Large-scale network management using distributed autonomous agents
First Claim
1. In a computer network comprising a plurality of network elements, a network management architecture comprising:
- a plurality of agents, each of said agents corresponding to a different one of said network elements; and
a plurality of device components, each of said device components modeling at least one aspect of one of said network elements, said aspect being either of a physical and a functional characteristic of said network element,wherein each of said agents comprises a plurality of said device components,wherein a first agent comprises a first device component that is associated with a first OSI Reference Model network protocol layer and a second device component that is associated with a second OSI Reference Model network protocol layer that is different from the first OSI Reference Model network protocol layer, and wherein a second agent comprises a third device component that is associated with the first OSI Reference Model network protocol layer;
wherein at least two of said device components within at least one of said agents are logically interconnected, each logical interconnection corresponding to either of a physical and a functional interconnection found within or between any of said network elements,wherein any of said device components is operative to send a message regarding an event within its area of responsibility to any other of said device components neighboring said device component, whereupon any of said message-receiving device components is operative, responsive to said message receipt, to autonomously change a state of its corresponding area of functionality within its associated network element,wherein the first device component is operative to send to the second device component a second message that maps any of configuration parameters, status monitoring, statistics, or accounting parameters of the first OSI Reference Model network protocol layer to different parameters of the second OSI Reference model network protocol layer.
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Abstract
In a computer network including a plurality of network elements, a network management architecture including a plurality of agents, each of the agents corresponding to a different one of the network elements, and a plurality of device components, each of the device components modeling at least one aspect of one of the network elements, the aspect being either of a physical and a functional characteristic of the network element, where each of the agents includes a plurality of the device components, and where at least of the two device components within at least one of the agents are logically interconnected, each logical interconnection corresponding to either of a physical and a functional interconnection found within or between any of the network elements.
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Citations
29 Claims
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1. In a computer network comprising a plurality of network elements, a network management architecture comprising:
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a plurality of agents, each of said agents corresponding to a different one of said network elements; and a plurality of device components, each of said device components modeling at least one aspect of one of said network elements, said aspect being either of a physical and a functional characteristic of said network element, wherein each of said agents comprises a plurality of said device components, wherein a first agent comprises a first device component that is associated with a first OSI Reference Model network protocol layer and a second device component that is associated with a second OSI Reference Model network protocol layer that is different from the first OSI Reference Model network protocol layer, and wherein a second agent comprises a third device component that is associated with the first OSI Reference Model network protocol layer; wherein at least two of said device components within at least one of said agents are logically interconnected, each logical interconnection corresponding to either of a physical and a functional interconnection found within or between any of said network elements, wherein any of said device components is operative to send a message regarding an event within its area of responsibility to any other of said device components neighboring said device component, whereupon any of said message-receiving device components is operative, responsive to said message receipt, to autonomously change a state of its corresponding area of functionality within its associated network element, wherein the first device component is operative to send to the second device component a second message that maps any of configuration parameters, status monitoring, statistics, or accounting parameters of the first OSI Reference Model network protocol layer to different parameters of the second OSI Reference model network protocol layer. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 27)
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14. In a computer network comprising a plurality of network elements, a network management method comprising:
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defining a plurality of agents, each of said agents corresponding to a different one of said network elements; and defining a plurality of device components, each of said device components modeling at least one aspect of one of said network elements, said aspect being either of a physical and a functional characteristic of said network element, defining each of said agents as having a plurality of said device components, wherein a first agent comprises a first device component that is associated with a first OSI Reference Model network protocol layer and a second device component that is associated with a second OSI Reference Model network protocol layer that is different from the first OSI Reference Model network protocol layer, and wherein a second agent comprises a third device component that is associated with the first OSI Reference Model network protocol layer; logically interconnecting at least two of said device components within at least one of said agents, each logical interconnection corresponding to either of a physical and a functional interconnection found within or between any of said network elements; configuring any of said device components to send a message regarding an event within its area of responsibility to any other of said device components neighboring said device component; and configuring any of said device components to autonomously change a state of its corresponding area of functionality within its associated network element responsive to said message receipt; configuring the first device component to send to the second device component a second message that maps any of configuration parameters, status monitoring, statistics, or accounting parameters of the first OSI Reference Model network protocol layer to different parameters of the second OSI Reference model network protocol layer. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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28. A data processing apparatus comprising:
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a plurality of agents, each of said agents corresponding to a different one of a plurality of network elements; and a plurality of device components, each of said device components modeling at least one aspect of one of the network elements, wherein the aspect is either of a physical and a functional characteristic of the one of the network elements, wherein each of the agents comprises a plurality of the device components, wherein a first agent comprises a first device component that is associated with a first OSI Reference Model network protocol layer and a second device component that is associated with a second OSI Reference Model network protocol layer that is different from the first layer, and wherein a second agent comprises a third device component that is associated with the first OSI Reference Model network protocol layer; wherein at least two of said device components within at least one of the agents are logically interconnected by a logical interconnection corresponding to either of a physical and a functional interconnection found within or between any of the network elements, wherein each of the device components comprises logic which when executed is operable to send a first message regarding an event within an area of responsibility to any other of the device components, and in response to receiving the message to autonomously change a state of its corresponding area of functionality within its associated network element, wherein the first device component is comprises logic which when executed is operable to send to the second device component a second message that maps any of configuration parameters, status monitoring, statistics, or accounting parameters of the first OSI Reference Model network protocol layer to different parameters of the second OSI Reference model network protocol layer. - View Dependent Claims (29)
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Specification