A Database Handler (DBH) for broadband network administration

Abstract

Technical and regulatory developments are combining to revolutionize the telecommunications environment. Numerous competing service providers can be expected to enter the market over the next few years. Within this context, cooperation between the management systems of the public network provider and those of the new service providers will be essential. Telecommunications administrations use a wide variety of database (DB) systems to hold network management information, ranging from fairly primitive data stores for bulk information to the industry standard relational databases. Much current research in DB technology concentrates on tackling some of the deficiencies in the relational approach. Object oriented databases (OODB), for example, are designed to be better at representing and manipulating complex data. It can be expected that applications for OODBs in the telecommunications area will be found in the near future. Thus in the interim, a strategy is needed which will enable management systems to exchange data even if the DB technology used by each of the participating databases differs. This paper introduces the concept of a Database Handler (DBH) which embodies this strategy. The design of a prototype DBH is presented. The DBH is similar to other systems for handling multiple databases such as distributed databases, multidatabases and federated databases. Its principal distinguishing characteristics are the level of autonomy which it grants to participating databases and the powerful facilities it has for resolving areas of heterogeneity.