Operating network entities in a communications system comprising a management network with agent and management levels

• US 20100103823A1
• Filed: 03/25/2008
• Published: 04/29/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Solutions and Networks GmbH & Co. KG (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Siemens Networks GmbH & Company KG (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Goerge, Jurgen, Pollakowski, Olaf, Sanneck, Henning
• Granted Patent: US 9,313,089 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/242
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/044 comprising hierarchical management structures
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/046 comprising network management agents or mobile agents therefor
• 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

Abstract

The present invention relates to operating of network entities in a communications system, wherein said communications system comprises a management network with agent and management levels, wherein a fault and/or performance management related data provided or occurring in an agent level is correlated and/or analyzed in said agent level with further fault and/or performance management related data provided or occurring in said agent level by use of configuration management relationships in said agent level, and wherein an information derived from the correlation is transmitted to at least one management level of said management network of said communications network being responsible for management of the corresponding agent level.

Claims

1. A method of operating network entities in a communications system, wherein said communications system comprises a management network comprising agent and management levels, wherein fault and/or performance management related data provided in an agent level is correlated in said agent level with further fault and/or performance management related data provided in said agent level by use of configuration management relationships in said agent level, and wherein an information derived from the correlation is transmitted to a management level of said management network of said communications network.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said fault and/or performance management related data and said further fault and/or performance management related data is correlated at one network entity of said agent level, and wherein said information derived from the correlation is transmitted by said one network entity to said management level.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein said fault and/or performance management related data is data occurring at said one network entity and said further fault and/or performance management related data is data occurring at at least one further network entity at said agent level, and wherein said one network entity has at least one configuration management relationship to said at least one further network entity in said level.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein said at least one configuration management relationship is a peer-to-peer-relationship.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein said one network entity is a network entity at which a fault and/or performance management related event occurs, wherein said fault and/or performance management related event is a direct cause of said fault and/or performance management related data, and wherein said further fault and/or performance management related data is sent to said one network entity by said at least one further network entity in response to said fault and/or performance management related event.

6. The method according to claim 3, wherein, if said at least one configuration management relationship is a master-slave-relationship, said one network entity is a master entity of the master-slave-relationship.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein, if a fault and/or performance management related event occurs at said master entity and said fault and/or performance management related event is cause of said fault and/or performance management related data and said further fault and/or performance management related data, said further fault and/or performance management related data is sent to said master entity by said at least one further network entity in response to said fault and/or performance management related event.

8. The method according to claim 6, wherein, if a fault and/or performance management related event occurs at said at least one further network entity being a slave entity of said master entity and said fault and/or performance management related event is cause of said fault and/or performance management related data and said further fault and/or performance management related data, said slave entity sends said further fault and/or performance management related data to said master entity.

9. A computer program product comprising code means for producing the steps of the method according to claim 1.

10. The computer program according to claim 9, wherein said computer program is embodied in a computer-readable medium.

11. A network entity for operation in an agent level of a management network of a communications system, wherein said network entity is configured to:

receive fault and/or performance management related data provided in said agent level by use of at least one configuration management relationship in said agent level;

correlate said fault and/or performance management related data with own fault and/or performance management related data occurring in said agent level; and

transmit an information derived from the correlation to a management level of said management network of said communications network.

12. The network entity according to claim 11, wherein, if said at least one configuration management relationship is a peer-to-peer-relationship and said network entity is a network entity at which a fault and/or performance management related event occurs, said network entity is configured to receive said fault and/or performance management related data from at least one further network entity of said agent level having said peer-to-peer-relationship with said network entity.

13. The network entity according to claim 11, wherein, if said at least one configuration management relationship is a master-slave-relationship, said network entity is a master entity of said master-slave-relationship.

14. The network entity according to claim 13, wherein, if a fault and/or performance management related event occurs at said network entity, said network entity is configured to receive said fault and/or performance management related data from at least one further network entity of said agent level having said master-slave-relationship with said network entity.

15. The network entity according to claim 13, wherein, if a fault and/or performance management related event occurs at a further network entity of said agent level, said further network entity being a slave of said network entity, said network entity is configured to receive said fault and/or performance management related data from said further network entity.

16. Use of a network entity of an agent level of a management network of a communications system to correlate fault and/or performance management related data based on at least one configuration management relationship and to transmit an information derived from the correlation to a management level of said management network of said communications network, wherein said network entity is a network entity according to claim 11.