SNMP management of telecommunications carrier networks

The explosive growth and increasing complexity of telecommunications networks has created a greater emphasis on network management solutions. Open network management protocols and platforms are becoming an increasingly important "equipment evaluation" criteria. In particular, the role of the simple network management protocol (SNMP) is expanding rapidly. This raises important concerns regarding the extent to which SNMP may be used to manage telecommunications equipment in carrier networks. This paper describes an information model for an SNMP enterprise MIB (management information base) designed to support complete and comprehensive management of sophisticated communications equipment in large carrier networks. This use of SNMP presents a number of challenges, including: realizing a conceptual model of the switch in terms of MIB tables; implementing a "verb and response" capability; supporting full remote configuration; providing detailed real-time alarm information; ensuring scalability of surveillance capabilities; allowing management of equipment supporting different software versions. This paper describes aspects of an enterprise MIB that fully addresses these challenges. The MIB is described in terms of both its structure and provided management capabilities.