Mobile Agents and Network Management

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Mobile Agents and Network Management

• Project By Cheryl Schramm

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Motivations for Mobile Agents

• Motivation Network Management systems (NMS)
  have in large part followed a centralized
  approach, based on the manager-agent model of
  standards like SNMP and CMIP. Data is collected
  from agents located on the devices and analyzed
  centrally on the manager. The centralized
  approach has failed to meet the challenges of
  todays networks. It suffers from bottlenecks at
  the manager, large processing requirements for
  the management platform, and excessive network
  traffic between the manager and the numerous
  agents because all data is brought to the
  manager, involving many unnecessary
  transmissions. Also, it lacks the flexibility
  required by a heterogeneous environment and by
  the growth of services brought on by ATM and
  Customer Network Management. Operators are
  overwhelmed by the amount of data, by the number
  of alarms and events requiring attention, and by
  the complications of managing devices from a
  number of vendors.
• The Promise of Mobile Intelligent Agents The
  use of mobile agents affords new opportunities
  for the distribution of processing and control in
  network management. Mobile agents are migratory
  programs that move from one network component to
  another. Rather than transporting the data to a
  central location, mobile agents operate in the
  same locale as the data and return only relevant
  data or compiled data, thereby reducing the
  management traffic load on the network. Mobile
  agents are capable of acting autonomously to
  perform menial tasks or to provide intelligent
  support for high level tasks, thus placing the
  operator into a supervisory role with mobile
  agents as the operatives. Mobile agents are
  cooperative, such that agents can be assigned
  small low-level tasks and yet interact to achieve
  a higher level goal. Finally, mobility suggests
  that we can transport device-specific code,
  leading to opportunities for software version
  control and service customization.

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Mobile Agents as a Solution

• The Perpetuum Solution The research thrust of
  the Perpetuum project is the use of mobile
  intelligent agents for network management. We
  envision a network manager as a suite of
  problem-specific applications that launch and/or
  communicate with autonomous mobile network agents
  that we call netlets. The intent is to provide an
  extensible set of tools that shift the operators
  focus from MIB browsing to problem-solving. In
  this poster, we demonstrate this shift by
  applying mobile agents to network modeling. A
  broader definition of network modeling is
  proposed, and a mobile agent implementation of a
  Network Model Browser is explained, including
  innovative extensions that transform this model
  discovery tool into a problem-browser.
• To explore practical issues in applying mobile
  agents to network management, the Perpetuum
  project built an infrastructure for mobile code.
  The Mobile Code Kit2 is an agent execution
  environment, written in Java. Each component to
  be managed must be Java-enabled and must have
  running a Mobile Code Daemon (MCD). The MCD is a
  process that listens on standardized TCP and
  UDP ports to receive Java code from a manager or
  from another MCD. The MCD is responsible for the
  authentication and storage of incoming mobile
  code, the transport of migrating code, as well
  the link to the components managed resources,
  called the Virtual Managed Component (VMC). The
  VMC is supplied by the vendor to tailor how the
  component is to be managed through a standardized
  agent interface. Minimally, the VMC provides
  SNMP-like information. More powerful are
  facilities that allow an agent to characterize
  normal operating conditions, to reboot the
  device, to run diagnostics, or to even download
  other methods or software upgrades from a
  vendors central store.

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Applications and Network Models

• A network model is one view of the network.
• Depending on the application, the view will not
  only be defined in terms of static components,
  but also in terms of the dynamic status of these
  components.
• Application-Oriented Network Models
• Do not always contain complete network topology
• Are small and application-specific
• Are dynamic due to changes in topology or in
  the status of a device.

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Network Model Browser

• The Network Browser is a Java applet that
  displays a network model
• The Browser applet launches Discovery Netlets to
  discover the network model.
• The Discovery Netlets migrate from one MCD to the
  next, reporting each discovered component back to
  the applet
• The Discovery Netlets may use their own migration
  agenda, or may use the default migration facility
  offered by the MCD, which migrates the netlet to
  a known neighbour.

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Selective Network Model

• Agents can be equipped with selection criteria.
• Only those components that meet the selection
  criteria are reported to the browser applet for
  display
• Brings processing to device
• Avoids needless traffic to the Browser applet of
  unwanted components
• Examples
• All components that support SNMP
• All hosts with CPU utilization gt 90
• All links with latencies exceeding x msecs
• All paths between x and y
• All available paths with a given QoS
• All components that provide a service (eg. ftp,
  web, database, registry)

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Dynamic Network Model

• A network model must reflect changes in topology
  or in status.
• Mobile Agent Solutions
• Autonomous netlets continuously navigate the
  network, monitoring changes.
• A deglet is a stationary agent that is installed
  on a discovered network component to serve as a
  remote extension of the management application on
  the component side. Deglets remain on the
  component, reporting any changes in the component
  (its status or its services) to the Browser
  applet.

