MANAGEMENT NETWORK FOR NETWORK MANAGEMENT, ITS MANAGEMENT METHOD, AND NETWORK ELEMENT USED THEREFOR

• US 20100146150A1
• Filed: 09/16/2009
• Published: 06/10/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Bamba, Masakazu
• Granted Patent: US 8,005,938 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/242
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/28 Restricting access to network management systems or functions, e.g. using authorisation function to access network configuration

Abstract

A management network for managing networks managed individually by a plurality of groups, wherein authorization and unauthorization of access for supervision and control are automatically set. Each network element is assigned a TID, as a prefix, having a group ID identifying a group to which the network element belongs. Topology information considered from each network element to all network elements includes a group ID. When a group ID included in the received topology information matches the prefix of the TID assigned to its own network element, the source is registered at the authorized side of the access authorization list (step 1012), while when it does not match, it is registered at the unauthorized side (step 1016).

Claims

1. A management method for managing a network comprising a plurality of network elements, comprising:

assigning, as a target ID identifying each network element forming a management network, the target ID including as part of it a group ID indicating belonging to a certain group to each network element forming the management network;

having each network element advertise advertisement information including the group ID to the entire management network; and

having each network element extract a group ID included in the advertisement information when receiving the advertisement information, authorize access from a network element of a source of the received advertisement information when the group ID matches the group ID contained in the target ID assigned to its own network element, and not authorize access from a network element of a source of the received advertisement information when it does not match.

2. A management method of a management network for managing networks individually managed by a plurality of groups, comprising:

assigning, as a target ID identifying each network element forming a management network, the target ID including as part of it a group ID identifying a group which manages each network element to each network element forming the management network;

having each network element forming the management network advertise advertisement information including the group ID of a group managing its own network element; and

having each network element forming the management network validate an access authorization list when receiving the advertisement information including the group ID, register a network element that is the source of the received advertisement information at an authorized side of the access authorization list when the group ID matches the group ID contained in the target ID assigned to its own network element, and register it at an unauthorized side when it does not match.

3. The method as set forth in claim 2, further comprising having each network element forming the management network authorize access from a network element registered at the authorized side of the access authorization list and deny access from a network element registered at the unauthorized side of the access authorization list, if the access authorization list is valid.

4. The method as set forth in claim 2, further comprising having each network element forming the management network calculate a route only for network elements registered at the authorized side of the access authorization list if the access authorization list is valid and calculate a route for all network elements forming the management network if the access authorization list invalid.

5. The method as set forth in claim 2, further comprising

having at least one of the network elements forming the management network advertise advertisement information including a release ID invalidating the access authorization list, in place of the group ID, to the entire management network and

having each network element forming the management network invalidate the access authorization list and delete the registration of the access authorization list when receiving the advertisement information including the release ID.

6. The method as set forth in claim 5, wherein ignoring the access authorization list when receiving a control request including the release ID and proceeding with the process.

7. A network element used in a management network for managing networks individually managed by a plurality of groups, comprising

a part advertising advertisement information including a group ID of the group managing its own network element to the entire management network and

a part validating an access authorization list when receiving the advertisement information including the group ID, registering a network element of a source of the received advertisement information at an authorized side of the access authorization list when the group ID matches the group ID included in a target ID assigned to its own network element, and registering it at an unauthorized side when it does not match.

8. The network element as set forth in claim 7, further comprising a part authorizing access from a network element registered at the authorized side of the access authorization list and denying access from a network element registered at the unauthorized side of the access authorization list, if the access authorization list is valid.

9. The network element as set forth in claim 7, further comprising a part calculating a route only for network elements registered at the authorized side of the access authorization list if the access authorization list is valid and calculating a route for all network elements forming the management network if the access authorization list invalid.

10. The network element as set forth in claim 7, further comprising

a part advertising the advertisement information including a release ID invalidating the access authorization list, in place of the group ID, to the entire management network and

a part invalidating the access authorization list and deleting the registration of the access authorization list when receiving the advertisement information including the release ID.

11. The network element as set forth in claim 10, wherein ignoring the access authorization list when receiving a control request including the release ID and proceeding with process.