Network management device and method

Abstract

A network management device according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a combining unit that: generates pieces of information obtained by combining a plurality of pieces of configuration information that is based on the same configuration element between different data models of a communication network and is included in individual pieces of configuration information in which configuration elements of the communication network are managed by individual data models; holds information resulting from combination between a plurality of levels of the communication network among the pieces of generated information; and further generates information that is obtained by combining new configuration information and the held information and is based on the same configuration element between the new configuration information and the held information. The network management device also includes a conversion unit that converts, on the basis of a layer configuration of the communication network, the information generated by the combining unit into information indicating information objects related to respective layers of the communication network and a reference relationship between the information objects related to the respective layers.

Description

Network management apparatus and method

[0001] Embodiments of the present invention relate to a network management apparatus and method.

[0002] Communication carriers provide various communication services by combining communication networks (hereinafter referred to as NWs) of multiple layers or domains. In order to efficiently operate the diversifying communication services, cross-NW information analysis is important rather than analysis for each layer or domain.

[0003] On the other hand, since the configuration information of each NW is managed by individual systems for each layer and domain, when performing cross-NW information analysis, it is necessary to refer to and combine the configuration information of these NWs with different data models for processing.

[0004] Regarding cross-NW information analysis, Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for quickly identifying communication in the upper layer that is affected when a NW in a certain layer fails based on a multi-layer NW configuration.

[0005] Japanese Patent No. 7107158

[0006] However, the above technique does not have a function to combine the configuration information of NWs with different data models. Also, as a method for combining the configuration information of NWs, a method of extracting the components included in each configuration information and combining them can be mentioned. However, in a NW composed of multiple layers, NWs in multiple upper layers share the same NW in the lower layer, so the same component will be repeatedly combined, resulting in a long time required for combining the entire NW.

[0007] This invention has been made paying attention to the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a network management apparatus and method that can obtain appropriate information on the relationship between each layer of a communication network.

[0008] A network management device according to one aspect of the present invention includes a coupling unit that generates information by combining a plurality of configuration pieces based on the same components between different data models of the communication network, where the components of the communication network are included in individual configuration information managed by individual data models, the coupling unit that holds information from the generated information that is combined between multiple layers of the communication network, and further generates information by combining the new configuration information and the held information based on the same components between the new configuration information and the held information, and a conversion unit that converts the information generated by the coupling unit into information indicating information objects for each layer of the communication network and the reference relationships of the information objects for each layer, based on the layer configuration of the communication network.

[0009] A network management method according to one aspect of the present invention is a method performed by a network management device, comprising: a coupling unit of the network management device generating information by combining a plurality of configuration pieces based on the same components between different data models of the communication network, where the components of the communication network are included in individual configuration information managed by individual data models; holding information from the generated information that is combined between multiple layers of the communication network; and further generating information by combining the new configuration information and the held information based on the same components between the new configuration information and the held information; and a conversion unit of the network management device converting the information generated by the coupling unit into information indicating information objects for each layer of the communication network and the reference relationships of the information objects for each layer, based on the layer configuration of the communication network.

[0010] According to the present invention, appropriate information regarding the relationships between each layer of a communication network can be obtained.

[0011] Figure 1 shows an example of application of a network management device according to one embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 shows an example of network configuration information. Figure 3 shows an example of network configuration information. Figure 4 shows an example of network configuration information. Figure 5 shows an example of network configuration information. Figure 6 shows an example of the result of extracting components from network configuration information. Figure 7 shows an example of the result of extracting components from network configuration information. Figure 8 shows an example of the result of extracting components from network configuration information. Figure 9 shows an example of the result of extracting components from network configuration information. Figure 10 shows an example of the coupling of network components. Figure 11 shows an example of hierarchical setting of NW configuration information. Figure 12 shows an example of retention coupling setting of NW configuration information. Figure 13 shows an example of the procedure for coupling processing by the NW configuration coupling unit. Figure 14 shows an example of the procedure for coupling processing by the NW configuration coupling unit. Figure 15 shows an example of the result of coupling of network configuration information. Figure 16 shows an example of the result of coupling of network configuration information. Figure 17 shows an example of a data model of network configuration information. Figure 18 shows an example of the attributes of the data model of network configuration information. Figure 19 shows an example of the attributes of the data model of network configuration information. Figure 20 shows an example of the result of conversion from the result of combining network configuration information to information objects and reference relationship information. Figure 21 shows an example of the target information in network configuration information. Figure 22 shows an example of a conversion rule related to the NW-A layer. Figure 23 shows an example of a conversion rule related to the NW-C layer. Figure 24 shows an example of a conversion rule related to the logic device layer. Figure 25 shows an example of a conversion rule related to physical resources. Figure 26 shows an example of a conversion rule related to updates. Figure 27 shows an example of a conversion rule related to the NW-B layer. Figure 28 shows an example of a conversion rule related to physical resources. Figure 29 shows an example of the result of conversion by the NW configuration conversion unit related to the physical layer.Figure 30 is a diagram showing an example of the conversion result by the NW configuration conversion unit relating to the physical layer. Figure 31 is a diagram showing an example of the conversion result by the NW configuration conversion unit relating to the physical layer. Figure 32 is a diagram showing an example of the conversion result by the NW configuration conversion unit relating to the physical layer. Figure 33 is a diagram showing an example of the conversion result by the NW configuration conversion unit relating to the physical layer. Figure 34 is a diagram showing an example of the conversion result by the NW configuration conversion unit relating to the physical layer. Figure 35 is a diagram showing an example of the conversion result by the NW configuration conversion unit relating to the physical layer. Figure 36 is a diagram showing an example of the conversion result by the NW configuration conversion unit relating to the physical layer. Figure 37 is a diagram showing an example of the conversion result by the NW configuration conversion unit relating to the physical layer. Figure 38 is a diagram showing an example of the conversion result by the NW configuration conversion unit relating to the logical layer. Figure 39 is a diagram showing an example of the conversion result by the NW configuration conversion unit relating to the logical layer. Figure 40 is a diagram showing an example of the conversion result by the NW configuration conversion unit relating to the logical layer. Figure 41 is a diagram showing an example of the conversion result by the NW configuration conversion unit relating to the logical layer. Figure 42 is a diagram showing an example of the result of conversion by the NW configuration conversion unit related to the logical layer. Figure 43 is a diagram showing an example of the result of conversion by the NW configuration conversion unit related to the logical layer. Figure 44 is a diagram showing an example of the result of conversion by the NW configuration conversion unit related to the logical layer. Figure 45 is a diagram showing an example of the result of conversion by the NW configuration conversion unit related to the logical layer. Figure 46 is a diagram showing an example of the result of conversion by the NW configuration conversion unit related to the logical layer. Figure 47 is a diagram showing an example of layer configuration information. Figure 48 is a diagram illustrating the generation of an information object. Figure 49 is a diagram illustrating the generation of an information object. Figure 50 is a diagram illustrating the result of conversion by the NW configuration conversion unit. Figure 51 is a diagram illustrating the result of conversion by the NW configuration conversion unit. Figure 52 is a diagram showing an example of a duplicate determination method related to the result of conversion by the NW configuration conversion unit. Figure 53 is a diagram showing an example of an information object after merging the result of conversion by the NW configuration conversion unit. Figure 54 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of a network management device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0012] Embodiments relating to this invention will be described below. Figure 1 is a diagram showing an example of application of a network management device according to one embodiment of the present invention. One embodiment of the present invention is a technology that converts multiple NW configuration information managed by individual data models into a single unified data model. NW configuration information is information in which the components of each layer of the NW are managed. As shown in Figure 1, the network management device 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises an NW configuration extraction unit 10, an NW configuration coupling unit 20, an NW configuration conversion unit 30, and an NW configuration holding unit 40.