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Problem Browser

• The Network Browser Evolves into a Problem
  Browser
• In Java, code and data are interchangeable !
• The Customizable Browser Instead of returning
  data about the component, the Discovery Netlet
  can return mobile code and URLs for inclusion in
  the network model.
• Browsing a component would then run this code or
  access this URL, producing a customized
  interaction with a component.
• The Handyman Instead of simply querying a
  component for identifying information, the
  Discovery Netlet can perform actions.
• The Discovery Netlets can be equipped as
  mini-experts, discovering components with faults
  and autonomously fixing minor problems, using
  their own intelligence or by invoking the
  recovery facilities provided by the VMC (as
  permitted by the security facilities).
• The Network Browser evolves into a
  problem-browser, managing netlets that are
  present in the network and fixing simple faults
  with minimal involvement of the operator.

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Summary

• The use of mobile agents suggests a new
  architecture for network management systems.
• A network manager is seen to be a collection of
  problem-oriented management applications.
• Each management application is small and
  focussed.
• Each management application will perform its
  duties by launching and communicating with mobile
  intelligent agents.
• Mobile agents have the capability to standardize
  or customize the managers interaction with the
  network components, and to minimize manager
  involvement by assuming the authority to
  autonomously perform jobs.
• The Network Browser is a mobile agent
  implementation of network model discovery.
• The network model is one view of the network,
  defined in terms of topology or status.
• Discovery netlets compose a network model that is
  selective, dynamic and customizable.
• When equipped, a Discovery Netlet can act as an
  autonomous handyman, shifting the focus of the
  Network Browser from browsing components to
  fixing problems.

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Network Model Creation With Mobile Agents

• Project By George Sugar/Xuong Tran

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Information Model

GRAPHICAL NETWORK BROWSER
NETWORK MODEL
displays
AGENT
creates
GATEWAY
consist-of
consist-of
NETWORK LINK
connected-by
NETWORK NODE
FORE SWITCH
has (2)
provides
TERMINATION POINT
NEWBRIDGE SWITCH
SERVICES
has
DAEMON PROPERTIES
PORTS
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Network Model Creation
Injected Mobile Code
NC 2
NC 1
MCD
NMCP
MCD
JVM
VMC
Configuration
Agent
Discovery
VMC
Agent
NM
NM
JVM
VENDER
SERVER
MCD
VMC
Model
Agent
JVM
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Types of Mobile Agent

• Discovery Agent
• Visits each node in the network and spawns a
  Configuration Agent at each node.
• Communicates state information to Configuration
  agent.
• Circulates constantly within network in order to
  discover new components as they appear in
  network.
• Configuration Agent
• Queries VMC on NC for specific parameters such as
  URL of vendor server.
• Migrates to vendor server in order to obtain Java
  classes for nodal behaviour.
• Spawns Model agent at vendor server.
• Communicates state information to Model Agent.
• Model Agent
• Migrates from vendor server to network management
  platform.
• Communicates with VMC containing network model.
• Creates/updates nodes and links within network
  model.
• Installs behaviour associated with node.
• Behaviour includes
• communication with actual network component
• multiple views of node.

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Graphical Network Browser
MODEL AGENT CREATES
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Agent for Remote Maintenance (ARM) System

• Project By David Mennie

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Overview

• A project investigating problem diagnosis and
  repair, in a network management context, using
  mobile code,
• written entirely in Java
• consists of a mobile code infrastructure, mobile
  agents, and GUIs for the network operator
• uses the Mobile Code Toolkit (MCT) developed as
  part of the Perpetuum Mobile Procura agent
  project
• infrastructure to allow the injection and
  migration of mobile code, uniform access to
  managed resources, and inter-agent communication
• autonomous, mobile code agents
• Diagnostic, query, and repair agents available
• agents can perform tests on the installed
  hardware and software components on a node, query
  information on these components, or repair
  software related problems on the node (software
  version incompatibilities, software settings
  problems, etc.)
• GUIs
• use widgets from Java Foundation Classes (JFC) or
  Swing
• allow the network operator to interact with
  mobile agents remotely

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Design
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Adaptive Migrating Servers

• Project By Gang Ao

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The Static Server Problem
client
client
request
NC
request
client
idle
Server
request
request
Server
busy!!!
NC
client
busy!!!
idle
client
client
NC
Bottleneck problem - device on which server
executes may be overutilized while other
network components are (near) idle. Lack of
configurability - difficult to upgrade services
or available resources.
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Objectives

• To improve the mobile code infrastructure and
  demonstrate how it can be used to avoid
  bottleneck problems and achieve optimal network
  performance.
• Develop and implement schemes to dynamically
  obtain network utilization parameters while
  minimizing the network traffic so called remote
  evaluation.
• Advance the development of the mobile tool kit to
  allow for communication server cloning and
  migration.
• Ensure that mobile agent communication services
  will not be interrupted during the communication
  server migration.

