Management system for network communication device, management method for network communication device and program

Abstract

To provide a management system, a management method and a program allowing for easily grasping power consumption of a network communication device.SOLUTION: In a communication management system (1), a management method for a network communication device (10) comprising at least one physical port (130) includes: acquiring, by a computer, use state information including a communication state and a power supply state to other communication devices connected to the at least one physical port; and generating a power consumption estimation value on the basis of the use state information. In the management method for the network communication device, the power consumption estimation value may be generated using quantitative data corresponding to the communication state and quantitative data corresponding to the power supply state in the use state information.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a management system for network communication devices, a management method for network communication devices, and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] Network communication devices (routers, switching hubs) are used in communications in communication networks such as the Internet and LANs (local area networks). Patent Document 1 discloses power saving by controlling power according to the access status to the network communication devices. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2001-320415 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] To further reduce power consumption in network communication devices, it is necessary to accurately grasp the power consumption of the network communication devices (e.g., layer 2 switching hubs).Currently, it is possible to grasp the power consumption based on the power supply state to some extent, but it is not possible to grasp the actual power consumption including other states other than the power supply state.

[0005] In view of the above problems, one object of the present invention is to make it possible to easily grasp the power consumption of a network communication device. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] According to one embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a method for managing a network communication device having at least one physical port, in which a computer acquires usage status information including a communication status and a power supply status to other communication devices connected to the at least one physical port, and generates a power consumption estimate based on the usage status information.

[0007] In a method for managing a network communication device according to one embodiment of the present invention, the power consumption estimate may be generated based on qualitative data corresponding to the communication state from among the usage state information, and quantitative data corresponding to the power supply state.

[0008] In a method for managing a network communication device according to an embodiment of the present invention, the power consumption estimate may be generated using a data table indicating a relationship between a communication state, which is included in the usage state information, and the power consumption of the network communication device.

[0009] In a method for managing a network communication device according to one embodiment of the present invention, the power consumption estimated value may be stored in a storage device, and statistical information calculated together with the power consumption estimated value previously stored in the storage device may be transmitted to an external device.

[0010] In a method for managing a network communication device according to one embodiment of the present invention, the computer may be a network communication device, the network communication device may store usage status information in a storage device, the network communication device may transmit the usage status information to an external device, and the external device may generate the power consumption estimate value based on the usage status information.

[0011] In a method for managing a network communication device according to one embodiment of the present invention, standby state information indicating a standby state of the network communication device may be obtained, and the power consumption estimation value may be generated based on the usage state information and the standby state information.

[0012] In a method for managing a network communication device according to one embodiment of the present invention, the power consumption estimate may be generated based on conversion information indicating a relationship between the usage status information and standby status information and the power consumption of the network communication device.

[0013] In the method for managing a network communication device according to an embodiment of the present invention, the conversion information may be updated based on a predetermined condition.

[0014] In a method for managing a network communication device according to one embodiment of the present invention, the at least one physical port may include a first physical port and a second physical port different from the first physical port, and the power consumption estimate may be generated using a first data table indicating a relationship between a communication state at the first physical port and power consumption of the network communication device, and a second data table indicating a relationship between a communication state at the second physical port and power consumption of the network communication device.

[0015] In the method for managing a network communication device according to an embodiment of the present invention, the estimated power consumption value may be transmitted to an external device, and the external device may report the estimated power consumption value.

[0016] In the method for managing a network communication device according to an embodiment of the present invention, notifying the estimated power consumption value may include displaying the estimated power consumption value.

[0017] In the method for managing a network communication device according to an embodiment of the present invention, the network communication device may be a switching hub device.

[0018] According to one embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a program for executing the above-mentioned network communication device management method.

[0019] According to one embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a management system for a network communication device having at least one physical port, the management system having a control unit that acquires usage status information including a communication status and a power supply status to other communication devices connected to the at least one physical port, and generates a power consumption estimate based on the usage status information.

