IITB_View: A Network Management System Using Mobile Agents

Abstract

The problem of managing large computer networks in enterprises is very complex. This requires an integrated network management system that aids the work of the network manager. A distributed network management system is necessary when the network grows to a large size. A distributed network management system using mobile agents can provide greater flexibility, less data transfer and dynamic load distribution. Much of the research in this area is in its infancy, so the available resources are scarce, and mobile agent based network management systems are not readily available. This paper presents a design of IITB_View, a distributed network management system based on SNMP technology and on the concept of mobile agents under a framework of the management-by-delegation model. In order to illustrate the concepts involved, the system has been implemented over a small portion of the IIT Bombay campus network. The implementation uses the publicly available IBM Aglets workbench. Some initial experiments conducted with the implementation indicate that mobile distributed processing of management data does perform better compared to its centralized counterpart. Also, IITB_View adapts quickly through on-line learning using neural network techniques. This experience of ours and results of the research conducted by others lend support to the claim that mobile agents present a technology that will become very useful, and perhaps even critical in many areas of system and network management.