The problems network managers face in today's data center are increasingly complex. Changes in network usage models require the remapping of traffic flows. New intrusion threats demand stronger security measures. Using virtualization to migrate workloads across physical resources requires constant reallocation of network resources. The list goes on. In response, systems management vendors are constructing their solutions differently from the way they used to.

The new approach to network management - and systems management generally - is based on service-oriented management architecture (SOMA). Vendors are building SOMA-based network management appliances, agents and proxy agents that are flexible and capable of evolving as management needs evolve. Adaptability was limited in past network management solutions, but it's largely a given with SOMA.

Under SOMA, all important management operations are implemented as services (such as for retrieving device status, for device control, for changing configuration settings and for provisioning). Each service is a software component with a formally defined, message-based, request-response interface. The business logic behind each interface is hidden from users. Messages are in XML and are passed among services running within a device via a management services bus (MSB). Programming a management application or an agent is relatively easy because all available management functionality is exposed via consistent interfaces, and most services are highly reusable.