Managing a computer network
View Patent ↗Illustrative embodiments of the invention provide for managing a computer network. One illustrative embodiment forms a first representation of a network element as a physical entity in an information model, the first representation having a form independent of an implementation defined by a vendor; and maps a portion of the first representation from the information model to a second representation in a vendor-independent data model residing in a first repository, the second representation having a form suitable for use with the first repository.
1. A computerized method for managing a computer network, the method comprising:
forming a first representation of a network element as a physical entity in an information model, the first representation having a form independent of an implementation defined by a vendor;
mapping a portion of the first representation from the information model to a second representation in a vendor-independent data model residing in a first repository, the second representation having a form suitable for use with the first repository; and
mapping, the second representation into a third representation in a vendor-dependent data model, wherein the third representation is optimized for implementing the network element.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first representation further represents the network element as a logical entity.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein forming the first representation in the information model further comprises:
abstracting a characteristic from one or more different network elements; and
mapping the abstracted characteristic to the information model.
4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the characteristic relates to a programming model of the one or more different network elements.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the third representation is in a form for implementing the network element as a specific device as defined by the vendor.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first repository is a relational database.
7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising mapping another portion of the first representation from the information model to another vendor-independent data model residing in a second repository.
8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the second repository is a directory.
9. A system for managing a computer network, the system comprising:
a processor; and
a memory containing a plurality of program instructions configured to cause the processor to:
form a first representation of a network element as a physical entity in an information model, the first representation having a form independent of an implementation defined by a vendor;
map a portion of the first representation from the information model to a second representation in a vendor-independent data model residing in a first repository, the second representation having a form suitable for use with the first repository; and
map the second representation into a third representation in a vendor-dependent data model, wherein the third representation is optimized for implementing the network element.
10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the first representation further represents the network element as a logical entity.
11. The system of claim 9 , wherein the instructions to form the first representation in the information model further causes the processor to:
abstract a characteristic from one or more different network elements; and
map the abstracted characteristic to the information model.
12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the characteristic relates to a programming model of the one or more different network elements.
13. The system of claim 9 , wherein the third representation is in a form for implementing the network element as a specific device as defined by the vendor.
14. The system of claim 9 , wherein the first repository relational database.
15. The system of claim 9 , wherein the instructions further cause the processor to:
map another portion of the first representation from the information model to another vendor-independent data model residing in a second repository.
16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the second repository is a directory.
17. A computer storage product comprising a computer readable medium having a computer code stored therein, wherein the computer code, when executed on a computing device, causes the computing device to:
form a first representation of a network element as a physical entity in an information model, the first representation having a form independent of an implementation defined by a vendor;
map a portion of the first representation from the information model to a second representation in a vendor-independent data model residing in a first repository, the second representation having a form suitable for use with the first repository; and
map the second representation into a third representation in a vendor-dependent data model, wherein the third representation is optimized for implementing the network element.
18. The computer storage product of claim 17 , wherein the computer code to form the first representation in the information model further causes the computing device to:
abstract a characteristic from one or more different network elements; and
map the abstracted characteristic to the information model.
19. The computer storage product of claim 18 , wherein the characteristic relates to a programming model of the one or more different network elements.
20. The computer storage product of claim 17 , wherein the computer code further causes the computing device to:
map another portion of the first representation from the information model to another vendor-independent data model residing in a second repository.