A Network Management System for a Heterogeneous, Multi-Tier Network

Network management is a critical component of every network manager´´´´s job responsibility. This job gets more complicated as the complexity of the network grows. This complexity can be in the form of different manufacturers of deployed devices or added tiers to the network, such as an Ad Hoc Network or a Wireless Sensor Network. Automating, or semi-automating, the data analysis required in network management will decrease the complexity of managing these heterogeneous, multi-tier networks. Incorporating ontology into a network management system can assist the management of a heterogeneous, multi-tier network and reduce the management complexity. A new Network Management System that utilizes ontology has been developed to assist the network management, specifically topology discovery, of a heterogeneous, multi-tier network. Simulation results show that the overhead of using ontology overhead in the new Network Management System is acceptable given the inherent benefits.