An adapter controls the communication of information between devices or applications and a Manager. An adapter normalizes topology and event information from sources other than Smarts. Typical sources include SNMP traps or system log files. Once normalized to the ICIM data model, the information is transferred to a Manager (including either Service Assurance Global Manager or Domain Manager).
Adapters work with third-party applications in a variety of ways to import topology and event information and prepare it for use by the Global Manager. The XML Adapter is ideal for exchanging topology information with a system for which there is no native Smarts adapter. The XML Adapter can import topology into a Global Manager or underlying domain as well as export from a Global Manager or Domain Manager. Using the XML Adapter, topology information can be exchanged between Global Managers or underlying domains.
