Design and Implementation of an Extensible Network Device Management System

Abstract

With the wide application of the network and the rapid expansion of its scale, the types of network devices deployed in one network are getting more and more as well. Each kind of devices has its own management method, so there is an urgent need for a unified network device management system. This paper designs an extensible network device management system, which is able to manage multi-type network devices and is easy to extend its functions. The system achieves these features by loading corresponding components dynamically. It provides a component interface specification, and components developed according to the specification can be loaded to the system flexibly. The system also defines a communication protocol for admission control and management data transmission. The protocol has an advantage in security and extensibility. Experiments show that the system can manage common network devices properly and flexibly. It also shows that the system improves the convenience and security of the network device management.