[0020] In a management system for a network communication device according to one embodiment of the present invention, the control unit may generate the power consumption estimate value based on qualitative data corresponding to the communication state from the usage state information and quantitative data corresponding to the power supply state.

[0021] In a management system for a network communication device according to one embodiment of the present invention, the control unit may generate the power consumption estimated value using a data table indicating the relationship between the communication state among the usage state information and the power consumption of the network communication device.

[0022] In a management system for network communication devices according to one embodiment of the present invention, the control unit may store the power consumption estimated value in a storage device, and transmit statistical information calculated together with the power consumption estimated value previously stored in the storage device to an external device.

[0023] In a management system for a network communication device according to one embodiment of the present invention, the control unit may be a first control unit of a network communication device, the first control unit of the network communication device may store the usage status information in a storage device, the first control unit of the network communication device may transmit the usage status information to an external device, and a second control unit of the external device may generate the power consumption estimate value based on the usage status information.

[0024] In a management system for a network communication device according to one embodiment of the present invention, the control unit may acquire standby state information indicating a standby state of the network communication device, and generate the power consumption estimation value based on the usage state information and the standby state information.

[0025] In a management system for a network communication device according to one embodiment of the present invention, the power consumption estimate may be generated based on conversion information indicating the relationship between the usage status information and standby status information and the power consumption of the network communication device.

[0026] In the management system for network communication devices according to an embodiment of the present invention, the conversion information may be updated based on a predetermined condition.

[0027] In a management system for a network communication device of one embodiment of the present invention, the at least one physical port includes a first physical port and a second physical port different from the first physical port, and the control unit may generate the power consumption estimate using a first data table indicating a relationship between a communication state at the first physical port and a power consumption of the network communication device, and a second data table indicating a relationship between a communication state at the second physical port and a power consumption of the network communication device.

[0028] In a management system for network communication devices according to an embodiment of the present invention, the control unit may transmit the power consumption estimated value to an external device, and instruct the external device to report the power consumption estimated value.

[0029] In the management system for network communication devices according to an embodiment of the present invention, notifying the estimated power consumption value may include displaying the estimated power consumption value.

[0030] In the network communication device management system according to an embodiment of the present invention, the network communication device may be a switching hub device. Effect of the Invention

[0031] According to the present invention, it is possible to easily grasp the power consumption of a network communication device. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0032] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram showing an overall configuration of a communication management system according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 2] 1 is a functional block diagram of a communication management system according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 3] 4 is an example of a data table relating a LAN port to specification information according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] 4 is an example of a data table relating to a communication speed and power consumption according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 5] 4 is an example of a data table relating to a communication speed and power consumption according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] 4 is an example of a data table relating to a communication speed and power consumption according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] 4 is a flowchart showing an example of a flow of a process executed by a communication relay device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 8] 1 is a schematic diagram showing an overall configuration of a communication management system according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 9] 4 is a flowchart showing an example of a flow of a process executed by a communication relay device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0033] Hereinafter, the embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention can be implemented in many different ways, and should not be interpreted as being limited to the description of the embodiments exemplified below. The drawings may be shown in a schematic manner to make the explanation clearer, but they are merely examples and do not limit the interpretation of the present invention. Furthermore, the letters "first" and "second" attached to each element are convenient labels used to distinguish each element, and have no further meaning unless otherwise explained. In the drawings referred to in this embodiment, the same parts or parts having similar functions are given the same or similar symbols (symbols obtained by simply adding A, B, or 1, 2, etc. to the number XXX), and repeated explanations may be omitted. In addition, some of the configurations may be omitted from the drawings. In addition, if a person with ordinary knowledge in the field to which the present invention belongs can recognize something, no special explanation will be given.

[0034] First Embodiment A communication management system according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0035] (1-1. Configuration of the communication management system) 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a communication management system 1. As shown in FIG.

