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Communications network state and topology monitor

  • US 5,049,873 A
  • Filed: 05/04/1990
  • Issued: 09/17/1991
  • Est. Priority Date: 01/29/1988
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
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1. An apparatus for gathering and displaying information concerning status of a communications network, the network including a plurality of distributed switching nodes and a plurality of links connecting the switching nodes, each of the switching nodes performing tasks including communications functions, maintenance of a node list of alarm conditions for the switching node, and maintenance of a node configuration database identifying a configuration for the switching node;

  • the apparatus comprising;

    a monitor node, coupled to a first switching node of the plurality of distributed switching nodes, comprisingan operator input interface,first means for maintaining topology data indicating the topology of the network and for supporting a first protocol with the first switching node,second means for maintaining a monitor list of alarm conditions entered in the switching node lists of alarm conditions in the network and for supporting a second protocol through the network with the plurality of distributed switching nodes,third means for maintaining a monitor database indicating the configuration of the switching nodes as entered in the switching node configuration databases in the network and for supporting a third protocol through the network with the plurality of distributed switching nodes, anddisplay means, responsive to operator inputs identifying a subject switching node in the network and coupled to the monitor database, the monitor list of alarm conditions and the topology data, for displaying configuration data about the subject switching node, the network topology and the alarm conditions to the operator;

    means, on the first switching node, for generating the topology data in response to the communications functions performed on the plurality of switching nodes and for sending, in response to messages according to the first protocol, the topology data to the first means; and

    means, on each of the plurality of distributed switching nodes in the network, coupled to the switching node list of alarm conditions on the respective switching node, and responsive to messages according to the second protocol, for packaging and sending data indicating alarm conditions to the second means, wherein said data from each of the plurality of distributed switching nodes except the first switching node passes through the network to the first switching node, and through the first switching node to the second means;

    means, on each of the plurality of distributed switching nodes in the network, coupled to the switching node configuration database on the respective switching node, and responsive to messages according to the third protocol, for packaging and sending data from the switching node configuration database to the third means, wherein said data from each of the plurality of distributed switching nodes except the first switching node passes through the network to the first switching nodes, and through the first switching node to the third means.

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