APPARATUS, METHODS, AND COMPUTER PROGRAM PRODUCTS FOR MANAGING NETWORK ELEMENTS AND ASSOCIATED NETWORK ELEMENT RESOURCES BY MULTIPLE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS

• US 20090313372A1
• Filed: 06/16/2008
• Published: 12/17/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Atlassian US, Inc. (Atlassian Corporation)
• Original Assignee: At&T Delaware Intellectual Property, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Streijl, Robert C.
• Granted Patent: US 8,046,457 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/225
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/082 the condition being updates or upgrades of network functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0811 by checking connectivity

Abstract

Network elements and resources associated with the network elements are manageable by multiple management systems. A request for network element resource management information is transmitted to at least two network management systems, and a reply identifying the network elements that are managed by the respective network management systems from the at least two network management systems is received.

Claims

1. An apparatus for managing one or more network elements and resources associated with the network elements, the apparatus comprising:

a controller being configured to transmit to at least two management systems a request for network element resource management information and receive a reply identifying the network elements and resources associated with the network elements that are managed by respective management systems from the at least two management systems, wherein each network element and the resources associated with each network element are manageable by multiple management systems; and

a network interface in communication with the controller, the network interface being configured to employ at least one network management protocol in order to receive and transmit information.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the request for network element resource management information comprises network element management policy information in regard to each network element or resource that is managed by a management system.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the controller initiates communication with the network elements identified in the reply to the request for network resource management information, wherein the reply includes information regarding physical and logical resources associated with the network elements.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the controller is configured to facilitate communication between respective management systems that manage the same network elements and resources associated with the network elements.

5. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the controller is configured to change the operational state of a network element or resource associated with the network element when the network element is in communication with the controller.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the network element management policy information received from each management system for a network element or resource is prioritized according to predetermined criteria, where in the case of competing network element management policies, the network element management policies of the management system assigned the highest priority supersede additional network element management policy information that is associated with the network element or resource.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the controller is configured to enforce predetermined management system management policy rules that supersede the network element management policy information that is associated with respective network elements or resources.

8. A method for managing one or more network elements and resources associated with the network elements, the method comprising:

transmitting to at least two management systems a request for network element resource management information;

receiving a reply identifying the network elements and resources associated with the network elements that are managed by respective management systems from the at least two management systems, wherein each network element and the resources associated with each network element are manageable by multiple management systems, and at least one network management protocol is employed in order to receive and transmit information.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the request for network element resource management information comprises network element management policy information in regard to each network element or resource that is managed by a management system.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

receiving a request to change an operational state of a network element or a resource

determining if the request can be performed based upon an evaluation of the network element management policy information that is associated with the network element or resource;

denying the request to change the operational state of the network element or the resource in the event that it is determined that conflicting network element management polices are associated with the network element or resource; and

granting the request to change the operational state of the network element or resource in the event that it is determined that no conflicting network element management policies are associated with the network element or resource.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising facilitating the communication between respective management systems.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the network element management policy information received from each management system for a network element or resource is prioritized according to predetermined criteria, where in the case of competing network element management policies, the network element management policies of the management system assigned the highest priority supersede additional network element management policy information that is associated with the network element or resource.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising enforcing predetermined management system management policy rules that supersede the network element management policy information that is associated with respective network elements or resources.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising reporting the operational state change of a network element or resource to all management system that are associated with the network element or resource.

15. A computer program product that includes a computer readable medium useable by a processor, the medium having stored thereon a sequence of instructions which, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to manage one or more network elements and resources associated with the network elements by:

transmitting to at least two management systems a request for network element resource management information; and

receiving a reply identifying the network elements and the resources associated with the network elements that are managed by respective management systems from the at least two management systems, wherein each network element and the resources associated with each network element are manageable by multiple management systems, and at least one network management protocol is employed in order to receive and transmit information.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the request for network element resource management information comprises network element management policy information in regard to each network element or resource that is managed by a management system.

17. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the sequence of instructions, when executed by the processor, further causes the processor to manage the network elements and resources associated with eh network elements by:

receiving a request to change the operational state of a network element or resource;

determining if the request can be performed based upon an evaluation of all of the network element management policy information that is associated with the network element or resource.

denying the request to change the operational state of a network element or resource in the event that it is determined that conflicting network element management polices are associated with the network element or resource; and

granting the request to change the operational state of a network element or resource in the event that it is determined that no conflicting network element management policies are associated with the network element or resource.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the network element management policy information received from each management system for a network element is prioritized according to predetermined criteria, where in the case of competing network element management policies, the network element management policies of the management system assigned the highest priority supersede additional network element management policy information that is associated with the network element or resource.

19. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the sequence of instructions, when executed by the processor, further causes the processor to manage the network elements and resources associated with the network elements by enforcing predetermined management system management policy rules that supersede the network element management policy information that is associated with respective network elements or resources.

20. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein the sequence of instructions, when executed by the processor, further causes the processor to manage network elements and resources associated with the network elements by reporting the operational state change of a network element or resource to all management systems that are associated with the network element or resource.