Integrated access management of element management systems

• US 20070294379A1
• Filed: 06/14/2006
• Published: 12/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sbc Knowledge Ventures, L.P.
• Original Assignee: Sbc Knowledge Ventures, L.P.
• Inventors: Jiang, Baofeng, Lim, Yew-Aik Michael
• Granted Patent: US 7,779,100 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/04 Network management architectures or arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/34 Signalling channels for network management communication

Abstract

Access to network elements of a telecommunications network is integrated through a common access point by an integrated access application which receives a request for communication with a network element. An element management system (EMS) group, including at least one EMS server, associated with the network element is identified. The at least one EMS server is queried to identify an active EMS server and to determine whether the active EMS server has an available connection sufficient to support the request. When the active EMS server has the available connection, the request is sent over the available connection. When the active EMS server does not have the available connection, the request may be buffered and, after a predetermined time, it is again determined whether the active EMS server has the available connection. When the request is sent, it may be multiplexed with other requests over the same available connection.

Claims

1. A method for integrating access to network elements of a telecommunications network through a common access point, the method comprising:

receiving a request for communication with a network element;

identifying an element management system (EMS) group associated with the network element, the EMS group comprising at least one EMS server;

querying the at least one EMS server to identify an active EMS server in the EMS group;

determining whether the active EMS server has an available connection sufficient to support the request;

when the active EMS server has the available connection, sending the request over the available connection; and

when the active EMS server does not have the available connection, buffering the request and again determining whether the active EMS server has the available connection after a predetermined time.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

determining a type of the active EMS server; and

determining at least one configuration constraint corresponding to the type of EMS server;

wherein determining whether the active EMS server has the available connection to support the request for communication is based on the at least one configuration constraint.

3. The method according to claim 1, in which the request for communication comprises a TL1 command.

4. The method according to claim 1, in which sending the request over the available connection comprises multiplexing the request with at least one other request to the active EMS server.

5. The method according to claim 1, in which identifying the EMS group associated with the network element comprises querying a database of network elements and associated EMS groups.

6. The method according to claim 2, in which determining the type of the active EMS server comprises querying a database of EMS servers and associated types.

7. A method for integrating access to network elements of a telecommunications network, the method comprising:

receiving a command from a client application, the command being directed to a network element in the telecommunications network;

identifying an element management system (EMS) group associated with the network element;

identifying at least one active EMS server in the EMS group;

determining whether the active EMS server has at least one available connection having sufficient capacity to support the command; and

when the active EMS server has the at least one available connection having sufficient capacity, establishing a user session with the active EMS server over the at least one available connection and multiplexing the command with at least one other command to send to the active EMS server over the available connection.

8. The method according to claim 7, in which the at least one other command is associated with another user session.

9. The method according to claim 7, in which identifying the at least one active EMS server comprises polling the at least one EMS server after receiving the command.

10. The method according to claim 7, further comprising:

when the active EMS server does not have the at least one available connection, not sending the command to the network element.

11. The method according to claim 7, further comprising:

buffering the command for a predetermined period of time;

periodically determining whether the active EMS server has the at least one available connection having sufficient capacity to support the command during the predetermined period of time; and

when the at least one available connection becomes available, establishing the user session with the active EMS server over the at least one available connection.

12. The method according to claim 7, further comprising:

determining a type of the active EMS server; and

determining at least one configuration parameter corresponding to the type of EMS server;

wherein determining whether the active EMS server has the at least one available connection having sufficient capacity to support the command is based on the at least one configuration parameter.

13. The method according to claim 7, in which the command comprises a TL1 command.

14. A computer readable medium that stores a computer program for integrating access to network elements of a communications network, the computer readable medium comprising:

a receiving code segment that receives a command from a client application, the command being directed to a network element in the communications network;

a group identifying code segment that identifies an element management system (EMS) group associated with the network element;

an EMS identifying code segment that identifies at least one active EMS server in the EMS group;

a determining code segment that determines whether the active EMS server has at least one available connection having sufficient capacity to support the command; and

a connecting code segment that establishes a user session with the active EMS server over the at least one available connection and sends the command to the network element through the active EMS server when the active EMS server has the at least one available connection, and that suspends the command when the active EMS server does not have the at least one available connection.

15. The computer readable medium according to claim 14, in which the connecting code segment suspends sending of the command for a predetermined period of time, during which the determining code segment periodically determines whether the active EMS server has at least one available connection having sufficient capacity to support the command.

16. The computer readable medium according to claim 14, further comprising:

a notifying code segment that notifies the client application that the sending of the command has been suspended.

17. The computer readable medium according to claim 14, further comprising:

a multiplexing code segment that multiplexes the command sent to the network element with other network commands.

18. An apparatus for integrating access to network elements of a communications network comprising a plurality of network elements, the apparatus comprising:

a first interface that interfaces with at least one application;

a second interface that interfaces with a plurality of element management server (EMS) groups, each EMS group comprising at least one EMS server and being configured to connect to at least one network element of the plurality of network elements; and

a processor that receives a command directed to a network element of the plurality of network elements from the at least one application through the first interface, determines an EMS group from the plurality of EMS groups associated with the network element, identifies at least one active EMS server in the determined EMS group, and determines whether the active EMS server has at least one available connection having sufficient capacity to support the command;

wherein, when the active EMS server has the at least one available connection having sufficient capacity, the processor establishes a session with the active EMS server over the at least one available connection through the second interface and sends the command to the network element through the active EMS server; and

wherein, when the active EMS server does not have the at least one available connection having sufficient capacity, the processor suspends the command.

19. The apparatus according to claims 18, wherein the processor multiplexes the command with at least one other command when sending the command to the network element through the active EMS server.

20. The apparatus according to claims 18, wherein the at least one application comprises an operation support system application.