Method and system for a model-based approach to network management

• US 20020188643A1
• Filed: 06/07/2001
• Published: 12/12/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Kennedy, Thomas A.
• Application Number:
  US09/876,066
• Publication Number:
  US 20020188643A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 718/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0213 Standardised network management protocols, e.g. simple network management protocol [SNMP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0893 Assignment of logical groups to network elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0894 Policy-based network configuration management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles

Abstract

A method, a system, an apparatus, and a computer program product are presented for monitoring or managing a network using an object-oriented enterprise model. A set of objects are generated for the object-oriented enterprise model. An object is defined using an object-oriented language, and an object represents a device, a system, a collection of devices and/or systems, an executable program component, or a collection of executable program components within the network. An enterprise model is also defined using the object-oriented language such that the enterprise model is a set of related objects. Policies are created using the object-oriented language in which a policy contains one or more conditions and associated actions within the network. The policies can then be executed to perform monitoring and/or management tasks within the network.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring or managing a network using an object-oriented enterprise model, the method comprising:

generating a set of objects, wherein an object represents a device, a system, a collection of devices and/or systems, an executable program component, or a collection of executable program components within the network, and wherein an object is defined using an object-oriented language;

defining an enterprise model using the object-oriented language, wherein the enterprise model is a set of related objects; and

creating a policy using the object-oriented language, wherein a policy comprises a condition and an associated action within the network.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

executing the policy to perform a monitoring and/or management task within the network.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

defining a condition with an operator having an object as an operand, and wherein an operator is defined within the object-oriented language.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

defining an action with an operation on an object within the enterprise model, wherein the operation is defined within an object-oriented class for the object.

5. A method for monitoring or managing a network using an object-oriented enterprise model, the method comprising:

retrieving a policy, wherein the policy comprises a set of object-oriented language statements describing a condition and an associated action within the network;

accessing an enterprise model, wherein the enterprise model is a set of related objects, wherein an object represents a device, a system, a collection of devices and/or systems, an executable program component, or a collection of executable program components within the network, and wherein an object is defined using an object-oriented language; and

interpreting the policy to perform a monitoring and/or management task within the network.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising:

defining a condition with an operator having an object as an operand, and wherein an operator is defined within the object-oriented language.

7. The method of claim 5 further comprising:

defining an action with an operation on an object within the enterprise model, wherein the operation is defined within an object-oriented class for the object.

8. An apparatus for monitoring or managing a network using an object-oriented enterprise model, the apparatus comprising:

generating means for generating a set of objects, wherein an object represents a device, a system, a collection of devices and/or systems, an executable program component, or a collection of executable program components within the network, and wherein an object is defined using an object-oriented language;

first defining means for defining an enterprise model using the object-oriented language, wherein the enterprise model is a set of related objects; and

creating means for creating a policy using the object-oriented language, wherein a policy comprises a condition and an associated action within the network.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 further comprising:

executing means for executing the policy to perform a monitoring and/or management task within the network.

10. The apparatus of claim 8 further comprising:

second defining means for defining a condition with an operator having an object as an operand, and wherein an operator is defined within the object-oriented language.

11. The apparatus of claim 8 further comprising:

third defining means for defining an action with an operation on an object within the enterprise model, wherein the operation is defined within an object-oriented class for the object.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 further comprising:

first defining means for defining a condition with an operator having an object as an operand, and wherein an operator is defined within the object-oriented language.

14. The apparatus of claim 12 further comprising:

second defining means for defining an action with an operation on an object within the enterprise model, wherein the operation is defined within an object-oriented class for the object.

16. The computer program product of claim 15 further comprising:

instructions for executing the policy to perform a monitoring and/or management task within the network.

17. The computer program product of claim 15 further comprising:

instructions for defining a condition with an operator having an object as an operand, and wherein an operator is defined within the object-oriented language.

18. The computer program product of claim 15 further comprising:

instructions for defining an action with an operation on an object within the enterprise model, wherein the operation is defined within an object-oriented class for the object.

20. The computer program product of claim 19 further comprising:

instructions for defining a condition with an operator having an object as an operand, and wherein an operator is defined within the object-oriented language.

21. The computer program product of claim 19 further comprising:

instructions for defining an action with an operation on an object within the enterprise model, wherein the operation is defined within an object-oriented class for the object.

12. An apparatus for monitoring or managing a network using an object-oriented enterprise model, the apparatus comprising:

retrieving means for retrieving a policy, wherein the policy comprises a set of object-oriented language statements describing a condition and an associated action within the network;

accessing means for accessing an enterprise model, wherein the enterprise model is a set of related objects, wherein an object represents a device, a system, a collection of devices and/or systems, an executable program component, or a collection of executable program components within the network, and wherein an object is defined using an object-oriented language; and

interpreting means for interpreting the policy to perform a monitoring and/or management task within the network.

15. A computer program product on a computer readable medium for use in a data processing system for monitoring or managing a network using an object-oriented enterprise model, the computer program product comprising:

instructions for generating a set of objects, wherein an object represents a device, a system, a collection of devices and/or systems, an executable program component, or a collection of executable program components within the network, and wherein an object is defined using an object-oriented language;

instructions for defining an enterprise model using the object-oriented language, wherein the enterprise model is a set of related objects; and

instructions for creating a policy using the object-oriented language, wherein a policy comprises a condition and an associated action within the network.

19. A computer program product on a computer readable medium for use in a data processing system for monitoring or managing a network using an object-oriented enterprise model, the computer program product comprising:

instructions for retrieving a policy, wherein the policy comprises a set of object-oriented language statements describing a condition and an associated action within the network;

instructions for accessing an enterprise model, wherein the enterprise model is a set of related objects, wherein an object represents a device, a system, a collection of devices and/or systems, an executable program component, or a collection of executable program components within the network, and wherein an object is defined using an object-oriented language; and

instructions for interpreting the policy to perform a monitoring and/or management task within the network.