Method, service agent and network management system for operating a telecommunications network

• US 20030055960A1
• Filed: 08/13/2002
• Published: 03/20/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alcatel SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Alcatel SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Hain, Elke
• Granted Patent: US 7,254,627 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/00 Arrangements for maintenance, administration or management of data switching networks, e.g. of packet switching networks

Abstract

A method for operating a telecommunications network, a service agent for the same and a network management system, equipped with the latter, particularly in the form of at least one computer of a network management system, or a user interface module, in which event messages concerning a network element of the telecommunications network are transmitted to the service agent for maintenance and/or monitoring and/or control service, and the event messages which are irrelevant to the service to be provided by the service agent are filtered out. The service agent determines a relationship between a first relevant event message and a second event message in respect of the service to be provided and instructs output means to output a first event message and a second event message according to the relationship.

Claims

1. Method for operating a telecommunications network, in which

event messages concerning at least one network element of the telecommunications network are transmitted to a service agent for a maintenance and/or monitoring and/or control service in respect of the at least one network element,

the event messages which are irrelevant to the service to be provided by means of the service agent are filtered out,

the service agent determines at least one relationship between at least one first relevant event message and at least one second event message in respect of the service to be provided, and

the service agent instructs output means to output the at least one first event message and/or the at least one second event message according to the at least one relationship.

2. Method according to claim 1, wherein at least one first event message and at least one second event message are output in dependence on their relevance to the service to be provided.

3. Method according to claim 1, wherein, in determining at least one relationship, the service agent determines that at least one second event message is dependent on at least one first event message.

4. Method according to claim 3, wherein at least one first event message is output with prior ranking over at least one second event message.

5. Method according to claim 3, wherein a first output form is provided in which at least one second event message is suppressed, and a second output form is provided in which at least one second event message is output.

6. Method according to claim 1, wherein the relevant event messages are essentially output in a hierarchical, particularly tree-type, representation.

7. Method according to claim 1, wherein, essentially, of an event message which, as a whole, is relevant to the service to be provided, only that portion which is relevant in respect of the service to be provided is output.

8. Method according to claim 1, wherein at least one first event message and at least one second event message are output, according to at least one relationship, in an output form based on the respective maintenance and/or monitoring and/or control service, particularly in the form of a list and/or a hierarchical representation and/or in a graphical representation.

9. Method according to claim 1, wherein a group agent which records the event messages concerning at least one network element of the telecommunications network, and/or the service agent and/or a filter agent located in front of the latter filter(s) out, at least partially, the event messages which are irrelevant to the service to be provided.

10. Method according to claim 1, wherein, via a user interface, at least one event message is displayed which is relevant in respect of the service to be provided by means of the service agent, and the service agent is activated, upon an operator input, in respect of at least one displayed event message.

11. Method for operating a telecommunications network, in which

event messages concerning at least one network element of the telecommunications network are transmitted to a service agent for a maintenance and/or monitoring and/or control service in respect of the at least one network element,

the event messages which are irrelevant to the service to be provided by means of the service agent are filtered out,

the service agent determines at least one relationship between at least one first relevant event message and at least one second event message in respect of the service to be provided, and

the service agent instructs output means to output at least one first event message and/or at least one second event message according to at least one relationship, the at least one first event message and the at least one second event message being output in dependence on their relevance to the service to be provided.

12. Service agent for a maintenance and/or monitoring and/or control service in respect of at least one network element of a telecommunications network,

with receiving means for receiving event messages which concern the at least one network element,

with filter means for filtering out event messages which are irrelevant to the service to be provided by means of the service agent, and

with analysis and instruction means for determining at least one relationship between at least one first relevant event message and at least one second event message in respect of the service to be provided and for instructing output means to output at least one first event message and/or at least one second event message according to at least one relationship.

13. Service agent according to claim 12, wherein the filter means are designed for

the application of at least one filter criterion by the service agent and/or

for sending at least one filter criterion to at least one filter agent located in front of the service agent and/or to a group agent, the group agent being provided to record event messages concerning the at least one network element.

15. Service agent according to either claim 12 or 14, wherein it contains program code which can be executed by a control means of a computer, particularly a computer of a network management system.

16. Computer-readable memory means, particularly diskette or CD-ROM, digital versatile disc, hard-disk drive or the like, with a service agent according to claim 15 stored on the same.

14. Service agent for a maintenance and/or monitoring and/or control service in respect of at least one network element of a telecommunications network,

with receiving means for receiving event messages which concern the at least one network element,

with filter means for filtering out event messages which are irrelevant to the service to be provided by means of the service agent, and

with analysis and instruction means for determining at least one relationship between at least one first relevant event message and at least one second event message in respect of the service to be provided and for instructing output means to output the at least one first event message and/or the at least one second event message according to the at least one relationship, the at least one first event message and the at least one second event message being output in dependence on their relevance to the service to be provided.

17. Computer-readable memory means, particularly diskette or CD-ROM, digital versatile disc, hard-disk drive or the like with, stored on the same, a service agent for a maintenance and/or monitoring and/or control service in respect of at least one network element of a telecommunications network, the service agent having program code which can be executed by a control means of a computer, particularly a computer of a network management system, the computer being able to execute the following functions:

receiving event messages which concern at least one network element,

filtering out event messages which are irrelevant to the service to be provided by means of the service agent, and

determining at least one relationship between at least one first relevant event message and at least one second event message in respect of the service to be provided and instructing output means to output the at least one first event message and/or the at least one second event message according to the at least one relationship.

18. Computer-readable memory means, particularly diskette or CD-ROM, digital versatile disc, hard-disk drive or the like with, stored on the same, a service agent for a maintenance and/or monitoring and/or control service in respect of at least one network element of a telecommunications network, the service agent having program code which can be executed by a control means of a computer, particularly a computer of a network management system, the computer being able to execute the following functions:

receiving event messages which concern the at least one network element,

filtering out event messages which are irrelevant to the service to be provided by means of the service agent, and

determining at least one relationship between at least one first relevant event message and at least one second event message in respect of the service to be provided and instructing output means to output the at least one first event message and/or the at least one second event message according to the at least one relationship, the at least one first event message and the at least one second event message being output in dependence on their relevance to the service to be provided.

19. Network management system, particularly in the form of at least one computer of a network management system, or a user interface module, for operating a telecommunications network, wherein it comprises at least one service agent and/or at least one computer-readable memory means.