SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR MANAGING FAULTS IN A NETWORK

• US 20090234946A1
• Filed: 03/06/2009
• Published: 09/17/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ServiceNow Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Verizon Laboratories Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: WILSON, Bruce, CONFREY, Anthony Wogrin, TUROK, Michael L., LUO, Weiya
• Granted Patent: US 8,661,117 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/06 Management of faults, events, alarms or notifications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/34 Signalling channels for network management communication

Abstract

A system (130) improves network management. The system (130) associates an event in the network with a network device and provides a geographical map (710). The geographical map (710) displays locations of network devices and indicates which network devices are associated with at least one event.

Claims

1. A method for managing a network having a plurality of network devices, comprising:

associating events in the network with one of the plurality of network devices;

providing a geographical map, the geographical map displaying locations of each of the plurality of network devices and indicating which of the plurality of network devices are associated with at least one event; and

managing the network using the geographical map.

2. The method of claim 1 where the network devices include points of presence and network elements.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

selecting a network device having at least one associated event; and

providing information regarding the at least one associated event.

4. The method of claim 1 where the geographical map further displays a state of each network device.

29. The method of claim 1, where the managing the network includes:

detecting selection of a network device, of the plurality of network devices, in the geographical map, and

providing, in response to detecting the selection, a second graphical map that depicts the location of the selected network device, the second graphical map being a more detailed map than the geographical map.

30. The method of claim 1, where the managing the network includes:

detecting selection of one network device, of the plurality of network devices, in the geographical map,

providing, in response to detecting the selection, an option that allows for trouble tickets that are associated with the selected network device to be displayed,

detecting selection of the option, and

providing the trouble tickets to a display.

31. The method of claim 1, where one network device, of the plurality of network devices, includes a point of presence, the point of presence being associated with a group of network elements, and

where the geographical map displays information indicating whether a network element in the group of network elements is associated with an event.

5. A device for managing a network having a plurality of network devices, comprising:

a memory to store instructions; and

a processor to execute the instructions to;

associate an event in the network with a network device, and

provide a geographical map, the geographical map displaying locations of network devices and indicating which network devices are associated with at least one event.

6. The device of claim 5 where the network devices include points of presence and network elements.

7. The device of claim 5 where the processor is further to:

provide event information in response to selection of a network device having at least one event associated therewith.

8. The device of claim 5 the processor is further to:

display a state of each network device on the geographical map.

32. The device of claim 5, where, when providing the geographical map, the processor is to:

detect selection of a network device, of the plurality of network devices, in the geographical map, and

provide, in response to detecting the selection, a second graphical map that depicts the location of the selected network device, the second graphical map being a more detailed map than the geographical map.

33. The device of claim 5, where, when providing the geographical map, the processor is to:

detect selection of a network device, of the plurality of network devices, in the geographical map,

provide, in response to detecting the selection, an option that allows for trouble tickets that are associated with the selected network device to be displayed,

detect selection of the option, and

provide the trouble tickets to a display.

34. The device of claim 5, where one network device of the plurality of network devices includes a point of presence, the point of presence being associated with a group of network elements, and

where the geographical map displays information indicating whether a network element in the group of network elements is associated with an event.

9. A storage device containing instructions for controlling at least one processor to perform a method for managing a network having a plurality of network devices, the method comprising:

associating events in the network with one of the plurality of network devices;

providing a geographical map, the geographical map displaying locations of each of the plurality of network devices and indicating which of the plurality of network devices are associated with at least one event; and

managing the network using the geographical map.

10. The storage device of claim 9 where the network devices include points of presence and network elements.

11. The storage device of claim 9 where the method further comprises:

selecting a network device having at least one associated event; and

providing information regarding the at least one associated event.

12. The storage device of claim 9 where the geographical map further displays a state of each network device.

35. The storage device of claim 9, where the managing the network includes:

detecting selection of a network device, of the plurality of network devices, in the geographical map, and

providing, in response to detecting the selection, a second graphical map that depicts the location of the selected network device, the second graphical map being a more detailed map than the geographical map.

36. The storage device of claim 9, where the managing the network includes:

detecting selection of a network device, of the plurality of network devices, in the geographical map,

providing, in response to detecting the selection, an option that allows for trouble tickets that are associated with the selected network device to be displayed,

detecting selection of the option, and

providing the trouble tickets to a display.

37. The storage device of claim 9, where one network device of the plurality of network devices includes a point of presence, the point of presence being associated with a group of network elements, and

where the geographical map displays information indicating whether a network element in the group of network elements is associated with an event.

13-28. -28. (canceled)