Interaction Translation Methods for XML / SNMP Gateway Using XML Technologies Interaction ranslation ethods for L / ate ay sing L echnologies

XML–based network management has been proposed as an alternative or to compliment SNMP-based network management, which has constraints in scalability and efficiency. But the XML-based network management cannot provide a method to manage networks equipped with legacy SNMP agents in the integrated management system. This integrated management system must include an XML/SNMP gateway, which translates and relays messages between the XML-based manager and the SNMP agent. The gateway must provide both specification translation and interaction translation between the two management applications. In this paper, we propose several methods for interaction translation in the gateway using XML technologies (namely DOM, XPath, XQuery and SOAP). In our approaches to the translation, we first distinguish levels of translation into three: process level, message level, and protocol level. In the process level translation, we translate standard DOM interfaces to SNMP operations, which provides a method for XML-based manager to directly access management information through the DOM interfaces. In the message level translation, we translate HTTP messages through URI extension with XPath and XQuery, which provide methods to define detailed request message for XML/HTTP communication. Finally, we apply the SOAP protocol, which is accepted as a standard protocol for XML, and propose method for the gateway to advertise the translation services to the manager using the SOAP RPC. We also compare the advantages and disadvantages of the proposed translation methods. DP&NM Lab. POSTECH, Korea 2 Interaction Translation Methods for XML/SNMP Gateway Introduction