Distributed messaging system and method for sharing network status data

• US 20060020686A1
• Filed: 07/22/2004
• Published: 01/26/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/22/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tyco Electronics Subsea Communications LLC (TE Connectivity Ltd. (United Kingdom))
• Original Assignee: Tyco Electronics Subsea Communications LLC (TE Connectivity Ltd. (United Kingdom))
• Inventors: Liss, Jonathan M., Sabet, Sameh A., Deverin, Jeffrey A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,180,882 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/219
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/052 using standardised network management architectures, e.g. telecommunication management network [TMN] or unified network management architecture [UNMA]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/069 using logs of notifications; Post-processing of notifications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/065 related to network devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0817 by checking functioning

Abstract

A distributed messaging system and method allows servers in a network to share data, such as network status data associated with all of the servers in the network. In one embodiment, the distributed messaging system and method may be used in element management system (EMS) servers in a distributed network management system (NMS). The servers in the network share the data in a distributed manner by transmitting messages including the network status data, for example, using a star/broadcast method or a circular message queue (CMQ) method.

Claims

1. A method for sharing network status data between an element management system (EMS) server and at least one of a plurality of other EMS servers in a network, said method comprising:

providing a data structure in said EMS server, said data structure including network status data associated with multiple said EMS servers in said network;

receiving at least one message in said EMS server, said received message being sent by at least one of said other EMS servers and said received message including network status data associated with multiple said EMS servers in said network;

updating said data structure in said EMS server with updated network status data from said received message;

updating said data structure in said EMS server with updated network status data obtained by said EMS server when performing EMS functions; and

transmitting at least one message to at least one of said other EMS servers at a predetermined time, said at least one transmitted message including said updated data structure.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising updating a user interface with updated network status data.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said network status data includes network alarm status data and EMS status data.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said data structure is provided in a message buffer.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said data structure includes data blocks corresponding to each of said EMS servers.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein each of said data blocks includes a date/time stamp of a last update for said data block.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein each of said data blocks includes EMS server availability data.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein transmitting said at least one message includes broadcasting said at least one message to other said EMS servers in said network.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein said predetermined time for transmitting is a transmit time for broadcasting.

10. The method of claim 8 further comprising comparing said data structure to a last transmitted message, and wherein said at least one message is transmitted if said data structure has changed from said last transmitted message.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising broadcasting said at least one transmitted message after a predetermined time even if said data structure has not changed from said last transmitted message.

12. The method of claim 10 further comprising determining if a message has not been received from at least one of said other EMS servers after a receive time expires.

13. The method of claim 8 wherein said data structure includes data blocks corresponding to said EMS servers in said network, and wherein each of said data blocks includes a date/time stamp of a last update for said data block, EMS status data, EMS alarm status data, and EMS server availability data.

14. The method of claim 1 further comprising providing a list of EMS servers in said EMS server, wherein transmitting said at least one message includes transmitting said message to a neighboring EMS server as defined by said list of EMS servers.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein said predetermined time for transmitting is a predetermined delay time after receiving said message from a neighboring EMS server.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein said at least one message is transmitted to said neighboring EMS server only if said neighboring EMS server is available.

17. The method of claim 14 further comprising determining if a predetermined time for receiving said message from a neighboring server has expired.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising broadcasting an availability status request message to said other EMS servers if said predetermined time for receiving said message has expired.

19. The method of claim 14 wherein said data structure includes, for each of said EMS servers, availability data, a delay time, a time stamp of the last message transmittal, and alarm status data.

20. The method of claim 1 further comprising synchronizing a time clock in said EMS server with time clocks in said other EMS servers.

21. A machine-readable medium whose contents cause a computer system to perform a method of sharing network status data between an element management system (EMS) server and at least one of a plurality of other EMS servers in a network, said method comprising:

providing a data structure in said EMS server, said data structure including network status data associated with multiple said EMS servers in said network

receiving at least one message in said EMS server, said received message being sent by at least one of said other EMS servers and said received message including network status data associated with multiple said EMS servers in said network;

updating said data structure in said EMS server with updated network status data from said received message;

updating said data structure in said EMS server with updated network status data obtained by said EMS server when performing EMS functions; and

transmitting at least one message to at least one of said other EMS servers at a predetermined time, said at least one transmitted message including said updated data structure.

22. The machine-readable medium of claim 21 wherein transmitting said at least one message includes broadcasting said at least one message to other said EMS servers in said network at a predetermined transmit time.

23. The machine-readable medium of claim 22 wherein said data structure includes data blocks corresponding to said EMS servers in said network, and wherein each of said data blocks includes a date/time stamp of a last update for said data block, EMS status data, EMS alarm status data, and EMS server availability data.

