Communication network management methods and systems

• US 20050267961A1
• Filed: 05/27/2004
• Published: 12/01/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Alcatel SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Alcatel SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Hennessy, Ryan Joseph, Pirbhai, Rahim S., Chandra, Neeraj, Landry, Felix M.
• Application Number:
  US10/855,115
• Publication Number:
  US 20050267961A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0663 Performing the actions predefined by failover planning, e.g. switching to standby network elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13166 Fault prevention
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13175 Graphical user interface [GUI], WWW interface, visual indication
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13345 Intelligent networks, SCP
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0062 Provisions for network management

Abstract

Methods and systems of managing communication networks are provided. Network management information received for an electronic device of a protection group, which includes a working electronic device and a protection electronic device in the communication network, is applied to both the working electronic device and the protection electronic device. Indications of the network management information, or portions of the network management information, may be displayed only for an active one of the working electronic device and the protection electronic device. In the event of an activity switch, such indications are displayed only for a newly active one of the working electronic device and the protection electronic device. In another embodiment, received network management information is applied to an active one of the working electronic device and the protection electronic device.

Claims

1. A method of managing a communication network, comprising:

receiving network management information for an electronic device of a protection group, the protection group comprising a working electronic device and a protection electronic device in the communication network; and

applying the same received network management information to both the working electronic device and the protection electronic device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying representations of the working electronic device and the protection electronic device in a user interface,

wherein receiving comprises receiving the network management information as a user input responsive to a user selection of the representation of the working electronic device.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

displaying an error message responsive to a user selection of the representation of the protection electronic device.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying a representation of the protection group in a user interface,

wherein receiving comprises receiving the network management information as a user input responsive to a user selection of the representation of the protection group.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein applying comprises applying the network management information to objects associated with the working electronic device and the protection electronic device stored in a memory.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein applying comprises generating a network management command based on the network management information and sending the network management command to a network element at which the protection group is implemented.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein applying comprises generating respective network management commands for the working electronic device and the protection electronic device based on the network management information and sending the network management commands to a network element at which the protection group is implemented.

8. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

modifying the representations of the working electronic device and the protection electronic device to provide indications of the network management information.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the network management information comprises configuration information for configuring the working electronic device.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying representations of the working electronic device and the protection electronic device; and

displaying active device network management information for only an active one of the working electronic device and the protection electronic device.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

detecting an activity switch from the active one of the working electronic device and the protection electronic device to a newly active one of the working electronic device and the protection device; and

displaying the active device network management information for only the newly active one of the working electronic device and the protection electronic device responsive to the activity switch.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein detecting comprises one of:

receiving an activity switch notification from a network element at which the protection group is implemented and querying a network element at which the protection group is implemented.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the active device network management information comprises diagnostic configuration information indicating a configuration of the active electronic device for a diagnostic operation.

14. A computer-readable medium comprising instructions which when executed perform the method of claim 1.

15. A system for managing a communication network, comprising:

an input device for receiving network management information for an electronic device of a protection group, the protection group comprising a working electronic device and a protection electronic device in the communication network; and

a processor configured to receive the network management information from the input device, and to apply the same received network management information to both the working electronic device and the protection electronic device.

16. The system of claim 15, further comprising:

a display device,

wherein the processor is further configured to display on the display device representations of the working electronic device and the protection electronic device, and to receive the network management information as a user input responsive to a user selection of the representation of the working electronic device using the input device.

17. The system of claim 15, further comprising:

a memory storing objects associated with the working electronic device and the protection electronic device,

wherein the processor is configured to apply the network management information by applying the network management information to the objects associated with the working electronic device and the protection electronic device stored in the memory.

18. The system of claim 17, further comprising:

a transmitter; and

a receiver,

wherein the processor is configured to apply the network management information by generating a network management command based on the network management information and sending the network management command through the transmitter to a network element at which the protection group is implemented, to receive a confirmation from the network element that the network management command has been processed, and to apply the network management information to the objects responsive to the confirmation.

19. The system of claim 15, further comprising:

a display device,

wherein the processor is further configured to display on the display device representations of the working electronic device and the protection electronic device, the representations of the working electronic device and the protection electronic device providing indications of the network management information.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the processor is configured to apply the network management information by generating respective network management commands for the working electronic device and the protection electronic device based on the network management information and sending the network management commands to a network element at which the protection group is implemented.

21. The system of claim 16, wherein the processor is further configured to modify the representations of the working electronic device and the protection electronic device to provide indications of the network management information.

22. The system of claim 15, wherein the processor is implemented at network equipment selected from the group consisting of:

a network management system and a network element at which the protection group is implemented.

23. The system of claim 15, wherein the network management information comprises configuration information for configuring the working electronic device.

24. The system of claim 15, further comprising:

a display device,

wherein the processor is further configured to display on the display device representations of the working electronic device and the protection electronic device, and to display active device network management information for only an active one of the working electronic device and the protection electronic device.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the processor is further configured to detect an activity switch from the active one of the working electronic device and the protection electronic device to a newly active one of the working electronic device and the protection device, and to display the active device network management information for only the newly active one of the working electronic device and the protection electronic device responsive to detecting the activity switch.

26. The system of claim 24, further comprising:

a receiver,

wherein the processor is configured to detect the activity switch by receiving through the receiver an activity switch notification from a network element at which the protection group is implemented.

27. The system of claim 26, further comprising:

a transmitter,

wherein the processor is further configured to send an activity state query through the transmitter to a network element at which the protection group is implemented, and wherein the activity switch notification comprises a response to the activity state query.

