Management system architecture and design method to support reuse

• US 6,018,625 A
• Filed: 08/27/1997
• Issued: 01/25/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nortel Networks Limited (Nortel Networks Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Northern Telecom Limited (Nortel Networks Corporation)
• Inventors: Bragg, Nigel Lawrence, Hayball, Clive Colin, Tattersfield, Peter Jamieson
• Primary Examiner(s): Stamber, Eric W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): FREJD, RUSSELL WARREN
• Application Number:
  US08/921,225
• Time in Patent Office: 881 Days
• Field of Search: 395/500, 395/500.34, 395/500.43, 395/500.42, 395/500.41, 395/200.53-200.56, 395/680-683, 709/223-226, 709/300, 709/302, 709/303
• US Class Current: 703/22
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5626 Network management, e.g. Intelligent nets
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0213 Standardised network management protocols, e.g. simple network management protocol [SNMP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0233 Object-oriented techniques, for representation of network management data, e.g. common object request broker architecture [CORBA]
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0095 Specification, development or application of network management software, e.g. software re-use

Abstract

A management base of a communications network manager is constructed using object oriented techniques. A network comprises a plurality of physical resources in the form of components and assemblies of components, which are distributed across the network. A management system for the network is constructed in an evolutionary manner by representing an overall functionality of the network by an application model in which each function of the network is modeled independently of its implementation, decomposing the application model into an implementation model in which every function represented in the application model is represented in the implementation model, representing the application model as a plurality of objects, representing the implementation model as another plurality of objects, connecting the objects of the application model and implementation model together to obtain a combined object model, and constructing a management base according to the combined object model.

Claims

1. A method of constructing a management base of a communications network, said communications network comprising:

a plurality of components, each component comprising a unit of manufacture providing a functionality within said network, and which is capable of being managed individually as a discrete entity;

said plurality of components arranged into a plurality of assemblies of components, each said assembly arranged to cooperate with other said assemblies, and each said assembly capable of being managed as a whole;

said method comprising the steps of;

representing an overall functionality of said network by an application model, in which each said function of said network is modeled independently of its implementation within said network;

decomposing said application model into an implementation model, in which every function represented by said application model is represented in said implementation model;

representing said application model as a first plurality of objects;

modeling a connectivity layering between individual modeled functions within said application model;

representing said implementation model as a second plurality of objects;

connecting said first plurality of objects with said second plurality of objects to obtain a combined object model; and

constructing said management base in accordance with said combined object model.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein individual portions of said implementation model representing duplicated components or assemblies of components are re-used recursively within said implementation model.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, where-in individual elements of said application model representing a duplicated said component, or a duplicated said assembly of components is re-used recursively within said application model.

4. A method of constructing a management base of a communications network, said communications network comprising:

a plurality of components, each component comprising a unit of manufacture providing a functionality within said network, and which is capable of being managed individually as a discrete entity;

said plurality of components arranged into a plurality of assemblies of components, each said assembly arranged to cooperate with other said assemblies, and each said assembly capable of being managed as a whole;

said method comprising the steps of;

representing an overall functionality of said network by an application model, in which each said function of said network is modeled independently of its implementation within said network;

decomposing said application model into an implementation model, in which every function represented by said application model is represented in said implementation model;

representing said application model as a first plurality of objects;

representing said implementation model as a second plurality of objects by modeling connectivities between assemblies of components at a first layer and assemblies of components at a second layer;

connecting said first plurality of objects with said second plurality of objects to obtain a combined object model; and

constructing said management base in accordance with said combined object model.

5. A method of constructing a management base of a communications network, said communications network comprising:

a plurality of components, each component comprising a unit of manufacture providing a functionality within said network, and which is capable of being managed individually as a discrete entity;

said plurality of components arranged into a plurality of assemblies of components, each said assembly arranged to cooperate with other said assemblies, and each said assembly capable of being managed as a whole;

said method comprising the steps of;

representing an overall functionality of said network by an application model, in which each said function of said network is modeled independently of its implementation within said network;

decomposing said application model into an implementation model, in which every function represented by said application model is represented in said implementation model;

representing said application model as a first plurality of objects;

of optimizing said application class model by identifying symmetrical portions of said application class model and folding said symmetrical portions to obtain a folded application class model;

representing said implementation model as a second plurality of objects;

connecting said first plurality of objects with said second plurality of objects to obtain a combined object model; and

constructing said management base in accordance with said combined object model.

6. A method of constructing a management base of a communications network, said communications network comprising:

a plurality of components, each component comprising a unit of manufacture providing a functionality within said network, and which is capable of being managed individually as a discrete entity;

said plurality of components arranged into a plurality of assemblies of components, each said assembly arranged to cooperate with other said assemblies, and each said assembly capable of being managed as a whole;

said method comprising the steps of;

representing an overall functionality of said network by an application model, in which each said function of said network is modeled independently of its implementation within said network;

decomposing said application model into an implementation model, in which every function represented by said application model is represented in said implementation model;

representing said application model as a first plurality of objects;

optimizing said implementation class model by identifying symmetrical portions of said implementation class model and folding said symmetrical portions of said implementation class model to obtain a folded implementation class model;

representing said implementation model as a second plurality of objects;

connecting said first plurality of objects with said second plurality of objects to obtain a combined object model; and

constructing said management base in accordance with said combined object model.