Distributed network management system and method

1. A distributed network management system comprising:

a plurality of servers, each of said plurality of servers comprising an element management system (EMS) function for receiving network status data from network elements within the network for managing the network elements and a network management system (NMS) function for receiving messages from each of said EMS functions for managing said plurality of servers,

said plurality of servers being configured to ensure that said EMS function is active on all of said servers and said NMS function is also active on one of said plurality of servers and inactive on the others of said plurality of servers when said plurality of servers share one network domain, whereby said EMS and said NMS function are both active on said one of said plurality of servers and only said EMS function is active on said others of said plurality of servers, and when said one network domain is separated into first and second separate domains said plurality of servers being configured to ensure that said EMS function is active on all of said servers and to automatically also activate said NMS function on a first one of said plurality of servers associated said first domain and a second one of said plurality of servers associated with said second domain, whereby each of said first and second separate domains has a separate associated one of said plurality of servers performing said NMS function, and ensure that said NMS function on the others of said servers comprising said first and second separate domains is inactive, and

when said first and second separate domains are re-combined into said one network domain,

said first and second ones of said plurality of servers being configured to automatically request each other's runtime precedence, wherein the server with the lowest activation priority or the lowest runtime progress relinquishes NMS functionality, and when both servers have the same activation priority, the servers comparing runtime progress to determine which server should relinquish NMS functionality.

2. A system according to claim 1 , wherein said NMS function is configured to automatically discover a network topology of a domain in which said NMS function is active.

3. A system according to claim 1 , wherein said plurality of servers do not maintain a persistent database of network information for use by said NMS function.

4. A system according to claim 1 , wherein said NMS function is configured to automatically discover termination points in a domain in which said NMS function is active and connect said termination points to establish network trails for said domain in which said NMS function is active.

5. A system according to claim 4 , wherein said NMS function is configured to perform fault management for said network using said network trails.

6. A system according to claim 1 , wherein each of said plurality of servers further comprises a client workstation function (WSF) for displaying status of said network to a user.

7. A method of managing a network comprising:

providing on each of a plurality of servers an element management system (EMS) function for receiving network status data from network elements within the network for managing the network elements and a network management system (NMS) function for receiving messages from each of said EMS functions for managing said plurality of servers;

activating said EMS function on all of said servers and also activating said NMS function on one of said servers when said plurality of servers share a one network domain, whereby said EMS and said NMS function are both active on said one of said plurality of servers and only said EMS function is active on all others of said plurality of servers; and

activating said NMS function automatically on at least one other one of said plurality of servers when said one network domain is divided into multiple separate network domains, whereby each of said multiple separate network domains has a separate associated active NMS function;

comparing runtime precedence of said one of said servers and said at least one other one of said plurality of servers to automatically elect a single host server with said NMS function active thereon when said multiple domains are re-combined into said one network domain, wherein the server with the lowest activation priority or the lowest runtime progress relinquishes NMS functionality, and when both servers have the same activation priority, runtime progress is compared to determine which server should relinquish NMS functionality.

8. A method according to claim 7 , said method further comprising discovering automatically a network topology in one of said servers where said NMS function is active.

9. A method according to claim 7 , said method further comprising discovering automatically termination points in one of said servers where said NMS function is active and connecting said termination points to establish network trails.

10. A method according to claim 9 , said method further comprising performing fault management for said network using said network trails.

11. A method according to claim 7 , said method further comprising providing on each of said plurality of servers a client workstation function (WSF) for displaying status of said network to a user.

12. A method of assigning a host server in a distributed network management system including a plurality of servers, each of said plurality of servers comprising an element management system (EMS) function for receiving network status data from network elements within the network for managing the network elements and a network management system (NMS) function for receiving messages from each of said EMS functions for managing each server running said EMS function, all of said plurality of servers performing said EMS function and a first one of said plurality of servers also performing a first NMS function for a first domain in said distributed network management system, said first domain having been separated from a single domain, whereby said EMS and said NMS function are both active on said first one of said plurality of servers and only said EMS function is active on all others of said plurality of servers in said first domain, and a second one of said plurality of servers also performing a second NMS function for a second domain in said distributed network management system, said second domain having been separated from said single domain with said second one of said plurality of servers having been automatically activated when said second domain was separated from said single domain, whereby said EMS and said NMS function are both active on said second one of said plurality of servers and only said EMS function is active on all others of said plurality of servers in said second domain, said first domain being separate from said second domain, said method comprising, after said first and second domains are re-combined into a said single domain:

operating said first one of said plurality of servers for automatically requesting runtime status of said second one of said plurality of servers;

receiving a response from said second one of said plurality of servers;

comparing runtime status of said first one of said plurality of servers to said runtime status of said second one of said plurality of servers;

initializing said first one as a host server of said single domain automatically in response to said comparing runtime status; and

deactivating said NMS function on said second one of said plurality of servers automatically in response to said comparing runtime precedence, wherein the server with the lowest activation priority or the lowest runtime progress relinquishes NMS functionality, and when both servers have the same activation priority, runtime progress is compared to determine which server should relinquish NMS functionality.

13. A method according to claim 12 , said method further comprising discovering automatically a network topology associated with said plurality of servers.

14. A method according to claim 12 , said method further comprising discovering automatically termination points associated with said plurality of servers and connecting said termination points to establish network trails.

15. A method according to claim 14 , said method further comprising performing fault management for said network using said network trails.

16. A non-transitory machine-readable medium whose contents cause a computer system to perform a method of assigning a host server in a distributed network management system including a plurality of servers, each of said plurality of servers comprising an element management system (EMS) function for receiving network status data from network elements within the network for managing the network elements and a network management system (NMS) function for receiving messages from each of said EMS functions for managing each server running said EMS function, all of said plurality of servers performing said EMS function and a first one of said plurality of servers also performing a first NMS function for a first domain in said distributed network management system, said first domain having been separated from a single domain, whereby said EMS and said NMS function are both active on said first one of said plurality of servers and only said EMS function is active on all others of said plurality of servers in said first domain, and a second one of said plurality of servers also performing a second NMS function for a second domain in said distributed network management system, said second domain having been separated from said single domain with said second one of said plurality of servers having been automatically activated when said second domain was separated from said single domain, whereby said EMS and said NMS function are both active on said second one of said plurality of servers and only said EMS function is active on all others of said plurality of servers in said second domain, said first domain being separate from said second domain, said method comprising, after said first and second domains are re-combined into a said single domain:

operating said first one of said plurality of servers for automatically requesting runtime status of said second one of said plurality of servers;

receiving a response from said second one of said plurality of servers;

comparing runtime status of said first one of said plurality of servers to said runtime status of said second one of said plurality of servers;

initializing said first one as a host server of said single domain automatically in response to said comparing runtime status; and

deactivating said NMS function on said second one of said plurality of servers automatically in response to said comparing runtime precedence, wherein the server with the lowest activation priority or the lowest runtime progress relinquishes NMS functionality, and when both servers have the same activation priority, runtime progress is compared to determine which server should relinquish NMS functionality.

17. A non-transitory machine readable medium according to claim 16 , said method further comprising discovering automatically a network topology associated with said plurality of servers.

18. A non-transitory machine readable medium according to claim 16 , said method further comprising discovering automatically termination points associated with said plurality of servers and connecting said termination points to establish network trails.

19. A non-transitory machine readable medium according to claim 18 , said method further comprising performing fault management for said network using said network trails.