Applying Semantic Web Services to Automate Network Management

Since network management research and standardization started in late 1980s, several approaches have been applied, from protocol-based ones, to Web-based ones, then to XML-based ones and later Web services-based ones. These days, Semantic Web services, in particular, have been emerging as a promising technology that may be used in network management for automation. This paper first studies the current evolution of network management, from Web services-based ones to Semantic Web services-based ones, which is under review recently. Then the OWL-S ontology, a semantic markup for Web services, is introduced for the purpose of Semantic Web services-based automated network management. Finally by means of OWL+SWRL and OWL-S, an integrated approach is presented in this paper as a preliminary design for the implementation of semantic Web services-based automated network management.