[0036] (1-1-1. Network communication device 10) 1, the network communication device 10 has a control unit 110 (also referred to as a first control unit or a first control device), a storage unit 120, a LAN port 130, a communication unit 140, and a power supply unit 150. The control unit 110, the storage unit 120, the LAN port 130, the communication unit 140, and the power supply unit 150 are connected via a wiring bus. In this embodiment, a switching hub device is used for the network communication device 10. In this example, an L2 (layer 2) switching hub device is used.

[0037] The control unit 110 includes a central processing unit (CPU), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), or other arithmetic processing circuit, as well as a memory having a read only memory (ROM) and a random access memory (RAM). The control unit 110 controls the functions of each unit using a communication management program included in the memory.

[0038] The storage unit 120 (also called a storage device) may be a semiconductor memory such as an SSD (Solid State Drive), a magnetic recording medium (magnetic tape, magnetic disk, etc.), an optical recording medium, a magneto-optical recording medium, or a storage device (element) capable of storing data. The storage unit 120 functions as a database that stores various information used in the communication management program.

[0039] The LAN port 130 is a physical port. The LAN port 130 is an interface for connecting to the communication terminal 30 under the control of the control unit 110 and transmitting and receiving information. It includes a plurality of LAN ports 130 (in this example, LAN ports 130-1, 130-2, . . . , 130-N). In this example, the LAN port 130 includes a LAN port of a low-speed communication and low power consumption type with a maximum communication speed of 2.5 Gbps, a LAN port of a high-speed communication type with a maximum communication speed of 10 Gbps, and an SFP (Small Form-factor Pluggable). At least one of each type of LAN port may be included. In addition, at least one type of LAN port may be included among each type of LAN port. In this embodiment, when there is no need to distinguish between them, the LAN port 130 will be described.

[0040] The communication unit 140 is an interface for transmitting and receiving information to and from other network communication devices via a network such as the Internet under the control of the control unit 110. The communication unit 140 may include a MAC (Media Access Controller) and a communication port.

[0041] The power supply unit 150 supplies power to the communication terminal 30. In this case, the power supply unit 150 supplies power over Ethernet (POE) to the communication terminal 30 via a LAN cable.

[0042] (1-1-2. Communication terminal 30) The communication terminal 30 is a computer device (communication device) connected to the network communication device 10. A plurality of communication terminals 30 are provided according to the LAN port 130 (in this example, communication terminals 30-1, 30-2, . . . , 30-N are provided). For example, a personal computer is used as the communication terminal 30. Note that the communication terminal 30 is not limited to a personal computer, and may be a mobile phone (feature phone), a smartphone, a tablet terminal, an IoT (Internet of Things) device (a device having a power supply mechanism, a communication function, and an information storage mechanism), an access point, or the like, and is applicable as long as it is connected by wire through the LAN port 130 and can communicate with each device. When the communication terminal 30 is an access point, a different communication terminal may be further connected to the access point wirelessly.

[0043] The communication terminal 30 may include a control unit 310, a storage unit 320, a communication unit 330, a display unit 340, an operation unit 350, and an output unit 360. The control unit 310 and the storage unit 320 may be the same as the network communication device 10. The communication unit 330 is an interface for transmitting and receiving information by being connected to the network communication device 10 by wire based on the control of the control unit 110. The communication unit 330 may have a configuration similar to that of the LAN port 130. The display unit 340 displays information based on the control by the control unit 310, such as a liquid crystal display or an organic EL display. The operation unit 350 is a device that can be operated by a user, such as a button, a keyboard, or a switch. In this embodiment, the operation unit 350 and the display unit 340 may be arranged so as to overlap each other, such as a touch panel. The output unit 360 is a device that outputs information that can be recognized from the outside, such as a sound (buzzer), light (LED light), or vibration (vibrator).

[0044] (1-2. Functional block diagram of the communication management system) 2 is a block diagram showing an example of a functional configuration of the communication management system 1. Each function described below is realized by hardware, software, or a combination of hardware and software.

[0045] 2, the control unit 110 of the network communication device 10 includes an acquisition unit 1101 , a generation unit 1103 , a notification control unit 1105 , and a transmission unit 1107 .

