Self-healing hierarchical network management system, and methods and apparatus therefor

• US 20020174207A1
• Filed: 02/28/2001
• Published: 11/21/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Lambda Optical Systems Corporation
• Original Assignee: Lambda Optical Systems Corporation
• Inventors: Battou, Abdella
• Application Number:
  US09/795,370
• Publication Number:
  US 20020174207A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 14/0227 Operation, administration, maintenance or provisioning [OAMP] of WDM networks, e.g. media access, routing or wavelength allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 14/0238 Wavelength allocation for communications one-to-many, e.g. multicasting wavelengths
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 14/0241 Wavelength allocation for communications one-to-one, e.g. unicasting wavelengths
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 14/0284 WDM mesh architectures
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 14/0286 WDM hierarchical architectures
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 14/029 Dedicated protection at the optical multiplex section (1+1)
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 14/0291 Shared protection at the optical multiplex section (1:1, n:m)
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 14/0294 Dedicated protection at the optical channel (1+1)
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 14/0295 Shared protection at the optical channel (1:1, n:m)
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 14/0297 Optical equipment protection
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/044 comprising hierarchical management structures
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/046 comprising network management agents or mobile agents therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0631 using root cause analysis; using analysis of correlation between notifications, alarms or events based on decision criteria, e.g. hierarchy, tree or time analysis
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0659 by isolating or reconfiguring faulty entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0681 Configuration of triggering conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0806 for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0843 based on generic templates
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0856 by backing up or archiving configuration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0893 Assignment of logical groups to network elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 : comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/00 : Arrangements for monitoring or testing data switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/022 : by sampling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0811 : by checking connectivity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0817 : by checking functioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0847 : Transmission error
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/10 : Active monitoring, e.g. heartbeat, ping or trace-route
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/106 : using time related information in packets, e.g. by adding timestamps
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/16 : Threshold monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 : involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 : in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 : Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/0005 : Switch and router aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/0062 : Network aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/0066 : Provisions for optical burst or packet networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/0071 : Provisions for the electrical-optical layer interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2011/0015 : using splitting combining
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2011/0016 : using wavelength multiplexing or demultiplexing
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2011/0024 : using space switching
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2011/003 : using switches based on microelectro-mechanical systems [MEMS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2011/0039 : Electrical control
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2011/0081 : Fault tolerance; Redundancy; Recovery; Reconfigurability
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2011/0083 : Testing; Monitoring

Abstract

A hierarchical network management system (NMS) in which a plurality of NMS managers, each responsible for different portions or aggregations of a communications network, are logically arranged in a tree structure. The NMS managers are further organized into various sub-groups. The NMS managers within each sub-group monitor the status of one another in order to detect when one of them is no longer operational. If this happens, the remaining operational NMS managers of the sub-group collectively elect one of them to assume the responsibility of the non-operational NMS manager. The NMS is thus “self-healing” in the sense that one NMS manager can dynamically, without operator intervention, assume the responsibilities for another NMS manager.

Claims

1. A method for managing a network, comprising:

arranging a plurality of network management system (NMS) managers in a hierarchy, said hierarchy having at least a root level and a leaf level, wherein each non-leaf level NMS manager supervises at least one child NMS manager and each leaf-level NMS manager supervises one or more network nodes;

determining when a given NMS manager ceases to operate; and

electing another NMS manager within said hierarchy to assume the responsibility of the non-operating NMS manager.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein, in the event a given NMS manager ceases to operate, the elected NMS manager is selected from a predetermined group of NMS managers within the hierarchy.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the elected NMS manager is a sibling of the non-operating NMS manager.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein:

each leaf-level NMS manager receives state information pertaining to network elements under its supervision; and

each non-leaf level NMS manager receives aggregated state information pertaining to the network elements which are supervised by NMS managers that are descendent from the non-leaf level NMS manager.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein each NMS manager is implemented as a Holistic NMS and wherein the role of each such NMS Manager is dynamically configurable.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the role of the NMS Manager is based on a network address.

7. The method according to claim 4, wherein each NMS manager is implemented as a Segregated NMS.

8. The method according to claim 4, wherein each NMS manager receives and stores state information pertaining to the network elements supervised by sibling NMS managers.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein each NMS manager includes an event service in order to publish to the siblings thereof events pertaining to network changes of state.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the events include at least one of performance, connection, fault and configuration events.

11. The method according to claim 8, wherein, for each group of sibling NMS manager, only one NMS manager within the group aggregates state information pertaining to all network elements supervised by the group to the common parent NMS manager.

12. The method according to claim 3, wherein the determination of the non-operating NMS manager includes establishing a heartbeat process between at least two NMS manager siblings.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein the election is based on pre-configuration.

14. The method according to claim 1, wherein the election is based on an administrative weight assigned to each NMS manager.

15. The method according to claim 1, wherein the election is based the load bearing capability of each NMS manager.

16. The method according to claim 1, wherein the election is based on network size.

17. The method according to claim 3, wherein, in the event of an election, each NMS manager assumes it is the winner unless it receives notice otherwise from one of its siblings.

18. The method according to claim 4, wherein each NMS manager within said hierarchy stores state information pertaining to the network elements under its sphere of responsibility to an external database such that the elected NMS manager can retrieve the state information associated with the non-operating NMS manager.