Abstract: A method for provisioning a service request in a computer network, the method including a) determining a service path within a model of the computer network from a source device component within the model, the source device component corresponding to a first network device, to a destination device component within the model, the destination device component corresponding to a second network device, b) determining for each network device corresponding to device components along the service path the configuration operations required to provision the service request, and c) configuring each of the network devices.

Abstract: In a computer network including a plurality of network elements, a network management architecture including a plurality of agents, each of the agents corresponding to a different one of the network elements, and a plurality of device components, each of the device components modeling at least one aspect of one of the network elements, the aspect being either of a physical and a functional characteristic of the network element, where each of the agents includes a plurality of the device components, and where at least of the two device components within at least one of the agents are logically interconnected, each logical interconnection corresponding to either of a physical and a functional interconnection found within or between any of the network elements.

Abstract: In a computer network including a plurality of network elements, a network management architecture including a plurality of agents, each of the agents corresponding to a different one of the network elements, and a plurality of device components, each of the device components modeling at least one aspect of one of the network elements, the aspect being either of a physical and a functional characteristic of the network element, where each of the agents includes a plurality of the device components, and where at least of the two device components within at least one of the agents are logically interconnected, each logical interconnection corresponding to either of a physical and a functional interconnection found within or between any of the network elements.

Abstract: A method of determining a communications path in a computer network, the method including sending a simulated network message within a model of the computer network from a source device component within the model to a destination device component within the model along a device component path, where the message does not traverse the computer network, and recording the device components traversed by the message, thereby determining the communications path.

Abstract: In a computer network including a plurality of network elements, a network management architecture including a plurality of agents, each of the agents corresponding to a different one of the network elements, and a plurality of device components, each of the device components modeling at least one aspect of one of the network elements, the aspect being either of a physical and a functional characteristic of the network element, where each of the agents includes a plurality of the device components, and where at least of the two device components within at least one of the agents are logically interconnected, each logical interconnection corresponding to either of a physical and a functional interconnection found within or between any of the network elements.

Abstract: A method for topology discovery in an ATM network, the method including identifying an active VC between two ATM network device ports, and maintaining a link between the ATM network device ports in a topology graph where the active VC has the same VPI/VCI at both of the ports.

Abstract: A method of determining the root cause of an event in a computer network having a distributed network management architecture including detecting an event at at least one device component (DC) in the network, for each source DC at which an event is detected, finding a data path within the network from the source DC's underlying network element to that of its acquaintance DC where present, identifying as the root cause any of the source DC and the subject DCs in the data path that have detected an event and either do not have an acquaintance or do not have a valid operational state with respect to its acquaintance whereas all other DCs along the data path at lower network layers than the source or subject DC have valid operational states with respect to their acquaintances.

Abstract: A method for provisioning a service request in a computer network, the method including a) determining a service path within a model of the computer network from a source device component within the model, the source device component corresponding to a first network device, to a destination device component within the model, the destination device component corresponding to a second network device, b) determining for each network device corresponding to device components along the service path the configuration operations required to provision the service request, and c) configuring each of the network devices.

Abstract: A network management system provides distributed task and data processing services to management processes by employing distributed autonomous agents. The network management system includes management units that are associated with network elements of the network. The management units store a dynamically updated model of the corresponding network elements. The model is used to implement data gathering tasks as well as network control operations. The model includes autonomous agents, each modeling a network element. The agents communicate with one another and cooperate to facilitate the implementation of a distributed algorithm. The management system provides the management processes with data management as well as one step network control operation services. Accordingly, the management processes do not process a large amount of data or execute step-by-step network control operations.

Abstract: A method of determining a communications path in a computer network, the method including sending a simulated network message within a model of the computer network from a source device component within the model to a destination device component within the model along a device component path, where the message does not traverse the computer network, and recording the device components traversed by the message, thereby determining the communications path.

Abstract: A method of determining the root cause of an event in a computer network having a distributed network management architecture including detecting an event at at least one device component (DC) in the network, for each source DC at which an event is detected, finding a data path within the network from the source DC's underlying network element to that of its acquaintance DC where present, identifying as the root cause any of the source DC and the subject DCs in the data path that have detected an event and either do not have an acquaintance or do not have a valid operational state with respect to its acquaintance whereas all other DCs along the data path at lower network layers than the source or subject DC have valid operational states with respect to their acquaintances.