The network as distributed object database

In this paper, we describes a CORBA-based framework that helps to realize the notion of the network as database. This framework shall build abstraction layers that present a distributed object database abstraction for the networks to their managers. At the bottom layer, work of the X/Open and NMF Joint Inter-Domain Management is utilized and extended to encapsulate heterogeneous network resources with CORBA objects. On top of that, standardized network-level information models define entity-relationship data models which represent logical structures of the databases containing network resources. These distributed network resources, as represented by CORBA objects, collectively constitute the distributed object database which is organized according to the data model. Facilities, such as query, trigger, and view, are then provided to facilitate network management operations. We will illustrate how the framework may be realized via CORBA Object Services, and describe its application for modeling a WDM network. With the distributed CORBA object database representation of network resources, network management activities may be carried out as conveniently as database operations, The results not only facilitate effective and consistent network management operations, but also ease the integration with Service and Business Management Layers of the TMN architecture.