Netmon: network management for the SARAS softswitch

We present the design and implementation of the network management layer (Netmon) of the SARAS softswitch developed at Bell Laboratories. The key distinguishing feature of the Netmon subsystem is that the "logic" governing the management is tailored on a per-customer basis by crafting a set of policies appropriate for the customer, and enforcing them via the system. Most such policies can be formulated as sets of low-level rules that describe how to (re)configure a device or how to manipulate the different network elements under different conditions. The system has been currently deployed to do operations, administration, maintenance and provisioning (OAM&P) in carrier-grade communication networks.