Network system, management server, terminal apparatus, and network management method

Abstract

To provide a network system capable of flexibly scaling a system by reducing a management burden on an IoT apparatus.SOLUTION: A network system comprises: a plurality of terminal apparatuses connected to an IP (Internet Protocol) network; and a management server managing the plurality of terminal apparatuses via the IP network. The management server includes a confirmation section and a request section. The confirmation section transmits a life-and-death confirmation packet with a multicast address to a multicast group defining an own management target. The request section requests acquisition of data individually to a terminal apparatus that returns a response packet to the life-and-death confirmation packet. Each of the plurality of terminal apparatuses includes a response section and a data transmission section. In a case where the life-and-death confirmation packet is received, the response section returns a response packet to the management server. The data transmission section transmits requested data to the management server.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a network system, a management server, a terminal device, and a network management method. [Background technology]

[0002] The spread of IoT (Internet of Things) technology has made it possible to use a variety of things remotely via the Internet. For example, IoT is being used in a variety of situations, such as controlling home appliances from a smartphone while out and about, or installing sensors in manufacturing equipment in a factory to collect various data from the manufacturing site and use it to improve production efficiency.

[0003] As the use of IoT spreads, the amount of data flowing over the network will increase. When handling large data such as image data, it may be necessary to have ample facilities to prevent communication bandwidth from being overwhelmed. In addition, one advantage of IoT devices is that they can be installed and used in various locations, but they are rarely installed within the administrator's line of sight, such as in a server room, which can make management difficult. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2017-169147 A [Patent Document 2] Patent Publication No. 2021-190819 [Patent Document 3] Patent Publication No. 2021-9619 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] IoT devices come in a variety of forms and are installed in a variety of locations. Depending on their scale and usage scenario, systems that use IoT technology may impose significantly greater costs and management burdens than traditional information systems.

[0006] Therefore, an object is to provide a network system, a management server, a terminal device, and a network management method that can reduce the management burden of IoT devices and thereby flexibly scale the system. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] According to an embodiment, a network system includes a plurality of terminal devices connected to an IP (Internet Protocol) network, and a management server that manages the plurality of terminal devices via the IP network. The management server includes a confirmation unit and a request unit. The confirmation unit transmits a live / dead check packet with a multicast address to a multicast group that defines its own management targets. The request unit individually requests data acquisition from terminal devices that have returned response packets to the live / dead check packet. Each of the plurality of terminal devices includes a response unit and a data transmission unit. When the response unit receives the live / dead check packet, it returns a response packet to the management server. The data transmission unit transmits the requested data to the management server. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a system diagram showing an example of a network system according to an embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of an example of the management server shown in FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram illustrating an example of the IoT device illustrated in FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining a network management method according to the embodiment. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining a data acquisition request from the management server 30. As shown in FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing an example of a network management method according to an embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a conceptual diagram showing an example of an existing network management method. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a conceptual diagram showing an example of an existing network management method. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] Fig. 1 is a system diagram showing an example of a network system according to an embodiment. In Fig. 1, a plurality of IoT devices, a management server 30, and a database server 50 are connected to an IP (Internet Protocol) network NW.

[0010] That is, a hub device 20-1 accommodating the IoT devices 10a and 11a and a hub device 20-2 accommodating the IoT devices 10b, 10c, 11b, and 11c are connected to the IP network NW via a router 40. A hub device 20-m accommodating the IoT devices 10n and 11n is connected to the IP network NW via a router 41.

[0011] The management server 30 manages each terminal device in the IP network NW. In particular, in the embodiment, the management server 30 and the terminal devices that are targets of management of the management server 30 are set to participate in the same multicast group 100. That is, the management server 30 and the IoT devices 10b, 10c, 11b, and 11c participate in the multicast group 100.

[0012] The multicast group 100 is a unit that defines the objects to be managed by the management server 30. An existing protocol can be used to determine which IoT devices join the multicast group 100. Although only the multicast group 100 is shown in FIG. 1, other multicast groups may be set by combining the management server 30 with other IoT devices. In addition, the hub devices 20-1 and 20-2, the routers 40 and 41, or the database server 50 can also be objects to be managed by the management server 30.

[0013] Fig. 2 is a functional block diagram showing an example of the management server 30 shown in Fig. 1. The management server 30 is a computer, and includes a processor 21, a communication unit 22, a storage 23, a display / operation unit 24, and a memory 25.

[0014] The communication unit 22 realizes P2P communication with other IoT devices. For example, TCP / IP (Transmission Control Protocol / Internet Protocol) is used as a representative protocol. However, in the embodiment, UDP (User Datagram Protocol) is used to check whether the subordinate IoT devices are alive or dead.

[0015] The storage 23 is a non-volatile storage device such as a hard disk drive (HDD) or a solid state drive (SSD), and stores patch data 23a and a program 23b in a storage area allocated by a file system.

[0016] The patch data 23a is data to be sent to the IoT device to which the patch is to be applied, and is obtained, for example, from the database server 50 on a regular or irregular basis. As is well known, patching is a process of modifying part or all of the software installed on a computer after the fact. This is an essential task for computer systems to fix bugs, improve security, etc., and the same is true for IoT devices, which are computers. The program 23b is loaded into the memory 25 and executed by the processor 21, thereby realizing various functions according to the embodiment.

