A Web Services-Based Dynamically Cooperative Network Management Architecture

Abstract

Heterogeneous network devices and management technologies bring many different kinds of network management systems. In traditional layered network management architecture, cooperation mechanism is not efficient enough for different network management systems to interact and cooperate with each other flexibly. Comprehensive network management tasks cannot be timely accomplished to meet with constantly evolving business requirements. Web services, widely deployed in system integration, are recently introduced to network management field. Based on Web services, we provide management functions of network management systems as network management services and propose a Web services-based dynamically cooperative network management architecture. Key technologies may be used in our proposed architecture such as description methods for manageable resources and management services, and service composition technologies are discussed in detail. With our proposed architecture, legacy systems can be integrated in an evolving way and more flexible management can be achieved.