Method and apparatus for efficient communication of management data

• US 20060026272A1
• Filed: 07/29/2004
• Published: 02/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RPX Clearinghouse LLC (RPX Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nortel Networks Limited (Nortel Networks Corporation)
• Inventors: Sullivan, Patrick, Bujold, Peter
• Granted Patent: US 7,925,727 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0226 Mapping or translating multiple network management protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0273 using web services for network management, e.g. simple object access protocol [SOAP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/565 Conversion or adaptation of application format or content adding application control or application functional data H04L67/561
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/5651 Reducing the amount or size of exchanged application data

Abstract

A mediator for efficiently exchanging management data in a hierarchical management network for managing network elements of a data transport network partitions resources of the network elements among a plurality of management representations of the network elements and selectively forwards management data associated with respective management representations to a higher level of the hierarchy. The mediator modifies the management data so that the higher level (i.e. a northbound element management system or a network management system) receives the management data in a view consistent with the management representation of the network element. Client-based management representations may be created to permit clients to manage selected resources of a network element, and testing-based management representations may be created to facilitate concurrent testing of a network element.

Claims

1. A mediator in a management communications stream established between a network element (NE) and network management systems (NMS), the mediator comprising:

a southbound interface for exchanging management data with the NE;

a signal processor for processing the management data from the southbound interface to provide management data associated with a management representation of the NE, the management representation corresponding to a logical NE based on a predetermined proportion of resources of the NE; and

a northbound interface for exchanging management data associated with the management representation with the NMS.

2. A mediator that processes at least two management communications streams established between a network element (NE) and respective network management systems, the mediator comprising:

a southbound interface for exchanging management data with the NE;

a signal processor for processing the management data from the southbound interface to provide management data associated with respective ones of a plurality of management representations of the NE; and

a northbound interface for each of the network management systems, each northbound interface exchanging management data associated with one,of the management representation, with a designated network management system.

3. The mediator as claimed in claim 2 wherein the signal processor comprises:

a filter for each of the northbound interfaces, each filter discarding management data received from the southbound interface that is not associated with the respective management representation; and

a module for translating and transforming the management data for each of the northbound interfaces, the module presenting a consistent view of the management representation expected by each network management system.

4. The mediator as claimed in claim 3 wherein the module is adapted to substitute an equipment identifier used by the NE with an equipment identifier used by the management representation.

5. The mediator as claimed in claim 3 wherein each of the northbound and southbound interfaces is associated with a respective logical port, and the mediator serves as a proxy for management data.

6. The mediator as claimed in claim 3 wherein each of the filters is associated with a respective mutually exclusive set of resources of the NE, and only admits management data associated with that set of resources.

7. The mediator as claimed in claim 6 each set of resources is associated with a group of ports of the NE.

8. The mediator as claimed in claim 2 further comprising an access control module for selectively permitting the respective network management systems to control a predetermined proportion of resources of the NE.

9. The mediator as claimed in claim 2 wherein:

the mediator is a software program resident on the NE;

each northbound interface is connected to an element management system, which is in turn connected to a corresponding network management system; and

the southbound interface comprises a control interface to the NE.

10. The mediator as claimed in claim 2 wherein:

the mediator a software program resident on an element management system.

11. The mediator as claimed in claim 2 wherein the mediator is a communications device connected to the NE by the southbound interface, and connected to a plurality of element management systems by respective northbound interfaces, the element management systems being connected to the corresponding network management systems.

12. The mediator as claimed in claim 2 wherein the mediator is a communications device connected to an element management system by the southbound interface, the element management system being connected to the NE.

13. The mediator as claimed in claim 2 further comprising a northbound interface that exchanges all management data associated with the NE with a network management system.

14. A method for providing a plurality of management representations of a network element (NE), the method comprising:

filtering and translating management data originating from the NE to provide management data to each of the management representations of the network element; and

for each of the management representations, establishing communications with a respective network or element management system to permit the exchange of the management data of a management corresponding representation.

15. The method as claimed in claim 14 further comprising an initial step of establishing a network connection to the NE.

16. The method as claimed in claim 14 further comprising an initial step of establishing a network connection to an element management system of the NE.

17. The method as claimed in claim 14 wherein filtering and translating comprises:

filtering the management data received from the NE to provide a filtered management data stream to each of the management representations, the filter discarding management data that is not associated with each respective management representation; and

translating and transforming each filtered management data stream to provide management data to the element or network management system that is consistent with each management representation.

18. The method as claimed in claim 17 wherein translating and transforming comprises substituting an equipment identifier used by the NE with an equipment identifier used by the management representation.

19. The method as claimed in claim 17 further comprising:

determining if an element or network management system sending management data is authorized to control NE resources targeted by the management data; and

forwarding the management data to the NE only if it is determined that the element or network management system is authorized to control the NE resources.

20. The method as claimed in claim 19 further comprising returning an error message to the element or network management system that sent the management data if it is found that the element or network management system is not authorized to control the NE resources.

21. The method as claimed in claim 14 further comprising creating at least two testing-based management representations of the NE to facilitate concurrent testing of the NE.

22. An article comprising a computer readable signal and program instructions embedded in said computer readable signal for instantiating the method claimed in claim 14.

23. An article comprising a computer readable signal and program instructions embedded in said computer readable signal for instantiating the method claimed in claim 17.

24. An article comprising a computer readable memory and program instructions stored in said computer readable memory for instantiating the method claimed in claim 14.

25. An article comprising a computer readable memory and program instructions stored in said computer readable memory for instantiating the method claimed in claim 17.