On the Evolution of Management Approaches, Frameworks and Protocols: A Historical Perspective

Network, system and service management has evolved into an important scientific discipline over the last 20 years. While management problem solving is expected to continue ad infinitum, one would have expected that, after 20 years of research and standardization, an agreement would have been reached regarding a common management framework and protocol. But despite relevant progress and various available solutions, there seems to exist a permanent quest for the all encompassing next generation management technology. This paper looks at the evolution of management approaches, frameworks and protocols over the last 20 years, proposes a relevant taxonomy, presents the salient features of the representative tecnologies and discusses relevant issues. The purpose of this paper is to document historically this evolution, highlight important design choices and explain the how’s and why’s behind the various frameworks and technologies. The paper is concluded with a summary and future outlook