[0013] The NW configuration extraction unit 10 takes in NW configuration information for each layer, that is, NW configuration information in which NW components are managed by different data models, and extracts each NW component from each configuration information based on extraction rules. NW configuration information in which NW components are managed by different data models is information in layers or domains that are different from each other. The acquisition of NW configuration information can be done, for example, by periodic or ad-hoc linkage with the management system for each NW information, or by manual input.

[0014] The NW configuration merging unit 20 merges the configuration information of each NW based on merging rules. This merging means that the NW configuration information, which is based on the same components and is included in multiple NW configuration information of different layers or domains, is merged into a single set of configuration information. Furthermore, the NW configuration merging unit 20 retains information in its internal memory as merged configuration information for components of a hierarchy set in the hierarchy setting, which are merged with components of the same higher hierarchy setting and consist of a group of multiple components of the hierarchy set in the retaining merging setting. When a component of a different higher hierarchy is to be merged, it is merged with the information that retains that information.

[0015] In other words, in this embodiment, combined information of levels below the specified level, for example, "Level 1" and "Level 0" which are lower than "Level 2" shown in Figure 1, is stored and this information is reused in subsequent combining processes.

[0016] The NW configuration conversion unit 30 converts the result of the combination by the NW configuration combination unit 20 into information objects related to logical layers, information objects related to physical layers, and information indicating layer and domain-independent reference relationships between these objects, in order from higher layers to lower layers, based on the information and conversion rules held as layer configurations. However, if there is an overlap with an information object that has already been converted, the conversion related to that object is omitted and stored in the NW configuration holding unit 40.

[0017] The NW configuration holding unit 40 is composed of a storage medium, such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), SSD (Solid State Drive), or memory. In a multi-layered network, multiple upper-layer networks share the same lower-layer network. That is, multiple communication services share the same transmission network or physical equipment.

[0018] In this embodiment, based on this characteristic, information about groups of components of the combined lower layer is retained, and this retained information is reused in subsequent merging processes, thereby reducing the processing time when the same components are repeatedly merged and transformed. This makes it possible to shorten the time required to merge the entire network.

[0019] Figures 2 to 5 illustrate examples of network configuration information. Figure 2 shows NW-A information, one of the network configuration information components, in this case, management information for an IP network. In the example shown in Figure 2, the NW-A information includes identifier "A01", path type "transmission", path name "path X", A-end device "A-router 1", A-end port number "0", Z-end device "A-router 2", Z-end port number "0", and other information to which components are associated. Figure 3 shows NW-B information, another type of network configuration information component, in this case, management information for an Ethernet (registered trademark) network. The NW-B information is network configuration information where the layer hierarchy is the same as that of the NW-A information, but the domain is different from that of the NW-A information.

[0020] In the example shown in Figure 3, the NW-B information includes the identifier "B01", the path name "Transmission Path X", the A-end device "B-Switch 1", the A-end port number "0", the Z-end device "B-Switch 2", the Z-end port number "0", and other information to which components are associated.

[0021] Figure 4 shows NW-C information, which is one type of network configuration information, specifically management information for an optical transmission network. NW-C information is network configuration information whose layer is lower than that of NW-A information and NW-B information. In the example shown in Figure 4, the NW-C information includes the path name "Transmission Path X", the starting building "D-Building 1", the ending building "D-Building 2", the starting device "C-Transmission 1", the starting port number "0", the ending device "C-Transmission 2", the ending port number "0", and other information to which components are associated.

[0022] Figure 4 shows NW-D information, which is one type of network configuration information, specifically management information for physical cable information. NW-D information is network configuration information whose layer is lower than the layer related to NW-C. In the example shown in Figure 5, the NW-D information includes information to which the cable name "Cable 1", the upper building "D-Building 1", the lower building "D-Building 2", and other components are associated.

[0023] Next, we will describe an example of a rule for extracting network components from network configuration information. The extraction rule specifies how the NW configuration extraction unit 10 extracts only the information that is subject to the joining process by the NW configuration joining unit 20 and the conversion process by the NW configuration conversion unit 30 from each piece of information. For example, it specifies the name of the attribute to be extracted. Note that the extraction rule is not mandatory, as it is provided to reduce the amount of information and speed up the subsequent joining and conversion processes.

[0024] First, let's explain the NW-A extraction rule. This NW-A extraction rule shows a list of attributes to be extracted from the NW-A information shown in Figure 2. The attributes to be extracted by the NW-A extraction rule are identifier, path type, path name, A-end device, A-end port number, Z-end device, and Z-end port number.

[0025] Next, we will explain the NW-B extraction rules. These NW-B extraction rules show a list of attributes to be extracted from the NW-B information shown in Figure 3. The attributes to be extracted by the NW-B extraction rules are the identifier, path name, A-end device, A-end port number, Z-end device, and Z-end port number.

