Generic managed object model for LAN domain

• US 6,101,538 A
• Filed: 10/18/1995
• Issued: 08/08/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: British Telecommunications PLC (BT Group PLC)
• Inventors: Brown, David Alan
• Primary Examiner(s): Follansbee, John A.
• Application Number:
  US08/525,740
• Time in Patent Office: 1,756 Days
• Field of Search: 395/200.01, 395/200.1, 395/200.09, 395/500, 395/200.79, 395/200.3, 709/249, 709/200, 709/223, 709/230
• 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 41/0233 Object-oriented techniques, for representation of network management data, e.g. common object request broker architecture [CORBA]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/046 comprising network management agents or mobile agents therefor

Abstract

An intemetwork system has several interlinked computer networks, each network having an associated element manager which is arranged to communicate with a router via a first network management protocol. Each element manager converts from the first network management protocol to a second protocol and also communicates via the network manager. The network manager allows a user of the system to control a router by issuing a command at the network manager and/or to view information on the status, configuration and/or performance of the router.

Claims

1. An internetwork system having a plurality of interlinked networks, an individual network manager for each of said networks, and an internetwork manager, wherein at least one of said individual network managers comprises:

a database;

a manager component arranged to communicate in a first network management protocol with at least one element of a network corresponding to the one of said individual network managers, where said manager component communicates with the database using an internal protocol;

an agent component arranged to communicate with the internetwork manager in a second network management protocol; and

a converter located in a path between the database and the agent component, said converter arranged to convert from the second network management protocol to the internal protocol used with the database;

wherein the internetwork manager is arranged to allow an internetwork operator to issue a command at the internetwork manager to control an element of one of said interlinked networks.

2. An internetwork system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the control of the element of one of said interlinked elements is to present at the internetwork manager information on the status, configuration or performance of the element.

3. An internetwork system as claimed in claim 1, in which said at least one individual network managers further comprise a second converter located in path between the database and the manager component, said second converter arranged to convert between the first network management protocol and the internal protocol used with the database.

4. An internetwork system as claimed in claim 1, in which the internetwork manager includes a database model of the intemetwork, the model being arranged according to the second network management protocol.

5. An internetwork system as claimed in claim 1, in which the first network management protocol is a Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP).

6. An internetwork system as claimed in claim 1, in which the second network management protocol is a Common Management Information Protocol (CMIP).

7. An internetwork manager system as claimed in claim 1, in which said at least one individual network manager is arranged to create software objects in the database and to report the creation of said objects to the internetwork manager.

8. An internetwork system as claimed in claim 7, in which said at least one individual network manager is arranged to report the creation of software objects to the internetwork manager in a form of CMIP Enrol M-EVENTS REPORTS.

9. An internetwork system as claimed in claim 1, in which said at least one individual network manager is arranged to convert traps received from an associated network into CMIP M-EVENT REPORTS for transmission to the internetwork manager.

10. A method for managing an internetwork having a plurality of interlinked networks, where each network has an individual network manager, and an internetwork manager, wherein the method comprises the following steps:

a. communicating information regarding the status of an element on one the networks to the respective individual network manager using a first network management protocol;

b. maintaining a database at the individual network manager, where the database models the elements on the network and the database uses an internal protocol;

c. issuing a command by the internetwork manager to control the element in the network, where the command is in a second network management protocol used by the internetwork manager;

d. receiving the command at the individual network manager and translating the command from the second network management protocol to the internal protocol used by the database;

e. interrogating the database regarding the element of the network that is the subject of the command;

f. in response to the translated command, providing information to the internetwork manager regarding the status, configuration or performance of the element.