ABSTRACT

A system and method is provided for using an object-oriented interface for network management.

An example system and method receives a management information base (MIB) including information related to one or more aspects of a network device, extracts a subset of information from the MIB describing at least one aspect of the network device, and generates a set of object-oriented classes and object-oriented methods corresponding to the subset of information in the MIB. In addition, this system and method interfaces with network management information on a network device, by providing a management information base (MIB) including information related to one or more aspects of a network device, and using a set of object-oriented classes and object-oriented methods that corresponds to the MIB and information related to one or more aspects of the network device.

Object-oriented network management interface
Object-oriented network management interface

Object-oriented network management interface

An Inventor: Dr. Tal Lavian

TECHNICAL FIELD

This invention generally relates to using software applications in network management.

BACKGROUND

Computer networks are becoming increasingly complex and difficult to manage.

This is driven in part by the ever-increasing variety of network devices, computers, and software being combined together to integrate large enterprise-based intranets with the Internet. Network management tools have been produced to monitor these complex combinations of hardware and software and help troubleshoot network failures when they occurred.

Traditional network management tools use a protocol called simple network management protocol (SNMP) to monitor network devices such as routers, switches, hubs, remote access devices, or even computers in a network. The protocol used to interface with SNMP includes rudimentary commands to operate on data such as to “get” a variable, “set” a variable, or “test” a variable.

Having just a few simple commands make it difficult to perform network management tasks. Specifically, it can be difficult using these basic commands to develop sophisticated network management applications to monitor and troubleshoot a network. Each task may need to be customized to the parameters and capabilities of each network device. Further, a network management task sending combinations of these commands to one or more network devices connected to the network may wait a significant period of time for all the necessary results to be returned. Network delays can be caused by network congestion and the unique processing bottlenecks associated with each network device.

SUMMARY

In one aspect of the present invention, a method of interfacing with network management information on a network device,

includes receiving a management information base (MIB) including information related to one or more aspects of a network device, extracting a subset of information from the MIB describing at least one aspect of the network device, and generating a set of object-oriented classes and object-oriented methods corresponding to the subset of information in the MIB.

In another aspect of the invention, a method of interfacing with network management information on a network device, includes providing a management information base (MIB) including information related to one or more aspects of a network device, and using a set of object-oriented classes and object-oriented methods that corresponds to the MIB and information related to one or more aspects of the network device.

The details of one or more embodiments of the invention are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features of the invention will be apparent from the description and drawings, and from the claims.

Dr. Tal Lavian offers insightful and decisive expertise as a telecommunications expert witness and network communications expert witness