초록 ▼

A graphical user interface for network management permits a network manager to select a limited number of network components to be displayed, along with the information relative thereto, while removing the display of undesirable or unnecessary data. Information is provided to inform the network mana

A graphical user interface for network management permits a network manager to select a limited number of network components to be displayed, along with the information relative thereto, while removing the display of undesirable or unnecessary data. Information is provided to inform the network manager that connections to other components may exist. In addition, information regarding the relationship of other components connected to the selected components is displayed. The network manager is provided with the opportunity to navigate about the map which illustrates the network topology, to locate the source of a problem. If the relationship between components changes, the network manager can expand the information displayed on the screen, to view all of the components that are directly connected to an illustrated component associated with a problem. The network manager can continue to request the display of specific connections, until the component which is the source of the problem is itself displayed and identified. Once the problem has been corrected, the manager can collapse the view to the originally selected components.

대표청구항 ▼

[ What is claimed is:] [1.]1. A method of displaying a graphical representation of selected logical connections of components of a computer network in a network management system that includes stored information pertaining to the components that form the computer network and the logical connections

[ What is claimed is:] [1.]1. A method of displaying a graphical representation of selected logical connections of components of a computer network in a network management system that includes stored information pertaining to the components that form the computer network and the logical connections among the components, the method comprising the steps of:receiving a selection of at least two individual components from among all the components, which comprise less than all the components for which information is stored in the repository; anddisplaying a graphical representation of the topology of the computer network that comprises only the selected components, logical connections between only the selected components, and an indicator that identifies a relationship between each selected component and non-displayed components that are logically connected to the selected components.