MIBlets: a practical approach to virtual network management

Abstract

This paper introduces the MIBlet concept as a means for effectively designing and managing virtual networks (VN). MIBlets are logical structures providing abstract and selective views of the physical network resources allocated to VN customers. They result from the partitioning of the network resources (their MIB representations) and restrict customers' access only to those resources allocated to them. Different partitioning schemes are supported to provide virtual network services with different quality of service requirements. Customer control/management functions are implemented through MIBlet controllers located at every network node involved in the customer network. MIBlet controllers enforce customers' access control and resource usage policing strategies and are invoked to set up, monitor and control the customer connections. In this paper the partitioning of network resources into MIBlets is mainly addressed within the scope of the ATM testbed as a part of the network resources management (NRM) project of the Network Architecture Laboratory at the University of Toronto.