Surfin' network resources across the web

Abstract

Network management standards provide a basis for hiding differences between network resources, along with a method of managing them in a consistent way. Frequently, network management tools are based on proprietary products and are often complex both to use and to install. The increasing popularity of the World Wide Web, with its established user interface and the ability to run on almost any platform, offers a new way to provide wide access to complex software applications. This paper describes the architecture and implementation of two new network management applications that are accessible through the web and are targeted to run on powerful hosts as well as small mobile computers. The GDMO/ASN.1 Search Engine enables users to perform complex queries and to navigate OSI management documents exploiting the web hypertext facilities. Liaison is a web-based browser for CMIP/SNMP agents equipped with powerful tools such as a directory service and a metadata facility.