Showing papers on "Network management published in 1999"

Multicast-based inference of network-internal loss characteristics

Abstract: Robust measurements of network dynamics are increasingly important to the design and operation of large internetworks like the Internet. However, administrative diversity makes it impractical to monitor every link on an end-to-end path. At the same time, it is difficult to determine the performance characteristics of individual links from end-to-end measurements of unicast traffic. In this paper, we introduce the use of end-to-end measurements of multicast traffic to infer network-internal characteristics. The bandwidth efficiency of multicast traffic makes it suitable for large-scale measurements of both end-to-end and internal network dynamics. We develop a maximum-likelihood estimator for loss rates on internal links based on losses observed by multicast receivers. It exploits the inherent correlation between such observations to infer the performance of paths between branch points in the tree spanning a multicast source and its receivers. We derive its rate of convergence as the number of measurements increases, and we establish robustness with respect to certain generalizations of the underlying model. We validate these techniques through simulation and discuss possible extensions and applications of this work

Methods, systems and computer program products for scheduled network performance testing

Abstract: Methods, systems and computer program products are provided which test network performance by defining test schedules including test protocols to be implemented and when the protocols should be executed for a plurality of defined connections on a network. A connection may be defined between two endpoint nodes on the network. At times specified in the test schedule, the endpoint node pair executes the test protocol and measures the performance of the network connection between the two nodes without requiring any involvement of application software which may or may not be installed on the computer hardware supporting the endpoint node. The test protocol may define the type of network layer protocol to utilize (for example, TCP), and the test script or scripts to be communicated using the appropriate stack on the computer hardware supporting the endpoint node. The schedule may be provided with an expiration date and a console node is provided for distribution of test schedules, monitoring of availability of endpoint nodes and receipt of measured performance measurements for reporting to a network manager. In further aspects of the present invention, auto-thresholding and coordination of interrelated but asynchronous tasks executing at the console node are provided.

Geospacial internet protocol addressing

Abstract: The invention provides for conversion of latitude and longitude to an addressing scheme that supports current TCP/IP (v4) and future addressing (v6/ng) requirements. More specifically, it allows a decentralization of the unicast point to device on the hosted network. Geographical Internet Protocol (GeoIP) addressing will facilitate any cast routing schemes where the nearest node has a statically assigned GeoIP. Geo routing, and network management become a function of the GeoIP address.

Active networks: Applications, security, safety, and architectures

Abstract: Active networks represent a new approach to network architecture. Routers can perform computations on user data, while packets can carry programs to be executed on routers and possibly change their state. Currently, the research community is divided concerning the usefulness of active networks. On the one hand, active networks provide a much more flexible network infrastructure, with increased capabilities. On the other hand, they are obviously more complex than traditional networks and raise considerable security issues. The purpose of this article is to provide a broad survey on active networks. The first goal is to highlight their efficiency in a variety of applications. After presenting some key points on each application, we discuss some current experimental technologies and assess the usefulness of active networks in congestion control, multicasting, caching, and network management. The second goal is to address the security issues that active networks raise: the problem is defined, and techniques for solving it are presented and elaborated upon with a description of a specific implementation of a secure environment and related performance measures. Issues related to the design of a programming language for active networks are also discussed. The third goal is to classify active network architectures based on their design approach. Thus an inclusive presentation of currently proposed architectures, which focuses on their design attributes, capabilities, performance, and security, is given.

Smart Packets for active networks

Abstract: Smart Packets is a DARPA-funded Active Networks project focusing on applying active networks technology to network management and monitoring without placing undue burden on the nodes in the network. Messages in active networks are programs that are executed at nodes on the path to one or more target hosts. Smart Packets programs are written in a tightly-encoded, safe language specifically designed to support network management and avoid dangerous constructs and accesses. Smart Packets improves the management of large complex networks by (1) moving management decision points closer to the node being managed, (2) targeting specific aspects of the node for information rather than exhaustive collection via polling, and (3) abstracting the management concepts to language constructs, allowing nimble network control. This paper introduces Smart Packets and describes the Smart Packet architecture, the packet formats, the language and its design goals, and security considerations.

