Abstract: A computer system includes a gateway which provides integration between a network management platform and a system management platform. Such a gateway facilitates sharing of network management and system management events and alarms, as well as sharing of network management and system management display views. From the shared events and alarms, each platform may correlate such shared events and alarms with other data available to the platform. Thus, each platform has the advantage of using its own data in combination with data from the other platform to more effectively perform its functionality.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for distributed object filtering of objects transferred between a client and server. The objects may be alarms transferred between a network management server and one or more network management applications. The apparatus and method further includes applying a plurality of policy-based filters to the alarms. The filters may be named and stored in a database, and application of the policy-based filters may be scheduled for different times. The same policy-based filters may be applied to one or more multiple network management applications. The system and method provides increased performance and reliability of passing objects from a server to a client application.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for coordinating access to a shared object amongst a plurality of processes in a distributed system. One process is identified as a lock owner process controlling a lock associated with the shared object. When a process needs to access the shared object, it requests control of the lock from the lock owner process. When no other process controls the lock, the lock owner process grants control to the requesting process. When another process controls the lock, the lock owner process places the requesting process in a queue and waits for the lock to become available. All accesses to the shared object are processed through the lock owner processes thus assuring coordination and synchronization among the processes.

Abstract: A floating license enforcement method and system which enables an authorized user to accumulate time-based usage credit while a software application is in use under a valid license. In the event of a license system fault, the application remains accessible to the user, while consuming the usage credit which was previously accumulated. This allows the user access to the application while the license system fault is being corrected. If the license system fault is corrected before all of the accumulated usage credit is consumed, the application remains accessible to the user under the valid license and resumes accumulating usage credit. Therefore, the invention allows the authorized user to consume its accrued usage credit to bridge the time between when a license system fault occurs and when the fault is corrected, thereby protecting the rights of the user. At the same time, the invention prevents excessive unauthorized use of the application, thereby protecting the rights of the software vendor.

Abstract: According to an embodiment of the present invention, a method is provided for partitioning a network, comprising modeling the network as a graph comprising nodes which represent network devices, and edges which represent links between the devices, and automatically partitioning the graph into domains. One embodiment of the method includes identifying a number of anchor nodes in the graph and partitioning the domains around the anchor nodes such that each domain contains only one anchor node. Another embodiment of the method includes partitioning a graph without anchor nodes into a number of domains, and assigning controllers to each of the domains. Preferably, the method further includes assigning a weight to each node in the graph, and balancing the partitions as a function of the weight of each node in a respective partition.

Abstract: A multi-domain network manager provides alarm correlation among a plurality of domains included in a communications network. Individual network management systems each monitor a single respective domain of the communications network, and provide intra-domain alarms indicative of status specific to the single respective domain. The multi-domain network manager receives the intra-domain alarms, and correlates them to provide inter-domain alarms as well as responses in the form of corrective actions. The multi-domain network manager thus provides a high level of correlation and response for the entire network while each network management system provides a lower level of correlation and response for an individual domain of the network.

Abstract: Configuration management of managed objects is performed based upon performance data. Configuration management is performed on varying levels according to the amount of interpretation of the performance data that is required. A new configuration for an object is determined based upon the performance data, and the object is reconfigured according to the new configuration. Analysis may be performed at varying levels by a reactive analyzer and a deliberative analyzer.

Abstract: Apparatus and process for consolidating the visual representation of objects into a “rollup” visual representation. A set of objects defined in an N-dimensional space and a perspective viewpoint are obtained or pre-defined. Each object in the set is then represented by a new rollup object and each new rollup object is compared with any pre-existing rollup objects to determine if it is “near enough” to any pre-existing rollup object to be consolidated with the pre-existing object. If so, they are consolidated and the new rollup object is removed. The “near-enough” determination may be made based upon a threshold minimum area of occlusion between the two rollup objects, a threshold minimum pixel distance, or a threshold minimum spatial distance between the two rollup objects.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for determining an enforceable policy applicable to one or more network devices. The method includes attaching one or more rule elements to one or more domain elements to create policies, the domain elements representing network devices and groups of network devices, and the rule elements defining actions, a method for determining whether a conflict exists between the polices, and a method for resolving the conflicts to produce one or more enforceable policies.

Abstract: A network management system includes a user interface, a virtual network and a device communication manager. The virtual network includes models which represent network entities and model relations which represent relations between network entities. Each model includes network data relating to a corresponding network entity and one or more inference handlers for processing the network data to provide user information. The system performs a fault isolation technique wherein the fault status of a network device is suppressed when it is determined that the device is not defective. User displays include hierarchical location views and topological views of the network configuration. Network devices are represented on the displays by multifunction icons which permit the user to select additional displays showing detailed information regarding different aspects of the corresponding network device.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for receiving alarms from multiple network management servers and applying a plurality of policy-based filters to the alarms. The filters may be named and stored in a database, and application of the policy-based filters may be scheduled for different times. The same policy-based filters may be applied to one or more multiple network management applications. The invention allows greater control over which alarms get reported to network management applications and provides a means to ensure consistency of reported alarms across multiple network management applications.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for monitoring parameters that govern the operational characteristics of a network device, including the use of templates for generating configuration records of network devices of a selected model type. A database of models is provided, each model representing an associated network device and including attribute values for the parameters of the associated network device. Templates are used to screen a model in order to retrieve values for each of the attributes and create a configuration record. The configuration records may be stored in the configuration manager or other storage device, and/or transferred to the pre-existing model database for use by a network management system in reconfiguring the associated network devices. This system for configuration management is less time consuming, expensive, and error prone than prior systems.