Appletizer: Enabling Small Computing Devices as Network Management Consoles

Network and system management tools have benefited from the emergence of Java as an implementation language for applications that are widely portable across platforms in a uniform binary format. The possibility to distribute tasks allows for more scaleable and robust designs [1]. While opportunities for distributed applications following e.g. the mobile agents paradigm are not restricted to Java, this language goes a long way in enabling such applications under the umbrella of a single technology.

For instance, traffic or health monitoring tasks may be placed close to relevant network devices; on the other hand, display tasks belonging to the same network management application may migrate to suit operators. Management scenarios may e.g. require staff attention outside working hours or intervention at remote sites, hence enabling display tasks even on small computing device can improve overall operation in this particular domain.

This extended abstract is concerned with enabling display tasks on a particular class of small devices. It presents a compact mechanism whereby Java programs can display graphical user interfaces (GUIs) inside web pages solely by remote interaction via HTTP and a markup language, such as HTML. Although the approach keeps the normal AWT (Abstract Window Toolkit) programming model and visual appearance largely intact, it does not require a web browser that supports Java applets.

[1] M. Feridun, W. Kasteleijn and J. Krause. Distributed management with mobile components. in Proc. 6th IFIP/IEEE International Symposium on Integrated Network Management (IM 99), 1999.

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