System and method for managing elements of a communication network

• US 20030149754A1
• Filed: 02/06/2002
• Published: 08/07/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ADTRAN Incorporated (ADTRAN Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: ADTRAN Incorporated (ADTRAN Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Darzi, Kent E., Bailey, Steven A., Miller, Robert L. II
• Granted Patent: US 7,363,360 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/223
• 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

Abstract

An element management system (EMS) for monitoring elements of a communication network utilizes a plurality of clients, a plurality of network elements, and an element management system (EMS). The clients and the network elements are interfaced with the EMS. The EMS is configured to track which of the network elements are of interest to the clients and to automatically monitor the network elements based on which of the network elements are determined, by the EMS, to be of interest to the clients. The EMS is further configured to provide the clients with information indicative of the monitored elements. Furthermore, the EMS may be configured to store graphical user interface (GUI) code that can be utilized to provide a GUI for monitoring and/or changing a network element. The EMS may provide the GUI code to the clients on demand and may enable a user to update the GUI code stored at the EMS. Moreover, a single update to the GUI code at the EMS may effectively update the GUI code utilized by any or all of the clients.

Claims

1. A communication system, comprising:

a plurality of clients;

a plurality of network elements; and

an element management system (EMS) interfaced with the clients and the network elements, the EMS configured to track which of the network elements are of interest to the clients, the EMS further configured to automatically monitor the network elements based on which of the network elements are determined, by the EMS, to be of interest to the clients, the EMS further configured to provide the clients with information indicative of the monitored elements.

2. The communication system of claim 1, wherein the EMS is configured to detect a change in a state of one of the monitored elements and to provide one of the clients with information indicative of the state in response to the detected change.

3. The communication system of claim 1, wherein the EMS is configured to detect a change in a state of one of the monitored elements, and wherein the EMS is further configured to identify which of the clients are interested in the one monitored element and to provide each of the identified clients with information indicative of the state in response to the detected change.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the EMS is configured to identify which of the clients are interested in one of the network elements and to provide each of the identified clients with information indicative of a state of the one network element.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the EMS is configured to transmit the information indicative of the state of the one network to each of the identified clients in response to a determination, by the EMS, that the state has changed.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the EMS is configured to store graphical user interface (GUI) code defining a GUI associated with one of the network elements, the EMS configured to retrieve the GUI code in response to a request received from one of the clients and to transmit the retrieved GUI code to the one client, wherein the request identifies the one network element.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the EMS is configured to enable a user to update the stored GUI code, and wherein the EMS is further configured to detect an update to the stored GUI code and to transmit the updated GUI code to the one client in response to a detection of the update.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the EMS is configured to maintain data indicative of which of the clients are interested in which of the networks, the EMS configured to update the data in response to the request.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the one client is configured to display a GUI based on the GUI code transmitted to the one client, the one client further configured to close the GUI in response to a user input and to transmit a message to the EMS upon closing the GUI, wherein the EMS is configured to update the data in response to the message.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the one client is configured to discard the GUI code transmitted to the one client upon closing the GUI.

11. An element management system (EMS) for managing elements of a communication network, comprising:

means for tracking which of the network elements are of interest to a plurality of clients;

means for automatically monitoring the network elements of interest to the clients based on the tracking means; and

means for providing the clients with information indicative of the monitored elements.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the monitoring means is configured to detect a change in a state of one of the monitored elements, and wherein the means for providing is configured to transmit the information to one of the clients in response to a detection of the change by the monitoring means.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the monitoring means is configured to detect a change in a state of one of the monitored elements, and wherein the means for providing is configured to identify which of the clients are interested in the one monitored element and to transmit information indicative of the state to each of the identified clients in response to a detection of the change by the monitoring means.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the tracking means is configured to identify which of the clients are interested in one of the network elements, and wherein the providing means provides the information based on the tracking means.

15. The system of claim 11, further comprising:

means for storing graphical user interface (GUI) code defining a GUI associated with one of the network elements;

means for retrieving the GUI code in response to a request received from one of the clients; and

means for transmitting the retrieved GUI code to the one client,

wherein the request identifies the one client.

16. The system of claim 15, further comprising:

means for updating the stored GUI code; and

means for detecting an update to the stored GUI code by the updating means,

wherein the transmitting means is configured to transmit the updated code to the one client in response to the detected update.

17. A method for managing elements of a communication network, comprising the steps of:

tracking which of the network elements are of interest to a plurality of clients;

automatically monitoring the network elements based on the tracking step; and

providing the clients with information indicative of the monitored elements.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising the steps of:

detecting a change in a state of one of the monitored elements based on the monitoring step,

wherein the providing step includes the step of providing one of the clients with information indicative of the state in response to the detecting step.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising the steps of:

detecting a change in a state of one of the monitored elements; and

identifying which of the clients are interested in the one monitored element based on the tracking step,

wherein the providing step includes the step of providing each of the identified clients with information indicative of the state in response to the detecting step.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising the step of:

identifying which of the clients are interested in one of the network elements based on the tracking step,

wherein the providing step includes the step of transmitting, to each of the identified clients, information indicative of a state of the one network element based on the identifying step.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising the step of:

detecting a change in a state of the one monitored element,

wherein the transmitting step is performed in response to the detecting step.

22. The method of claim 17, further comprising the steps of:

storing graphical user interface (GUI) code remotely from the clients, the GUI code defining a GUI associated with one of the network elements;

retrieving the GUI code in response to a request received from one of the clients; and

transmitting the retrieved GUI code to the one client,

wherein the request identifies the one network element.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising the steps of:

enabling a user to update the stored GUI code;

detecting an update to the stored GUI code; and

transmitting the updated GUI code to the one client in response to the detecting step.

24. The method of claim 22, further comprising the steps of:

maintaining data indicative of which of the clients are interested in which of the network elements; and

updating the data in response to the request.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising the steps of:

displaying a GUI at the one client based on the GUI code transmitted in the transmitting step;

receiving a user input;

closing the displayed GUI in response to the user input; and

updating the data in response to the closing step.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising the step of:

discarding, in response to the closing step, the GUI code transmitted to the one client.