Reactive configuration of an internetworking intermediate system

This research describes the design, implementation, and effectiveness of a reactive approach to automatic configuration of an internetworking intermediate system. The purpose of this approach is to provide a manageable, consistent configuration engine that is capable of maintaining a desirable state. The state is modeled by a collection of abstract state objects which are manipulated by any subsystem. An event, a value transition of a state object, to a trigger value, can occur at any time such as when a network interface module is hot-swapped. When an event occurs the rule base is evaluated possibly causing configuration actions. The rule base and the group of state objects are manipulated with the Simple Network Management Protocol, allowing the use of standardized, management tools.