Netmon: Network Management for the Saras Softswitch

We present the design and implementation of the network management layer (Netmon) of the SARAS soft-switch developed at Bell Labs. The key distinguishing feature of the Netmon subsystem is that the "logic" governing the management is tailored on a per-customer basis by crafting a set of policies appropriate for the customer, and enforcing them via the system. Most such policies can be formulated as sets of low-level rules that describe how to (re) configure a device or how to manipulate the different network elements under different conditions. The system has been currently deployed being to do Operations, Administration, Maintenance and Provisioning (OAM&P) in carrier-grade communication networks.