An architecture for network management

Abstract

As is becoming increasingly understood, in extending the Internet architecture into the future, network management is a key challenge. [4], [25] The current approach has been to provide a set of weakly integrated tools to network managers of each enterprise or other network. In this paper we argue the position that a single architecture or framework for network management would improve our overall ability to manage networks in an increasingly integrated, heterogeneous, and widely distributed network environment. We add to this the problem that increasingly the users and other components of our applications are distributed and/or mobile. In this paper we argue for such a common approach, and propose a set of key elements of such an approach, as a proof of concept argument that it is possible.