A new architecture for open and distributed network management

Abstract

Network management challenges the frontiers of software engineering due to its scale and its complexity. The need for architectures that support understanding and reasoning about its problems and systems is vital. This paper describes a new software architecture being developed to support network management. The architecture will create more flexible systems with minimal dependencies between their sub-systems. Together with the definition of open interfaces, this will allow easier integration of third-party software and will lead to a new market for management functionality. The architecture promotes fine-grained distribution as a means to achieve scalability where necessary, but attempts to avoid over-specification by supporting a collection of patterns from which a system designer can choose.