DTJ Number 3 September 1987 - Digital Technical Journals

The Evolution of Network Management Productsunderstand customers' needs for the integrationof network management with system and applicationmanagement.Throughout its evolution, network managementhas become increasingly essential to customerswhose businesses depend on the operationof their networks. One problem has beenthat network management fu nctions have highrequirements for processor power and databasestorage. However, since processing power isbecoming cheaper, customers can now takeadvantage of smaller, less expensive, yet morepowerful processors to fu lfill these needs. Theprimary evolutionary trend for network managementhas always been to make people mon; efficient.The affordability of increased processorpower will contribute enormously to Digital'sability to provide integrated, extensible, andmore-intelligent management functions. Theavailability of these functions will make peoplemore efficient and effective in the future.ConclusionSome important goals and guidelines haveemerged from the evolutionary processdescribed in this paper. They will serve as aguide for fu ture network management developmentin Digital Equipment Corporation .• New products to be used in DECnet networksshould incorporate basic network managementwhen those products are introduced.• Remote access to management functions isneeded to support both decentralized andcentralized management.• An integrated management architecture isdesirable, yet_ it must allow actual productimplementations that are not tightly coupled.• Commonality in management user interfaces,databases, protocols, and fu nctions reducescomplexity, makes the products easier to use,and reduces the duplication of developmentresources.• More intelligent and automated data-analysisand evaluation fu nctions are needed to facilitatethe network manager's job. These functionsshould address the network managementrequirements of all network products.• Customers should be able to tailor the managementapplication software appropriatelyfor their network environments.• Network management is a distributed applicationthat should be integrated into the overallsystem environment in support of users'businesses.AcknowledgmentsThe authors express their appreciation to JimCritser, Stan Goldfarb, Bernard Harris, Bill Keyworth,John Morency, Louise Potter, and DonnaRitter for their careful review and many suggestionsthat have enhanced the ideas presented inthis paper.References1. DECnet Digital Network Architecture(Phase IV) Network Management Fu nctionalSp ecification (Maynard : DigitalEquipment Corporation, Order No. AA­X437A-TK, 1983).2. ]. Heffernan and D. Ritter, "Remote BridgeManagement," DECUS NETwords Newsletter(1986).3. N. La Pelle and K. Chapman, "BuildingBlocks for Remote LAN System Management,"FOCjLAN85 Proceedings (September1985): 137- 146.4. D. Thompson, "A Management Standard forLocal Area Networks," IEEE Fo urth InternationalConference on Computers andCommunications (March 1985): 390- 396 .5. N. La Pelle and K. Chapman, "Distribution ofthe Management Function in LAN Systems,"Second Annual ACM Northeast RegionalConference Proceedings (October 1985) :250-267.6. M. Sylor, "The NMCCjDECnet MonitorDesign,'' Digital Te chnical journal (September1986, this issue) : 129,-141.• The distinction between voice and data networksis becoming less distinct, and networkmanagement must consider both.128Digital Tecbnical]ournolNo. 3 September 1986