related to network management. Four years later we are ... cation Network Management: Technolo- gies and Implementations. ... A software plat- form usually ...
Telecommmica tion Network Management: Technologies and Implementations Salah Aidarous and Thomas Plevyak, Eds., IEEE Press, 1998, ISBN 0-78033454-X, IEEE Order Number PC571 I , 320 pages
REVIEWER: CHUNG-SHENG LI Since its publication in 1994, TelecommunicationsNetwork Management into the 21st Century by Aidarous and Plevyak (IEEE Press) has been an extremely popular reference book in the area of telecommunication network management. This book offers very extensive coverage of techniques, standards, technologies, and applications related to network management. Four years later we are very delighted to see the arrival of its sequel, Telecommunication Network Management: Technologies and Implementations.This book not only provides a very timely update of the latest technology advances in the
area, but also covers a number of exciting implementation aspects. In particular, this book includes chapters that describe the implementation of network management for personal communication services (PCS), cellular systems, satellite networks, and cable TV networks. This book is divided into eight chapters. The first chapter reviews the basic information modeling concept used in network management. Although there is some difference between the exact information models used in Common Management Information Protocol (CMIP) for OS1 and Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) for TCPIIP, they are based on a similar object-oriented information model and management information base (MIB). This chapter concludes with remarks on the future directions in information modeling, in particular in the area of open distributed processing (ODP). Chapter 2 further elaborates on the comparison among SNMP, CMIP, and Common Object Request Broker Architecture (CORBA) in terms of: l) management information models; 2) access and distribution paradigm; and 3) scala-
bility, flexibility, and security. This chapter is an outstanding tutorial chapter on distributed network management because it clearly delineates the main issues among several alternatives. Network management platforms are described in Chapter 3. A software platform usually comprises services and behaviors, and provides a common set of functions for the applications that make use of it..,Consequently, a welldesigned platform will enable application developers to focus o n . the application issues rather than infrastructure issues. This chapter uses Coinmon Management Information Service (CMIS) to illustrate the key aspects of a well-designed network management platform. Several case studies of commercial management platforms are used as examples. Chapters 4, 5, and 6 describe network management techniques and standards to implement PCS, cellular systems, satellite networks, and cable TV networks. All of these implementations require special attention to: l ) managing physical elements; 2) managing network functions; and 3) managing service functions ranging from quality of service (QoS) to fraud detection. The management of a mobile network is particularly challenging due to its rapid dynamic changes. These chapters offer illuminating and sometimes eyeopening discussions on these issues. Complexity and operations issues of network management are described in Chapter 7 . The last chapter reports the recent progress of network management in Europe. In summary, this is a highly informative and useful reference book. It is definitely highly recommended for graduate students and professionals who are interested in the latest developments in network management.
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