Policy driven configuration management of network devices

Outlines a comprehensive and implemented concept for modeling configuration tasks. Examples, especially the configuration of different hubs, show that the model is feasible and its complexity justified. We show how detailed configuration operations can be mapped to existing management tools. To use this concept, it is thus not necessary to buy new tools but rather to identify the functionality of existing tools and specify configuration policies. Our approach is modular and flexible, thereby allowing for changes at any level within the model without influencing the other levels directly. Furthermore, implicit policies found in configuration tasks have been extracted and specified explicitly. This mechanism caters for a proactive and strategic management and configuration of devices. The model is not limited to the configuration of network devices but can be equally extended to include configuration processes for end systems and distributed applications