Emerging Principles of Autonomic Network Management Sven van der Meer, Willie Donnelly, John Strassner, Brendan Jennings, Mícheál Ó Foghlú (vdmeer|wdonnelly|jstrassner|bjennings|mofoghlu)@tssg.org Abstract. There is no accepted definition of what an Autonomic Network is, nor is there a definition of what Autonomic Management is. Although there are numerous discussion papers and tutorials on autonomic computing and networking, there is still a lack of guidance on how to define and implement Autonomic Communication Systems. In general, the key reference document is the IEEE tutorial of John Strassner on Autonomic Communications presented at NOMS in May 2006. However, there is still very little consensus on the interpretation of terms, functionality, and architectural concepts provided in this definition. The academic impact of this perceived lack of guidance makes it difficult for researchers to conduct their individual research, and it inhibits the broader research community from developing a common understanding of Autonomic Networking and Management. This paper explains this definition in more detail, links it to the foundational principles of an architecture for Autonomic Network Management, and provides guidance on how to develop specifications and best practices for the building of Autonomic Communication Systems. The intention of this paper is not to focus on an implementation, but on a theoretical definition and specification that can be published and discussed with researchers across existing research communities. 1. Introduction The telecommunications industry has changed dramatically in recent years. The explosive growth of the Internet, the proliferation of mobile networks and the increasing difficulty in managing multi-vendor environments and the services that they are meant to provide have altered forever the dynamics of this industry, the expectations of its customers and the business models under which it operates. The impact of Moore’s Law has had a profound effect across all sectors of the industry – equipment manufacturers, network operators, and service providers continually strive to rapidly deploy the latest technology in order to gain competitive advantage. Although recent economic upheavals have had a drastic effect on certain sectors, the level of innovation has been impressive and the industry is again poised to drive another wave of economic growth. However, the challenges posed by the complexity of modern communications environments are potentially overwhelming. A gulf has emerged between the ability to manage the communications infrastructure and the capabilities of the services