[0026] Next, we will explain the NW-C extraction rules. These NW-C extraction rules show a list of attributes to be extracted from the NW-C information shown in Figure 4. The attributes to be extracted by the NW-C extraction rules are the path name, starting building, ending building, starting device, starting port number, ending device, and ending port number.

[0027] Next, we will explain the NW-D extraction rules. These NW-D extraction rules show a list of attributes to be extracted from the NW-D information shown in Figure 5. The attributes to be extracted by the NW-D extraction rules are cable name, upstream building, and downstream building.

[0028] Figures 6 to 9 show examples of the results of extracting components from network configuration information. Figure 6 shows intermediate information which is the result of extraction by the NW configuration extraction unit 10 from the NW-A information shown in Figure 2. In the example shown in Figure 6, the intermediate information derived from the NW-A information is associated with an identifier, path type, path name, A-end device, A-end port number, Z-end device, and Z-end port number.

[0029] Figure 7 shows the intermediate information extracted by the NW configuration extraction unit 10 from the NW-B information shown in Figure 3. In the example shown in Figure 7, the intermediate information derived from the NW-B information is associated with an identifier, a path name, an A-terminal device, an A-terminal port number, a Z-terminal device, and a Z-terminal port number.

[0030] Figure 8 shows the intermediate information extracted by the NW configuration extraction unit 10 from the NW-C information shown in Figure 4. In the example shown in Figure 8, the intermediate information derived from the NW-C information is associated with the path name, starting building, ending building, starting device, starting port number, ending device, and ending port number.

[0031] Figure 9 shows the intermediate information extracted by the NW configuration extraction unit 10 from the NW-D information shown in Figure 5. In the example shown in Figure 9, the intermediate information derived from the NW-D information is associated with the cable name, the upper-level building, and the lower-level building.

[0032] Next, we will explain an example of a rule for joining network configuration information. Figure 10 shows an example of joining network configuration information. A joining rule is used when combining different data, for example, when combining configuration information from different layers, each containing the same components between layers, such as configuration information where components of one layer are managed and configuration information where components of different layers are managed, into a single set of configuration information. This rule manages the components of the physical layer of the communication network, which are set for each piece of information to be joined.

[0033] First, let's explain the "NW-A to NW-C joining rule." This rule is used to combine information derived from NW-A information, as shown in Figure 6, and information derived from NW-C information, as shown in Figure 8. For example, it can be expressed as follows: (NW-A to NW-C joining rule) "NW-A information 'path type' + NW-A information 'path name'" and "NW-C information 'path name'" are equal.

[0034] Next, we will explain the "NW-B to NW-C joining rule." This rule is used to join information derived from NW-B information, as shown in Figure 7, with information derived from NW-C information, as shown in Figure 8. For example, it can be shown as follows: (NW-B to NW-C joining rule) "NW-B information 'path name'" and "NW-C information 'path name'" are equal.

[0035] Next, we will explain the "NW-C to NW-D joining rule." This rule is used to join information derived from NW-C information, as shown in Figure 8, and information derived from NW-D information, as shown in Figure 9. For example, it can be shown as follows: (NW-C to NW-D joining rule) The NW-C information "starting building" and the NW-D information "upper building" are equal, and the NW-C information "ending building" and the NW-D information "lower building" are equal, or the NW-C information "starting building" and the NW-D information "lower building" are equal, and the NW-C information "ending building" and the NW-D information "upper building" are equal.

[0036] Next, the method of combining NW configuration information by the NW configuration combining unit 20 will be explained. Figure 11 is a diagram showing an example of hierarchical setting of NW configuration information. Figure 12 is a diagram showing an example of retention and combining setting of NW configuration information. Figures 13 and 14 are diagrams showing an example of the procedure for the combining process by the NW configuration combining unit 20. In the examples explained below, the higher-level building corresponding to the cable name "Cable 1" in the information derived from NW-D information is assumed to be "Building A1", and the corresponding lower-level building is assumed to be "Building Z1".

[0037] The NW configuration merging unit 20 applies the merge rule starting from the extracted NW configuration information of the higher level in the hierarchical setting shown in Figure 11. When merging each extracted NW configuration information, the NW configuration merging unit 20 searches for the merged information from the internal memory one level at a time, based on the merge process performed earlier.

[0038] If the network configuration information to be combined is not stored in internal memory as combined information, the network configuration combining unit 20 searches for and combines the extracted network configuration information for the hierarchy one level below in the hierarchy setting, and repeats this process down to the lowest level in the hierarchy setting.

[0039] After completing the merging of the NW configuration information, the NW configuration merging unit 20 stores information from some of the layers of the merged information as merged information in its internal memory, according to the retained merging settings. Furthermore, if some of the NW configuration information to be merged is already stored in the internal memory as merged information, the NW configuration merging unit 20 merges that stored information with other NW configuration information to be merged.

[0040] An example of the joining procedure is described below as follows (a) to (f). (a) The NW configuration joining unit 20 searches the extracted NW-A information, which is the source information for joining, to see if NW-C information containing "path type 'transmission' + path name 'path X' equal to path name 'transmission path X'" related to the identifier "A01" as shown in the above "NW-A to NW-C joining rule" is stored in the internal memory as joined information (indicated by a in Figure 13).

[0041] (b) Here, since the target information is not stored as combined information, the NW configuration merging unit 20 obtains the information of the path name "transmission path X" from the extracted NW-C information. The NW configuration merging unit 20 generates information after merging the NW-A information and the NW-C information, based on the path type "transmission" and path name "path X" related to the identifier "A01" of the extracted NW-A information and the path name "transmission path X" of the NW-C information, in accordance with the "NW-A to NW-C merging rules" described above.

[0042] (c) Next, the NW configuration coupling unit 20 obtains information on the upstream and downstream buildings related to the cable name "Cable 1" that are one-to-one equivalent to the starting and ending buildings related to the path name "Transmission Path X" as shown in the above-mentioned "NW-C to NW-D coupling rule" for the NW-C information after the coupling, from the extracted NW-D information. The NW configuration coupling unit 20 generates information in which the NW-A information, NW-C information and NW-D information are combined, based on the path name "Transmission Path X" of the NW-C information and the starting and ending building information of the NW-D information in the information after the coupling of the NW-A information and NW-C information described above.

