COMMUNICATIONS NETWORK HAVING MANAGEMENT SYSTEM ARCHITECTURE& DESIGN METHOD TO SUPPORT REUSE

A network manager system comprises one or more network controllers in a communications network. The network management system comprises an application level which represents the functionality of a plurality of different composites being hardware and/or software components of different proprietary manufacture and different function capability, and an implementation level which implements control of the composites. The application level is sub-divided into a plurality of application level elements (managed objects) each of which correspond to a function capability of a composite or system, a system being a highest level of composite. The implementation level is sub-divided into a plurality of implementation level elements (managed objects) each of which represents a system, a composite or a component. The internal structure of the elements within the application level and implementation level corresponds to internal architectures of the systems and composites. As a communications network is assembled from a plurality of different components and composites, the network management system can also be assembled using predetermined constructions of composite controllers and component controllers which correspond to specific composites or specific components within those composites, in accordance with an object model. Reconfigurations of a network or system may be made by making modifications to the object model, through use of a component library of pre-written managed objects representing black box and white box views of systems and components. Addition, removals, or reconfigurations of physical and logical resources which result in changes to th e network may be managed by a reconfigured management information base comprising reconfigured application level elements and/or implementation level elements (managed objects) which have been reconfigured using the in situ design tool.