Domain-partitioned element management systems employing mobile agents for distributed network management

Abstract

Network management systems based on mobile agents are efficiently a better alternative than typical client/server based architectures. Centralized management models like SNMP or CMIP based management models suffer from scalability and flexibility issues which are addressed to great extent by flat bed or static mid-level manager models based on mobile agents, yet the use of mobile agents to distribute and delegate management tasks for above stated agent-based management frameworks like initial flat bed models and static mid-level managers cannot efficiently meet the demands of current networks which are growing in size and complexity. In view of the above mentioned limitations, we proposed a domain partitioned network management model based-on mobile agent & Element Management Systems in order to minimize management data flow to a centralized server. Intelligent agent allocated to specific EMS performs local network management and reports the results to the superior manager and finally the global manager performs global network management using those submitted management results. Experimental results of various scenarios of the proposed model have been presented to support the arguments given in favor of the prototype system based on mobile agents.