[0043] (d) The NW configuration combining unit 20 stores, in the internal memory, as combined information, the NW configuration information of the type described in the holding hierarchy information among the generated information. In the examples shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, the NW configuration combining unit 20, among the information after combining NW-A information, NW-C information, and NW-D information, stores in the internal memory the path name "transmission path X" of NW-C information and the values of each attribute related to the path name, that is, the source device "C-transmission 1", the source port number "0", the destination device "C-transmission 2", and the destination port number "0", and the cable name "cable 1" of NW-D information and the values of each attribute related to the cable name, that is, the information of the upper building and the lower building, which is the information formed by combining NW-C information and NW-D information.

[0044] (e) Next, the NW configuration combining unit 20 searches whether the NW configuration information formed by combining NW-C information and NW-D information, which includes the path name "transmission path X" of NW-C information, that is, the combination destination of the path type and path name associated with the identifier "B01" indicated by the "NW-B to NW-C combination rule", is stored in the internal memory as combined information for the above-described extracted NW-B information, which is the information of the new combination source (reference symbol a in FIG. 14).

[0045] Here, since the target information is stored as combined information, the NW configuration combining unit 20 obtains, from the stored combined information, the NW configuration information formed by combining the corresponding NW-C information and NW-D information, that is, the information from "transmission path X" to "cable 1", and generates the information formed by combining NW-B information, NW-C information, and NW-D information based on the identifier "B01" of NW-B information and the path type and path name related to the identifier, which is the above-described information of the new combination source.

[0046] That is, in the present embodiment, when combining NW-related information over multiple layers, by reusing the once-combined information, the processing time related to the new combination can be shortened.

[0047] FIG. 15 and FIG. 16 are diagrams showing an example of the result of combining network configuration information. In FIG. 15, intermediate information is shown, which is the result of combining the extracted information derived from NW-A information shown in FIG. 6, the extracted information derived from NW-C information shown in FIG. 8, and the extracted information derived from NW-D information shown in FIG. 9 by the NW configuration combiner 20.

[0048] In the example shown in FIG. 15, for the information derived from NW-A information, an identifier, an A-side device, an A-side port number, a Z-side device, and a Z-side port number are associated; for the information derived from NW-C information, a path name, a starting device, a starting port number, an ending device, and an ending port number are associated; and for the information derived from NW-D information, a cable name, an upper building, and a lower building are associated in the same manner as the example shown in FIG. 9.

[0049] In FIG. 16, intermediate information is shown, which is the result of combining the extracted information derived from NW-B information shown in FIG. 7, the extracted information derived from NW-C information shown in FIG. 8, and the extracted information derived from NW-D information shown in FIG. 9 by the NW configuration combiner 20.

[0050] In the example shown in FIG. 16, for the information derived from NW-B information, an identifier, an A-side device, an A-side port number, a Z-side device, and a Z-side port number are associated; for the information derived from NW-C information, a path name, a starting device, a starting port number, an ending device, and an ending port number are associated in the same manner as the example shown in FIG. 15; and for the information derived from NW-D information, a cable name, an upper building, and a lower building are associated in the same manner as the example shown in FIG. 15.

[0051] Next, an example of the data model of NW configuration information will be described. FIG. 17 is a diagram showing an example of the data model of network configuration information. In the example shown in FIG. 17, the data model consists of a layer type, an information object type, and an overview of the information object type.

[0052] The information object types and descriptions for the "Physical Layer" layer type, as shown in Figure 17, are as follows (2-1) to (2-5): (2-1) (Information object type) PS (Physical Structure), (Description) Structure (e.g., telecommunications building) (2-2) (Information object type) PD (Physical Device), (Description) Device (e.g., router, transmission equipment) (2-3) (Information object type) PP (Physical Port), (Description) Physical port of the device (2-4) (Information object type) PL (Physical Link), (Description) Physical link (e.g., core wire) (2-5) (Information object type) AS (Aggregate Section), (Description) Cable (e.g., conduit) bundling physical links

[0053] The information object types and overviews for the layer type "Logical Layer" shown in Figure 17 are as follows (3-1) to (3-4): (3-1) (Information object type) TPE (Termination Point Encapsulation), (Overview) Communication endpoint (within the communication layer) (3-2) (Information object type) FRE (Forwarding Relationship Encapsulation), (Overview) Connectivity between communication endpoints (within the communication layer) *Types of connectivity -LC (Link Connection): Connectivity between devices -XC (Cross Connection): Connectivity within a device -NC (Network Connection): End-to-end connectivity composed of LC and XC (3-3) (Information object type) NFD (Network Forwarding Domain), (Overview) Connectivity within a device (Logical device layer) (3-4) (Information object type) TL (Topological Link), (Overview) Connectivity between devices (Logical device layer)

[0054] Next, we will describe an example of the physical layer attributes of the data model for network configuration information. Figure 18 shows an example of the attributes of the data model for network configuration information. In the example shown in Figure 18, the information related to the attributes of the data model consists of the resource type, information object type, attribute, and attribute overview.

[0055] The attributes and attribute summaries of the information object type "PS (Physical Structure)" for resource type "Physical Resource" shown in Figure 18 are as follows (4-1): (4-1) (Attribute) objectID, (Summary) ID of the object (Attribute) commonName, (Summary) Name (e.g., building name) (Attribute) _physicalDevices, (Summary) objectID of the installed PD

[0056] The attributes and attribute summaries of the information object type "PD (Physical Device)" for resource type "Physical Resource" shown in Figure 18 are as follows (4-2): (4-2) (Attribute) objectID, (Summary) ID of the object (Attribute) commonName, (Summary) Name (e.g., device name) (Attribute) _physicalPorts, (Summary) objectID of the PPs that are present

[0057] The attributes and attribute summaries of the information object type "PP (Physical Port)" for resource type "Physical Resource," as shown in Figure 18, are as follows (4-3): (4-3) (Attribute) objectID, (Summary) ID of the object (Attribute) commonName, (Summary) Name (e.g., port name)

[0058] The attributes and attribute summaries of the information object type "PL (Physical Link)" for resource type "Physical Resource" shown in Figure 18 are as follows (4-4): (4-4) (Attribute) objectID, (Summary) ID of the object (Attribute) commonName, (Summary) Name (e.g., core wire name) (Attribute) _physicalPorts, (Summary) objectID of the connected PP

[0059] The attributes and attribute summaries of the information object type "AS (Aggregate Section)" for resource type "Physical Resource" shown in Figure 18 are shown below in (4-5). (4-5) (Attribute) objectID, (Summary) Object ID (Identifier) ​​(Attribute) commonName, (Summary) Name (e.g., Cable name) (Attribute) _physicalLinks, (Summary) objectID of the PL being aggregated (Attribute) _physicalStructures, (Summary) objectID of the PS being connected

[0060] Next, we will describe an example of the attributes of the logical layer of the data model for network configuration information. Figure 19 shows an example of the attributes of the data model for network configuration information. In the example shown in Figure 19, the information related to the attributes of the data model consists of the resource type, information object type, attribute, and attribute overview.

