Management interworking unit and a method for producing such a unit

• US 6,324,576 B1
• Filed: 12/10/1998
• Issued: 11/27/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 02/15/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Newcombe, Adrian, McGrath, Damian
• Primary Examiner(s): Teska, Kevin J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): THOMSON, WILLIAM D
• Application Number:
  US09/125,252
• Time in Patent Office: 1,083 Days
• Field of Search: 709/223, 709/224, 709/303, 709/226, 709/217, 709/230, 709/310, 707/103, 707/201, 707/203, 703/22, 717/5, 717/7, 717/8
• US Class Current: 709/223
• 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: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99954 Version management

Abstract

In a process a management information unit (MI) is produced by creating models of the management interface to be interworked. Each model has objects representing managed resources. Domain knowledge, an interface and a processor create mappings between equivalent parts of the models. The models and mappings from an information conversion function (ICF) which communicates using an internal protocol with a pair of message communication functions. The message communication functions perform format conversions and communicate with the interworked interfaces.

Claims

1. A process for producing a management interworking unit for a pair of management interfaces comprising the steps of:

producing an information conversion function (ICF) by;

storing a model associated with each interface, each model comprising objects representing managed resources, providing a containment context for each object in a containment hierarchy,

classifying each object with a class defined by characteristics independent of the containment context, and

creating mappings between individual objects and between groups of objects having the same class and context from the stored models,

including run time conversion functions between equivalent parts of the models; and

producing a message communication function (MCF) associated with each management interface, each MCF comprising means for performing format conversion between the external protocol of the associated interfaces and an internal protocol for the ICF.

2. A process as claimed in claim 1, wherein the models are created at least partially automatically by loader modules.

3. A process as claimed in claim 1, wherein the models are created from management interface specifications, and specification free text is manually converted to the model language.

4. A process as claimed in claim 1, wherein the mappings define context class cardinality.

5. A process as claimed in claim 1, wherein mappings are created between context classes.

6. A process as claimed in claim 1, wherein mappings are created between objects.

7. A process as claimed in claim 1, wherein mappings are created between object characteristics.

8. A process as claimed in claim 7, wherein the object characteristics include object functions, relationships, attributes, notifications, and behavior.

9. A process as claimed in claim 1 wherein the mappings are created interactively using a graphical interface representing the models and the mappings.

10. A process as claimed in claim 1, wherein mappings are predicated by run time rules selected for the mappings.

11. A process as claimed in claim 1, wherein searches are carried out to determine if a proposed mapping has previously been made for similar characteristics and such mappings may be re-used.

12. A management interworking unit (MI) for at least two management interfaces comprising:

an information conversion function (ICF) comprising;

a model associated with each interface, each model comprising objects representing managed resources, each object having a containment context in a containment hierarchy, and each object being defined by a characteristic independent of the containment context, and

means for creating mappings between individual objects within groups of objects having the same class and context from stored models including mapping run time conversion functions between equivalent parts of the models; and

a message communication function (MCF) associated with each management interface, each MCF comprising means for performing format conversion between the external protocol of the associated interface and an internal protocol of the ICF.

13. A management interworking unit as claimed in claim 12, wherein the mappings define context class cardinality.

14. A management interworking unit as claimed in claim 12, wherein mappings means link context classes.

15. A management interworking unit as claimed in claim 12, wherein mappings means link objects.

16. A management interworking unit as claimed in claim 12, wherein mappings means link object characteristics.

17. A management interworking unit as claimed in claim 16, wherein the object characteristics include object functions or actions, relationships, attributes, notifications, and behavior.

18. A management interworking unit as claimed in claim 17, wherein mappings are predicated by run time rules selected for the mappings.

19. A management interworking unit as claimed in claim 17, wherein the internal protocol includes primitives controlling start, end, and rollback of atomic transactions in the ICF.

20. A process for producing a management interworking unit for a pair of management interfaces comprising the steps of:

producing an information conversion function (ICF) by;

storing a model associated with each interface, each model comprising objects representing managed resources;

providing a containment context for each object in a containment hierarchy;

classifying each object with a class defined by characteristics independent of the containment context;

creating mappings between individual objects and between groups of objects having the same class and context from the stored models, including ran time conversion functions between equivalent parts of the models;

pre-compiling the models and the mappings to a template to produce source code; and

modifying said template manually after pre-compiling where necessary; and

producing a message communication function (MCF) associated with each management interface, each MCF comprising means for performing format conversion between the external protocol of the associated interfaces and an internal protocol for the ICF.

21. A process as claimed in claim 20, wherein the models are created at least partially automatically by loader modules.

22. A process as claimed in claim 20, wherein the models are created from management interface specifications, and specification free text is manually converted to the model language.

23. A process as claimed in claim 20, wherein the mappings define context class cardinality.

24. A process as claimed in claim 20, wherein mappings are created between context classes.

25. A process as claimed in claim 20, wherein the mappings are created between objects.

26. A process as claimed in claim 20, wherein mappings are created between object characteristics.

27. A process as claimed in claim 26, wherein the object characteristics include object functions, relationships, attributes, notifications and behavior.

28. A process as claimed in claim 20, wherein the mappings are created interactively using a graphical interface representing the models and the mappings.

29. A process as claimed in claim 20, wherein mappings are predicted by run time rules selected for the mappings.

30. A process as claimed in claim 20, wherein searches are carried out to determine if a proposed mapping has previously been made for similar characteristics and such mappings may be reused.

31. A process as claimed in claim 20, wherein flags are inserted in the template to differentiate automatically generated code from manually generated code.

32. A management interworking unit (MIU) for at least two management interfaces comprising:

an information conversion function (ICF) comprising;

a model associated with each interface each model comprising objects representing managed resources, each object having a containment context in a containment hierarchy and each object being defined by a characteristic independent of the containment context,

means for creating mappings between individual objects within groups of objects having the same class and context from stored models including mapping run time conversion functions between equivalent parts of the models,

means for pre-compiling said model and said mappings to a template to produce source code, and

means for modifying said template after said pre-compiling means where necessary; and

a message communication function (MCF) associated with each management interface each MCF comprising means for performing format conversion between the external protocol of the associated interface and an internal protocol of the ICF.

33. A management interworking unit as claimed in claim 32, wherein the mappings means define context class cardinality.

34. A management interworking unit as claimed in claim 32, wherein the mappings means link context classes.

35. A management interworking unit as claimed in claim 32, wherein the mapping means link objects.

36. A management interworking unit as claimed in claim 32, wherein the mapping means link object characteristics.

37. A management interworking unit as claimed in claim 36, wherein the object characteristics include object functions or actions, relationships, attributes, notifications and behavior.

38. A management interworking unit as claimed in claim 32, wherein mappings are predicted by run time rules selected for the mappings.

39. A management interworking unit as claimed in claim 32, wherein the internal protocol include primitives controlling start, end and rollback of automatic transactions in the ICF.

40. A management interworking unit as claimed in claim 32, wherein there is provided means for inserting flags in the template to differentiate automatically generated code from manually generated code.