TMF814 Network Simulator - A standalone, Java-based network simulator for testing communication over the network management protocol TMF814.

Abstract

This thesis covers the process of developing a network management system simulator with support for northbound communication over the CORBA-based protocol TMF814. The simulator allows the user to import real data from an existing network management system. The user can view and configure the data through a GUI. The simulator acts as a TMF814 server for clients on higher management network levels. Much of the focus in this project lies on the architecture's modularity, which can be divided into three areas: a graphical user interface, a northbound interface and a database interface. The intention of the final product is to facilitate TMF814 integrations, but parts of the code can be re-utilized for multiple purposes. Modules can be attached and extracted to make custom solutions that require either processing or visualization of network management data or simply TMF814 server functionality. Developing the simulator has lead to a deeper understanding of the protocol and its underlying structures. Therefore, experiences and pitfalls that might be useful for the prospective TMF814 developer are shared. As the comprehensiveness of the protocol revealed itself during the course of the project, we have a final deliverable with a small portion of the server side functionality implemented. Apart from the server implementation, the product parses client data and visualizes it graphically. At the end, we have successfully built a modular and maintainable platform, although more testing is necessary before we can verify correct behavior. We are also left questioning interoperability, abstraction, maintainability and legal issues of the protocol's underlying infrastructure.