SPIRIT Agent

There are four major components to an agent:

1. Transport Protocol

2. Service Infrastructure

3. Service Layer

4. Managed Resource Definition.

They are described in the following sections.

For the purposes of this part, two types of agent are defined:

1. System Agent (SA)

   A multi-purpose agent providing an open API between the Service Layer and the managed resource that can be configured or programmed to allow management access to a variety of components' management information and instrumentation.

   Examples include mainframes, workstation, PCs, and so on. The open API is provided for use by the managed resource.

2. Integrated Agent (IA)

   An agent acting for a device, resource or service. This is characterised by the non-existence of an open API.

   Examples include single-purpose workstations, such as bank terminals, uninterrupted power supply systems, printers, and so on.

Transport Protocol (MNA/PRO)

The Transport Protocol is the first selection to be made and is driven by operational objectives. Its selection influences the remaining selections. For example, the choice of TCP/IP or OSI Transport induces a constraint on the profiles as not all possible combinations of upper and lower protocols are currently available. A number of systems management functions have been defined independent of the Transport Protocol. These include:

• Print Management

• Software Administration

• Backup and Restore.

Service Infrastructure (MNA/SVI)

The Services Infrastructure varies with management protocol (for example, CMIP or SNMP) but generally provides the following services:

• Management Information Exchange

• Association Service

• Naming Service.

Management Information Exchange

The choice of Management Information Exchange format is dependent on the management protocol supported by the agent. This can also be influenced by the transport protocol selected.

• Systems using Internet protocol suites use SNMP and FTP.

• Systems using OSI protocol suites use CMIP and FTAM.

• Systems using Internet protocol suites with OSI Upper Layers use CMIP and FTAM.

Association Service

An agent using CMIP as the management protocol must support the OSI Association Control Service Element (ACSE). An agent may be either an association initiator or an association responder.

An association is a cooperative relationship between entities in the Application Layer to which a specific context (that is, set of groundrules) is to be applied. The context includes agreement on shared management topics such as:

• management and communications protocol

• assignment of manager and agent roles

• naming schemes in effect

• access control scheme in effect

• functional units supported.

Association control includes the following functions:

• creating associations between applications on distributed systems

• identifying locally supported versions and options

• negotiating contexts

• selecting the proper association for messages to be sent to remote systems

• terminating associations.

Naming Service

This service may include translation to and from a local identifier to a global identifier; for example, to a distinguished name.

Service Layer (MNA/SVL)

The Service Layer coordinates and arbitrates requests between the manager and specific components. The Service Layer varies with implementation but generally provides the following services:

• Object Instance Notification

• Message Routing and Queuing

• Access Control

• Open API (optional)

• Management Functions.

Object Instance Notification

Agents are required to register themselves and the object instances they give access to with their manager. This is usually done via object instance notifications. This form of self registration will also establish their functionality and object class support. This is not to be confused with the registration or naming of the object which is done by a registration authority.

Message Routing and Queuing

This service routes requests and responses between the manager and the managed resource and maintains consistency in the delivery of messages by maintaining queues of messages. Message routing and queuing includes these services:

• receiving all incoming messages

• checking for scoping criteria

• duplicating the message to each target element in the naming subtree which matches the scoping criteria, and passing the message on for processing.

Access Control

Access control may be done at association establishment or by checking each incoming message to ensure that the originator of the message has the authority to send the message to the specified target object. The actual implementation of access control is dependent on the transport protocol.

Open API

The Service Layer may provide an open API (for example, XMP) to software and hardware components for the purpose of passing management requests and responses.

In a desktop environment, the Desktop Management Task Force (DMTF) Desktop Management Interface (DMI) is appropriate.

Management Functions

See Management Functions .

Managed Resource Definition (MNA/DEF)

In order to implement the required management functions defined in SPIRIT Scope of Management , appropriate managed resource definitions are needed.

These managed resource definitions are covered in Categorisation of Managed Resources .

Profile Selection of Agent

Basic Agent Profiles makes the correspondence between the references to the standards and the profile selections.

Agent References

This section provides references to the appropriate standards required for provision of an agent and the managed resource definitions. Each item has been categorised in one of four categories:

Category I

There are adequate finalised standards and the item is recognised as a high priority by the Service Providers.

