Hierarchically distributed network management system using open system interconnection (OSI) protocols

• US 6,105,061 A
• Filed: 07/25/1991
• Issued: 08/15/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Nakai, Shoichiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Treat, William M.
• Application Number:
  US07/735,020
• Time in Patent Office: 3,309 Days
• Field of Search: 395/200, 395/500, 395/800, 709/223, 709/230, 709/303
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0226 Mapping or translating multiple network management protocols
• 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 41/044 comprising hierarchical management structures

Abstract

A management system comprises a central management station and a plurality of remote management stations coupled to nodes of a communications network which interconnects the nodes using OSI protocols. The central management station comprises a first memory for storing attributes of managed objects which are supervised by the central management station. A central station controller is responsive to a request and accesses its memory if the request is concerned with the attributes stored therein or transmits a request to one of the remote stations If the request is not concerned with the stored attributes. Each remote management station comprises a memory for storing attributes of managed objects supervised by the remote management station. A remote station controller responds to the request from the central station by making access to the remote station memory if the request is concerned with the stored attributes or by transmitting a request to an associated network node If the request Is not concerned with the stored attributes.

Claims

1. A management system for a communications network containing a plurality of network nodes interconnected by transmission lines, said management system providing management control on said communications network using OSI (Open System Interconnection) protocols, and comprising:

a central management station comprising a central-station memory for storing attributes of managed objects which are supervised by the central management station, request entry means for issuing an access request, and control means responsive to the access request for making access to the central-station memory if the access request is the access request is concerned with the attributes stored in the central-station memory or transmitting a request to one of a plurality of first control lines if the access request is not concerned with the attributes stored in the central-station memory; and

a plurality of remote management stations respectively coupled to said central management station through said first control lines and respectively coupled through a plurality of second control lines to said network nodes,

each of the remote management stations comprising;

a remote-station memory for storing attributes of managed objects supervised by the remote management station;

a syntax analyzer for analyzing formal-description managed object definitions according to syntax rules and transforming the formal-description managed object definitions into transformed definitions which can be translated into machine instructions;

means for establishing reference relationships between said formal-description managed object definitions;

verification means for verifying the transformed definitions against said established reference relationships and producing verified definitions;

output means for receiving the verified definitions and applying part of the verified definitions as feedback to the verification means to allow the verification means to perform verification on the transformed definitions against said feedback;

definitions entry means for receiving the verified definitions from the verification means as received definitions and separating the received definitions into OSI-based definitions and non-OSI-based definitions;

OSI-based definitions storage means coupled to the definitions entry means for storing said OSI-based definitions;

non-OSI-based definitions storage means coupled to the definitions entry means for storing said non-OSI-based definitions; and

control means responsive to the request from the central management station for making a search through the stored OSI-based definitions to determine the executability of said request, reading a non-OSI-based definition from said non-OSI-based definitions storage means if said request is determined to be executable, and making access to the remote-station memory or transmitting a request to one of said network nodes in accordance with the non-OSI-based definition.

2. A management system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the central management station includes control means comprising:

access pattern management means having a plurality of storage locations, each of the storage locations storing a first access code indicating whether said request is allowed to access the remote management stations in a write mode, a second access code indicating whether said request is allowed to access the central-station memory in a read mode or whether said request is allowed to access the remote management stations in a read mode, attribute names of a managed object class, and an access pattern identifier;

destination management means having a plurality of storage locations, each of the storage locations storing a managed object class, a managed object identifier identifying an instance of the managed object class, a destination code identifying one of said remote stations, and an access pattern identifier; and

a controller for detecting an access pattern identifier in one of the storage locations of the destination management means according to a managed object identifier, a managed object class and a destination code contained in said access request from the request entry means and accessing the first and second access codes in one of the storage locations of the access pattern management means having the detected access pattern identifier to determine if said request is concerned with the attributes stored in the central-station memory or concerned with the attributes stored in the remote-station memory of one of the remote management stations.

