O, A and M capabilities for switching software management

This paper discusses functional requirements for switches and operation systems in order to support software management. The goal of software management is to allow one or more operation systems to download software into remote switches, as well as activate, inventory, maintain, update and administer the software. This paper focuses on executable software (rather then data). The major aspects of software management discussed here include the motivation for this effort, the types of information that must be maintained to support software management, and the utilities required to implement management functions. The paper then addresses some specific software management activities