A Pattern System for Network Management Interfaces

: The development of network management interfaces (NMIs) involves a variety of software layers, application programming interfaces (APIs), specification languages and tools. In order to make NMI development easier and more efficient, we have developed Layla, a prototype application framework supporting Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) NMIs. Layla is based on a heterogeneous yet coherent system of design patterns that comprises previously published patterns, several new and domain-specific patterns taken from NMI standards, as well as a couple of basic patterns relevant in Layla’s API. Our research indicates that pattern-based frameworks can indeed be built for a domain as complex as NMIs, and that they have a positive impact on both the development process and the resulting NMI products. In this paper, we discuss APIs for NMIs and the need for application frameworks, describe and illustrate the pattern system underlying the Layla framework, detail three of its key patterns, and pu...

• Type: Journal
• Year: 1998
• Where: CACM
• Authors: Rudolf K. Keller, Jean Tessier, Gregor von Bochmann
• Keywords: Application Frameworks, CACM 1998, Layla, Prototype Application Framework