Internet Draft Topology Terminology 26 March 1997
Expire in six months
Physical Topology Terminology
26 March 1997
<draft-malachi-topology-terms-00.txt>
Yoni Malachi
3Com Corporation
yoni@isd.3com.com
1. Status of this memo
This memo is a temporary draft that will probably be incorporated
into the final Physical Topology MIB Draft (and later RFC). It is
submitted to the Physical Topology MIB Working group to enable us to use
a common set of terms. This memo does not define a MIB or a protocol.
This document is an Internet-Draft. Internet-Drafts are working
documents of the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF), its
areas, and its working groups. Note that other groups may also
distribute working documents as Internet-Drafts.
Internet-Drafts are draft documents valid for a maximum of six
months and may be updated, replaced, or obsoleted by other
documents at any time. It is inappropriate to use Internet-
Drafts as reference material or to cite them other than as
``work in progress.''
To learn the current status of any Internet-Draft, please check
the ``1id-abstracts.txt'' listing contained in the Internet-
Drafts Shadow Directories on ftp.is.co.za (Africa),
ftp.nordu.net (Europe), munnari.oz.au (Pacific Rim),
ds.internic.net (US East Coast), or ftp.isi.edu (US West Coast).
2. Abstract
This draft proposes a common nomenclature for use by the Physical
Topology MIB Working Group. This glossary is based on the terms used in
the various Internet Drafts submitted to this working group as well as
on some RFCs. As we move forward with the definition of a common
topology MIB this glossary will evolve to reflect the new constructs in
the MIB and this draft will probably become a section in the Physical
Topology MIB Internet Draft. Although a topology MIB will include many
terms we include here only terms which are not well-defined elsewhere or
might be confusing here.
3. Terminology Definitions
3.1. Topology MIB, Mechanisms, Agents, and Models
3.1.1. Topology MIB
A MIB for managing and reporting network topology information.
While we want to concentrate on physical topology, the MIB can describe
other topology structures at different abstraction level or networking
layers if it is sufficiently expressive for this purpose. at the logical
or virtual level as well and we will not limit it.
Malachi [Page 1]
Internet Draft Topology Terminology 26 March 1997
3.1.2. Topology Discovery mechanism
A mechanism used to populate the topology database managed by a
Topology MIB. This can be an automatic process based on a network
protocol (which might vary for different networking technologies) or be
based on manual insertion via the MIB or other interface to the agent.
Synonym: Topology population mechanism
3.1.3. Agent
A software component that can provide the management workstation
with information about and control of a managed system. Typically this
will be SNMP Agent.
3.1.4. Topology Agent
An agent that implements a topology MIB. This agent is capable of
reporting Topology information to a Topology Manager running on a
workstation.
We have two basic models for the scope of coverage by a Topology Agent
but we might also see a combination of the two or refinements of the
model.
3.1.4.1. System Topology Agent
A Topology agent that represent the topology information of the
device (system) in which it resides.
3.1.4.2. Server Topology Agent
A topology agent that provides topology information for multiple
network elements and not just the for the device in which it resides.
Synonyms: Topology Server, Master Topology Agent. This must be relative
to some domain.
3.1.5. Topology Manager
A software application that combines the information from the
various topology agents to build a complete picture of the topology of
the network.
Malachi [Page 2]
Internet Draft Topology Terminology 26 March 1997
3.2. Topology and network elements
3.2.1. Device
A physical element of interest for topology management. In most
cases this will be a system (which implies having an agent) but in some
cases it might be a non-managed device that is recognized in the
topology and is represented (proxied) by another agent.
Synonyms: component, element.
3.2.2. System
A networked device with one or more agents and one or more physical
devices that can be logically considered one system. In many cases we
might have all network devices be systems.
3.2.3. Topology Domain
A set of devices or other domains. This will enable building
hierarchy of topologies. This will also be useful for defining the
scope of a Master Topology Agent.
3.2.4. Topology object
An object participating in the network topology. A System is a
topology object. Any device or system is a topology object but a domain
can also be a topology object.