Network manager, nodes and network management system

Abstract: In a communication network constituted of relay nodes and edge nodes interconnected by communication lines and a network manager, the network manager manages relay nodes and edge nodes connected to the network manager by operation management communication lines. The network manager requests to set a logical connection between an ingress and an egress of the connection, and in response to this request, relay nodes and edge nodes set a logical connection specifying at least one of a transmission source and a destination.

Remote system administration and seamless service integration of a data communication network management system

Abstract: A method for providing remote management and maintenance of a node or service within a data communications network that is activated by the data communications network management system's receipt of signals of an abnormal condition at a node or service or failure to receive operational status signals from a node or service. A control adapter running on a node within a Point of Presence is started. The control adapter is capable of starting all service adapters associated with all services running on the node. Operational status signals and abnormal condition signals are transmitted from the control adapter and service adapters on to an information bus. If a network management control host receives abnormal condition signals, notification is sent to a remote system administrator that alerts of an error experienced by a node or service. If a network management control host fails to receive operational status signals, notification is sent to a remote system administrator that no signals are being received from a node or service. The system administrator can take appropriate remote action to rectify the problem. The integration of a manually started node or service into a data communications network management system is achieved by manually implementing, at a Point of Presence within a data communications network, a node or service that has an adapter running on it and is in communication with an information bus. The node or service begins signalling operational status upon implementation. These signals are not recognized by network management control hosts. The network management control host transmits signals asking the newly started node or service for identification. The node or service receives the identity request and transmits signals back to the network management control host.

System and method for universal service activation

Abstract: The present invention provides a scalable, high-performance universal service activation system and method for activating service(s) on a network management system/EMS or other information management system with universal or generic informational changes entered in a service provisioning system(s). The invention is particularly useful in describing and initiating the activation of telecommunications and data communications network services in a vendor neutral manner, but can be employed to advantage for providing universal service activation for any industry and independent of technology. The inventive system and method incorporates object behavior concepts with the existing network management approach to create an EMS/NMS/OSS that significantly reduces the human effort to integrate network element configuration and provisioning for new and modified network elements. The SMS/NMS/OSS provides an object behavior model which is generally populated using different means, including a manually generated table, spreadsheet or file. The SMS/NMS/OSS provides a domain manager for generic method processing. The SMS/NMS/OSS domain manager provides a means to rollback or remove an implemented change if the change is canceled or unsuccessfully implemented. The SMS/NMS/OSS provides an object builder to connect the object through drag and drop component connections and export them visually to present the object architecture using standard software graphics tools. The SMS/NMS/EMS/OSS provides means to modify object behavior in an operational system without the need to stop, reset, reinitialize, recompile the SMS/NMS/EMS/OSS components or modules. This yields a SMS/NMS/EMS/OSS that has less risk of human error, requires less time to operate, costs less, and does not interrupt an functioning network system.

Introduction to Version 3 of the Internet-standard Network Management Framework

Abstract: The purpose of this document is to provide an overview of the third version of the Internet-standard Management Framework, termed the SNMP version 3 Framework (SNMPv3). This Framework is derived from and builds upon both the original Internet-standard Management Framework (SNMPv1) and the second Internet-standard Management Framework (SNMPv2).

Method of performing a network management transaction using a web-capable agent

Abstract: A method of performing a network management transaction between a network device, having a network management agent installed thereon, and a remote device, having a web-browser installed thereon, is described. The method involves firstly performing a network management function relating to the network device. Data concerning the network management function is then propagated from the agent to the remote device in a format capable of display by the browser. More specifically, a document is propagated from the agent to the remote device for display by the browser, the document incorporating the data concerning the network management function. The document may be an HTML document. Alternatively, the data may be propagated in a format for display by the browser under the direction of an application program resident of the remote device.