[0061] The attributes and attribute summaries of the information object type "TPE (Termination Point Encapsulation)" of resource type "Logical Resource" shown in Figure 19 are as follows (5-1): (5-1) (Attribute) objectID, (Summary) ID of the object (Attribute) commonName, (Summary) Name (Attribute) layerProtocolName, (Summary) Communication layer name (e.g., NW-A (IP) layer, NW-C (Transmission) layer, Logical device layer) (Attribute) _encapsulatedLtList, (Summary) objectID of the TPE of the lower communication layer (Attribute) _physicalPort, (Summary) objectID of the PP of the lower physical layer

[0062] The attributes and attribute summaries of the information object type "FRE (Forwarding Relationship Encapsulation)" of resource type "Logical Resource" shown in Figure 19 are as follows (5-2): (5-2) (Attribute) objectID, (Summary) ID of the object (Attribute) commonName, (Summary) Name (e.g., path name) (Attribute) layerProtocolName, (Summary) Communication layer name (Attribute) freType, (Summary) Type of connectivity (LC / XC / NC) (Attribute) _endPointList, (Summary) objectID of the connected TPE

[0063] The attributes and attribute summaries of the information object type "NFD (Network Forwarding Domain)" of resource type "Logical Resource" shown in Figure 19 are as follows (5-3): (5-3) (Attribute) objectID, (Summary) ID of the object (Attribute) commonName, (Summary) Name (Attribute) _edgeTpeRefList, (Summary) objectID of the connected TPE

[0064] The attributes and attribute summaries of the information object type "TL (Topological Link)" of resource type "Logical Resource" shown in Figure 19 are as follows (5-4): (5-4) (Attribute) objectID, (Summary) ID of the object (Attribute) commonName, (Summary) Name (Attribute) _endTpeRefList, (Summary) objectID of the connected TPE

[0065] Figure 20 shows an example of the result of converting the combined network configuration information into information objects and reference relationship information. In the example shown in Figure 20, the source information, which is the result of combining the extracted information derived from NW-A information, extracted information derived from NW-C information, and extracted information derived from NW-D information shown in Figure 15 by the NW configuration combination unit 20, is converted by the NW configuration conversion unit 30 into information objects for logical resources, information objects for physical resources, and reference relationship information for these information objects. The logical resources include the NW-A (IP) layer, the NW-C (transmission) layer, and the logical device layer. The conversion result includes the type, attributes, and values ​​of the attributes of the destination information objects.

[0066] Figure 21 shows an example of the correspondence of conversion rules in network configuration information. Figure 22 shows an example of conversion rules related to the NW-A layer. The example shown in Figure 22 is a conversion rule related to the generation of TPE and FRE of the NW-A layer of logical resources, based on the source information shown in Figure 20. The numbers "1" to "6" shown in Figure 21 correspond to the identification numbers "1" to "6" of the NW-A layer TPE shown in Figure 22.

[0067] Figure 23 shows an example of a conversion rule related to the NW-C layer. The example shown in Figure 23 is a conversion rule related to the generation of the TPE and FRE of the NW-C layer of a logical resource, based on the source information shown in Figure 20. The numbers "13" to "16" shown in Figure 21 correspond to the identification numbers "13" to "16" of the NW-C layer TPE shown in Figure 23.

[0068] Figure 24 shows an example of a conversion rule related to the logical device layer. The example shown in Figure 24 is a conversion rule related to the generation of the TPE, NFD, and TL of the logical device layer of a logical resource, based on the source information shown in Figure 20. The numbers "21" to "28" shown in Figure 21 correspond to the identification numbers "21" to "28" of the TPE of the logical device layer shown in Figure 24.

[0069] Figure 25 shows an example of a conversion rule related to physical resources. The example shown in Figure 25 is a conversion rule for generating PP, PD, PL, PS, and AS of physical resources based on the source information shown in Figure 20. The numbers "36" to "43" shown in Figure 21 correspond to the identification numbers "36" to "43" of the physical resource PP shown in Figure 25. Figure 26 shows an example of a conversion rule related to updates. The example shown in Figure 26 is a rule that shows the reference relationships related to TPE and PP of each layer.

[0070] Figure 27 shows an example of a conversion rule related to the NW-B layer. The example shown in Figure 27 is a conversion rule for generating the TPE and FRE of the NW-B layer of a logical resource, based on the source information which is the result of combining the extracted information derived from NW-B information, extracted information derived from NW-C information, and extracted information derived from NW-D information shown in Figure 16 by the NW configuration coupling unit 20.

[0071] Figure 28 shows an example of a conversion rule related to physical resources. The example shown in Figure 28 is a conversion rule for generating PP, PD, PL, PS, and AS of physical resources, based on the source information shown in Figure 16.

