JP3099751B2 - System test method using network simulation system - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention [0002] The present invention relates to a function test system for a network management system.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, when an application of a network management system is developed and an operation test is performed, it is difficult to perform an operation test using an actual network. There was a need to limit or (2) build a separate test environment.

As a network test method using a simulation technique, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2-140
No. 838 proposes a system in which a simulation of an abnormal state of a network system can be easily confirmed without occupying a computer by providing a pseudo-state generator in a computer accessed by a terminal. I have. Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2-79646 discloses that, for each line of a line connection unit, either a pseudo terminal simulation program or a real terminal connection program is loaded, thereby connecting a network without connecting a real terminal. There has been proposed a configuration of a communication control device which enables a high traffic test.

[0004]

As described above, in the prior art, there is a problem that the environment is limited and a sufficient test cannot be performed, and further development cost is required to construct a test environment. There is a problem that it increases.

Accordingly, the present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and has as its object to prepare a test environment in which various conditions of a network are assumed by simulation, thereby providing the reliability of a system under test. An object of the present invention is to provide a test method that improves the test.

[0006]

In order to achieve the above object, in an operation test of a network management system,
The network management system includes means for using a simulation as a test environment. An interface between a network management system as a test target system and a virtual test environment provided by the means for performing the simulation is provided by a network management information base (MIB).
It is characterized by taking in.

[0007]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below. The present invention uses a simulation as a network management system test environment, and provides an interface between a network management system (NMS), which is a system under test, and a virtual test environment provided by the simulation. Management Information Base (MIB) which is a set of management objects
e) (SNMP protocol of TCP / IP network is referred to as MIB). In the embodiment of the present invention, the information of the MIB is replaced with virtual information, and the network management system (N
MS) 11 can be performed.

[0008] In the embodiment of the present invention, a simulation means is provided to generate virtual MIB information as something closer to the actual one. That is, the simulation means generates information relating to the traffic amount of the network, the failure, the configuration of the device, etc.
If the actual network cannot be used as a test environment, an environment equivalent to the IB information is reproduced by simulation and used for a test (for example, a load test).

As described above, since it is not necessary to prepare an actual machine in the test environment, it is possible to execute a necessary test, and it is not necessary to take any steps such as changing the network management system of the system under test for the test. . Therefore, the time and cost for preparing the test environment can be saved, and the time for testing can be significantly reduced.

[Embodiments] In order to describe the embodiments of the present invention in more detail, embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of an embodiment of the present invention, and shows a configuration of a test environment by simulation.

Referring to FIG. 1, in this embodiment, a network management system (NM), which is a system under test,
S) 11 is an MI to check the state of the normal network.
Information can be exchanged with the system (agent) 12 having B to know the status of the devices and devices.

As described above, the devices under the control of the agent 12 are managed via a network management information base (hereinafter referred to as "MIB"). NMS) 11 can be performed.

Then, the simulation system 13 is used to generate virtual MIB information as something closer to the actual one.

FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram showing the configuration of the simulation system 13 in this embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 2, a simulation control unit 21 receives a signal from NMS 11 obtained by communication control unit 26 with network management system (NMS) 11 shown in FIG. It has a function of controlling the execution state of a simulation according to a request, interrupting the execution, and changing a state parameter.

The state parameter control means 22 manages all parameters required for executing the simulation and gives conditions for executing the simulation.

The simulation executing means 23 executes the simulation while outputting information that can be processed into a data format (MIB format) that can be used by the network management system during the simulation.

The simulation result output means 24 outputs the event sequence sent from the simulation execution means 23 as a simulation result.

The MIB data recording means 25 processes the simulation data into the MIB format and sends it to the network management system (NMS) through the NMS communication control means 26.
11 is used.

The NMS communication control means 26 has a function of controlling communication with the network management system (NMS) 11 and transferring necessary data to the simulation control means 21 and the MIB data control means 25.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a configuration of another embodiment of the present invention, and shows a configuration example different from the test environment shown in the above-described embodiment shown in FIG.

Referring to FIG. 3, a network management system (NMS) 31, which is a system under test, and a network 35 different from network 34 on which management information base (MIB) 32 operates (connected to network 34 via a router or the like) ), A simulation system 33 for generating a test environment may be connected.

[0024]

As described above, according to the present invention,
A test environment of an application of a network management system (NMS) can be performed using a simulation system. Therefore, (1) a test can be performed without preparing physical devices, and (2) a virtual The test can be performed in an arbitrary network mode. (3) It is possible to perform a test assuming various network conditions.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an entire system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a configuration of another embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

Reference Signs List 11 NMS which is a system under test 12 System having MIB accessed by NMS to obtain network state 13 Simulation system for creating virtual network environment 14 Network 21 Simulation control means 22 State parameter control means 23 Simulation execution means 24 Simulation result output Means 25 MIB data recording means 26 NMS communication control means 31 NMS which is a system under test 32 System having MIB which NMS accesses to obtain network status 33 Simulation system for creating virtual network environment 34 Network connecting 31 to 33 35 A network in which a simulation system for creating a virtual network environment is running NMS Network management system M B network management information base

Claims (3)

(57) [Claims] In an operation test of a network management system, there is provided a means for using a simulation as a network management system test environment, a network management system as a test target system, and a virtual test environment provided by the simulation means. Interface to the Network Management Information Base (MIB)
Test method characterized by taking at. 2. The test method according to claim 1, further comprising means for processing the simulation data by the means for performing the simulation into an MIB format so as to be usable in the network management system. 3. A simulation means connected directly to the network on which the network management system and the network management information base (MIB) operate or via another network outputs a virtual network environment as a simulation result in MIB format. A test method for a network system, wherein a network management system to be tested performs various functional tests using the MIB information.