Category II

The standards are not yet finalised and the item is recognised as a high priority item by the Service Providers

Category III

The standards are at preliminary status and the item is considered a high priority item by the Service Providers. The specifications do not address interoperability. Availability of fully conformant products in the SPIRIT timeframe is in doubt.

Category IV

The standards are stable and the item is not considered a high priority item by the Service Providers.

Transport Protocol (PRO)

MNA/PRO-1

Transport Protocol Category I

SPIRIT Issue 3.0, Part 2, System Sets, SPIRIT Communications Component Sets .

Service Infrastructure (SVI)

MNA/SVI-1

Internet Network Management (SNMP, Version 1) Category I

SPIRIT Issue 3.0, Part 1, Overview and Core Specifications, Protocol , PRO/APPL-15 .

MNA/SVI-2

OSI Management Profiles Category 1 [Corresponds to OMNIPoint component set: CMIP Communications, NMF CS301.]

ISO/IEC ISP 11183:1992, Information Technology - International Standardized Profiles AOM1n OSI Management - Management Communications - Part 1: Specification of ACSE, Presentation and Session Protocols for the use by ROSE and CMISE Part 2: CMISE/ROSE for AOM12 - Enhanced Management Communications Part 3: CMISE/ROSE for AOM11 - Basic Management Communications. SPIRIT Issue 3.0, Part 2, System Sets, OSI Transport and Lower Layer Component Sets (for OSI Transport). SPIRIT Issue 3.0, Part 2, System Sets, Internet Transport and Lower Layer Component Sets (for TCP/IP Transport). Note: RFC 1006 is required for TCP/IP Transport only.

MNA/SVI-3

Internet File Transfer Protocol Category I

SPIRIT Issue 3.0, Part 1, Overview and Core Specifications, Protocol .

MNA/SVI-4

File Transfer, Access and Management Category I

SPIRIT Issue 3.0, Part 1, Overview and Core Specifications, Protocol .

MNA/SVI-5

Desktop Management Service Layer Category I

Desktop Management Task Force, Desktop Management Interface, Version 1, 29 April, 1994.

Service Layer (SVL)

MNA/SVL-1

Management Protocol API Category I (Optional) [Corresponds to OMNIPoint component set: Management Communications API, NMF CS321.]

X/Open CAE Specification, March 1994, Systems Management: Management Protocol API (XMP) (ISBN: 1-85912-027-X, C306). X/Open CAE Specification, February 1994, OSI-Abstract-Data Manipulation API (XOM), Issue 2 (ISBN: 1-85912-008-3, C315). X/Open Preliminary Specification, March 1994, Systems Management: GDMO to XOM Translation Algorithm (ISBN: 1-85912-023-7, P319).

MNA/SVL-2

Configuration Management Category I [Corresponds to OMNIPoint component set: TMN Basic Management Platform, NMF CS302.]

ISO/IEC ISP 12060, Information Technology - International Standardized Profiles - OSI Management - Management Functions - Part 1: AOM211 - General Management Capability, June 1994 Part 4: AOM221 - General Event Report Management, June 1994. Network Management Forum: NMF015, Shared Management Knowledge, Issue 1.0, October 1992 with Errata, Issue 1.0, October 1995. Network Management Forum: NMF021, Managed Object Naming, Issue 2.0, October 1995.

MNA/SVL-3

Operations Management Category I [Corresponds to OMNIPoint component set: TMN Basic Management Platform, NMF CS302.]

ISO/IEC ISP 12060, Information Technology - International Standardized Profiles - OSI Management - Management Functions - Part 1: AOM211 - General Management Capability, June 1994 Part 4: AOM221 - General Event Report Management, June 1994. Network Management Forum: NMF015, Shared Management Knowledge, Issue 1.0, October 1992 with Errata, Issue 1.0, October 1995. Network Management Forum: NMF021, Managed Object Naming, Issue 2.0, October 1995.

MNA/SVL-4

Performance Management Category I

ISO/IEC 10164:1992, Information Technology - Open Systems Interconnection - Systems Management - Part 10: Usage Metering Function (CCITT X.742), September 1993 Part 11: Metric Objects and Attributes (CCITT X.739), March 1993.

MNA/SVL-5

Problem Management Category I [Corresponds to OMNIPoint component set: TMN Basic Management Platform, NMF CS302.]

