Digital device manuals for managing home networks

Abstract

In this work, we propose the concept of digital device manual and describe how it can be used for performing certain management tasks. In the context of home networks, we identify. two management tasks that we consider critical: (a) fault management; and (b) maintenance management. Fault management involves the task of detecting, isolating and rectifying faults in the network. These faults could either occur in the communicating medium such as an IEEE 1394b cable or in any of the devices or their components. Maintenance management involves tasks such as the collection,. monitoring and analysis of performance and other data pertaining to the devices and other network elements. In this work, a network that provides the ability to perform these tasks is referred to as a manageable network.