28. The system of claim 24, wherein the active device network management information comprises diagnostic configuration information indicating a configuration of the active electronic device for a diagnostic operation.

29. The system of claim 24, wherein the processor implements a display controller and an activity switch detector.

30. A communication network comprising:

the system of claim 15;

and

a plurality of network elements implementing respective protection groups,

wherein the system is configured to manage the protection groups at the plurality of network elements.

40. A computer-readable medium comprising instructions which when executed perform the method of claim 21.

31. A method of managing a communication network, comprising:

receiving network management information for an electronic device of a protection group, the protection group comprising a working electronic device and a protection electronic device in the communication network;

determining, after the network management information is received, to which one of the working electronic device and the protection electronic device the received network management information is to be applied, based on which one of the working electronic device and the protection electronic device is active; and

applying the received network management information to the active one of the working electronic device and the protection electronic device.

32. The method of claim 31, further comprising:

displaying representations of the working electronic device and the protection electronic device in a user interface,

wherein receiving comprises receiving the network management information as a user input responsive to a user selection of the representation of one of the working electronic device and the protection electronic device.

33. The method of claim 31, further comprising:

displaying a representation of the protection group in a user interface,

wherein receiving comprises receiving the network management information as a user input responsive to a user selection of the representation of the protection group.

34. The method of claim 31, wherein applying comprises applying the network management information to an object associated with the active one of the working electronic device and the protection electronic device stored in a memory.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein objects associated with the working electronic device and the protection electronic device comprise an activity indication, and wherein determining comprises accessing the activity indication in at least one of the objects associated with the working electronic device and the protection electronic device.

36. The method of claim 31, wherein applying comprises generating a network management command based on the network management information and sending the network management command to a network element at which the protection group is implemented.

37. The method of claim 32, further comprising:

modifying the representation of the active one of the working electronic device and the protection electronic device to provide an indication of the network management information.

38. The method of claim 31, further comprising:

displaying representations of the working electronic device and the protection electronic device in a user interface, the representation of the active one of the working electronic device and the protection electronic device providing an indication of the network management information.

39. The method of claim 38, further comprising:

detecting an activity switch between the active one of the working electronic device and the protection electronic device and a newly active one of the working electronic device and the protection electronic device; and

modifying the representations of the working electronic device and the protection electronic device to move the indication of the network management information to the newly active one of the working electronic device and the protection electronic device responsive to the detection.

50. A communication network comprising:

a system according to claim 31;

and

a plurality of network elements implementing respective protection groups,

wherein the system is configured to manage the protection groups at the plurality of network elements.

41. A system for managing electronic devices in a communication network, comprising:

an input device for receiving network management information for an electronic device of a protection group, the protection group comprising a working electronic device and a protection electronic device in the communication network; and

a processor configured to receive the network management information from the input device, to determine, after the network management information is received, to which one of the working electronic device and the protection electronic device the received network management information is to be applied, based on which one of the working electronic device and the protection electronic device is active, and to apply the received network management information to the active one of the working electronic device and the protection electronic device.

42. The system of claim 41, further comprising:

a display device,

wherein the processor is further configured to display on the display device representations of the working electronic device and the protection electronic device, the representation of the active one of the working electronic device and the protection electronic device providing an indication of the network management information.

43. The system of claim 42, wherein the processor is further configured to detect an activity switch from the active one of the working electronic device and the protection electronic device to a newly active one of the working electronic device and the protection electronic device, and to modify the representations of the working electronic device and the protection electronic device to move the indication of the network management information to the newly active one of the working electronic device and the protection electronic device responsive to the detection.

44. The system of claim 43, further comprising:

a receiver,

wherein the processor is configured to detect the activity switch by receiving through the receiver an activity switch notification from a network element at which the working electronic device and the protection electronic device are implemented.

45. The system of claim 41, further comprising:

a display device,

wherein the processor is further configured to display on the display device representations of the working electronic device and the protection electronic device, to receive the network management information responsive to a user selection of the representation of one of the working electronic device and the protection electronic device, and to modify the representation of the active one of the working electronic device and the protection electronic device to provide an indication of the network management information.

46. The system of claim 41, further comprising:

a memory storing objects associated with the working electronic device and the protection electronic device, at least one of the objects associated with the working electronic device and the protection electronic device comprising an activity indication,

wherein the processor is configured to determine which of the working electronic device and the protection electronic device is active by accessing the activity indication in the at least one of the objects.

47. The system of claim 46, wherein the processor is configured to apply the network management information by applying the network management information to the object associated with the active one of the working electronic device and the protection electronic device stored in the memory.

48. The system of claim 41, wherein the network management information comprises diagnostic information for configuring the active one of the working electronic device and the protection electronic device for a diagnostic operation of the protection group.

49. The system of claim 41, wherein the protection group is a 1:

N protection group comprising the protection electronic device and N working electronic devices including the working electronic device.

51. A method of providing a network management system user interface, comprising:

displaying representations of a working electronic device and a protection electronic device of a protection group;

displaying available network management functions responsive to a user selection of the representation of the working electronic device; and

displaying an indication that network management functions are not available responsive to a user selection of the representation of the protection electronic device.

52. The method of claim 51, further comprising:

displaying active device network management information for only an active one of the working electronic device and the protection electronic device.

53. The method of claim 51, further comprising:

displaying network management information for each of the working electronic device and the protection electronic device.