[0046] The acquisition unit 1101 has a function of acquiring various information from the communication terminal 30 and other external devices. In this example, when the communication terminal 30 is connected to the LAN port 130, information relating to the usage state of the network communication device 10 (referred to as "usage state information") is acquired. In this example, the usage state information includes a communication state and a power supply state. The communication state indicates a state in which the network communication device 10 and the communication terminal 30 are communicating. The power supply state indicates a state in which power is being supplied from the network communication device 10 to the communication terminal 30.

[0047] FIG. 3 shows a data table 2100 set for each LAN port. The data table 2100 includes LAN port information 2101 and specification information 2103. The data table 2100 associates the LAN port information 2101 with the specification information 2103. In this example, the LAN port 130 has 18 ports. Among the LAN port 130, ports 1 to 12 correspond to the LAN interface 1. The ports 1 to 12 are LAN ports of low-speed communication and low power consumption type. The ports 13 to 16 correspond to the LAN interface 2. The ports 13 to 16 are LAN ports of high-speed communication type. The ports 17 to 18 correspond to the LAN interface 3. The ports 17 to 18 are SFP ports. The data table 2100 may be stored in the LAN port database 120b in the storage unit 120.

[0048] The generating unit 1103 has a function of generating various information. In one embodiment of the present invention, the generating unit 1103 generates a power consumption estimated value. The generating unit 1103 may also generate statistical information using a plurality of power consumption estimated values. The generated power consumption estimated value and statistical information are stored in the storage unit 120.

[0049] 4 is a data table 2200 showing the relationship between the communication speed (communication state) and the power consumption in the LAN ports (ports 1 to 12) of the low-speed communication / low power consumption type among the LAN ports 130. The data table 2200 includes communication speed information 2201 and power consumption information 2203. The power consumption in the communication state of each port can be calculated from the data table 2200. The communication speed information 2201 is information that indicates the communication state (nature), and therefore can be said to be qualitative data. The data table 2200 may be stored in the power consumption database 120a of the storage unit 120.

[0050] 5 is a data table 2300 showing the relationship between the communication speed (communication state) and power consumption in high-speed communication type LAN ports (ports 13 to 16) among the LAN ports 130. The data table 2300 includes communication speed information 2301 and power consumption information 2303. The communication speed information 2301 is information that indicates the communication state, similar to the communication speed information 2201, and can be said to be qualitative data. The power consumption in the communication state of each port can be calculated from the data table 2300. The data table 2300 may be stored in the power consumption database 120a of the storage unit 120.

[0051] 6 is a data table 2400 showing the relationship between the communication speed (communication state) and the power consumption in the SFP type LAN ports (ports 17 to 18) among the LAN ports 130. The data table 2400 includes communication speed information 2401 and power consumption information 2403. The communication speed information 2401 is information indicating the communication state like the communication speed information 2201, and therefore can be said to be qualitative data. The power consumption in the communication state of each port can be calculated from the data table 2400. The data table 2400 may be stored in the power consumption database 120a in the storage unit 120.

[0052] In this embodiment, different types of LAN ports may have different power consumption even if the communication speed is the same. Specifically, the power consumption Wa1 at 2.5 Gbps of LAN port A, which is a low-speed LAN port, may be smaller than the power consumption Wb3 at 2.5 Gbps of LAN port B, which is a high-speed LAN port.

[0053] The notification control unit 1105 has a function of controlling so as to notify the power consumption estimated value. The transmission unit 1107 has a function of transmitting various information to other devices (external devices) such as the communication terminal 30.

[0054] The communication terminal 30 has a receiving unit 3101, a notifying unit 3103, and a transmitting unit 3105. The receiving unit 3101 has a function of receiving a frame signal, a notifying signal, and various signals from the network communication device 10. The notifying unit 3103 has a function of notifying from the display unit 340 or the output unit 360 based on a received notifying instruction signal. The transmitting unit 3105 has a function of transmitting various information to the network communication device 10.

[0055] (1-3. Communication management processing) Next, the communication management process based on commands from the communication management program will be described with reference to FIG.

