ALARM CORRELATION IN NETWORK FUNCTION VIRTUALIZATION ENVIRONMENT

• US 20170346676A1
• Filed: 12/12/2014
• Published: 11/30/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2014
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Nokia Solutions and Networks US LLC (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Solutions and Networks US LLC (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: ANDRIANOV, Anatoly, YAO, Yi Zhi
• Application Number:
  US15/535,133
• Publication Number:
  US 20170346676A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0233 Object-oriented techniques, for representation of network management data, e.g. common object request broker architecture [CORBA]
• 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 41/069 using logs of notifications; Post-processing of notifications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/40 using virtualisation of network functions or resources, e.g. SDN or NFV entities

Abstract

Correlation of information related to network operations may be useful in many communication systems. For example, certain wireless communication networks may benefit from alarm correlation in network function virtualization environments. A method can include correlating alarms within a lower layer of a network function virtualization environment. The method can also include forwarding at least one of the correlated alarms to an entity managing an upper layer of the network function virtualization environment for further correlation with upper layer alarms.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

correlating alarms within a lower layer of a network function virtualization environment; and

forwarding at least one of the correlated alarms to an entity managing an upper layer of the network function virtualization environment for further correlation with upper layer alarms.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

including, at the lower layer, information relevant to the upper layer for correlation without the information being explicitly requested by the upper layer.

37. A non-transitory computer-readable medium encoded with instructions that, when executed in hardware, perform a process, the process comprising the method according to claim 1.

3. (canceled)

4. A method, comprising:

receiving alarms that have been correlated for a lower layer of a network function virtualization environment; and

correlating further the correlated alarms for an upper layer of the network function virtualization environment.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the alarms are received with information relevant to the upper layer for correlation without the information being explicitly requested by the upper layer.

39. A non-transitory computer-readable medium encoded with instructions that, when executed in hardware, perform a process, the process comprising the method according to claim 4.

6-12. -12. (canceled)

13. An apparatus, comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code,

wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to

correlate alarms within a lower layer of a network function virtualization environment; and

forward at least one of the correlated alarms to an entity managing an upper layer of the network function virtualization environment for further correlation with upper layer alarms.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to include, at the lower layer, information relevant to the upper layer for correlation without the information being explicitly requested by the upper layer.

15. (canceled)

16. An apparatus, comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code,

wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to

receive alarms that have been correlated for a lower layer of a network function virtualization environment; and

correlate further the correlated alarms for an upper layer of the network function virtualization environment.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the alarms are received with information relevant to the upper layer for correlation without the information being explicitly requested by the upper layer.

18-21. -21. (canceled)

22. An apparatus, comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code,

wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to

receive, in or separated from a report of an alarm, an identifier of upper layer resource or functionality supported by the underlayer resource to be used for alarm correlation at a centralized entity; and

correlate the alarm with at least one other alarm based on the upper layer identifier.

24. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the upper layer identifier indicates an upper layer virtual machine for virtualized network function.

23. An apparatus, comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code,

wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to

include, in or separated from a report of an alarm, an identifier of upper layer resource or functionality supported by the underlayer resource to be used for alarm correlation at a centralized entity; and

report the alarm to a higher layer for correlation with at least one other alarm based on the upper layer identifier.

25-36. -36. (canceled)

38. (canceled)