1 where in the trap handler at the manager decides whether to display or log or forward trap to the remote mobile agent depending on the type of network management employed by the manager. 5. A method according to claim 1 where in a decision making module is provided with the mobile agent, which acts to the traps accordingly. 6. A method according to claim 1 wherein when a trap is received, the network manager checks for the type of network management approach being used. 7. A method according to claim 6 wherein if the approach is SNMP based the network manager displays the trap on the display unit and log or forwards the trap. 8. A method according to claim 6 wherein if the approach is MAT, the network manager gets the current location of a mobile manager from the MAP and the trap is forwarded to the current location of the mobile agent. 9. A method according to claim 8 wherein when the mobile agent receives a trap, the said agent takes the relevant action using the decision making module available with in the agent. 10. A method according to claim 8 wherein the mobile manager respond to the events in the network more early than centralized manager which reduces the intervention of centralized manager. 11. A method of trap generation in mobile agent based network management such as herein substantially described particularly with reference to the accompanying drawings. Dated this 31ST day of December 2004

Documents:

1484-che-2004 abstract duplicate.pdf

1484-che-2004 claims duplicate.pdf

1484-che-2004 description (complete) duplicate.pdf

1484-che-2004 drawings duplicate.pdf

1484-che-2004-abstract.pdf

1484-che-2004-claims.pdf

1484-che-2004-correspondnece-others.pdf

1484-che-2004-correspondnece-po.pdf

1484-che-2004-description(complete).pdf

1484-che-2004-drawings.pdf

1484-che-2004-form 1.pdf

1484-che-2004-form 13.pdf

1484-che-2004-form 26.pdf

1484-che-2004-form 5.pdf