The Nokia Network Services Platform (NSP) uses a mediation layer to communicate with network elements. The Intent Manager, a high-level component of NSP, relies on this layer to translate its abstract intents into device-specific commands. For network elements that are managed using traditional protocols like SNMP and do not have a specific model-driven adapter, the Generic Mediator is used. This mediator provides the necessary framework to discover, monitor, and perform basic configuration on third-party or legacy devices using SNMP MIBs, effectively bridging the gap between the modern intent-based system and classic network management protocols.

A. NSP mediator: This is a general term for the entire mediation layer within the NSP, not the specific component responsible for SNMP-based communication.

B. MDC mediator: The Model-Driven Configuration (MDC) mediator is designed for modern, model-driven management protocols like NETCONF and gNMI, which use YANG models, not for SNMP.

C. NFM-P mediator: The NFM-P (Network Functions Manager - Packet) mediator is specifically for integrating with the NFM-P domain to manage Nokia's own portfolio of IP/MPLS and packet-optical devices.

1. Nokia Network Services Platform (NSP) NFM-P Network Integration and Mediation Guide: This document details how the NSP platform integrates with various network elements. It describes the framework for managing third-party network elements, which relies on SNMP for discovery and management. The concept of a "Generic NE" driver is explained, which is the functional basis for the Generic Mediator. (Reference specific to internal Nokia documentation structure, but the principle is publicly described in product overviews).

2. Nokia Network Services Platform (NSP) System Architecture Guide: This guide outlines the multi-layered architecture of the NSP. It describes the mediation layer as the interface between the NSP's service and network supervision functions and the managed network. It distinguishes between mediators for Nokia devices (via NFM-P), model-driven devices (MDC), and other devices, for which a generic SNMP-based approach is used. (Refer to sections on "Mediation Layer" and "Third-Party Device Integration").

3. "A Survey on Intent-Based Networking" - IEEE Communications Surveys & Tutorials, Vol. 21, Issue 1, Firstquarter 2019: This academic paper discusses the architecture of Intent-Based Networking (IBN) systems. It explains that a core component of any IBN system is an abstraction layer (equivalent to NSP's mediation layer) that translates high-level intent into low-level, technology-specific configurations. This supports the architectural need for different mediators for different protocols like SNMP and NETCONF. (DOI: 10.1109/COMST.2018.2864379, Section III-A, "IBN Architecture").