[0017] The display / operation unit 24 is a human-machine interface operated by an operator of the management server, and forms a GUI (Graphical User Interface) environment on a display, for example, to input and display information.

[0018] The memory 25 is a semiconductor storage device such as a random access memory (RAM) or a read only memory (ROM). The processor 21 includes a confirmation unit 21a, a request unit 21b, and a patching request unit 21c. The check unit 21a transmits a alive / dead check packet to the multicast group 100 under its control. In other words, the alive / dead check packet is transmitted without identifying each managed terminal. Since it is a multicast, the alive / dead check packet is transmitted by UDP.

[0019] The request unit 21b requests data acquisition from each IoT device that has returned a response packet to the alive check packet. Since the response packet contains the IP address of the IoT device that returned it, the request unit 21b can request data acquisition by specifying an individual destination. For example, the data acquisition can be requested using a protocol such as SCP (Secure file CoPy). The patch request unit 21c transmits the patch data 23a to a multicast address.

[0020] Fig. 3 is a functional block diagram showing an example of an IoT device shown in Fig. 1. The IoT device is a computer, and includes a processor 31, a communication unit 32, a flash memory 33, and a sensor unit 34. Among these, the sensor unit 34 is, for example, an image sensor, a temperature sensor, a water level sensor, etc., and periodically / irregularly collects data according to specifications.

[0021] The communication unit 32 realizes communication with the management server 30 via the IP network NW. The flash memory 33 stores transmission data 33a and a program 33b. The transmission data 33a is data that is requested to be acquired as an IoT device by the sensor unit 34. The program 33b is executed by the processor 31, thereby realizing various functions according to the embodiment.

[0022] The processor 31 includes a response unit 31a, a data transmission unit 31b, and a patching processing unit 31c.

[0023] When the responding unit 31a receives a live / dead confirmation packet multicast from the management server 30, the responding unit 31a returns a response packet in which its own IP address is written to the management server 30. When an individual request is received from the management server 30, the data transmission unit 31b reads out the transmission data 33a from the flash memory 33 and transmits it to the management server 30.

[0024] The patching processing unit 31c executes a patch application process based on the patch data 23a multicast from the management server 30, and transmits to the management server 30 the result of the patch application process (normal completion, NG completion, or the like).

[0025] 4 is a diagram for explaining a network management method in an embodiment. The management server 30 multicasts a live / dead check packet to the multicast group 100. In one multicast communication, the live / dead check packet reaches all IoT devices in the multicast group 100. The IoT devices (10b, 10c, ..., 11c) that receive the packet return a response packet describing their own IP addresses to the management server 30. Through this series of procedures, the management server 30 can grasp the IoT devices currently operating in the multicast group 100 and their IP addresses.

[0026] 5 is a diagram for explaining a data acquisition request from the management server 30. The management server 30 sequentially accesses the IP addresses that have returned response packets (for example, in the order of (1), (2), and (3)) via SSH connection or the like, and copies and acquires the sensed data, etc.

[0027] 6 is a flowchart showing an example of a network management method according to an embodiment. In an initial state, it is assumed that the IoT devices 10b, 10c, ..., 11c are all operating normally and the management server 30 recognizes this. 6, the management server 30 transmits a live / dead check packet using a multicast address (e.g., 224.0.0.X). In response to this, only the IoT devices 10b and 11c return response packets, and the return from the IoT device 10c times out. In this case, the management server 30 recognizes that the IoT device 10c is no longer operating normally, and registers the NG status of the IoT device 10c in the database.

[0028] Next, the management server 30 sends a data acquisition request by unicast to the normally operating IoT device 10b. The IoT device 10b receives this request and transmits the requested data to the management server 30.

[0029] Furthermore, the management server 30 transmits patch data by multicast to the normally operating IoT device 11c, and requests the patching process. When the patching process ends normally, the IoT device 11c notifies the management server 30 of this.

[0030] As described above, in the embodiment, the management server and the IoT devices under it belong to the same multicast group. The management server queries all the IoT devices under management for their IP addresses through multicast communication. The managed IoT devices respond to the query with their own IP addresses through unicast communication addressed to the management server. This procedure makes it possible to efficiently monitor the health of IoT devices and flexibly scale the system.

[0031] In addition, patching of IoT devices is now initiated by multicast communication from the management server, which reduces the burden on administrators even if the number of IoT devices increases, greatly contributing to the scaling in and out of the system.

[0032] 7 and 8 are conceptual diagrams showing an example of an existing network management method. In Fig. 7, the management server 30 individually checks communication by, for example, ping, and monitors the alive status of each IoT device (10b, 10c, ..., 11c). This has disadvantages such as increased traffic for alive status monitoring and increased management effort.

[0033] 8 shows that data is uploaded from each IoT device (10b, 10c, ..., 11c) to the management server 30. Since the transmission timing is determined individually on the edge side (IoT device), if the transmission timings overlap, there is a risk that the bandwidth will be insufficient and the management server 30 will miss data that should be received.