[0072] Figures 29 to 37 show examples of the results of the conversion by the NW configuration conversion unit related to the physical layer. The attribute names shown in Figures 30 to 37 correspond to the attribute names shown in Figure 18. The attributes and attribute values ​​of the physical resource information object type "PP" (PP02 in Figure 29) shown in Figure 29 are shown as follows (6-1) (see Figure 30). (6-1) (Attribute) objectID, (Value) PP / 02 (Attribute) commonName, (Value) 0

[0073] The attributes and attribute values ​​of the physical resource information object type "PP" (PP03 in Figure 29), as shown in Figure 29, are as follows (6-2) (see Figure 31). (6-2) (Attribute) objectID, (Value) PP / 03 (Attribute) commonName, (Value) -

[0074] The attributes and attribute values ​​of the physical resource information object type "PD" (PD01 in Figure 29), as shown in Figure 29, are shown below (6-3) (see Figure 32). (6-3) (Attribute) objectID, (Value) PD / 01 (Attribute) commonName, (Value) A-Router1 (Attribute) _physicalPorts, (Value) PP / 01, PP / 02

[0075] The attributes and attribute values ​​of the physical resource information object type "PD" (PD02 in Figure 29), as shown in Figure 29, are as follows (6-4) (see Figure 33). (6-4) (Attribute) objectID, (Value) PD / 02 (Attribute) commonName, (Value) C-Transmission1 (Attribute) _physicalPorts, (Value) PP / 03, PP / 04

[0076] The attributes and attribute values ​​of the physical resource information object type "PL" (PL02 in Figure 29), as shown in Figure 29, are as follows (6-5) (see Figure 34). (6-5) (Attribute) objectID, (Value) PL / 02 (Attribute) commonName, (Value) - (Attribute) _physicalPorts, (Value) PP / 04, PP / 05

[0077] The attributes and attribute values ​​of the physical resource information object type "PS" (PS01 in Figure 29), as shown in Figure 29, are as follows (6-6) (see Figure 35). (6-6) (Attribute) objectID, (Value) PS / 01 (Attribute) commonName, (Value) Building A1 (Attribute) _physicalDevices, (Value) PD / 01, PD / 02

[0078] The attributes and attribute values ​​of the physical resource information object type "PS" (PS02 in Figure 29), as shown in Figure 29, are as follows (6-7) (see Figure 36). (6-7) (Attribute) objectID, (Value) PS / 02 (Attribute) commonName, (Value) Building Z1 (Attribute) _physicalDevices, (Value) PD / 03, PD / 04

[0079] The attributes and attribute values ​​of the physical resource information object type "AS" (AS01 in Figure 29), as shown in Figure 29, are shown below (6-8) (see Figure 37). (6-8) (Attribute) objectID, (Value) AS / 01 (Attribute) commonName, (Value) Cable1 (Attribute) _physicalLinks, (Value) PL / 02 (Attribute) _physicalStructures, (Value) ]PS / 01, PS / 02

[0080] Figures 38 to 46 show examples of the results of the conversion by the NW configuration conversion unit related to the logical layer. The attribute names shown in Figures 39 to 46 correspond to the attribute names shown in Figure 19. The attributes and attribute values ​​of the information object type "TPE" (TPE03 in Figure 38) of the NW-A layer of the logical resource shown in Figure 38 are shown as follows (7-1) (see Figure 39).

[0081] (7-1) (Attribute) objectID, (Value) TPE / 03 (Attribute) commonName, (Value) - (Attribute) layerProtocolName, (Value) NW-A (Attribute) _encapsulatedLtList, (Value) TPE / 07 (Attribute) _physicalPort, (Value) -

[0082] The attributes and attribute values ​​of the information object type "FRE" (FRE01 in Figure 38) of the NW-A layer of the logical resource shown in Figure 38 are shown as follows (7-2) (see Figure 40).

[0083] (7-2) (Attribute) objectID, (Value) FRE / 01 (Attribute) commonName, (Value) A01 (Attribute) layerProtocolName, (Value) NW-A (Attribute) freType, (Value) NC (Attribute) _endPointList, (Value) TPE / 01,TPE / 06

[0084] The attributes and attribute values ​​of the information object type "FRE" (FRE04 in Figure 38) of the NW-A layer of the logical resource shown in Figure 38 are shown as follows (7-3) (see Figure 41).

[0085] (7-3) (Attribute) objectID, (Value) FRE / 04 (Attribute) commonName, (Value) - (Attribute) layerProtocolName, (Value) NW-A (Attribute) freType, (Value) LC (Attribute) _endPointList, (Value) TPE / 03, TPE / 04

[0086] The attributes and attribute values ​​of the information object type "TPE" (TPE07 in Figure 38) of the NW-C layer of the logical resource shown in Figure 38 are shown as follows (7-4) (see Figure 42).

[0087] (7-4) (Attribute) objectID, (Value) TPE / 07 (Attribute) commonName, (Value) - (Attribute) layerProtocolName, (Value) NW-C (Attribute) _encapsulatedLtList, (Value) TPE / 13 (Attribute) _physicalPort, (Value) -

[0088] The attributes and attribute values ​​of the information object type "FRE" (FRE07 in Figure 38) of the NW-C layer of the logical resource, as shown in Figure 38, are shown as follows (7-5) (see Figure 43).

[0089] (7-5) (Attribute) objectID, (Value) FRE / 07 (Attribute) commonName, (Value) Transmission Path X (Attribute) layerProtocolName, (Value) NW-C (Attribute) freType, (Value) NC (Attribute) _endPointList TPE / 01,TPE / 02

[0090] The attributes and attribute values ​​of the information object type "TPE" (TPE13 in Figure 38) of the logical device layer of the logical resource, as shown in Figure 38, are shown as follows (7-6) (see Figure 44).

[0091] (7-6) (Attribute) objectID, (Value) TPE / 13 (Attribute) commonName, (Value) - (Attribute) layerProtocolName, (Value) Logical Unit (Attribute) _encapsulatedLtList, (Value) - (Attribute) _physicalPort, (Value) PP / 03

[0092] The attributes and attribute values ​​of the information object type "NFD" (NFD02 in Figure 38) of the logical device layer of the logical resource, as shown in Figure 38, are shown as follows (7-7) (see Figure 45).

[0093] (7-7) (Attribute) objectID, (Value) NFD / 02 (Attribute) commonName, (Value) - (Attribute) _edgeTpeRefList, (Value) TPE / 13, TPE / 14

[0094] The attributes and attribute values ​​of the information object type "TL" (TL02 in Figure 38) of the logical device layer of the logical resource, as shown in Figure 38, are shown below (7-8) (see Figure 46).

