Fault management apparatus and method for identifying cause of fault in communication network

• US 20070014233A1
• Filed: 11/10/2005
• Published: 01/18/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Yokoyama, Ken, Watanabe, Yukihiro, Oguro, Keiichi, Shimada, Kuniaki
• Granted Patent: US 8,270,306 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/216
• 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 41/0677 Localisation of faults

Abstract

The communication availability information between a plurality of transmitters and a plurality of destinations before the communication state between a transmitter and a destinations in a communication network changes from available to unavailable is compared, layer by layer from an upper layer toward a lower layer, with the communication availability information after change, and destinations in paths where the communication state has changed from available to unavailable are grouped. Thus, the communication network is divided into a plurality of affected ranges and an interface of a device located at the border between the affected ranges is deduced as a fault occurrence point.

Claims

1. A fault management apparatus for identifying a cause of fault in a communication network having a communication function in a hierarchical structure of a plurality of layers, comprising:

an input device which inputs monitor information specifying a transmitter and a destination as a monitoring target;

a generation device which generates communication availability information indicating availability of communication between a plurality of transmitters and a plurality of destinations on each layer before and after a communication state between the transmitter and destination as the monitoring target changes from available to unavailable;

a storage device which stores the generated communication availability information;

an identification device which identifies an device and a layer as a cause of fault by repeating, layer by layer starting from a search starting layer toward a lower layer, processes of dividing the communication network into a plurality of affected ranges being affected by the fault by comparing the communication availability information before and after the communication state of the monitoring target changes and grouping destinations in paths where the communication state has changed from available to unavailable, and of deducing an interface of a device located at a border between the affected ranges as a fault occurrence point; and

an output device which outputs information about the plurality of affected ranges and the fault occurrence point.

2. A computer-readable recording medium storing a program for a computer which identifies a cause of fault in a communication network having a communication function in a hierarchical structure of a plurality of layers, wherein the program enables the computer to perform:

inputting monitor information specifying a transmitter and a destination as a monitoring target;

generating communication availability information indicating availability of communication between a plurality of transmitters and a plurality of destinations on each layer in a normal state and storing the generated communication availability information in a storage device;

generating communication availability information indicating availability of communication between a plurality of transmitters and a plurality of destinations on each layer after a communication state between the transmitter and destination as the monitoring target changes from available to unavailable and storing the generated communication availability information in the storage device;

identifying an device and a layer as a cause of fault by repeating, layer by layer starting from a search starting layer toward a lower layer, processes of dividing the communication network into a plurality of affected ranges being affected by the fault by comparing the communication availability information before and after the communication state of the monitoring target changes and grouping destinations in paths where the communication state has changed from available to unavailable, and of deducing an interface of a device located at a border between the affected ranges as a fault occurrence point; and

outputting information about the plurality of affected ranges and the fault occurrence point.

3. The recording medium according to claim 2, wherein said program enables said computer further to detect a change in the communication state of said monitoring target by monitoring a result of trying a communication between the transmitter and destination as said monitoring target.

4. The recording medium according to claim 2, wherein said program enables said computer further to detect a change in the communication state of said monitoring target by judging whether or not data communication is possible between the transmitter and destination as said monitoring target.

5. The recording medium according to claim 2, wherein said program enables said computer to perform acquiring interface information for each layer from a plurality of devices constituting said communication network before and after the communication state of said monitoring target changes, generating a topology of each layer based on the interface information, and generating said communication availability information for each layer by using the generated topology.

6. The recording medium according to claim 5, wherein said program enables said computer to generate the topology of each layer by repeating processes of grouping connections included in a topology of a lower layer among the plurality of layers by using said interface information, generating an information reachable range on an upper layer, and generating a topology of the upper layer from the information reachable range.

7. The recording medium according to claim 5, wherein said program enables said computer to generate said communication availability information for each layer by judging whether or not data communication is possible between said plurality of transmitters and said plurality of destinations by using the generated topology.

8. The recording medium according to claim 2, wherein said program enables said computer to perform selecting an device in which a client process of a specified application service is activated as a transmitter on an application layer when said plurality of layers include the application layer, selecting an device in which a server process of the application service is activated as a destination on the application layer, and generating communication availability information for the application layer.

9. The recording medium according to claim 2, wherein said program enables said computer to perform selecting an device in which a port for a specified application service is activated as a destination on a transmission control protocol/user datagram protocol layer when said plurality of layers include the transmission control protocol/user datagram protocol layer, and generating communication availability information for the transmission control protocol/user datagram protocol layer.

10. The recording medium according to claim 2, wherein said program enables said computer to perform selecting an device which has an Internet protocol address as a transmitter and a destination on the Internet protocol layer when said plurality of layers include the Internet protocol layer, and generating communication availability information for the Internet protocol layer.

11. The recording medium according to claim 2, wherein said program enables said computer to perform selecting an device which has a media access control address as a transmitter and a destination on a media access control layer when said plurality of layers include the media access control layer, and generating communication availability information for the media access control layer.

12. The recording medium according to claim 2, wherein said program enables said computer to display on a screen, information about said plurality of affected ranges and fault occurrence point in relation with said plurality of layers.

13. A fault management method of identifying a cause of fault in a communication network having a communication function in a hierarchical structure of a plurality of layers, comprising:

inputting monitor information specifying a transmitter and a destination as a monitoring target;

generating communication availability information indicating availability of communication between a plurality of transmitters and a plurality of destinations on each layer in a normal state and storing the generated communication availability information in a storage device;

generating communication availability information indicating availability of communication between a plurality of transmitters and a plurality of destinations on each layer after a communication state between the transmitter and destination as the monitoring target changes from available to unavailable and storing the generated communication availability information in the storage device;

identifying an device and a layer as a cause of fault by repeating, layer by layer starting from a search starting layer toward a lower layer, processes of dividing the communication network into a plurality of affected ranges being affected by the fault by comparing the communication availability information before and after the communication state of the monitoring target changes and grouping destinations in paths where the communication state has changed from available to unavailable, and of deducing an interface of a device located at a border between the affected ranges as a fault occurrence point; and

outputting information about the plurality of affected ranges and the fault occurrence point.