Management of network elements using a proxy agent

• US 20050080886A1
• Filed: 09/26/2003
• Published: 04/14/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ciena Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nortel Networks Limited (Nortel Networks Corporation)
• Inventors: Croy, Timothy, Hamilton, Kevin
• Granted Patent: US 7,389,337 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0213 Standardised network management protocols, e.g. simple network management protocol [SNMP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0226 Mapping or translating multiple network management protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/046 comprising network management agents or mobile agents therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/565 Conversion or adaptation of application format or content adding application control or application functional data H04L67/561

Abstract

A proxy agent for communicating data components between a Network Management System (NMS) which supports a first network management protocol, for example Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP), and one or more network elements which support a second protocol, for example Transaction Language 1 (TL1). The proxy agent comprises a directory for storing the data components wherein each data component is associated with a first data component identifier which is compatible with the first protocol, and with a second data component identifier which is compatible with the second protocol. The directory provides an inherent mapping between protocols and obviates the need for a separate mapping component. The directory may conveniently comprise a Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) directory.

Claims

1. A proxy agent for communicating data components between a first system which supports a first protocol and a second system which supports a second protocol, said first and second protocols being mutually incompatible, the proxy agent comprising a directory for storing said data components wherein each data component stored in said directory is associated with a first data component identifier which is compatible with said first protocol, and with a second data component identifier which is compatible with said second protocol.

2. A proxy agent as claimed in claim 1, further including a first protocol handler arranged to communicate with said first system using said first protocol, and a second protocol handler arranged to communicate with said second system using said second protocol, wherein said first protocol handler is arranged to send data components to, and/or receive data components from, said directory using said first data component identifier, and said second protocol handler is arranged to send data components to, and/or receive data components from, said directory using said second data component identifier.

3. A proxy agent as claimed in claim 1, in which the directory supports a hierarchical data structure in which each stored data component is associated with a respective position in the hierarchical data structure.

4. A proxy agent as claimed in claim 3, wherein said respective first data component identifiers support a hierarchical structure and serve to identify the respective position of the respective data component in the hierarchical data structure.

5. A proxy agent as claimed in claim 4, wherein said data components are arranged into directory entities within the directory, each directory entity comprising a one or more directory entries, each directory entry comprising a respective data component, a respective first data component identifier and a respective second data component identifier.

6. A proxy agent as claimed in claim 5, wherein each data component within a directory entity belongs to the same branch of the hierarchical data structure.

7. A proxy agent as claimed in claim 5, wherein each directory entity is associated with a first directory entity identifier which is compatible with said first protocol and with a second identifier which is compatible with said second protocol.

8. A proxy agent as claimed in claim 7, in which said respective first directory entity identifiers support a hierarchical structure.

9. A proxy agent as claimed in claim 7, in which each of said first directory entity identifiers belongs to a branch of the hierarchical data structure that is one hierarchical level above the branch to which the respective data components in the respective directory entity belong.

10. A proxy agent as claimed in claim 5, in which a respective schema is provided to define each type of directory entity and wherein a respective directory entry is created by populating a respective schema with one or more data components.

11. A proxy agent as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first protocol supports a hierarchical data structure.

12. A proxy agent as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first and second protocol each comprise a respective network management protocol.

13. A proxy agent as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first protocol comprises Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP).

14. A proxy agent as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first system comprises a Network Management system (NMS) and said second system comprises a network element.

15. A proxy agent as claimed in claim 14, wherein said proxy agent effects communication between said Network Management system and a plurality of network elements, at least some of said network elements supporting said second protocol.

16. A proxy agent as claimed in claim 1, wherein said directory comprises a directory which supports Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP).

17. A network comprising a first system which supports a first protocol and a second system which supports a second protocol, said first and second protocols being mutually incompatible, and a proxy agent as claimed in claim 1.

18. A method of communicating data components between said first system which supports a first protocol and a second system which supports a second protocol, said first and second protocols being mutually incompatible, said method comprising storing said data components in a directory wherein each data component stored in said directory is associated with a first data component identifier which is compatible with said first protocol, and with a second data component identifier which is compatible with said second protocol.

19. A computer program product comprising computer program code for causing a computer to perform the method of claim 18.