Bay Networks, Inc.

Bay Networks Group, Inc.

Gregory Allen Foster

Chen-Yea Luo

Balaji Pitchaikani

David Theodore Perkins

A system and method for generating a plurality of output files based on a Management Information Base (MIB) specification is provided. The system includes one or more MIB compilers designed to produce outputs based on a MIB specification. Each of the MIB compilers reads a set of directives that are maintained separate from the MIB specification. The set of directives indicate which of the modules and items defined in the MIB specification are to be processed during a given MIB compilation operation. The set of directives may also specify MIB additional attributes and values for items that are defined in the MIB specification. The set of directives may also specify that, for the purposes of the MIB compilation operation, a MIB item is to be treated as though it had a different attribute than an attribute specified for the MIB item in the MIB specification. The system also includes a single syntax checking unit that checks for syntax errors in the MIB specification prior to sending data representing the MIB specification to any MIB compiler in the system. The system includes a MIB compiler for generating, from multiple files containing a one or more MIB module specifications, a single file containing a single MIB module specification. The system also includes a MIB compiler for generating a directive file containing single-item selection directives from a directive file containing one or more multiple-item selection directives.

Method and system for compiling management information base

An apparatus for acquiring a plurality of values from an agent on a network is provided. The apparatus may be accessed through a predefined interface by various network management station applications. Because the apparatus is independent from the network management applications, the functionality provided by the apparatus need not be duplicated in each network management station application. The apparatus generally includes an agent identification unit, a display mechanism, a database access unit, a storage device and an information retrieval unit. The storage device stores a database containing data representing agents, management information bases, objects and attribute groups. When a network management station application requires values from an agent, the network management station application sends the apparatus a signal identifying the agent and specifying an information category, such as performance, status, or diagnostic. The agent identification unit identifies the type of the agent. The database access unit accesses the database to determine a plurality of objects which correspond to the specified information category according to the type of the agent. The information retrieval unit sends an information request to the agent based on the plurality of objects determined by the database access unit, and receives a response containing the plurality of values from the agent. The plurality of values are sent to the display unit, which displays the values visually in a pop-up window.

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Santa Clara, CA, United States of America

Gregory Allen Foster