3.2.5. Port
A physical connector on a device that serves for connecting to
other devices. Only physical ports that correspond to (potential)
connections to other systems will be considered. Sometime this can part
of a connector (or a subset of wires in the connector) for example when
a Telco connector is used for 12 10Base-T, each of which is actually a
port.
3.2.6. Node
A representation of a topology object in the topology abstract
description (graph).
Malachi [Page 3]
Internet Draft Topology Terminology 26 March 1997
3.2.7. Link
A link is an association between two topology objects (systems or
domains). A serial connection between two computers is an example of a
link. Sometime the agents cannot know if this link is direct link or
has intermediate nodes on it.
3.2.8. Direct Link
A direct physical connection between two systems. This is
implemented by a wire without any intervening devices (except physical
wire splitters, patches, etc.).
3.2.9. Path
A connection between two topology objects that might consist of a
few links.
3.2.10.
Device Identifier
A Unique identifier for representing a device.
3.2.11.
Link identifier
A unique identifier for a link. Represented as an order pair of
its end devices and the associated ports if known (0 if not known or not
applicable).
3.3. Mechanism related terms
3.3.1. Sphere
A domain with a common topology discovery mechanism. Typically a
domain of devices using the same LAN technology.
3.3.2. Border object
A Topology Object belonging to two or more domains.
Malachi [Page 4]
Internet Draft Topology Terminology 26 March 1997
3.3.3. Topology Cloud
A topology element that represent a topology domain the details of
which are not known.
4. Security Consideration
Since this draft does not define any protocol or other operation
model, it does not have any security implication.
5. Acknowledgments
This work is based on drafts submitted to the Physical Topology MIB
Working Group. Most of the terms here are taken from proposals by Maria
Green, Prakash Desai, and Wayne Tackabury.
6. References
[1] SNMPv2 Working Group, Case, J., McCloghrie, K., Rose, M., and S.
Waldbusser, "Structure of Management Information for Version 2 of
the Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMPv2)", RFC1902, SNMP
Research, Inc., Cisco Systems, Inc., Dover Beach Consulting, Inc.,
International Network Services, January 1996.
[2] McCloghrie, K., and M. Rose, Editors, "Management Information Base
for Network Management of TCP/IP-based internets: MIB-II", STD 17,
RFC 1213, Hughes LAN Systems, Performance Systems International,
March 1991.
[3] Case, J., Fedor, M., Schoffstall, M., and J. Davin, "Simple Network
Management Protocol", RFC 1157, SNMP Research, Performance Systems
International, Performance Systems International, MIT Laboratory
for Computer Science, May 1990.
[4] SNMPv2 Working Group, Case, J., McCloghrie, K., Rose, M., and S.
Waldbusser, "Protocol Operations for Version 2 of the Simple
Network Management Protocol (SNMPv2)", RFC1905, SNMP Research,Inc.,
Cisco Systems, Inc., Dover Beach Consulting, Inc., International
Network Services, January 1996.
Malachi [Page 5]
Internet Draft Topology Terminology 26 March 1997
[5] SNMPv2 Working Group, Case, J., McCloghrie, K., Rose, M., and S.
Waldbusser, "Textual Conventions for Version 2 of the Simple
Network Management Protocol (SNMPv2)", RFC1903, SNMP Research,Inc.,
Cisco Systems, Inc., Dover Beach Consulting, Inc., International
Network Services, January 1996.
[6] K. McCloghrie, A. Bierman, "Entity MIB using SMIv2", RFC2037, Oct
96.
[7] Greene, Maria, Definitions of Managed Objects for Topology Servers,
<draft-greene-topology-mib-00.txt>, July 96.
[8] Schaller, N., The Meta-Management MIB (SNMPv1) Network Topology and
Set of Agents, <draft-tackabury-email-metamib>, Apr 95.
[9] Desai, Prakash, Definition of Managed Objects for Physical Topology
Agents, <draft-desai-ptopo-mib-00.txt>, Nov 96.
[10] Tackabury, Wayne F., Network Element Object MIB (Neo-MIB), <draft-
tackabury-neo-mib-00.txt>, Jan 1997
Edited by:
Yoni Malachi
yoni@isd.3com.com
3Com Network Management Ltd
Rehovot
Israel
972-8-940-9068
Malachi [Page 6]