ISO/IEC ISP 12060, Information Technology - International Standardized Profiles - OSI Management - Management Functions - Part 1: AOM211 - General Management Capability, June 1994 Part 4: AOM221 - General Event Report Management, June 1994. Network Management Forum: NMF015, Shared Management Knowledge, Issue 1.0, October 1992 with Errata, Issue 1.0, October 1995. Network Management Forum: NMF021, Managed Object Naming, Issue 2.0, October 1995.

MNA/SVL-6

Business Management Category I

ISO/IEC 10164:1992, Information Technology - Open Systems Interconnection - Systems Management - Part 10: Usage Metering Function (CCITT X.742), September 1993 Part 11: Metric Objects and Attributes (CCITT X.739), March 1993.

MNA/SVL-7

Security Management Category II

ISO/IEC 10164:1992, Information Technology - Open Systems Interconnection - Systems Management - Part 7: Security Alarm Reporting Function (CCITT X.736), May 1992 Part 8: Security Audit Trail Function (CCITT X.740), June 1993 Part 9: Object and Attributes for Access Control (CCITT X.741), April 1993.

MNA/SVL-8

Desktop Management Service Layer Category I

Desktop Management Task Force, Desktop Management Interface, Version 1, 29 April, 1994.

MNA/SVL-9

Performance Measurement Category III

X/Open Guide, April 1995, Systems Management: Universal Measurement Architecture Guide (ISBN: 1-85912-073-3, G414). X/Open Preliminary Specification, April 1995, Systems Management: UMA Data Capture Interface (DCI) (ISBN: 1-85912-068-7, P434). X/Open Preliminary Specification, April 1995, Systems Management: UMA Measurement Layer Interface (MLI) (ISBN: 1-85912-072-5, P426).

MNA/SVL-10

Software Administration* Category III

IEEE POSIX P1387.2, Software Administration.

Managed Resource Definition (DEF)

MNA/DEF-1

ISO/ITU-T Management Category I

ISO/IEC 10165:1992, Information Technology - Open Systems Interconnection - Structure of Management Information - Part 2: Definition of Management Information (CCITT X.721) Part 5: Generic Management Information (CCITT X.723).

MNA/DEF-2

Internet Network Management Category I

RFC 1213, MIB II. RFC 1514, Host Resources MIB.

MNA/DEF-3

Performance Management Category II

ISO/IEC 10164:1992, Information Technology - Open Systems Interconnection - Systems Management - Part 10: Usage Metering Function (CCITT X.742), September 1993 Part 11: Metric Objects and Attributes (CCITT X.739), March 1993.

MNA/DEF-4

Business Management Category IV

ISO/IEC 10164:1992, Information Technology - Open Systems Interconnection - Systems Management - Part 10: Usage Metering Function (CCITT X.742), September 1993 Part 11: Metric Objects and Attributes (CCITT X.739), March 1993.

MNA/DEF-5

Security Management Category II

ISO/IEC 10164:1992, Information Technology - Open Systems Interconnection - Systems Management - Part 7: Security Alarm Reporting Function (CCITT X.736), May 1992 Part 8: Security Audit Trail Function (CCITT X.740), June 1993 Part 9: Object and Attributes for Access Control (CCITT X.741), April 1993.

MNA/DEF-6

Desktop Systems Management Category I

Desktop Management Task Force, PC Systems Standard MIF, Release Version 1.3.

MNA/DEF-7

LAN Adapter Management Category I

Desktop Management Task Force, LAN Adapter Standard MIF Definition, Release Version 1.0.

MNA/DEF-8

Desktop Software Management Category I

Desktop Management Task Force, Software Standard MIF, Release Version 1.0.

MNA/DEF-9

Desktop Printer Management Category I

Desktop Management Task Force, Printer Standard MIF, Release Version 1.0.

MNA/DEF-10

Internet Network Printer Management Category I

RFC 1759, Printer MIB (Translation to SNMP, Version 1 required).

MNA/DEF-11

Performance Measurement Category III

X/Open Preliminary Specification, April 1995, Systems Management: UMA Data Pool Definitions (DPD) (ISBN: 1-85912-069-5, P435).

MNA/DEF-12

Software Administration Category III

IEEE POSIX P1387.2, Software Administration.

Footnotes

*

Transport protocol can be either OSI or TCP/IP.

*

Transport protocol can be either OSI or TCP/IP.

*

The work on the usage of RPC as a transport and management protocol for interoperability is being progressed by X/Open.