Network management method using specification authorizing network task management software to operate on specified task management hardware computing components
Systems, software, and methods for managing networks of connected electronic devices are described. In one example, network management policy and network management applications are transferred automatically upon detection and identification of a new device, protocol or application on the network. In another example, information related to at least one aspect of the network is obtained by an NMAS, and at least one applicable management policy is identified by the NMAS; and the identified policy is used to manage at least one aspect of the network's operation.
1. A network management method comprising:
deploying an arrangement of network task managers on a network, said arrangement of network task managers comprising at least one specification that defines trust domain membership and/or privileges including specifying:
at least one task manager software component authorized to operate on a trust domain,
at least one task management hardware computing component upon which the task manager software component is authorized to operate,
at least one network collection software,
at least one collection hardware computing component upon which the network collection software is authorized to operate, and
at least one network collection specification specifying information the at least one network collection software is authorized to collect from the network,
the deploying further comprising determining whether the at least one specification that defines trust domain memberships and/or privileges identifies the at least one network task manager software component as being authorized to operate on the specified at least one task management hardware computing component; and
if the determining determines the at least one specification that defines trust domain membership and/or privileges identifies the at least one network task manager software component as being authorized to operate on the specified at least one task management hardware computing component, deploying the specified at least one network task manager software component, the at least one network collection software, and the at least one task management hardware computing component on the network, wherein the at least one collection hardware computing component includes a processor, storage, network interface, and operating system software, and
executing said task manager software component on the specified at least one task management hardware computing component to manage the execution of the at least one network collection software on the at least one collection hardware computing component to at least in part manage the trust domain.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein the task manager software component instantiates a specified network collection software on a collection hardware computing component.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one specification that defines trust domain membership and/or privileges further comprises an authorization to install the network collection software on a specified collection hardware computing component, and the method further includes causing the installation and/or execution of the network collection software on the collection hardware computing component in accordance with the authorization in the at least one specification that defines trust domain membership and/or privileges.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one specification that defines trust domain membership and/or privileges further comprises an authorization for the task manager software component to communicate with and control the operation of the network collection software executing on the collection hardware computing component.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one specification that defines trust domain membership and/or privileges further comprises an authorization for the task manager software component to configure the network collection software on the collection hardware computing component, and the task manager software component executing includes the task managers arrangement using the authorization to configure the network collection software in accordance with the at least one network collection specification.
6. The method of claim 5 wherein the at least one specification that defines trust domain membership and/or privileges further specifies a data repository into which the at least one network collection software stores collected network management information, and the executing includes the task managers arrangement configuring the at least one network collection software to store collection network management information in the specified data repository in accordance with the authorization.
7. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one specification that defines trust domain membership and/or privileges further includes authorization for communications between the task manager software component and the at least one of the network collection software, and the executing includes the task manager software component communicating with the network collection software using the specified authorization.
8. The method of claim 7 wherein the communicating includes selecting a management action from the group of authorized actions consisting of configuring action and controlling actions.
9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the at least one specification that defines trust domain membership and/or privileges specifies the selected action.
10. The method of claim 8 , further including performing a status check of operations of the collection network collection software operations by the task manager software component.
11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the task manager software component communicates with the network collection software, determines its status, and takes an action based upon determined status.
12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the action comprises restarting the network collection software.
13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the action comprises reconfiguring the network collection software.
14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the action comprises altering the at least one specification that defines trust domain membership and/or privileges, instantiating new network collection software, and configuring the new network collection software to operate using as least part of the network collection specification.
15. The method of claim 8 wherein said network collection software has capabilities that are extensible.
16. The method of claim 8 further including securely extending capabilities of said network collection software using information stored in the trust domain.
17. The method of claim 1 , further including securely extending capabilities of said network collection software by specifying one or more dynamic applications to execute.
18. The method of claim 1 , further including securely extending capabilities of said network collection software by specifying a different network collection specification to use.
19. The method of claim 1 wherein the task manager software component receives information collected by the network collection software and uses the received information to configure the network collection software.
20. The method of claim 1 wherein the task manager software component receives information collected by the network collection software and uses the received information to instantiate a different network collection software on the collection hardware computing component.
21. The method of claim 9 further including the task manager software component remotely managing at least some dynamic applications said collection hardware computing component executes.
22. The method of claim 21 wherein said remotely managing includes instructing, in a trusted manner, said collection hardware computing component which dynamic applications to execute.
23. The method of claim 22 wherein said remotely managing includes forwarding information between trusted network collection software instances.
24. The method of claim 22 wherein said remotely managing includes moving monitoring functions from one trusted network collection software instance to another.
25. The method of claim 22 wherein said remotely managing includes providing instructions from a task manager software component to plural trusted network collection software instances.
26. The method of claim 22 wherein said remotely managing includes directing said network collection software to monitor at least one task manager software component.
27. The method of claim 1 wherein the task manager software component receives information collected by the network collection software and uses the received information to control the network collection software.