[0056] As shown in FIG. 7, first, the communication terminal 30 is connected to the network communication device 10 (step S101). At this time, various request information such as communication request information and power supply request information is transmitted from the communication terminal 30 to the network communication device 10 (step S102). The network communication device 10 acquires usage status information based on the request information (step S103). Furthermore, the network communication device 10 determines which LAN port out of the multiple LAN ports 130 the communication terminal 30 is connected to. This allows the type of LAN port to be determined. Furthermore, the network communication device 10 determines whether the communication terminal 30 is in a communication state or a power supply state based on the usage status information. The usage status information can also be called "raw data" for generating a power consumption estimate.

[0057] Next, the network communication device 10 generates a power consumption estimate value based on the acquired usage state information (step S105). In this example, the power consumption estimate value P ALL When generating, the following formula 1 is used.

number

[0058] The network communication device 10 calculates the power P consumed by communication at each port. LINK is calculated using the following formula 2.

number

[0059] In formula 2, P 2.5G (LINK_STATUS(n)) indicates the communication power consumption of ports 1 to 12 among the LAN ports 130. 10G (LINK_STATUS(n)) indicates the communication power consumption of ports 13 to 16 of the LAN port 130. SFP (LINK_STATUS(n)) indicates the power consumption for communication in ports 17 and 18 of the LAN ports 130.

[0060] P LINK When calculating, data table 2200 shown in Fig. 4, data table 2300 shown in Fig. 5, and data table 2400 shown in Fig. 6 are used. As shown in Fig. 4 to Fig. 6, the power consumed varies depending on the communication speed. In other words, it can be said that the power consumption data corresponding to the communication state is data based on qualitative data such as the communication state.

[0061] The network communication device 10 calculates the power consumed in the power supply state of each port using the following Equation 3.

number

[0062] As shown in Equation 3, in one embodiment of the present invention, the power consumption in the power supply state may be common to each port. In this case, the power consumption increases according to the number of communication terminals to be powered. Therefore, the power consumption data corresponding to the power supply state can be said to be quantitative data. In this embodiment, the electrical conversion efficiency in the power supply unit (power supply unit 150) of the network communication device 10 for the amount of power supplied from each LAN port 130 is constant. Note that the electrical conversion efficiency may be maximum at a position that is about half the maximum power consumption, and may decrease with increasing distance.

[0063] Based on the above, it can be said that power consumption estimates are generated using qualitative and quantitative data.

[0064] The network communication device 10 stores the generated power consumption estimated value in power consumption 120a of the storage unit 120. Next, the network communication device 10 generates statistical information using the generated power consumption estimated value (step S107). The statistical information may be history information combined with a power consumption estimated value generated in advance. The statistical information may be generated for each predetermined period (hour, day, or month). The statistical information may be, for example, an average value or a median value. The statistical information may be text data or a graph. The network communication device 10 stores the generated statistical information in power consumption 120a of the storage unit 120.

[0065] Next, the network communication device 10 generates notification instruction information for notifying the communication terminal 30 of the generated power consumption estimate value or statistical information (step S109). Next, the network communication device 10 transmits the generated notification instruction information to the communication terminal 30 (step S109).

[0066] When the communication terminal 30 receives the notification instruction information (step S113), the communication terminal 30 notifies the power consumption estimated value (or statistical information). In this example, the communication terminal 30 displays the power consumption estimated value (or statistical information) on the display unit 340.

[0067] After the notification instruction information is generated, the network communication device 10 determines whether to generate a new power consumption estimate (step S117). In this case, the determination may be made based on information input by the user and transmitted from the communication terminal 30. If a new power consumption estimate is to be generated (step S117; Yes), the process returns to step S101. If a new power consumption estimate is not to be generated (step S117; No), the communication management process ends.

[0068] By using this embodiment, it is possible to estimate power consumption from the usage state without using a new device, chip, circuit, etc. Therefore, by using this embodiment, it is possible to easily grasp the power consumption of a network communication device.

