Iterative multi-tier management information modeling

Abstract

The management information models currently used in the Internet have several limitations. Some of them contain errors, are missing important features, or are difficult to understand. Second, standards bodies keep reinventing the wheel, which confuses the terminology (hence customers) and wastes precious time. Third, finding a good balance between too abstract, and overly detailed models is a tough challenge, rarely achieved in practice. Last, the learning curve of existing data models is too steep. We propose to alleviate these problems by adopting a new process for designing and standardizing management information models. It is inspired by two techniques form software engineering: the iterative and incremental software development process, which addresses the shortcomings of the waterfall process usually adhered to by the IETF and DMTF; and multi-tier models, which capture different perspectives (e.g., analysis, design, and implementation) of the information model. Our main innovations are management-architecture-neutral universal information models (UIMs), sharing of conceptual models by different standard bodies, and specialization of the people involved in designing the different layers of the models. Our new process takes into account a number of constraints identified in real-life environments.