LARGE-SCALE NETWORK MANAGEMENT USING DISTRIBUTED AUTONOMOUS AGENTS
First Claim
1. Logic encoded in one or more media for execution and when executed operable to perform:
- defining a distributed autonomous agent corresponding to one of a plurality of network elements in a computer network, and comprising a plurality of device components, each of said device components modeling at least one aspect of one of said network elements, said aspect being either of a physical and a functional characteristic of said network element,wherein the agent comprises a first device component that is associated with a first OSI Reference Model network protocol layer and a second device component that is associated with a second OSI Reference Model network protocol layer that is different from the first OSI Reference Model network protocol layer;
wherein at least one of said first device component and second device component is logically interconnected to a third device component of a second agent, wherein the third device component is associated with the first OSI Reference Model network protocol layer, each logical interconnection corresponding to either of a physical and a functional interconnection found within or between any of said network elements;
wherein any of said device components is operative to send a message regarding an event within its area of responsibility to any other of said device components neighboring said device component, whereupon any of said message-receiving device components is operative, responsive to said message receipt, to autonomously change a state of its corresponding area of functionality within its associated network element;
wherein the first device component is operative to send to the second device component a second message that maps any of configuration parameters, status monitoring, statistics, or accounting parameters of the first OSI Reference Model network protocol layer to different parameters of the second OSI Reference model network protocol layer.
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Abstract
In a computer network including a plurality of network elements, a network management architecture including a plurality of agents, each of the agents corresponding to a different one of the network elements, and a plurality of device components, each of the device components modeling at least one aspect of one of the network elements, the aspect being either of a physical and a functional characteristic of the network element, where each of the agents includes a plurality of the device components, and where at least of the two device components within at least one of the agents are logically interconnected, each logical interconnection corresponding to either of a physical and a functional interconnection found within or between any of the network elements.
16 Citations
26 Claims
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1. Logic encoded in one or more media for execution and when executed operable to perform:
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defining a distributed autonomous agent corresponding to one of a plurality of network elements in a computer network, and comprising a plurality of device components, each of said device components modeling at least one aspect of one of said network elements, said aspect being either of a physical and a functional characteristic of said network element, wherein the agent comprises a first device component that is associated with a first OSI Reference Model network protocol layer and a second device component that is associated with a second OSI Reference Model network protocol layer that is different from the first OSI Reference Model network protocol layer; wherein at least one of said first device component and second device component is logically interconnected to a third device component of a second agent, wherein the third device component is associated with the first OSI Reference Model network protocol layer, each logical interconnection corresponding to either of a physical and a functional interconnection found within or between any of said network elements; wherein any of said device components is operative to send a message regarding an event within its area of responsibility to any other of said device components neighboring said device component, whereupon any of said message-receiving device components is operative, responsive to said message receipt, to autonomously change a state of its corresponding area of functionality within its associated network element; wherein the first device component is operative to send to the second device component a second message that maps any of configuration parameters, status monitoring, statistics, or accounting parameters of the first OSI Reference Model network protocol layer to different parameters of the second OSI Reference model network protocol layer. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method comprising:
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defining, in a computer network comprising a plurality of network elements, a distributed autonomous agent corresponding to one of a plurality of network elements in a computer network, and comprising a plurality of device components, each of said device components modeling at least one aspect of one of said network elements, said aspect being either of a physical and a functional characteristic of said network element, defining the agent as comprising a first device component that is associated with a first OSI Reference Model network protocol layer and a second device component that is associated with a second OSI Reference Model network protocol layer that is different from the first OSI Reference Model network protocol layer; logically interconnecting at least one of said first device component and second device component to a third device component of a second agent, wherein the third device component is associated with the first OSI Reference Model network protocol layer, each logical interconnection corresponding to either of a physical and a functional interconnection found within or between any of said network elements; configuring any of said device components to send a message regarding an event within its area of responsibility to any other of said device components neighboring said device component, whereupon any of said message-receiving device components is operative, responsive to said message receipt, to autonomously change a state of its corresponding area of functionality within its associated network element; configuring the first device component to send to the second device component a second message that maps any of configuration parameters, status monitoring, statistics, or accounting parameters of the first OSI Reference Model network protocol layer to different parameters of the second OSI Reference model network protocol layer. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A data processing apparatus comprising:
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one or more processors; a distributed autonomous agent corresponding to one of a plurality of network elements in a computer network, and comprising a plurality of device components, each of said device components modeling at least one aspect of one of said network elements, said aspect being either of a physical and a functional characteristic of said network element; wherein the agent comprises a first device component that is associated with a first OSI Reference Model network protocol layer and a second device component that is associated with a second OSI Reference Model network protocol layer that is different from the first OSI Reference Model network protocol layer; wherein at least one of said first device component and second device component is logically interconnected to a third device component of a second agent, wherein the third device component is associated with the first OSI Reference Model network protocol layer, each logical interconnection corresponding to either of a physical and a functional interconnection found within or between any of said network elements; wherein any of said device components is operative to send a message regarding an event within its area of responsibility to any other of said device components neighboring said device component, whereupon any of said message-receiving device components is operative, responsive to said message receipt, to autonomously change a state of its corresponding area of functionality within its associated network element; wherein the first device component is operative to send to the second device component a second message that maps any of configuration parameters, status monitoring, statistics, or accounting parameters of the first OSI Reference Model network protocol layer to different parameters of the second OSI Reference model network protocol layer. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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Specification