[0069] <Second embodiment> In this embodiment, a communication management system different from that of the first embodiment will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Specifically, an example in which a power consumption estimation value is generated by a device different from the network communication device 10 will be described. Note that, for convenience of explanation, the same configuration as that of the first embodiment will be omitted as appropriate.

[0070] (2-1. Configuration of the communication management system 1A) Fig. 8 shows a block diagram illustrating the configuration of the communication management system 1A. As shown in Fig. 8, the communication management system 1A includes, in addition to the network communication device 10 and the communication terminal 30, an external device (in this example, a control device 50) provided outside the network communication device 10.

[0071] The control device 50 includes a control unit 510, a storage unit 520, and a communication unit 530. The control unit 510, the storage unit 520, and the communication unit 530 may be similar to the network communication device 10 and the communication terminal 30.

[0072] In this embodiment, when the network communication device 10 acquires the usage state information, the usage state information may be stored in the storage unit 120. The network communication device 10 may transmit the usage state information to the control device 50. The control unit 510 (also referred to as a second control unit or a second control device) of the control device 50 may generate a power consumption estimate value based on the received usage state information. In other words, the power consumption may be grasped by an external device using the acquired usage state information.

[0073] <Third embodiment> In this embodiment, a communication management process different from that in the first embodiment will be described. Specifically, an example will be described in which a power consumption estimate value is generated based on a standby state in addition to a usage state. Note that configurations similar to those in the first embodiment will be omitted as appropriate for the sake of convenience.

[0074] In this embodiment, the acquisition unit 1101 of the control unit 110 acquires standby state information indicating a standby state. The generation unit 1103 may generate a power consumption estimate value using the following Equation 4.

number

[0075] P 0 is the power consumed in standby mode and is constant. 0 is the power consumed regardless of whether the communication terminal 30 is connected to a network communication device or not.

[0076] In addition, in this embodiment, the network communication device 10 may calculate the power consumed in the power supply state of each port using the following Equation 5.

number

[0077] In this embodiment, P 0 and WEIGHT_PoE can be said to be conversion information indicating the relationship between the use state information and standby state information and the power consumption of the network communication device 10. The conversion information can include the data tables 2200 to 2400 shown in the first embodiment. In this embodiment, the power consumption can be grasped in more detail by generating a power consumption estimate value using these conversion information.

[0078] In addition, in this embodiment, the conversion information may be updated based on a predetermined condition. For example, the conversion information may be updated at the timing when update request information is sent from the communication terminal 30, or may be updated after a certain period of time has elapsed, or may be updated for a specific period of time and then returned to an initial value. This makes it possible to grasp the power consumption corresponding to the state of the device, such as the operating period of the product.

[0079] <Fourth embodiment> In this embodiment, a communication management process different from that in the first embodiment will be described. Specifically, an example of issuing a warning when a power consumption estimate value satisfies a predetermined condition will be described. Note that configurations similar to those in other embodiments will be omitted as appropriate for the sake of convenience.

[0080] In this embodiment, the notification control unit 1105 may perform control so as to notify when the power consumption estimated value satisfies a predetermined condition. In this example, the predetermined condition is that the power consumption estimated value exceeds a preset threshold. Information on the threshold may be stored in the power consumption database (power consumption DB) 120a of the storage unit 120.

[0081] FIG. 9 is a flow diagram showing an example of the flow of processing executed by the communication relay device according to the present embodiment. In the present embodiment, after generating the notification instruction information (step S109), it may be determined whether the generated power consumption estimation value (or statistical information) satisfies a predetermined condition (step S1121). In this example, the network communication device 10 may determine whether the power consumption estimation value (or statistical information) is equal to or greater than a preset threshold. When the power consumption estimation value (or statistical information) is equal to or greater than a preset threshold (step S1121; Yes), the network communication device 10 generates warning instruction information (step S1123). The network communication device 10 transmits the generated notification instruction information to the communication terminal 30 (external device) (step S1125). The communication terminal 30 receives the warning instruction information (step S114) in addition to the notification instruction information (step S113). The communications terminal 30 may notify the estimated power consumption value based on the notification instruction information and the warning instruction information, and may also cause the communications terminal 30 to notify that the estimated power consumption value satisfies a predetermined condition (is equal to or greater than a threshold value) (step S116).

