An Architecture for Building Scalable, Web-Based Management Services

• Published in: Journal of network and systems management Vol. 7; no. 1; pp. 73 - 104
• Main Author: Anerousis, Nikolaos
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Springer Nature B.V 01.03.1999
• Subjects: Alliances; Broadband; Client server architecture; Computer architecture; Customer services; Distributed processing; Distributed systems; Java; Marvel; Network management systems; Servers; Software; Studies; Systems management; Thin client computing; User interface; World Wide Web
• ISSN: 1064-7570; 1573-7705
• DOI: 10.1023/A:1018717900333

We present the architecture of Marvel, a distributed computing environment for building scalable management services using intelligent agents and the world-wide web. Marvel is based on an information model that generates computed views of management information and a distributed computing model that makes these views available to a variety of client applications. Computed views consist of monitoring, control and event views of information collected from network elements and subsequently aggregated using a series of spatial and temporal filters. Marvel does not replace existing element management agents but rather builds on top of them a hierarchy of servers that generate computed views and present them to client applications in a number of formats, including Java-enriched web pages. It uses a distributed persistent store to reduce the cost associated with centralized network management systems and mobile agent technology to: (a) support thin clients by uploading the necessary code to access Marvel services; and (b) extend its functionality dynamically by downloading code that incorporates new objects and services. A prototype implementation in Java is presented together with results from its first application on a residential broadband access system using cable modems. [PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]