[0095] (7-8) (Attribute) objectID, (Value) TL / 02 (Attribute) commonName, (Value) - (Attribute) _endTpeRefList, (Value) TPE / 14, TPE / 15

[0096] Next, an example of the process for omitting the creation of information objects that overlap with previously created information objects will be explained. Figure 47 is a diagram showing an example of layer configuration information. Figures 48 and 49 are diagrams illustrating the creation of information objects. In the example shown in Figure 47, the layer configuration information indicates the resource type, the layer belonging to this resource type, and the lower layers referenced by that layer. Based on this layer configuration information, the NW configuration conversion unit 30 creates information objects in order from the top layer. Here, based on information that combines NW-A information, NW-C information, and NW-D information, the NW configuration conversion unit 30 creates a first group of information objects, which are the NW-A layer, NW-C layer, and logical device layer of a logical resource, as well as information objects of a physical resource, as shown in Figure 48.

[0097] Once the generation of information objects for each layer is complete, the NW configuration conversion unit 30 starts generating a second group of information objects, which are the NW-B layer, NW-C layer, and logical device layer of logical resources, as well as information objects for physical resources, based on the combined information of the NW-B information, NW-C information, and NW-D information, as shown in Figure 49.

[0098] The NW configuration conversion unit 30 performs a check for duplication of the information object "FRE" of the logical resource layer between the first and second information object groups. If there are duplicate information objects, the generation of information objects below the duplicate information object is omitted in the second information object group.

[0099] For example, if it is determined that FRE(NC) (indicated as a in Figure 49) is duplicated, the NW configuration conversion unit 30 omits the generation of the TPE (b1 and b2 in Figure 49) related to the objectID included in the "_endPointList" of the FRE(NC) that was determined to be duplicated, the TPEs up to the logic device layer which is the lowest layer referenced by the said TPE (b3 and b4 in Figure 49), and the PP (b5 and b6 in Figure 49) of the physical resources referenced by the TPE of the lowest layer.

[0100] Furthermore, the NW configuration conversion unit 30 omits the generation of information objects (b11 to b15 in Figure 49) generated between the TPEs mentioned above, as well as PDs (b21 and b22 in Figure 49) that reference the PP referenced by the lowest layer TPE, PSs (b23 and b24 in Figure 49) that reference the PD, PPs referenced by the PD (b25 and b26 in Figure 49), PLs (b27 in Figure 49) that reference the PP, and ASs (b28 in Figure 49) that reference the PL.

[0101] As a result, for the second group of information objects, as shown in Figure 49, the actual generation of each subordinate information object group of FRE(NC) that was determined to overlap with the first group of information objects is omitted, resulting in the generation of the second group of information objects. This reduces the processing time required for generating information objects. Furthermore, the information object groups shown in Figures 48 and 49 can be merged to form a single piece of information.

[0102] Figures 50 and 51 show an example of the conversion result by the NW configuration conversion unit. In the example shown in Figure 50, the conversion result by the NW configuration conversion unit 30 is shown from the source information, which is the result of combining the extracted information derived from NW-A information, extracted information derived from NW-C information, and extracted information derived from NW-D information shown in Figure 15 by the NW configuration coupling unit 20, to information objects for logical resources, information objects for physical resources, and information on the reference relationships of these information objects. In this conversion result, the objectIDs of the information objects for physical resources are "PD / 01", "PD / 02", "PD / 03", and "PD / 04".

[0103] Furthermore, the NW configuration conversion unit 30 converts the source information, which is the result of combining the extracted information derived from NW-B information, extracted information derived from NW-C information, and extracted information derived from NW-D information shown in Figure 16 by the NW configuration coupling unit 20, into information objects for logical resources, information objects for physical resources, and information on the reference relationships of these information objects. The objectIDs of the information objects for physical resources as a result of this conversion are "PD / 05", "PD / 06", "PD / 07", and "PD / 08".

[0104] The NW configuration conversion unit 30 can, if duplicate information objects exist in the results of these conversions, delete all but one of the relevant information objects, merge the remaining groups of information objects, and generate a new conversion result after merging.

[0105] An example of the merging process is to determine duplicate information objects between the information objects shown in Figure 50 and the results of the conversion from extracted information derived from NW-B information, NW-C information, and NW-D information, according to the duplicate detection method described below (indicated by a in Figures 50 and 51). Of these duplicate objects, only the object shown in Figure 50 is kept, and the others are deleted. This generates new information by combining the group of information objects shown in Figure 50 and the group of information objects after deletion, as shown in Figure 51. During this merging process, among the attributes managed by the conversion results as shown in Figures 25 to 42, the objectIDs of attributes that reference the objectID of the deleted information object as the objectID of other information objects, such as "_physicalDevices", "_physicalStructures", "_encapsulatedLtList", or "_endPointList", are updated according to the merge result.

[0106] Figure 52 shows an example of a duplicate determination method related to the conversion results by the NW configuration conversion unit. In this embodiment, information objects are merged in the order of physical resources to logical resources, that is, from lower layers to upper layers.

[0107] The hierarchical relationships between logical resource layers can be defined by the TPE's reference attributes or by defining information describing the layer configuration, and the relevant information may be referenced. The TPE's reference attributes can be determined from the aforementioned "_encapsulatedLtList" and "_physicalPort".

[0108] The types of information objects subject to duplicate detection and the methods for determining duplicates in the "Physical Layer" layer are shown below in (8-1) to (8-5). (8-1) (Information object type) PS, (Duplicate detection method) commonName is the same (the same building name is considered the same building) (8-2) (Information object type) PD, (Duplicate detection method) commonName is the same (the same device name is considered the same device)

[0109] (8-3) (Information object type) PP, (Duplicate detection method) The PDs referencing the objectID are the same and the commonName is the same (the same port name on the same device is considered the same port) (8-4) (Information object type) PL, (Duplicate detection method) The objectIDs included in _pysicalPorts are the same (determined after PP merging) (8-5) (Information object type) AS, (Duplicate detection method) The commonName is the same (the same cable name is considered the same cable)

[0110] Furthermore, the types of information objects subject to duplicate determination and the duplicate determination method for the layer type "Logical Layer" are shown below in (9-1) to (9-4). (9-1) (Information object type) TPE, (Duplicate determination method) If layerProtocolName is a logical device: The objectID of _physicalPort is the same. Otherwise: The objectID included in _encapsulatedLtList is the same.

