NETWORK MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS FOR USE WITH PHYSICAL LAYER INFORMATION

• US 20100211665A1
• Filed: 02/12/2010
• Published: 08/19/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CommScope Technologies, LLC (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: ADC Telecommunications Incorporated (TE Connectivity Limited)
• Inventors: Coffey, Joseph C., Anderson, John P., Patel, Kamlesh G., Raza, Mohammad H.
• Granted Patent: US 9,491,119 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6658 on printed circuit board H01R13/6666 - H01R13/6691 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 24/64 for high frequency, e.g. RJ 45
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/00 Arrangements for maintenance, administration or management of data switching networks, e.g. of packet switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/08 Configuration management of networks or network elements address allocation H04L61/50
• 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 41/24 using dedicated network management hardware
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/26 using dedicated tools for LAN [Local Area Network] management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/15 Interconnection of switching modules
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/351 for local area network [LAN], e.g. Ethernet switches
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services

Abstract

One exemplary embodiment is directed to a network management system that uses physical layer information in performing a network management function. Another exemplary embodiment is directed to a method of tracking channel compliance using physical layer information.

Claims

1. A network management system (NMS) comprising:

an interface to communicatively couple the NMS to a network; and

a programmable processor configured to execute software, wherein the software comprises physical layer information (PLI) functionality that receives physical layer information, wherein the NMS uses at least a portion of the physical layer information in performing a network management function; and

wherein at least a portion of the physical layer information was read from a storage device included in or on physical communication media.

2. The NMS of claim 1, wherein the software further comprises network management functionality that carries out network management functions, wherein the network management functionality carries out at least one network management function using at least a portion of the physical layer information.

3. The NMS of claim 1, wherein the software displays a graphical representation of the network, wherein the graphical representation shows at least one logical communication link between network elements;

and

wherein the software is configured to display various physical layer items that implement that logical communication link using at least some of the physical layer information.

4. The NMS of claim 1, wherein the software is configured to retrieve physical layer information using at least one of the Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) and the Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP).

5. The NMS of claim 1, wherein the software further comprises physical layer management (PLM) functionality.

6. The NMS of claim 5, wherein the PLM functionality is configured to carry out guided moves, adds, and changes of physical communication media using information read from a storage device included in or on the involved physical communication media.

7. The NMS of claim 1, wherein the software is configured to use at least a portion of the physical layer information to raise an alarm or warning if a predetermined specific patch cord or a predetermined type of patch cord is not used to implement a particular cross connection at a patch panel.

8. The NMS of claim 1, wherein the software is configured to enforce a policy using the physical layer information.

9. The NMS of claim 1, wherein the software is configured to use the physical layer information to assist in E911 or location based services (LBS) processing that the NMS supports.

10. A system comprising:

a plurality of connector assemblies, each of the connector assemblies comprising a plurality of ports, wherein each of the connector assemblies is configured to read information stored on or in physical communication media that is connected to the ports of the respective connector assembly;

an aggregation point communicatively coupled to the plurality of connector assemblies, wherein the aggregation point is configured to receive at least some of the information read from the physical communication media that is connected to the ports of the connector assemblies and wherein the aggregation point is configured to store at least some of the information sent by the connector assemblies to the aggregation point; and

a network management system (NMS) that is communicatively coupled to the aggregation point, wherein the NMS is configured to receive at least a portion of the information stored by the aggregation point and wherein the NMS is configured to use at least some of the information received from the aggregation point in performing a network management function.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the NMS displays a graphical representation of a network, wherein the graphical representation shows at least one logical communication link between network elements;

and

wherein the NMS is configured to display various physical layer items that implement that logical communication link using at least some of the information received from the aggregation point.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the NMS is configured to carry out guided moves, adds, and changes of physical communication media using information read from a storage device included in or on the involved physical communication media.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the software is configured to receive the information from the aggregation point using at least one of the Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) and the Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP).

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the aggregation point comprises middleware that provides an application programming interface (API) by which the NMS is able to access at least some of the information stored by the aggregation point.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the connector assemblies comprises at least one of a rack-mounted connector assembly, a wall-mounted connector assembly, an inter-networking device, a fiber distribution hub (FDH), a fiber splice panel, and a fiber termination point.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the connector assemblies comprises at least one of a patch panel, a distribution unit, a media converter, a wall-mounted connector box, wall-mounted jack, wall-mounted outlet, a wall-mounted media converter, a switch, a bridge, a router, a hub, a repeater, a gateway, and an access points.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein the information comprises information about the physical communication media.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the information about the physical communication media comprises information about a connector attached to the physical communication media.

19. The system of claim 10, wherein the information comprises information related to at least one of an identifier that uniquely identifies the physical communication media, a part number associated with the physical communication media, a connector type associated with the physical communication media, a media type associated with the physical communication media, a length associated with the physical communication media, a serial number associated with the physical communication media, a cable polarity, a date of manufacture associated with the physical communication media, a manufacturing lot number associated with the physical communication media, a visual attribute associated with the physical communication media, a visual attribute associated with a connector attached to the physical communication media, an insertion count associated with the physical communication media, an Enterprise Resource Planning system, test data associated with the physical communication media, media quality data associated with the physical communication media, and performance data associated with the physical communication media.

20. The system of claim 10, wherein the aggregation point is further configured to receive and store at least one of:

information about the connector assemblies;

information about a layout of one or more buildings in which the connector assemblies are deployed;

information about locations of the connector assemblies or the physical communication media;

information about end-user devices;

information about the location of a voice-over-internet-protocol telephony device;

information that is manually entered and uploaded to the aggregation point; and

information about local conditions and requirements associated with each of the connector assemblies.

21. The system of claim 10, wherein the aggregation point is further configured to receive and store at least one of information about the compliance of one or more components with one or more specifications, information about the compliance of a permanent link with one or more specifications, and information about the compliance of a channel with one or more specifications.

22. A method comprising:

when a channel has been certified as complying with at least one channel specification;

receiving information about the compliance of components used to implement the channel with at least one component specification;

receiving information about the compliance of a permanent link used to implement the channel with at least one permanent link specification; and

receiving information about the compliance of the channel with the at least one channel specification; and

determining, using physical layer information associated with the components used to implement the channel at that time, if the basis for the channel being certified as being in compliance with the at least one channel specification has changed since when the channel was certified as being in compliance with the at least one channel, wherein the physical layer information associated with the components used to implement the channel at that time includes information stored on or in the component that identifies the components.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein if the basis for the channel being certified as being in compliance with the at least one channel specification has changed since when the channel was certified as being in compliance with the at least one channel, determining if the channel is likely still in compliance with the at least one channel specification based on compliance data of the components used to implement the channel at that time, wherein at least some of the compliance data is stored on or in each component and is read by a device to which the component is coupled.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein the method is performed by at least one of a network management system and an aggregation point.

25. The method of claim 22, wherein the information about the compliance of the components used to implement the channel with the at least one component specification is received from an aggregation point.

26. The method of claim 25, the information about the compliance of each component used to implement the channel with the at least one component specification is stored on or in the component and is read by a device to which the component is connected and communicated to the aggregation point.

27. The method of claim 22, wherein the information about the compliance of the permanent link used to implement the channel with the at least one permanent link specification is received from an aggregation point.

28. The method of claim 27, further comprising uploading to the aggregation point the information about the compliance of the permanent link used to implement the channel with the at least one permanent link specification.

29. The method of claim 22, wherein the information about the compliance of the channel with the at least one channel specification is received from an aggregation point.

30. The method of claim 29, further comprising uploading to the aggregation point the information about the compliance of the channel with the at least one channel specification.