Abstract: A method for maintaining router security configuration files, a method for detecting unauthorized changes to router security configurations and a network controller. In one embodiment, the method for maintaining includes: (1) generating a target-delta file having commands needed to make identified data blocks of a baseline file functionally equivalent to corresponding data blocks of a target file, wherein the identified data blocks are functionally different from the corresponding data blocks of the target file and (2) changing a router security configuration field file by applying the target-delta file thereto.

Abstract: A method of configuring a network management network (10) including a computer network (20), a network management system (30), and a data link (40) for coupling the computer network to the network management system includes determining at least one network management parameter for the network management network (10), including the number of network devices (22) on the computer network (20). The method also includes calculating a data link (40) capacity in response to determining the at least one network management parameter and the number of network devices (22) and configuring (160) the network management network (10) in response to determining the at least one network management parameter and calculating the data link (40) capacity.

Abstract: A system for remote management of private networks having duplicate network addresses is provided which consists of a plurality of managed customer networks (16) within a customer domain (12). The managed customer networks (16) within the customer domain (12) are linked to a level one manager (34) and have unique network addresses. The managed customer networks (16) within the customer domain (12) which have duplicate network addresses are assigned to different level one managers. Errors occurring in the managed customer networks are sent to a level one manager (34) which generates an error message uniquely identifying the node or interface link experiencing the error. This error message is forwarded to a level two manager (40) which then routes the error message to an appropriate operator console (42) where the error is diagnosed and corrected.

Abstract: A method for monitoring a computer network used to transfer data includes measuring (112) the amount of data transferred across the network during each of a plurality of time periods. The method also includes determining (118) an actual level of network usage by a user for each of the time periods and comparing (120) the actual level of network usage generated for each time period with an authorized level of usage.