[0034] In contrast, in the embodiment, multicast network communication is used to manage IoT devices and collect data from IoT devices. In multicast network communication, data can be sent to an unspecified number of terminals at once with one packet, so line efficiency is good. In addition, because communication is performed using multicast addresses, communication can continue even if the segments of the sending and receiving terminals change.

[0035] It is also possible to increase the number of IoT devices and scale the system even with limited communication bandwidth. This is because the management server can identify all terminals participating in the multicast network by obtaining the IP addresses of the response packets. Conversely, even if the number of IoT devices is reduced, the management server can instantly identify the total number by sending a single alive check packet.

[0036] As an example of application, when operating various sensors and cameras installed outdoors, or observation drones, the number of devices can be flexibly changed, and video collection can be carried out stably without straining the bandwidth.

[0037] Furthermore, in the conventional method of collecting data from IoT devices, each IoT device transmits the data to the management server 30. In this method, if large amounts of data are transmitted simultaneously, the management server 30 may not be able to receive them all. In particular, when IoT devices are installed outdoors, it is possible that the communication environment may be unstable due to narrow bandwidth.

[0038] In contrast, in the embodiment, the management server 30 first inquires about the IP address of each IoT device by multicast communication. The management server 30 connects to the IP addresses that respond in order using SSH or the like, and copies and acquires the data. In this way, by acquiring data from the management server 30 instead of transmitting it from the IoT device, it is possible to prevent traffic concentration. In other words, it is possible to deal with increasing traffic and reduce the burden on management.

[0039] As a result, according to the embodiments, it is possible to provide a network system, management server, terminal device, and network management method that can reduce the management burden of IoT devices and thereby enable the system to be flexibly scaled.

[0040] Although the embodiment has been described, this embodiment is presented as an example and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention. This novel embodiment can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. This embodiment and its modifications are included in the scope and spirit of the invention, and are included in the scope of the invention and its equivalents described in the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0041] 10a, 10b, 10c, . . . , 10n (10) ... IoT devices, 11a, 11b, 11c, . . . , 11n (11) ... IoT devices, 20-1, 20-2, . . . , 20-m ... hub devices, 21 ... processor, 21a ... confirmation unit, 21b ... request unit, 21c ... patching request unit, 22 ... communication unit, 23 ... storage, 23a ... patch data, 23b ... program, 24 ... display and operation unit, 25 ... memory, 30 ... management server, 31 ... processor, 31a ... response unit, 31b ... data transmission unit, 31c ... patching processing unit, 32 ... communication unit, 33 ... flash memory, 33a ... data to be transmitted, 33b ... program, 34 ... sensor unit, 40 ... router, 41 ... router, 50 ... database server, 100 ... multicast group.

Claims

1. A plurality of terminal devices connected to an IP (Internet Protocol) network; a management server that manages the plurality of terminal devices via the IP network; The management server includes: a confirmation unit that transmits a live / dead confirmation packet to a multicast group that defines a device that the confirmation unit manages, using the multicast address; a request unit for individually requesting acquisition of data from a terminal device that has returned a response packet to the alive / dead confirmation packet, Each of the plurality of terminal devices a response unit that returns the response packet to the management server when the alive check packet is received; a data transmission unit that transmits the requested data to the management server.

2. The management server includes: a patching request unit configured to transmit data required for patching the plurality of terminal devices via the multicast address; Each of the plurality of terminal devices 2. The network system according to claim 1, further comprising a patching processing unit that receives data necessary for the patching, executes a patching process, and transmits a result to the management server.

3. The management server transmits the alive check packet using UDP (User Datagram Protocol), 3. The network system according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of terminal devices returns the response packet using TCP (Transmission Control Protocol).

4. A management server that manages a plurality of terminal devices connected to an IP (Internet Protocol) network via the IP network, a confirmation unit that transmits a live / dead confirmation packet to a multicast group that defines a device that the confirmation unit manages, using the multicast address; a request unit that requests acquisition of data individually from the terminal device that has returned a response packet to the alive / dead confirmation packet.

5. 5. The management server according to claim 4, further comprising a patching request unit that transmits data required for patching said plurality of terminal devices by said multicast address.

6. 6. The management server according to claim 4, wherein the alive check packet is transmitted using UDP (User Datagram Protocol).

7. A communication unit for connecting to an IP (Internet Protocol) network; a response unit that returns a response packet to the management server when a live / dead confirmation packet is received from a management server participating in the same multicast group via the IP network at a multicast address; a data transmission unit that transmits data requested by the management server to the management server.

8. The terminal device according to claim 7 , further comprising a patching processing unit that receives multicast data necessary for patching, executes patching processing, and transmits a result to the management server.

9. A network management method in a network system including a plurality of terminal devices connected to an IP (Internet Protocol) network and a management server that manages the plurality of terminal devices via the IP network, comprising: the management server transmitting a live / dead confirmation packet to a multicast group that defines the management target of the management server; a step of the terminal device returning a response packet to the management server when the terminal device receives the alive check packet; a step of the management server individually requesting acquisition of data from the terminal device that returned the response packet; the terminal device transmitting the requested data to the management server.

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