Framework for enabling dynamic construction of a network element management mechanism

Abstract

A framework is disclosed which enables a management system to manage completely different type of network elements (NEs) running different versions of their embedded software by introducing generic operational interfaces, generic data interfaces, information descriptors and self adaptive control mechanism. This Management system framework consists of mainly two parts a) core application and b) element-dependent components and c) a set of generic interfaces. When the management system is launched, it executes the core application. The core application comprises of network element independent version independent generic functionalities that can be used to interact with a variety of network elements and a dynamic control mechanism to make selection and placement of pluggable components at appropriate time and place during execution. After the core application is executed, whenever a need to manage one or more network elements, self adaptive control mechanism will take decision based on information descriptor of that target NE and NE type dependent version dependent modules are incorporated or 'plugged in' with core application to produce an overall management mechanism to manage that target NE.