Method and system for dynamic loading of management information bases on network devices

• US 20080040467A1
• Filed: 08/09/2006
• Published: 02/14/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Karmakar, Anirban, Hosdurg, Narayana Pai, Mendiratta, Rohit
• Granted Patent: US 8,635,315 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 41/0893 Assignment of logical groups to network elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0894 Policy-based network configuration management

Abstract

In one embodiment, a Management Information Base (MIB) is dynamically loaded on a managed network device that is managed by a managing network device using a management application. Initially, one or more network management objects are identified. The identified one or more network management objects are then included in the MIB. Thereafter, a policy file to be associated with the MIB is defined. Consequently, the MIB is loaded on the managed network device along with the associated policy file.

Claims

1. A method for dynamically loading a Management Information Base (MIB) on a managed network device that is managed by a managing network device using a management application, the method comprising:

identifying one or more network management objects;

including the one or more network management objects in the MIB;

receiving the definition of a policy file to be associated with the MIB;

loading the MIB on the managed network device; and

loading the policy file on the managed network device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein an infrastructure, implemented on the managed network device, adapted to load the MIB and the policy file on the managed network device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the infrastructure associates the MIB with the policy file on the managed network device.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising selecting the one or more network management objects included in the MIB as part of the process for loading the MIB.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving a query for values of the one or more network management objects from the managing network device;

extracting the values of the one or more network management objects during run-time of the managed network device, the values of the one or more network management objects are extracted using the policy file;

converting an existing syntax of the extracted values to a syntax of formal specifications, the syntax is compatible with the management application; and

populating the MIB with the extracted and converted values, the populated MIB is used to service the query from the managing network device.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the values of the one or more network management objects are extracted from a management interface, the management interface is present in the managed network device.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the values of the one or more network management objects in the converted syntax are obtained by the management application directly from the MIB for managing the managed network device.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the values of the one or more network management objects in the converted syntax are populated in an output table present in the MIB by the policy file.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

loading the MIB on a managed network device other than the one on which the MIB is loaded for the first time; and

loading the policy file on the managed network device other than the one on which the MIB is loaded for the first time.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

receiving a query for values of the one or more network management objects from the managing network device;

extracting values of the one or more network management objects during run-time of the managed network device other than the one on which the MIB is loaded for the first time, the values of the one or more network management objects are extracted using the policy file;

converting an existing syntax of the extracted values to a syntax of formal specifications compatible with the management application; and

populating the MIB with the extracted and converted values, the populated MIB is used to service the query from the managing network device.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the one or more network management objects are present in a management interface, the management interface is present in the managed network device other than the one on which the MIB is loaded for the first time.

12. A system for dynamically loading a Management Information Base (MIB) on a managed network device that is managed by a managing network device using a management application, the system comprising:

a management interface;

one or more network management objects;

a policy file, the policy file populating the MIB; and

an infrastructure, the infrastructure adapted to dynamically load the MIB and the policy file on the managed network device in response to a query.

13. A system for dynamically loading a Management Information Base (MIB) on a managed network device that is managed by a managing network device using a management application, the system comprising:

means for identifying one or more network management objects;

means for including the one or more network management objects in the MIB;

means for defining a policy file to be associated with the MIB;

means for loading the MIB on the managed network device; and

means for loading the policy file on the managed network device.

14. The system of claim 13 further comprising:

means for receiving a query for values of the one or more network management objects from the managing network device;

means for extracting the values of the one or more network management objects during run-time of the managed network device, the values of the one or more network management objects are extracted using the policy file;

means for converting an existing syntax of the extracted values to a syntax of formal specifications compatible with the management application; and

means for populating the MIB with the extracted and converted values, the populated MIB is used to service the query from the managing network device.

15. A machine-readable medium for dynamically loading a Management Information Base (MIB) on a managed network device that is managed by a managing network device by using a management application, the machine-readable medium comprising:

one or more instructions for receiving the identification of one or more network management objects;

one or more instructions for including the one or more network management objects in the MIB;

one or more instructions for receiving a definition of a policy file to be associated with the MIB;

one or more instructions for loading the MIB on the managed network device; and

one or more instructions for loading the policy file on the managed network device.

16. The machine-readable medium of claim 15 further comprising:

one or more instructions for receiving a query for values of the one or more network management objects from the managing network device;

one or more instructions for extracting the values of the one or more network management objects during run-time of the managed network device, the values of the one or more network management objects are extracted using the policy file;

one or more instructions for converting an existing syntax of the extracted values to a syntax of formal specifications compatible with the management application; and

one or more instructions for populating the MIB with the extracted and converted values, the populated MIB is used to service the query from the managing network device.

17. The machine-readable medium of claim 15 wherein the identification of one or more network management objects and the definition of the associated policy file are user defined.

18. In a network, a managed network device adapted to collect and store management information represented by plurality of network management objects in a Management Information Bases (MIB) that may be queried from a network management device and a specification framework describing the network management objects, the managed network device comprising a policy file, used by the managed network device, for obtaining values for network management objects other than the plurality of network management objects in the MIB.

19. The managed network device of claim 18 wherein the network management objects are user defined.

20. The managed network device of claim 18 further comprising a management interface for associating the user defined network management objects with a policy file, the policy file adapted to obtain the values of the network management objects from the management interface.