Network Management Over SMS
Networks continue to evolve, growing in capability and complexity. A diverse range of platforms, protocols and physical assets provides PC Management and Remote Control Software solutions, with the continuous challenge of being able to offer support to a variety of configurations and to ensure that critical IT infrastructure is available when needed most.
The Proposed SMS Network Management Archiatechture
The goal of the project is to design a Mobile SMS Based Network management software using Microsoft Visual C++. Network Monitoring and Management is an important activity of network administrators. It is necessary to monitor a typical network for reasons such as network failures due to improper usage and unauthenticated log-on attempts from foreign/restricted nodes. There is a lot of requirements for Remote Network Management Systems.
Existing System
Generally, network tools which come along with the network operating systems do not satisfy all the requirements related to network monitoring. So administrators rely on other special utilities for their requirements. Further, the remote administration capabilities were very limited and will require suitable network infra-structure to manage the network from a remote location. There will be a necessity for deploying a client side component in all the hosts which we will manage from the remote location. So in the existing solution strategies lot of cost and maintenance (installation of client side component) will be required to run the remote network management system.
The Main Interface Design
The following screen shows the design of main interface from which we can control the hosts in the network
The Main Interface Design
The following screen shows the active nodes in the network.
The Main Interface With Active Node
The following screen shows the active nodes in the network and the shutdown manager dialog from which we can shutdown or restart the selected node or all the nodes in the network.
The Main Interface with Shutdown Management Slider Window
The following screen shows the active nodes in the network and the password manager dialog from which we can change the password of a particular user account in the selected node or any other nodes in the network.
The Main Interface with Password Management Slider Window
The following screen shows the active nodes in the network and the account manager dialog from which we can create a user account in the selected node or any other nodes in the network.
The Main Interface with Account Management Slider Window
The following screen shows the active nodes in the network and the Process Manager dialog from which we Kill a Process in the selected node or any other nodes in the network.
The Main Interface with Process Management Slider Window
In this project the possibilities of using Mobile SMS service is going to be explored to design and implement a Remote Network Management software to manage windows NT servers, Work Stations and Windows XP Clients. By deploying the proposed system, the administrators can monitor and manage their network from any remote location using the SMS service available in the cell phone. Using Mibile FBUS interface, we can send and receive SMS commands using a cell phone.
In this proposed system there will not be any client side component necessary to manage the system from the remote location. Instead, the only software component installed in only one server/client will be sufficient for managing the whole network in a centralized manner. The SMS interface will be available at that managing node. By using that SMS interface we can control that machine as well as all the machines in the network from a remote location.
Proposed software was successfully developed using Microsoft Visual C++ on Windows XP using Mobile FBUS Technology and tested on network. The Mobile SMS interface commands were also implemented and tested successfully. By using this mobile interface, a administrator can audit and control network from a remote location.
Background Study
About Short Message Service
Short Message Service (SMS) is a service available on most digital mobile phones (and other mobile devices, e.g. a Pocket PC, or occasionally even desktop computers) that permits the sending of short messages (also known as text messages, or more colloquially SMSes, texts or even txts) between mobile phones, other handheld devices and even landline telephones.
SMS is widely used for delivering premium content such as news alerts, financial information, logos and ringtones. Such messages are also known as premium-rated short messages (PSMS). The subscribers are charged extra for receiving this premium content, and the amount is typically divided between the mobile network operator and the content provider (VASP) either through revenue share or a fixed transport fee.
Premium short messages are also increasingly being used for "real-world" services. For example, some vending machines now allow payment by sending a premium-rated short message, so that the cost of the item bought is added to the user's phone bill or subtracted from the user's prepaid credits.
A new type of 'free premium' or 'hybrid premium' content has emerged with the launch of text-service websites. These sites allow registered users to receive free text messages when items they are interested go on sale, or when new items are introduced.
Short message services are developing very rapidly throughout the world. By mid-2004, SMS messages were being sent at a rate of 500 billion messages per annum. SMS is particularly popular in Europe, Asia (excluding Japan), Australia and New Zealand. Popularity has grown to a sufficient extent that the term texting (used as a verb meaning the act of mobile phone users sending short messages back and forth) has entered the common lexicon. In China, SMS is very popular, and has brought service providers significant profit .
Short messages are particularly popular amongst young urbanites. In many markets, the service is comparatively cheap.
The Modules of the Proposed System
The Main Program Interface Module
FBUS Serial Cable Interface Module
User Password Management Module
User Account Management Module
Process Management Module
Remote Shutdown Control Module
Module Description
The Main Program Interface Module
This interface will be used to configure the phone and port settings and other command settings. Users of the software can configure the proposed management system using this interface.
FBUS Serial Cable Interface Module
The communication methods called FBUS and MBUS are used in Nokia mobile phones for data transmission, service, and adjustments. The MBUS method, that uses only a single pin, is a half-duplex method used also in older Nokia phones. The FBUS is a newer solution and offers high-speed full-duplex communications link between the phone and the computer. The service and adjustment operations, which are traditionally made over MBUS, are available also via FBUS, but usually much faster.
Remote Shutdown Control Module
The Remote Shutdown Module is used to shutdown or restart a particular selected node or all the nodes in the network.User Password Management Module
The Password Management Module is used to remove or change the password of a particular user account in the selected node in the network.User Account Management Module
The Account Management Module is used to create a user account in a particular node in the network.Process Management Module
The Process Management Module is used to kill the selected process in a node.
The Implemented SMS Command Messages
The following commands were successfully Implemented and successfully tested over the mobile SMS control interface as well as using the windows part of the control application.
Missed Call Command:
A Missed call from the Administrator's phone will activate or deactivate the SMS control interface.
Command Set I
#C1 Calc.exe (for Testing connectivity)
#C2 Notepad (for Testing connectivity)
#C3 Shutdown Remote Management Application
Command Set II
#SS Shutdown Selected
#SA Shutdown All
#RS Restart Selected
#RA Restart All
#CC Cancel All
#CA Create Account
#CP Change Password
Conclusion and Scope for Future enhancements
The proposed remote Network management system was successfully implemented and tested over the mobile SMS control interface as well as using the windows Interface. A remote windows machine as well as a set of Windows Hosts were controlled from a remote location using the provided computer interface as well as mobile SMS interface.
The Main Program Interface Module, FBUS Serial Cable Interface Module, User Password Management Module, User Account Management Module, Process Management Module and the Remote Shutdown Control Module were successfully implemented and tested.
The designed user interface has the very novel look and it was also very easy to handle. The interface design preserves the usage of desktop space. So we can add more functionality without affecting the look of the main interface. The performance of this program in terms of speed is so good because Visual C++ is good for this kind of system programming. Developing the project under Visual C++ was a challenging task since handling threads and timers for several operations in that environment is a complex and difficult operation.
Alert mechanisms can be added to alert administrators over SMS at a particular network event such as unauthenticated log-on request from a remote system. These kind of enhancements can be implemented in future works. In this implementation, the windows were not resizable. But in future works, we may design resizable slider windows.