Patent ID: 7835302
Filing Date: 2010-11-16
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A method of operating a network communications device to provide a standardized network-management representation of a multiple-layer network communications interface sub-stack having a non-standardized network-management representation, the multiple-layer network communications interface sub-stack being a set of two or more interfaces of a multi-layered interface stack of one or more drivers for a hardware data communications interface of the network communications device, comprising: based on a signature indicating a layered structure of the network communications interface sub-stack, determining whether an expected type of sub-layer interface of the network communications interface sub-stack exists; and if the expected type of sub-layer interface is determined not to exist, then creating a sub-layer interface of the expected type and populating a network management information base with a sub-layer interface entry, the management information base being stored in memory of the network communications device so as to be accessible to network management client applications performing network management functions with respect to the network communications device, the sub-layer interface entry including (1) respective instance and type identifiers of the sub-layer interface and (2) one or more operational attributes of the sub-layer interface, the value of each operational attribute identically mirroring the value of a corresponding operational attribute of the interface sub-stack as reflected in the non-standardized network-management representation.