[0082] In this embodiment, if the power consumption estimated value does not satisfy the predetermined condition (step S1121; No), or after notification instruction information is generated (step S1123), it may be determined whether to generate a new power consumption estimated value (step S117).

[0083] By using this embodiment, in addition to being able to notify the estimated power consumption value, when there is an abnormality, such as high power consumption, the user of the communication terminal (or the administrator of the network communication device) can be notified of the abnormal condition.

[0084] In the present embodiment, after generating the notification instruction information, it is determined whether the estimated power consumption value is equal to or greater than the threshold value, but the present invention is not limited to this. When the estimated power consumption value is equal to or greater than the threshold value, an instruction to notify the estimated power consumption value may be given.

[0085] (Modification) Within the scope of the concept of the present invention, a person skilled in the art may conceive of various modifications and alterations, and it is understood that such modifications and alterations also fall within the scope of the present invention. For example, those in which a person skilled in the art appropriately adds, deletes, or modifies the design of components of the above-mentioned embodiments, or adds, omits, or modifies conditions of steps, are also included in the scope of the present invention as long as they include the gist of the present invention.

[0086] In the embodiment of the present invention, an example in which an L2 switching hub device is used as the network communication device is shown, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, an L3 switching hub device or a router may be used as the network communication device 10.

[0087] In addition, in one embodiment of the present invention, even if the LAN port is the same type, different data tables may be used. For example, different data tables can be applied when the specifications of the communication chip ICs placed in the LAN ports are different. This allows more accurate estimation of power consumption.

[0088] In addition, in the embodiment of the present invention, the power consumption in the power supply state is common to each port, but the present invention is not limited to this. In the case of high-speed power supply, the power consumption in power supply may be different depending on the type of LAN port.

[0089] In one embodiment of the present invention, the network communication device 10 generates warning indication information when the power consumption estimated value (or statistical information) satisfies a predetermined condition (is a threshold value), but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, if the network communication device 10 includes an output unit, the network communication device 10 may notify the user that the power consumption estimated value satisfies the predetermined condition via the output unit.

[0090] In the embodiment of the present invention, the network communication device 10 includes a plurality of LAN ports, but the present invention is not limited to this. As long as the network communication device 10 includes at least one LAN port, the configuration of the present invention can be applied.

[0091] In addition, in the embodiment of the present invention, an example has been shown in which the power consumption estimate value or the statistical information is transmitted to the communication terminal 30, but the present invention is not limited to this. The power consumption estimate value or the statistical information may be transmitted to an external device other than the communication terminal 30.

[0092] In addition, in the embodiment of the present invention, an example has been shown in which warning information is generated when the estimated power consumption value is equal to or greater than a threshold value, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, when the estimated power consumption value is equal to or greater than a threshold value, the communication speed may be reduced, or the amount of power supply may be reduced. This makes it possible to suppress an increase in power consumption and stabilize the power consumption. [Explanation of symbols]

[0093] 1 Communication management system, 10 Network communication device, 30 Communication terminal, 50 Control device, 110 Control unit, 120 Memory unit, 120a Power consumption database, 130 Port, 140 Communication unit, 150 Power supply unit, 310 Control unit, 320 Memory unit, 330 Communication unit, 340 Display unit, 350 Operation unit, 360 Output unit, 510 Control unit, 520 Memory unit, 530 Communication unit, 1101 Acquisition unit, 1103 Generation unit unit, 1105···notification control unit, 1107···transmission unit, 2100···data table, 2101···port information, 2103···specification information, 2200···data table, 2201···communication speed information, 2203···power consumption information, 2300···data table, 2301···communication speed information, 2303···power consumption information, 2400···data table, 2401···communication speed information, 2403···power consumption information, 3101···reception unit, 3103···notification unit, 3105···transmission unit

Claims

1. A method for managing a network communication device having at least one physical port, comprising the steps of: The computer acquiring usage status information including a communication status and a power supply status to other communication devices connected to the at least one physical port; generating a power consumption estimate based on the usage state information; A method for managing network communication devices.

