An SNMP-based expert network management system for a large-scale OSI-based campus network

The authors examine the design issues of a practical network management system using the simple network management protocol (SNMP) in the context of a large-scale open systems interconnection (OSI)-based campus-network called TAINS. Various design aspects are examined and the importance of time-management is examined. In the proposed design, intelligent, time-synchronized agents are deployed to collect information about the network segments to which they are attached. The manager talks to the agents and gathers relevant network information. This information is used by the expert network manager, in conjunction with a network knowledge base, to reconstruct the overall network-traffic characteristic, to evaluate the status of the network and to take/suggest some action. The introduction of time-labeled composite objects in the MIB provides a means of reducing the load of management-related traffic on the network.<>