Network Management Interoperability

Management Interoperability

• Requires agreed-upon rules for interactions
• Standard management interfaces and protocols are necessary

Communication Viewpoint

• Implemented by messages exchanged between managers and agents
• Connectivity (e.g. IP) is a prerequisite but not sufficient
• Involves a management protocol as the "common language" between manager and agent
• Establishing a management session requires:
  • Underlying transport
  • Authentication
  • Identifying requests and parameters
  • Recognizing responses
  • Encoding messages (e.g. XML, UTF-8)
  • Handling time stamps and response timeouts

Function Viewpoint

• Describes services a manager can expect from an agent
• Basic services:
  • Retrieving information
  • Modifying configurations
  • Initiating actions
  • Receiving events
• Advanced services:
  • Transaction support
  • Event subscription
  • Search and filter
• Advanced functions are implemented through multiple management primitives

Information Viewpoint

• Context of network management requires a common terminology between manager and agent
• Model: actual representation of data to be managed (e.g. router, switch, voicemail application)
• Meta model: modeling constructs that describe managed systems (e.g. object-oriented, data-oriented, command-oriented)
• Standards specify the meta model
• Model of managed objects (MOs) of an agent is provided by the vendor

The Role of Standards

• Standardize management messages, encoding, functions, parameters, and return codes
• Standardize management information (typically, meta-models)

Accounting Management

• Account for usage of communication resources and services
• Metering: measure consumed resources
• Charging: have users pay for consumed resources

Performance Management

• Monitor performance and service levels
• Detect performance trends for planning

Security Management

• Manage security mechanisms in the network

NM Functions in Time Horizon

• Short-term management: real-time, automated, network monitoring, and fault detection
• Medium-term management: human interaction, service provisioning, fault elimination, and performance reporting
• Long-term management: human-driven, enhance management workflows, future planning, and strategies

Management Organization & Process

• Nontechnical dimension of network management
• Includes organizing management, process, and organization

This quiz assesses understanding of network management interoperability, including management applications, standard interfaces, and protocols. It covers aspects of management interoperability and communication viewpoints.