Monitoring apparatus and control method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10609201-B2
Application number	US-201615203598-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 6, 2016
Priority date	Jul 8, 2015
Publication date	Mar 31, 2020
Grant date	Mar 31, 2020

Abstract

When a monitoring task is executed, a management server acquires setting information from a monitoring target device, compares the acquired setting information with setting information for monitoring the monitoring task, and determines whether a difference exists between the acquired setting information and the setting information for monitoring. If a difference exists, the management server performs a process according to a monitoring setting of the monitoring task.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A monitoring apparatus for communicating with a network device compatible with a management function for preventing a value of a particular item from being changed without predetermined authentication, the monitoring apparatus comprising:
a storage storing one or more device configuration files;
a memory storing instructions, and
at least one processor executing instructions causing the monitoring apparatus to:
create a monitoring task for monitoring setting information of a network device of a monitoring target by selecting, as setting information corresponding to the monitoring task, one of the one or more device configuration files from the storage, wherein the setting information includes a plurality of items and values of the items;
control execution of the monitoring task;
when the monitoring task is executed, acquire the setting information of the network device of the monitoring target;
compare values of an item included in both the acquired setting information and setting information corresponding to the monitoring task;
determine whether a difference between the acquired setting information and the setting information corresponding to the monitoring task exists based on the comparing between the acquired setting information and the setting information corresponding to the monitoring task;
determine, in a case where the monitoring task is a task for monitoring regarding the management function and an item included in the setting information corresponding to the monitoring task is not included in the acquired setting information, that a difference between the acquired setting information and the setting information corresponding to the monitoring task exists; and
in a case where the difference exists, execute a process according to a monitoring setting of the monitoring task,
wherein, even if an item included in the setting information corresponding to the monitoring task is not included in the acquired setting information, it is determined that no difference between the acquired setting information and the setting information corresponding to the monitoring task exists in a case where the monitoring task is not a task for monitoring regarding the management function.

2. The monitoring apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more processor executed according to the monitoring setting includes at least one of a first process for providing a notification of the determined difference and a second process for updating the determined difference.

3. The monitoring apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein a password for the management function is required for the predetermined authentication,
wherein in a case where the monitoring setting of the monitoring task includes a setting for updating the determined difference, using the setting information corresponding to the monitoring task, the password for the management function is set in the monitoring task, and
wherein, in a case where the difference exists, the updating of the monitoring target using both the password and the setting information corresponding to the monitoring task is executed as the process according to the monitoring setting.

4. The monitoring apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the instructions further cause the monitoring apparatus to:
in a case where the monitoring task is a task for monitoring regarding the management function, compare version information indicated by the acquired setting information with version information indicated by the setting information corresponding to the monitoring task; and
determine that a difference between the acquired setting information and the setting information corresponding to the monitoring task exists, in a case where the version information indicated by the setting information corresponding to the monitoring task is not equal to the version information indicated by the acquired setting information;
wherein, even if the version information indicated by the setting information corresponding to the monitoring task is equal to the version information indicated by the acquired setting information, it is further determined that a difference between the acquired setting information and the setting information corresponding to the monitoring task exists, in a case where an item included in the setting information corresponding to the monitoring task is not included in the acquired setting information.

5. The monitoring apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the network device is any of an image forming apparatus, a network camera, a digital medical device, a robot, an in-car terminal, an air-conditioning device, or a network household electrical appliance.

6. A control method for a monitoring apparatus for communicating with a network device compatible with a management function for preventing a value of a particular item from being changed without predetermined authentication, the control method comprising:
storing one or more device configuration files;
creating a monitoring task for monitoring setting information of a network device of a monitoring target by selecting, as setting information corresponding to the monitoring task, one of the one or more device configuration files, wherein the setting information includes a plurality of items and values of the items;
controlling execution of the monitoring task;
acquiring, when the monitoring task is executed, the setting information of the network device of the monitoring target;
comparing values of an item included in both the acquired setting information and setting information corresponding to the monitoring task;
determining whether a difference between the acquired setting information and the setting information corresponding to the monitoring task exists based on the comparing between the acquired setting information and the setting information corresponding to the monitoring task;
determining, in a case where the monitoring task is a task for monitoring regarding the management function and an item included in the setting information corresponding to the monitoring task is not included in the acquired setting information, that a difference between the acquired setting information and the setting information corresponding to the monitoring task exists; and
executing, in a case where it is determined that a difference exists, a process according to a monitoring setting of the monitoring task,
wherein, even if an item included in the setting information corresponding to the monitoring task is not included in the acquired setting information, it is determined that no difference between the acquired setting information and the setting information corresponding to the monitoring task exists in a case where the monitoring task is not a task for monitoring regarding the management function.

7. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing computer executable instructions for causing a computer to execute a control method for a monitoring apparatus for communicating with a network device compatible with a management function for preventing a value of a particular item from being changed without predetermined authentication, the control method comprising:
storing one or more device configuration files;
creating a monitoring task for monitoring setting information of a network device of a monitoring target by selecting, as setting information corresponding to the monitoring task, one of the one or more device configuration files, wherein the setting information includes a plurality of items and values of the items;
controlling execution of the monitoring task;
acquiring, when the monitoring task is executed, the setting information of the network device of the monitoring target;
comparing values of an item included in both the acquired setting i

Assignees

• Canon Kk

Inventors

• Sato Junji

Classifications

• H04L41/28

  Restricting access to network management systems or functions, e.g. using authorisation function to access network configuration · CPC title

• H04W12/06

  Authentication · CPC title

• H04L63/20 Primary

  for managing network security; network security policies in general (filtering policies H04L63/0227) · CPC title

• H04M1/72533 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H04W12/0027

  Electricity · mapped topic