MPLS advantages for traffic engineering

Abstract: This article discusses the architectural aspects of MPLS which enable it to address IP traffic management. Specific MPLS architectural features discussed are separation of control and forwarding, the label stack, multiple control planes, and integrated IP and constraint-based routing. The article then discusses how these features address network scalability, simplify network service integration, offer integrated recovery, and simplify network management. Scalability is addressed through integrated routing enabling a natural assignment of traffic to the appropriate traffic engineering tunnels without requiring special mechanisms for loop prevention. Change is greatly reduced. The label stack enables an effective means for local tunnel repair providing fast restoration. Feedback through the routing system permits fast and intelligent reaction to topology changes. Service integration is simplified through a unified QoS paradigm which makes it simple for services to request QoS and have it mapped through to traffic engineering.

Composite events for network event correlation

Abstract: With the increasing complexity of enterprise networks and the Internet, event correlation is playing an increasingly important role in network as well as integrated system management systems. Even though the timing of events often reveals important diagnostic information about event relationships and should therefore be represented in event correlation rules or models, most extant approaches lack a formal mechanism to define complex temporal relationships among correlated events. In this paper, we discuss the formal use of composite events for event correlation and present a composite event specification approach that can precisely express complex timing constraints among correlated event instances, for which efficient compilation and detection algorithms have been developed in Mok et al., (1997). A Java implementation of this approach, called Java Event Correlator (JECTOR), is described, and some preliminary experimental results of using JECTOR in an experimental network management environment are also discussed in the paper.

The economics of network management

Abstract: Why are pricing issues the key to infrastructure investment and future growth of the Internet? The Economics of network management I t is not surprising that researchers in network technology are utilizing ideas from the field of economics since it provides the conceptual understanding of underlying constructs such as usage and resource allocation. Proper resource allocation plays a key role in improving network performance. There are two primary approaches to economic resource allocation: quantity limits, and pricing. The former has the advantage of low accounting costs. However, it requires central administration and, for network users wishing to purchase more quantity than allocated, a pricing schedule has to be developed. The pricing approach does not enforce any quantity limits. Instead, users self-select the quantity they are willing to purchase at prevailing prices. The pricing approach decentralizes the resource allocation problem but has higher accounting costs since usage needs to be monitored and billed. The role of pricing as a resource allocation mechanism will be examined here, since central administration of quotas would be difficult in a global network. Furthermore, a pricing mechanism may still be needed to meet user demands in e-commerce. While the short-term role of economic pricing is to manage the network resources more efficiently, in the long run it could play an important role in the design of new network protocols. For example, new technological developments with priority classes in the IPv6 Internet protocol [3] will present the challenge of defining an economic basis for priority allocation. The Internet traffic-pricing problem for e-commerce subsumes traditional telecommuni-cation pricing policies and is much more complex. Traditional telecommunication systems offer a single quality level for their services on a given type of network, for example, the ability to carry voice data at a desired rate on a telephone network. However, in e-commerce there is a rich collection of services that require different levels of service quality over the same data communication network. For example, during a telnet session a user requires a high-speed and low-volume data transfer for real-time interaction with a server. On the other hand, a video conference needs clarity and coordination in picture and sound, necessitating a much more complex set of service quality attributes, such as synchronization of information sent via different interoperable applications (video, audio, and text). In addition, audio and video applications require high-volume and high-speed transfers with low variability in data transfer rates. These …

A conceptual framework for network management event correlation and filtering systems

Abstract: Event correlation is a key functionality of a network management system that is used to determine the root cause of faults in a network, and to filter out redundant and spurious events. A number of event correlation systems have been proposed. The event correlation systems generally combine causal and temporal correlation models with the topology of a network. The power and robustness of the models used and the algorithms developed vary from system to system. However, in the absence of a simple, uniform, and precise presentation of the event-correlation problem, it is impossible to compare their relative power or even analyze them for their properties. In general, causal and temporal-based correlation models have not been rigorously presented or thoroughly investigated. In this paper we formalize the concepts of causal and temporal correlation using a single conceptual framework. We characterize various properties of the framework. We can characterize existing systems based on the formal properties of our framework, and we consider one system as an illustrative example.