2. generating the power consumption estimate value based on qualitative data corresponding to the communication state and quantitative data corresponding to the power supply state, among the usage state information; The method for managing a network communication device according to claim 1.

3. generating the power consumption estimate value using a data table indicating a relationship between a communication state among the usage state information and a power consumption of the network communication device; The method for managing a network communication device according to claim 2.

4. storing the power consumption estimate in a storage device; transmitting the calculated history information together with the power consumption estimated value stored in advance in the storage device to an external device; The method for managing a network communication device according to claim 1.

5. acquiring standby state information indicating a standby state of the network communication device; generating the power consumption estimate value based on the usage state information and the standby state information; The method for managing a network communication device according to claim 1.

6. generating the power consumption estimate value based on conversion information indicating a relationship between the usage state information and the standby state information, and the power consumption of the network communication device; The method for managing a network communication device according to claim 5.

7. updating the conversion information based on a predetermined condition; The method for managing a network communication device according to claim 6.

8. the at least one physical port includes a first physical port and a second physical port different from the first physical port; generating the power consumption estimate value using a first data table indicating a relationship between a communication state at the first physical port and a power consumption of the network communication device, and a second data table indicating a relationship between a communication state at the second physical port and a power consumption of the network communication device; The method for managing a network communication device according to claim 1.

9. transmitting the power consumption estimate to an external device; reporting the estimated power consumption value by the external device; The method for managing a network communication device according to claim 1.

10. notifying the estimated power consumption value includes displaying the estimated power consumption value. The method for managing a network communication device according to claim 9.

11. The network communication device is a switching hub device. The method for managing a network communication device according to claim 1.

12. On the computer, A program for executing the method for managing a network communication device according to any one of claims 1 to 11.

13. A management system for a network communication device having at least one physical port, comprising: acquiring usage status information including a communication status and a power supply status to other communication devices connected to the at least one physical port; A control unit that generates a power consumption estimate value based on the usage state information. A management system for network communication devices.

14. the control unit generates the power consumption estimation value based on qualitative data corresponding to the communication state and quantitative data corresponding to the power supply state, among the usage state information. The management system for network communication devices according to claim 13.

15. The control unit is generating the power consumption estimate value using a data table indicating a relationship between a communication state among the usage state information and a power consumption of the network communication device; The management system for network communication devices according to claim 14.

16. The control unit is storing the power consumption estimate in a storage device; transmitting the calculated statistical information together with the power consumption estimated value stored in advance in the storage device to an external device; The management system for network communication devices according to claim 13.

17. The control unit is acquiring standby state information indicating a standby state of the network communication device; generating the power consumption estimate value based on the usage state information and the standby state information; The management system for network communication devices according to claim 13.

18. generating the power consumption estimate value based on conversion information indicating a relationship between the usage state information and the standby state information, and the power consumption of the network communication device; The management system for network communication devices according to claim 17.

19. updating the conversion information based on a predetermined condition; 20. The network communication device management system according to claim 18.

20. the at least one physical port includes a first physical port and a second physical port different from the first physical port; The control unit is generating the power consumption estimate value using a first data table indicating a relationship between a communication state at the first physical port and a power consumption of the network communication device, and a second data table indicating a relationship between a communication state at the second physical port and a power consumption of the network communication device; The management system for network communication devices according to claim 13.

21. The control unit is transmitting the power consumption estimate to an external device; instructing the external device to report the estimated power consumption value; The management system for network communication devices according to claim 13.

22. notifying the estimated power consumption value includes displaying the estimated power consumption value.

22. The system for managing network communication devices according to claim 21.

23. The network communication device is a switching hub device. The management system for network communication devices according to claim 13.

Images