Fault management system for a communications network

• US 20040039957A1
• Filed: 06/06/2003
• Published: 02/26/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: British Telecommunications PLC (BT Group PLC)
• Original Assignee: British Telecommunications PLC (BT Group PLC)
• Inventors: Fletcher, Brian A., Maxwell, Richard
• Granted Patent: US 7,240,245 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 714/4
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/18 Comparators
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/303 and using PCM multiplexers, e.g. pair gain systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/305 testing of physical copper line parameters, e.g. capacitance or resistance locating faults in cables G01R31/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0075 Fault management techniques

Abstract

There is described a method of operating a fault management system for an access network which forms part of a communications network. In the access network, terminating lines in the form of pairs of copper wires extend from a local switch (10) through a series of nodes to terminal equipment provided for user of the network. The fault management system includes a test head (104) and an access network management system (102).

Each night, the test head (104) performs a series of tests on each of the terminating lines. The results of the tests are transmitted to the access network management (102). The test results are then analysed with respect of a set of parameter to identify characteristics that would indicate that a fault is likely to occur on the associated circuit within a predetermined period e.g. 1 year. Further analysis can then be carried out to establish the probability of the fault actually occurring and/or whether the potential fault analysed is going to occur in either the underground or the over-ground part of the network.

Claims

1. A method of operating a fault management system for a communications network, said communications network including a switch and an access network of one or more terminating circuits connecting said switch to terminal equipment provided for users of the communications network, the or each of said terminating circuits passing through one or more nodes between said switch and its respective terminal equipment, said method comprising the steps of:

performing a circuit test on the or each circuit of at least a subset of said terminating circuits and to produce a test result for the or each circuit so tested, the or each test result comprising one or more elements of test data;

comparing one or more elements of the test data for the or each circuit against a set of parameters which define the characteristic of circuits that may become faulty within a predetermined time period; and

if the or each element falls within the parameters, classifying the associated circuit as having a possibility of becoming faulty within the predetermined period.

2. A method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of determining a probability for each classified circuit of the circuit becoming faulty within a predetermined time period.

3. A method according to claim 2, in which the probability of the circuit becoming faulty comprises and element indicating the probability of the fault occurring in the underground section of the network and an element indicating the probability of the fault occurring in the over-ground portion of the network.

4. A method according to claim 2, in which the two probabilities are combined to calculate whether the fault is most likely to occur in the overhead or the underground portion of the network.

5. A method according to any preceding claim in which the probabilities, and/or classifications for each circuit in a network element are combined to provide probabilities and/or classifications for the network element as a whole.

11. A computer program or set of computer programs arranged to cause a general purpose computer or group of such computer to carry out the method of claims 1 to 5 or to provide the apparatus of claims 6 to 10.

6. A fault management apparatus for a communications network including a switch and an access network of terminating circuits connecting said switch to terminal equipment provided for users of the communications network, each of said terminating circuits passing through a series of nodes between said switch and its respective terminal equipment, said fault management apparatus comprising:

circuit testing apparatus arranged to perform circuit tests on said terminating circuits to produce test results;

a store containing data relating to said terminating circuits;

means for comparing one or more elements of the test results for the or each circuit against a set of parameters which define the characteristic of circuits that may become faulty within a predetermined time period; and

means operable, if the or each element falls within the parameters, to classify the associated circuit as having a possibility of becoming faulty within the predetermined period.

7. Apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising means for determining a probability for each classified circuit of the circuit becoming faulty within a predetermined time period.

8. Apparatus according to claim 7, in which the probability of the circuit becoming faulty comprises and element indicating the probability of the fault occurring in the underground section of the network and an element indicating the probability of the fault occurring in the over-ground portion of the network.

9. Apparatus according to claim 7, in which the two probabilities are combined to calculate whether the fault is most likely to occur in the overhead or the underground portion of the network.

10. Apparatus according to any of claims 6 to 9 in which the probabilities, and/or classifications for each circuit in a network element are combined to provide probabilities and/or classifications for the network element as a whole.