Method and apparatus for managing data for use by data applications

Abstract: A system and method is provided for managing information. Information is aggregated from multiple data sources into a data warehouse wherein the information can be provided to software applications. Disparate information from multiple sources is processed and stored in the data warehouse. Processing may include filtering, collation, compression, and mapping information into database fields of the warehouse. In one aspect, information stored in the warehouse may be network management data.

Rule Discovery in Telecommunication AlarmData

Abstract: Fault management is an important but difficult area of telecommunication network management: networks produce large amounts of alarm information which must be analyzed and interpreted before faults can be located. So called alarm correlation is a central technique in fault identification. While the use of alarm correlation systems is quite popular and methods for expressing the correlations are maturing, acquiring all the knowledge necessary for constructing an alarm correlation system for a network and its elements is difficult. We describe a novel partial solution to the task of knowledge acquisition for correlation systems. We present a method and a tool for the discovery of recurrent patterns of alarms in databases; these patterns, episode rules, can be used in the construction of real-time alarm correlation systems. We also present tools with which network management experts can browse the large amounts of rules produced. The construction of correlation systems becomes easier with these tools, as the episode rules provide a wealth of statistical information about recurrent phenomena in the alarm stream. This methodology has been implemented in a research system called TASA, which is used by several telecommunication operators. We briefly discuss experiences in the use of TASA.

Method and device for synchronizing databases in a network management system

Abstract: A management information database (MIB) of network manager (NM) 200 and network elements (NE) 220-22 N each store management information and database identifiers that indicate the update history of the management information. Database information is updated each time NM 200 sets or manipulates management information of each of NE 220-22 N, and includes the identifiers of the NM and NE, that are subject to manipulation as well as access time 401 that indicates the time operations were carried out. When the management information database within the NM is substituted (overwritten) by back-up data due to, for example, damage, the database information stored by each of the NM and the NE is compared upon subsequent access of the NE, and in the event of discrepancies, the management information stored in the NE is uploaded and the management information stored in the management information database of the NM is updated by that management information to synchronize the management information of the MIB and the NE. The NE is then eliminated as a candidate for database information comparison.

Dynamic-rate, differential class-based quality of service agent for internet protocol exchange systems

Abstract: A unique method and apparatus for a dynamic rate, differential class-based quality of service agent for a communication network that provides a quality of service guarantee by taking into account the existing state of the network and user-defined classes of service is provided. A flexible quality of service agent, separate from the control plane which contains call processing and network management, is provided which optimizes network performance by minimizing the amount of information transmitted over the network to set-up a call and media negotiation, implements admission control to maintain the quality of the ongoing calls and administers the system wide quality of service by providing instantaneous feedback on the current state of the system/network at both the transmitting and receiving end.

Network management using abstract device descriptions

Abstract: A method and apparatus are disclosed for creating and storing information that defines one or more network devices for use with a network management system. In one aspect, a network device having one or more logical slots, each of which may contain one of a plurality of sub-components, may be defined in terms of a logical expression that is evaluated by the network management system at runtime. A containment tree representing physical hardware and software elements of the network device is created and stored in memory. The logical expression is evaluated, based in part on a value that is obtained in real time from the network device using a dynamic discovery operation. A node representing the actual sub-component present in the slot of the device at runtime is created and stored in the tree based on the result of evaluating the expression. In another aspect, multiple references in the device description to MIB objects stored by the device are consolidated. Accordingly, multiple SNMP requests are avoided.

