APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR MANAGING A NETWORK

• US 20100036939A1
• Filed: 08/07/2008
• Published: 02/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Littlemore Technologies LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: HAUG, MARY-ELISE, YANG, CHEN-YUI, BAJPAY, PARITOSH
• Granted Patent: US 7,865,593 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/224
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/50 Testing arrangements

Abstract

A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a server comprising a controller to monitor a physical layer, a data link layer and a network layer of an Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) network, obtain a plurality of alarm signals from one or more of the physical layer, the data link layer and the network layer that are associated with an undesired condition of the IPTV network, synthesize the plurality of alarm signals to determine a correlation, obtain topology information associated with network devices in the IPTV network, and isolate the undesired condition to a network component in the IPTV network using the correlation and the topology information. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A computer-readable storage medium comprising computer instructions for:

monitoring a physical layer, a data link layer and a network layer of an Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) network;

obtaining a plurality of alarm signals from one or more of the physical layer, the data link layer and the network layer that are associated with an undesired condition of the IPTV network;

obtaining one or more customer reports associated with the undesired condition;

synthesizing the plurality of alarm signals and the one or more customer reports to determine a correlation;

obtaining topology information associated with network devices in the IPTV network;

isolating the undesired condition to a network component in the IPTV network using the correlation and the topology information; and

performing remote testing of the network component to validate the isolation of the undesired condition.

2. The storage medium of claim 1, comprising computer instructions for transmitting a notification of the undesired condition to a repair center.

3. The storage medium of claim 1, comprising computer instructions for transmitting a notification of the undesired condition to a customer.

4. The storage medium of claim 1, comprising computer instructions for performing remote testing of another network component in the IPTV network to determine the stability of a circuit operably coupled with the network component.

5. The storage medium of claim 1, comprising computer instructions for suppressing domain alarms.

6. The storage medium of claim 1, wherein the plurality of alarm signals that are obtained are from each of the physical layer, the data link layer and the network layer.

7. The storage medium of claim 1, comprising computer instructions for determining a type of undesired condition to isolate the undesired condition to the network component.

8. The storage medium of claim 1, wherein the undesired condition is one of a fiber cut and an Ethernet port failure.

9. A server comprising a controller to:

monitor a physical layer, a data link layer and a network layer of an Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) network;

obtain a plurality of alarm signals from one or more of the physical layer, the data link layer and the network layer that are associated with an undesired condition of the IPTV network;

synthesize the plurality of alarm signals to determine a correlation;

obtain topology information associated with network devices in the IPTV network; and

isolate the undesired condition to a network component in the IPTV network using the correlation and the topology information.

10. The server of claim 9, wherein the controller is adapted to:

obtain one or more customer reports associated with the undesired condition; and

synthesize the plurality of alarm signals and the one or more customer reports to determine the correlation;

11. The server of claim 10, wherein the plurality of alarm signals that are obtained are from each of the physical layer, the data link layer and the network layer.

12. The server of claim 9, wherein the controller is adapted to perform remote testing of the network component to validate the isolation of the undesired condition.

13. The server of claim 9, wherein the controller is adapted to transmit a notification of the undesired condition to at least one of a repair center and a customer.

14. A server comprising a controller to:

monitor an Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) network having a physical layer, a data link layer and a network layer;

obtain a plurality of alarm signals from One or more of the physical layer, the data link layer and the network layer that are associated with an undesired condition of the IPTV network;

obtain one or more customer reports associated with the undesired condition;

synthesize the plurality of alarm signals and the one or more customer reports to determine a correlation;

isolate the undesired condition to a network component in the IPTV network using the correlation; and

perform remote testing of the network component to validate the isolation of the undesired condition.

15. The server of claim 14, wherein the controller is adapted to:

obtain topology information associated with network devices in the IPTV network; and

isolate the undesired condition to the network component using the correlation and the topology information.

16. The server of claim 14, wherein the plurality of alarm signals that are obtained are from each of the physical layer, the data link layer and the network layer.

17. The server of claim 14, wherein the controller is adapted to determine a type of undesired condition to isolate the undesired condition to the network component.

18. The server of claim 17, wherein the controller is adapted to transmit a notification of the undesired condition to at least one of a repair center and a customer.

19. The server of claim 17, wherein the controller is adapted to perform remote testing of another network component in the IPTV network to determine the stability of a circuit operably coupled with the network component.

20. A network device comprising a controller to transmit a plurality of alarm signals to a management server, wherein the plurality of alarm signals indicate an undesired condition associated with each of a physical layer, a data link layer and a network layer of an Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) network, wherein the undesired condition is isolated by the management server to a network component in the IPTV network using a correlation and topology information, wherein the correlation is determined by the management server using the plurality of alarm signals and one or more customer reports associated with the undesired condition, and wherein the topology information is associated with network devices in the IPTV network.

21. The network device of claim 20, wherein the controller is adapted to periodically transmit performance data to the management server over a wired link and a wireless link.

22. A method of managing an internet protocol media network, comprising:

monitoring a physical layer, a data link layer and a network layer of the network;

obtaining a plurality of alarm signals from one or more of the physical layer, the data link layer and the network layer that are associated with an undesired condition of the network;

obtaining one or more customer reports associated with the undesired condition;

synthesizing the plurality of alarm signals and the one or more customer reports to determine a correlation;

obtaining topology information associated with network devices in the network; and

isolating the undesired condition to a network component in the network using the correlation and the topology information.

23. The method of claim 22, comprising performing remote testing of the network component to validate the isolation of the undesired condition.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein the internet protocol media network is one of an internet protocol television network, a satellite television network, a cable television network or combinations thereof.

25. The method of claim 22, comprising determining a type of undesired condition to isolate the undesired condition to the network component, wherein the plurality of alarm signals that are obtained are from each of the physical layer, the data link layer and the network layer.