System and method for providing error analysis and correlation in a network element

• US 20030145249A1
• Filed: 10/22/2002
• Published: 07/31/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: WSOU Investments, LLC (WSOU Holdings, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent Canada Incorporated (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Poulin, Andre, Wang, Jiang, Wilson, Karen Margaret
• Granted Patent: US 7,082,554 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 714/25
• 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 41/065 involving logical or physical relationship, e.g. grouping and hierarchies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0811 by checking connectivity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0817 by checking functioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/40 for recovering from a failure of a protocol instance or entity, e.g. service redundancy protocols, protocol state redundancy or protocol service redirection management of faults, events, alarms or notifications in data switching networks H04L41/06

Abstract

The present invention provides method and system for identifying a faulty component in a group of components, the group comprising in a connected configuration at least a first component connected to a second component, and further connected to at least a third component. In an embodiment, the method comprises: (i) monitoring for at least one fault at a component connection interface; and (ii) upon detection of a fault, identifying the faulty component utilising information from the fault and at least one rule for identifying the faulty component. The rules are defined from at least one characteristic of the fault, such as location and frequency, and at least one characteristic of the configuration.

Claims

1. A method of identifying a faulty component in a group of components, said group comprising in a connected configuration at least a first component having a first connection interface connected to a second component having a second connection interface, and further connected to at least a third component having a third connection interface, said method comprising:

i) monitoring for at least one fault at any one of said connection interfaces; and

ii) upon detection of said at least one fault, identifying said faulty component utilising information from said at least one fault and at least one rule for identifying said faulty component, said at least one rule being defined from at least one characteristic of said at least one fault and at least one characteristic of said configuration.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein, a first rule of said at least one rule utilises location information associated with said at least one fault as a factor in identifying said faulty component.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein, a second rule utilises frequency information associated with said at least one fault as a second factor in identifying said faulty component.

4. The method as claimed in claim 3, wherein, a third rule utilises component redundancy in said configuration as a third factor in identifying said faulty component.

5. The method as claimed in claim 4, wherein said at least one rule for identifying said faulty component utilises a probability value that a particular component of one of said components is said faulty component, and factors of said first, second and third rules are utilised.

6. The method as claimed in claim 5, further comprising the steps of:

iii) monitoring for changes of state in at least one component of said group; and

iv) utilising in a fourth rule any said changes of state as another factor in identifying said faulty component.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising the step of:

iii) prior to step ii), developing said at least one rule for identifying said faulty component in dependence upon at least one characteristic of a possible fault, and at least one characteristic of said configuration.

8. The method as claimed in claim 7, further comprising the step of:

iv) utilising location information associated with said possible fault as a factor in developing said at least one rule for identification of a faulty component.

9. The method as claimed in claim 8, further comprising the step of:

v) utilising frequency information associated with said possible fault as another factor in developing said at least one rule for identification of a faulty component.

10. The method as claimed in claim 9, further comprising the step of:

vi) utilising component redundancy in said configuration as another factor in developing said at least one rule for identification of a faulty component.

11. A system for identifying a faulty component in a group of components, said group comprising in a connected configuration at least a first component having a first connection interface connected to a second component having a second connection interface, and further connected to at least a third component having a third connection interface, said method comprising:

a) at least one monitor for monitoring for at least one fault at any one of said interfaces; and

b) a processor for processing at least one rule for identifying said faulty component, said processor using as an input at least one characteristic of said at least one fault and at least one characteristic of said connected configuration.

12. The system as claimed in claim 11, wherein, said group includes at least one redundant pair of components, and each component of each said redundant pair is connected to at least one other component.

13. The system as claimed in claim 12, wherein said at least one rule processed by said processor utilises location information associated with said at least one fault as a factor in identifying said faulty component.

14. The system as claimed in claim 13, wherein said at least one rule processed by said processor utilises frequency information associated with said at least one fault as another factor in identifying said faulty component.

15. The system as claimed in claim 14, wherein said at least one rule processed by said processor utilises component redundancy in said group as another factor in identifying said faulty component.

16. A method of identifying a faulty component in a group of components, said group comprising in a configuration a first set of components connected across an interface region to a second set of components, each component of said first set being connected to each component of said second set, said method comprising:

i) monitoring for at least one fault within said interface region; and

ii) upon detection of said at least one fault, identifying said faulty component utilising information from said at least one fault and at least one rule for identifying said faulty component, said at least one rule being defined from at least one characteristic of said at least one fault and at least one characteristic of said configuration.

17. A system for identifying a faulty component in a group of components, said group comprising in a configuration a first set of components connected across an interface region to a second set of components, each component of said first set being connected to each component of said second set, said system comprising:

a) at least one monitor for monitoring for at least one fault within said interface region; and

b) a processor for processing at least one rule for identifying said faulty component, said processor using as an input at least one characteristic of said at least one fault and at least one characteristic of said configuration.