Method and system for integrated network management applications

Abstract: A computer program product for assisting a service person in managing an enterprise network is described, wherein a browser-based help desk window may be invoked by the service person at any user computer on the enterprise network that is equipped with a web browser. The browser-based help desk window is customizable to each service person, allowing the service person to embed a network visibility link on an application launch toolbar contained in the browser-based help desk window. The service person may then subsequently log into a help desk server from any user computer equipped with a browser, and then launch a browser-based network visibility session upon activation of the embedded network visibility link. The user is permitted to embed the network visibility link onto the application toolbar, and to perform other browser-based help desk window customization tasks, using simple menu selection and drag-and-drop commands.

System and method for selecting internet service providers from a workstation that is connected to a local area network

Abstract: A method for dynamically selecting a network service provider is disclosed. The method allows a user to select a default route for an internet connection in a network configuration having a local area network workstations coupled to the network, customer premises equipment and a central office. Multiple network service providers may be selected for an individual workstation. The method may include simultaneously connecting the workstation to the network service providers.

Push vs. pull in Web-based network management

Abstract: In this paper, we build on the concept of the embedded management application, proposed by Wellens and Auerbach (1996), and present two models of network management application designs that rely on Web technologies. First, the pull model, based on the request/response paradigm, is a generalization of data polling in the SNMP management framework. We explain how to use it for ad hoc management (e.g., troubleshooting) and regular management (e.g., network monitoring). Second, the push model is a novel approach that relies on the publish/subscribe/distribute paradigm. It is better suited to regular management than the pull model, and allows administrators to conserve network bandwidth as well as CPU time on the management station.

Extensible policy-based network management architecture

Abstract: Extending network capabilities for a network with a policy-based network management (PBNM) architecture. The method includes sending a first message from a policy enforcement point (PEP) to a policy decision point (PDP) in response to an external action, and sending a Java object in a second message from the PDP to the PEP in response to receiving the first message. The Java object may be executed on the PEP to implement a policy.

A generic network management architecture targeted to support home automation networks and home Internet connectivity

Abstract: This paper proposes a generic network management architecture, targeted to support home automation networks (HAN) and home Internet connectivity The main objective of the proposed architectural model and implied protocol is the acquisition of control and monitoring information of a HAN, as well as the handling of such information remotely by means of an Internet connection The proposed protocol, being an application service element (ASE), is fully compatible with the notation and functionality of the emerging "convergence" protocol targeted to be a European standard for home automation systems The core of the proposed architecture is a new management protocol entity residing at the OSI application layer We have followed an approach similar to the well-known simple network management protocol (SNMP) of the TCP/IP protocol suite Information is acquired either on request by the management device or on event reporting initiated by a managed device Furthermore, the acquired information can be diffused to the Internet, through a HAN-to-TCP gateway unit Finally, a prototype system based on the European Home Systems (EHS) specification is described

Method and system for network management

Abstract: A method of controlling a network, which includes network elements connected via links and provides services, includes the steps of creating view-configuration information based on network-configuration information with respect to each of the services such that the view-configuration information is related to the network-configuration information, and displaying a view based on the view-configuration information with respect to each of the services, the view including both or either one of a physical network configuration of the network and a logical network configuration of the network.

Alarm correlation method and system

Abstract: An alarm correlation method for use in a network management device is provided in which alarm correlation is performed between identified root-cause alarms and alarms which have been raised on network elements satisfying particular relationships with the network element that raised the root-cause alarm. A hierarchical network model is provided consisting of a transport termination point for each connection at various layers terminated by each network element, and a connectivity model is maintained which identifies all connections in the network. An impact group of transport termination points for a given transport termination point defines where to look for alarms for correlation for a given root-cause alarm. Preferably, a link between the root-cause alarm and a transport termination point which has been examined is established which allows expeditious correlation of later received symptomatic alarms with the root-cause alarm.