AMS 2002 - 4th Annual
Int.nl Workshop on Active Middleware Services
A. Barone, P. Chirco,
G. Di Fatta, G. Lo Re
A Management Architecture
for Active Networks
Abstract
In this paper we present
an architecture for network and applications management, which is based
on the Active Networks paradigm and shows the advantages of network programmability.
The stimulus to develop this architecture arises from an actual need to
manage a cluster of active nodes, where it is often required to redeploy
network assets and modify nodes connectivity. In our architecture, a remote
front-end of the managing entity allows the operator to design new network
topologies, to check the status of the nodes and to configure them. Moreover,
the proposed framework allows to explore an active network, to monitor
the active applications, to query each node and to install programmable
traps. In order to take advantage of the Active Networks technology, we
introduce active SNMP-like MIBs and agents, which are dynamic and programmable.
The programmable management agents make tracing distributed applications
a feasible task. We propose a general framework that can interoperate with
any active execution environment. In this framework, both the manager and
the monitor front-ends communicate with an active node (the Active Network
Access Point) through the XML language. A gateway service performs the
translation of the queries from XML to an active packet language and injects
the code in the network. We demonstrate the implementation of an active
network gateway for PLAN (Packet Language for Active Networks) in a forty
active nodes testbed. Finally, we discuss an application of the active
management architecture to detect the causes of network failures by tracing
network events in time.
download full paper (pdf file 168 kB)
download AMS2002 presentation (pdf file 3375
kB)
back to ANgate
main page