METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR COMPILING MANAGEMENT INFORMATION BASE SPECIFICATIONS

A system and method for generating a plurality of output files based on a Management Information Base (MIB) specification is provided. The system includes one or more MIB compilers designed to produce outputs based on a MIB specification. Each of the MIB compilers reads a set of directives that are maintained separate from the MIB specification. The set of directives indicate which of the modules and items defined in the MIB specification are to be processed during a given MIB compilation operation. The set of directives may also specify MIB additional attributes and values for items that are defined in the MIB specification. The set of directives may also specify that, for the purposes of the MIB compilation operation, a MIB item is to be treated as though it had a different attribute than an attribute specified for the MIB item in the MIB specification. The system also includes a single syntax checking unit that checks for syntax errors in the MIB specification prior to sending data representing the MIB specification to any MIB compiler in the system. The system includes a MIB compiler for generating, from multiple files containing a one or more MIB module specifications, a single file containing a single MIB module specification. The system also includes a MIB compiler for generating a directive file containing single-item selection directives from a directive file containing one or more multiple-item selection directives.