3. A management system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the non-OSI-based definitions storage means comprises:

remote access pattern management means having a plurality of storage locations, each of the storage locations storing a first access code indicating whether the request from the central management station is allowed to access one of the network nodes in a write mode, a second access code indicating whether said request is allowed to access the remote station memory in a read mode or whether said request is allowed to access said network node in a read mode, attribute names of a managed object class, and an access pattern identifier; and

remote destination management means having a plurality of storage locations, each of the storage locations storing a managed object class, a managed object identifier identifying an instance of the managed object class, a destination code identifying one of the network nodes, and an access pattern identifier;

wherein said control means further comprises means for detecting an access pattern identifier in one of the storage locations of the remote destination management means according to a managed object identifier, a managed object class and a destination code contained in said request from the central management station and accessing the first and second access codes from one of the storage locations of the remote access pattern management means having the detected access pattern identifier to determine if said request is concerned with the attributes stored in the remote-station memory or concerned with attributes supervised by the network nodes.

5. A management system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the non-OSI-based definitions storage means comprises:

remote access pattern management means having a plurality of storage locations, each of the storage locations storing a first access code indicating whether the request from the central management station is allowed to access one of the network nodes in a write mode, a second access code indicating whether said request is allowed to access the remote-station memory in a read mode or whether said request is allowed to access said network node in a read mode, attribute names of a managed object class, and an access pattern identifier; and

remote destination management means having a plurality of storage locations, each of the storage locations storing a managed object class, a managed object identifier identifying an instance of the managed object class, a destination code identifying one of the network nodes, and an access pattern identifier,

wherein the central management station includes control means comprising means for detecting an access pattern identifier in one of the storage locations of the remote destination management means according to a managed object identifier, a managed object class and a destination code contained in said request from the central management station and accessing the first and second access codes in one of the storage locations of the remote access pattern management means having the detected access pattern identifier to determine if said request is concerned with the attributes stored in the remote-station memory or concerned with attributes supervised by the network nodes.

4. In a management system for a communications network having a plurality of network nodes interconnected by transmission lines, said management system having a central management station and a plurality of remote management stations connected to said network nodes, said central management station and said remote management stations providing management control of said communications network using OSI (Open Systems Interconnect) protocols, each of the remote management stations comprising:

a syntax analyzer for analyzing formal-description managed object definitions according to syntax rules and transforming the formal-description managed object definitions into transformed definitions which can be translated into machine instructions;

means for establishing reference relationships between said formal description managed object definitions;

verification means for verifying the transformed definitions against said established reference relationships producing verified definitions;

output means for receiving the verified definitions and applying part of the verified definitions as feedback to the verification means to allow the verification means to perform verification on the transformed definitions against said feedback;

input means for receiving the verified definitions from the verification means, making a discrimination between OSI-based definitions and non-OSI-based definitions;

definitions storage means coupled to the input means for storing said OSI-based definitions; and

search means coupled to the definitions storage means and responsive to a request from the central management station for making a search through the stored OSI-based definitions to determine the executability of said request;

access pattern management means coupled to said input means for receiving the non-OSI-based definitions and having a plurality of storage locations, each of the storage locations storing a first access code indicating whether a request from the central management station is allowed to access one of the network nodes in a write mode, a second access code indicating whether said request is allowed to access a remote-station memory in a read mode or whether said request is allowed to access said network node in a read mode, attribute names of a managed object class, and an access pattern identifier;

destination management means having a plurality of storage locations, each of the storage locations storing a managed object class, a managed object identifier identifying an instance of the managed object class, a destination code identifying one of the network nodes, and an access pattern identifier; and

a controller, responsive to a determination by said search means that said request is executable, for detecting an access pattern identifier in the destination management means according to a managed object identifier, a managed object class and a destination code contained in said request and accessing the first and second access codes in the access pattern management means having the detected access pattern identifier to determine if said request is concerned with the attributes stored in the remote-station or concerned with attributes supervised by the network nodes.