24. The machine-readable medium of claim 22 wherein said method further comprises comparing said data structure to a last transmitted message, and wherein said at least one message is transmitted if said data structure has changed from said last transmitted message or if after a predetermined time even if said data structure has not changed from said last transmitted message.

25. The machine-readable medium of claim 21 wherein transmitting said at least one message includes transmitting said message to a neighboring EMS server, as defined by a list of EMS servers, after a predetermined delay from when said message is received.

26. The machine-readable medium of claim 25 wherein said data structure includes, for said EMS servers, availability data, a delay time, a time stamp of the last message transmittal, and alarm status data.

27. The machine-readable medium of claim 26 wherein said method further comprises determining if a predetermined time for receiving said message from a neighboring server has expired.

28. The machine-readable medium of claim 27 wherein said method further comprises broadcasting an availability status request message to other said EMS servers if said predetermined time for receiving said message has expired.

29. The machine-readable medium of claim 21 wherein said method further comprises synchronizing a time clock in said EMS server with time clocks in other said EMS servers.

30. A method for distributed messaging between servers in a network, said method comprising:

providing a message buffer in each of said servers, said message buffer including data blocks with network status data associated with said servers in said network;

updating said message buffer in each of said servers with updated network status data obtained by each of said servers;

broadcasting messages from each of said servers at different transmit times, each of said messages including a copy of said message buffer from a respective one of said servers;

receiving said messages in said servers; and

updating said message buffers in each of said servers based on said network status data in said messages received by said servers.

34. The method of claim 30 wherein each of said blocks includes a date/time stamp of a last update of said block and server availability data.

35. The method of claim 30 further comprising comparing said data blocks in said message buffer to said data blocks in a last transmitted message, wherein each of said servers broadcasts said message if said data has changed from a last transmitted message.

36. The method of claim 35 further comprising broadcasting said messages if a predetermined period of time expires from said last transmitted message even if said data does not change from said last transmitted message.

37. The method of claim 30 further comprising determining if messages have not been received from said other servers after a receive time expires.

38. The method of claim 30 further comprising updating user interfaces managed by said servers with updated network status data.

39. The method of claim 30 further comprising synchronizing time clocks in said servers.

32. The method of claim 31 wherein said server is an element management system (EMS) server.

33. The method of claim 32 wherein said network status data in each of said blocks includes EMS alarm status data and EMS status data.

40. A method for distributed messaging between servers in a network, said method comprising:

providing a server list in each of said servers, said server list identifying said servers in said network;

transmitting and receiving at least one message to and from neighboring servers in said network according to an order defined by said server list, each said message including network status data associated with said servers; and

updating said message received by each of said servers with updated network status data obtained by each of said servers.

41. The method of claim 40 wherein said servers include element management system (EMS) servers.

42. The method of claim 41 wherein said network status data for each of said servers includes a number of currently active major and minor alarms and a number of major and minor alarms since a last update.

43. The method of claim 40 wherein said message includes, for each server, server availability data and a delay time.

44. The method of claim 40 wherein said message is transmitted by each of said servers after a predetermined delay from when said message is received.

45. The method of claim 40 wherein said messages are transmitted only to available servers in said network.

46. The method of claim 40 further comprising determining if a predetermined time for receiving said message has expired.

47. The method of claim 46 further comprising broadcasting an availability status request message to said other EMS servers if said predetermined time for receiving said message has expired.

48. The method of claim 40 wherein said data structure includes, for each of said EMS servers, availability data, a delay time, a time stamp of the last message transmittal, and alarm status data.

49. The method of claim 40 further comprising synchronizing time clocks in said servers.

50. A distributed network management system (NMS) comprising:

a plurality of element management systems (EMSs) for managing network elements, each of said EMSs including a data structure containing network status data associated with each of said EMSs;

wherein each of said EMSs is configured to obtain network status data for said network elements being managed;

wherein each of said EMSs is configured to transmit and receive messages to and from other said EMSs, said messages including said data structures from respective said EMSs; and

wherein each of said EMSs is configured to update said data structure with said network status data obtained for said network elements being managed and with said network status data in said messages received from other said EMSs.

51. The distributed network management system of claim 50 wherein each of said EMSs is configured to transmit a message by broadcasting said message to each of said other EMSs in said network at a predetermined transmit time.

52. The distributed network management system of claim 50 wherein each of said EMSs is configured to transmit a message by transmitting said message to a neighboring EMS, as defined by a list of said EMSs, after a predetermined delay from when said message is received.

53. The distributed network management system of claim 50 wherein each of said EMSs is time synchronized with other said EMSs.