Method and apparatus for managing interfaces on a network element

1. An interface management system for creating, managing and destroying interfaces on a network element, the interfaces enabling physical resources of the network element to be abstracted for use by applications running on the network element, the interface management system comprising:

an application process object associated with an application running on the network element;

an interface entity object configured to provide interface services to the application process object, the interface entity object representing one of a physical port and a channel to be used by the application within the network element; and

an interface identification (IFID) manager configured to interface between the application process object and the interface entity object to manage communications between the objects, the IFID manager providing an environment for support of a media abstraction layer to enable applications to access a plurality of interface types without creation of dependencies between the applications and interfaces of the plurality of interface types.

2. The interface management system of claim 1 , wherein the IFID manager comprises a host interface manager associated with the application process object, and an interface manager object associated with the interface entity object.

3. The interface management system of claim 2 , wherein the interface manager object is associated with other interface entity objects as well as the interface entity object.

4. The interface management system of claim 1 , wherein the interface entity is a collection of units, each of which defines a logical partition for a particular port or channel.

5. The interface management system of claim 4 , wherein properties of the units are defined by families with the unit, such that a family defines allowable application properties supported on the unit.

6. An interface management system for managing interfaces between applications on a network element and ports on the network element, the interface management system comprising:

an input/output (IO) card;

a data service card configured to create an interface based on configuration information from a control service card, and to program the IO card based on data plane information associated with the interface;

a control service card configured to pass the configuration information concerning an interface to the data service card to enable the data service card to create the interface; and

an interface identity (IFID) manager configured to manage communication between the control service card and the data service card, the IFID manager providing an environment for support of a media abstraction layer to enable applications to access a plurality of interface types without creation of dependencies between the applications and interfaces of the plurality of interface types.

7. The interface management system of claim 6 , wherein the IFID manager is further configured to monitor the interface, the monitoring including communicating state and status changes between the interface and an application.

8. The interface management system of claim 6 , wherein the IFID manager registers an application seeking to communicate through an IO card.

9. The interface management system of claim 8 , wherein registration includes gathering information from the application, the gathered information including at least one of an application service group, an application stale timer, and an application address.

10. The interface management system of claim 8 , wherein the IFID manager that registers the application becomes the host IFID manager for the registered application and distributes application attributes to other IFID managers.

11. The interface management system of claim 6 , wherein the IFID manager is resident on the control service card.

12. The interface management system of claim 11 , wherein the interface entity includes:

control plane information that includes information specific to an application; and

data plane information used to program a hardware abstraction layer on the IO card.

13. The interface management system of claim 6 , wherein the data service card includes an interface entity acting as a containment class for interfaces and interface components.

14. A method for managing interfaces between applications on a network element and ports on the network element, the method comprising:

receiving configuration information from a control entity associated with an application;

creating an interface based on the configuration information;

programming an input/output (IO) device based on data plane information associated with the created interface;

managing communication between the application and the IO device via the interface; and

providing, via an interface identification (IFID) manager, an environment for support of a media abstraction layer to enable the application to access a plurality of interface types without creation of dependencies between the application and interfaces of the plurality of interface types.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising monitoring the created interface, the monitoring including communicating state and status changes between the created interface and the application.

16. The method of claim 14 , further comprising registering the application by gathering information concerning the application, the gathered information including an application service group.

17. The method of claim 14 , further comprising distributing application attributes to other IFID managers.

18. The method of claim 14 , further comprising providing an interface entity including control plane information that includes information specific to the application.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the interface entity further includes data plane information used to program a hardware abstraction layer on the IO device.