Skip to main content
European Commission logo print header

Distributed Open Management Architecture in Networked Systems

Objective

The aim of DOMAINS was to develop a distributed open architecture for the integrated management of resources in networked systems. The growth in the quantity and quality of networked systems and the consequent increase in problems concerning complexity, heterogeneity and the diversity of components in such multivendor environments require adequate tools supporting all aspects of networked systems management. Such management tools must be based on a new architecture which maintains a clear distinction between management policy and the resources and activities being managed (ie the managed objects). The interface between the managed objects and the management applications will follow international standards (either existing or currently under development). DOMAINS therefore followed the OSI management model for networks as well as the Open Distributed Processing (ODP) recommendations.
The project uses and object oriented approach for both conceptual modelling (according to the structuring principles) and implementation of management applications. The conceptual model is uniform for managing and managed entities and therefore (recursively) allows managing entities to become managed. A management application is implemented as a distributed object oriented one, running on top of the project platform. This platform supports the structuring principles and provides the backing necessary for object orientation and distribution with particular attention to management requirements. It can be realized on various existing systems.
The project showed that the architecture can support objects ranging from pure networking resources, such as switches, to computing resources such as programs and databases. It established management domains to structure the real-world management task according to the restrictions given by different policy requirements. The object-oriented approach was considered to be an appropriate method for resolving the problems encountered.

Key components of the DMA were implemented on top of an existing object-oriented system, and served for a demonstrator application to show the management interaction between components.

The workplan comprised:

- a requirements analysis
- the development of an open architecture for domain management
- the implementation of some generic functions needed for the demonstrator application
- the setting up of the demonstrator.

All participating companies consider the results as key for their future products in the area of distributed and networked systems. The major industrial partners consider the results to be directly usable in their product lines. All companies need a standardising platform to allow multivendor systems to be established and managed in a uniform way, and so the project will contribute to standardisation bodies. DOMAINS will also seek to build upon current and proposed ESPRIT initiatives in the area of distributed systems, thus providing a strong contribution to the development of a securely managed "European Applications Platform".

Subsequent development will take up the results of this project and address the full industrialisation of the developed architecture.

Topic(s)

Data not available

Call for proposal

Data not available

Funding Scheme

Data not available

Coordinator

PHILIPS KOMMUNIKATIONS INDUSTRIE GMBH
EU contribution
No data
Address
THURN-UND-TAXIS-STRAßE 10
90411 NÜRNBERG
Germany

See on map

Total cost
No data

Participants (8)