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The Solution Mobile Servers

• Servers are written in Java
• write once, run anywhere
• can migrate to any network component running
  JVMMCT.
• Communication server allowed to migrate.
• Utilization netlet circulates through network
• measures resource consumption on network
  component
• interacts with DPI-enabled VMC for resource
  measurements
• returns to server component periodically in order
  to make migration decision.
• Migration infrequent as
• complex, expensive process
• want to avoid oscillatory behaviour.

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Utilization Sensing Agents
JVM
NC
MCD
NC - Network Component
JVM - Java Virtual Machine
MCD - Mobile Code Daemon
MF - Migration Facility
Kernel
CF - Communication Facility
SF - Security Facility
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Mobile Communication Server
JVM
NC
MCD
NC - Network Component
JVM - Java Virtual Machine
MCD - Mobile Code Daemon
MF - Migration Facility
Kernel
CF - Communication Facility
SF - Security Facility
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Plug and Play Networks

• Project By Syed Kamran Raza

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The Problem

• Configuration and setup of a new component
  difficult in an existing network
• heterogeneous nature of networks
• large number of components
• hardware and software attributes.
• New device (printer) on a network. Configuration
  steps are
• 1. Establishing hardware connection.
• 2. Configuration of the device itself.
• 3. Configuration of the network.
• 4. Setup and activation of the appropriate
  drivers.
• This leads to
• effort, fatigue and time consumption on part of
  the Network Manager
• user has to wait a long time until complete
  configuration.

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Plug and Play Devices

• A Plug-n-Play device is the one that is capable
  of configuring itself and other network
  components once plugged-in the existing network
• Windows 95 came up with the idea of Plug-n-Play
  hardware.
• In Network Management, we need to extend the idea
  because of the constraints like
• registry of all the network devices is not easy
• no operating system available on network to
  handle automatic installation process

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Scenario Plug-n-Play Printer
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Mobility Framework Components
Implementation of two major components is
required 1. VMCs at different nodes
including Printer and Vendor site. 2.
Mobile Agents at Printer to be sent to different
network elements.

• Mobile Agents
• Registry Deglet
• Discovery Deglet
• Request Deglet
• Setup Deglet
• Discovery Netlet
• Notification Deglet

• VMCs
• Printer VMC
• Register VMC
• System VMC
• Driver VMC
• Setup VMC

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General Setup VMCs and Agents
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Sequence of Operations

• The Printer VMC plays a central role.
• It injects all the required mobile agents into
  the network.
• Steps (after boot-strap of the printer)
• Registration with the vendor Registry Deglet
• Scan of the existing network nodes Discovery
  Deglet
• Requesting required drivers from the vendor
  Request Deglet
• Supplying corresponding drivers to the nodes
  Setup Deglet
• Injecting permanent network scanner Discovery
  Netlet
• Upgrade notifications sent by vendor
  Notification Deglet

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Agent Transactions
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Implementation Assumptions and Issues

• Assumptions
• each Network Component is Java-Enabled
• Mobility Framework (MCT) is installed on each
  Network Component
• required VMCs are provided on the components
• migration patterns are already established among
  participating nodes
• plug-n-play mobile agents are provided on at
  least one location.
• Issues
• boot-strap program for Printer
• printer needs an initial IP to communicate over
  the network
• printer must store some information (IP/URL)
  about its vendor
• the address of first network component (migration
  target) required so that Printer may insert in
  the network in a linked-list manner.

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Summary Plug and Play Devices

• Advantages
• platform independence
• automatic discovery of new network components
  (through Discovery Netlet)
• easy upgrades and modifications
• network extensibility without traditional
  operator involvement.
• Disadvantages
• overhead of the mobility framework on each
  network component
• security issues regarding agent-based systems
• requires a healthy network for migration of
  agents over TCP.

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For More Information...

• ARM System Home Page
• http//www.engsoc.carleton.ca/dmennie/ARM
• Perpetuum Mobile Procura Project Home Page
• http//www.sce.carleton.ca/netmanage/perpetuum.sht
  ml