[0111] (9-2) (Information object type) FRE, (Method of determining duplicates) For NC: commonName is the same. For LC and XC: objectID included in _endPointList is the same. (Determined after TPE merging is performed)

[0112] (9-3) (Information object type) NFD, (Method of determining duplicates) commonName is the same. (9-4) (Information object type) TL, (Method of determining duplicates) objectID included in _endTpeRefList is the same (determined after TPE merging is performed).

[0113] Figure 53 shows an example of an information object after merging the results of the conversion by the NW configuration conversion unit. In the example shown in Figure 53, it is determined that the PD with objectID "PD / 02" shown in Figure 48 and the PD with objectID "PD / 06" shown in Figure 49 are duplicates, and that the PD with objectID "PD / 03" shown in Figure 48 and the PD with objectID "PD / 07" shown in Figure 49 are duplicates.

[0114] Based on this determination, the PD with objectID "PD / 06" and the PD with objectID "PD / 07" are deleted, the connection relationship of the PD with objectID "PD / 05" (i.e., the PD with objectID "PD / 06") is changed so that it is connected to the PD with objectID "PD / 02", and the connection relationship of the PD with objectID "PD / 08" (i.e., the PD with objectID "PD / 07") is changed so that it is connected to the PD with objectID "PD / 03", and this is generated as information related to the merged information object.

[0115] Figure 54 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of a network management device according to one embodiment of the present invention. In the example shown in Figure 54, the network management device 100 according to the above embodiment is composed of, for example, a server computer or a personal computer, and has a hardware processor 111A such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit). A program memory 111B, a data memory 112, an input / output interface 113, and a communication interface 114 are connected to this hardware processor 111A via a bus 115.

[0116] The communication interface 114 includes, for example, one or more wireless communication interface units, enabling the transmission and reception of information with the communication network. As the wireless interface, for example, an interface employing a low-power wireless data communication standard such as a wireless LAN (Local Area Network) is used.

[0117] Input / output interface 113 is connected to input devices 200 and output devices 300, which are attached to the network management device 100 and used by users.

[0118] The input / output interface 113 can capture operation data entered by a user or the like through an input device 200 such as a keyboard, touch panel, or touchpad, and output the output data to an output device 300, including a display device using liquid crystal or organic EL (electroluminescence), for display. The input device 200 and output device 300 may be devices built into the network management device 100, or they may be input and output devices of other information terminals that can communicate with the network management device 100 via the network.

[0119] The program memory 111B is a non-temporary tangible storage medium in which a non-volatile memory that can be written to and read at any time, such as an HDD or SSD, is used in combination with another non-volatile memory such as ROM (Read Only Memory), and can store programs necessary for executing various control processes, etc., according to one embodiment.

[0120] The data memory 112 is a tangible storage medium that, for example, uses a combination of the above-mentioned non-volatile memory and volatile memory such as RAM (Random Access Memory), and can be used to store various data or information acquired and created during the process of various operations.

[0121] One embodiment of the present invention, the network management device 100, can be configured as an information processing device having the parts shown in Figure 1, with a software-based processing function unit.

[0122] The information storage unit used as work memory by each part of the network management device 100 may be configured using a data memory 112. However, these storage areas are not essential to the network management device 100, and may be, for example, areas provided in an external storage medium such as a USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory, or in a storage device such as a database server located in the cloud.

[0123] Each of the processing functions in the above-described section can be implemented by having the hardware processor 111A read and execute a program stored in the program memory 111B. Some or all of these processing functions may be implemented in various other forms, including application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs) or field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs).

[0124] Furthermore, the methods described in each embodiment can be stored as programs (software means) that can be executed by a computer on recording media such as magnetic disks (floppy disks, hard disks, etc.), optical disks (CD-ROMs, DVDs, MOs, etc.), and semiconductor memories (ROMs, RAMs, flash memories, etc.), and can also be transmitted and distributed via communication media. The programs stored on the media also include configuration programs that configure the computer to run software means (including not only the execution program but also tables or data structures). The computer implementing this device reads the program recorded on the recording media and, if necessary, constructs the software means using the configuration program, and executes the above-described processes by controlling the operation of this software means. Note that the recording media referred to in this specification are not limited to those for distribution, but also include storage media such as magnetic disks or semiconductor memories provided inside the computer or in devices connected via a network.

[0125] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and can be modified in various ways during implementation without departing from its essence. Furthermore, each embodiment may be combined as appropriate, and in that case, the combined effects can be obtained. Moreover, the above embodiments include various inventions, and various inventions can be extracted by selecting combinations from the multiple constituent elements disclosed. For example, if the problem can be solved and effects obtained even if some constituent elements are deleted from all the constituent elements shown in the embodiment, then the configuration with these deleted constituent elements can be extracted as an invention.

[0126] 100...Network management device 10...Network configuration extraction unit 20...Network configuration coupling unit 30...Network configuration conversion unit

Claims

1. A network management device comprising: a coupling unit that generates information by combining multiple sets of configuration information based on the same components between different data models of the communication network, where the components of the communication network are included in individual configuration information managed by individual data models; a coupling unit that holds information from the generated information that is combined between multiple layers of the communication network; and a conversion unit that further generates information by combining the new configuration information and the held information based on the same components between the new configuration information and the held information; and a conversion unit that converts the information generated by the coupling unit into information indicating information objects for each layer of the communication network and the reference relationships of the information objects for each layer, based on the layer configuration of the communication network.

2. The network management device according to claim 1, wherein the conversion unit generates an information object based on first information, which is information converted by the conversion unit based on the components of a first communication network, and when the conversion unit generates an upper-layer information object based on second information, which is information converted by the conversion unit based on the components of a second communication network, if the generated information overlaps with the generated information object based on the components of the first communication network, the generation of a lower-layer information object having a reference relationship with this information object is omitted and generated as an information object based on the second information, and information is generated by merging the information object based on the first information and the information object based on the second information.

3. A method performed by a network management device, comprising: a coupling unit of the network management device generating information by combining multiple configuration pieces based on the same components between different data models of the communication network, where the components of the communication network are included in individual configuration information managed by individual data models; retaining information from the generated information that is combined between multiple layers of the communication network; and further generating information by combining the new configuration information and the retained information based on the same components between the new configuration information and the retained information; and a conversion unit of the network management device converting the information generated by the coupling unit into information indicating information objects for each layer of the communication network and reference relationships between the information objects for each layer, based on the layer configuration of the communication network.

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