Methods and apparatus for ip management traffic consolidation

Abstract

Consolidation of management traffic is performed in a network by employing a gateway network management device (NMD) to route management messages between a controller and NMDs located at sites in the network. Management addresses are assigned to components of a network management system, including the management controller and NMDs. The management addresses are distinct from customer addresses associated with equipment located at the sites. These customer addresses can serve as piggyback addresses for routing encapsulated management messages through the network. Management messages from the management controller contain the management address of the destination NMD and are first sent to the gateway NMD. The gateway NMD looks up the piggyback address corresponding to the destination management address and generates an encapsulated management message containing the management message and the piggyback address. Using the piggyback address, the encapsulated message is then routed through the network to the destination NMD.