Supporting network management through distributed directory service

Abstract

Directory systems have become a field of interest within the context of open systems. This is due to the various requirements raised by the scale of currently interconnected networks. The paper addresses several issues related to applying the X.500 directory service to network management. These include a comparison between the management information base (MIB) for management systems and the directory information base (DIB) for the directory services, a specification of how certain management information is incorporated into the underlying data model of the directory and an information exchange model for ensuring information accessibility to management activities. Some interesting benefits can be realized through integrating the X.500 directory into management systems. A concrete example of using a distributed directory service (DDS) in management illustrates the proposal