Network management system employing a main processor and an auxiliary processor to receive alarm messages and transmit recovery commands

• US 5,440,688 A
• Filed: 07/02/1993
• Issued: 08/08/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Nishida, Tetsurou
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Thomas C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Barry, Lance Leonard
• Application Number:
  US08/093,329
• Time in Patent Office: 767 Days
• Field of Search: 364/550, 364/551.01, 364/554, 370/13, 370/16, 371/7, 371/11.2, 371/20.1, 379/1-2, 379/9-10, 379/14, 395/200, 395/325, 395/575, 395/800, 395/700
• US Class Current: 714/4.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/327 Alarm or error message display
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/12 Counting circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/08 Indicating faults in circuits or apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/10 Providing fault- or trouble-signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/2254 in networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0062 Provisions for network management

Abstract

In a network management system, a main processor is connected to nodes of a network to receive alarm messages therefrom and to transmit command messages thereto. Unique relationships between alarm messages and network events are defined in a map. Received messages are sorted according to the map, so that those of the messages defined in the map are detected and supplied to an auxiliary processor. The auxiliary processor has a procedure registration table for storing procedures addressable with an event identifier supplied from the map. Each procedure specifies recovery actions to be taken by the network and a count threshold value. A manual event entry means is provided for defining the map and entering procedures into the procedure registration table. A message counter is responsive to a procedure supplied from the procedure registration table for counting the alarm messages supplied from the main processor for producing an output when the count threshold specified by the procedure is reached. An analyzer, receives the alarm messages from the main processor and is responsive to the output of the message counter for analyzing the alarm messages which have been received during the count period. From the output of the analyzer command messages are generated and transmitted to the network.

Claims

1. A network management system for a communications network of a plurality of electronic switching systems, said network management system comprising:

a main processor comprising;

interface means for receiving alarm messages from said communications network and transmitting recovery command messages thereto for recovering said switching systems from abnormal conditions;

main analyzer means, connected to said interface means, for analyzing the received alarm messages and producing observation reports;

message detector means, connected to said interface means, for determining to which alarm message defined in a list of alarm messages said received messages correspond; and

an event table, connected to said message detector means, in which unique relationships between said alarm messages in said list and network events are stored, for producing an event identifier when a corresponding alarm message determined by said message detector means is a network event; and

an auxiliary processor connected to said main processor, said auxiliary processor comprising;

a procedure table, connected to said event table, in which said event identifier and corresponding procedures are stored, for selecting a stored procedure in response to said event identifier from said event table, and producing an output containing said event identifier and the selected procedure;

message counter means, receiving said output from said procedure table, for counting said event identifier contained therein and producing an output when the counted event identifiers exceed a threshold value specified by said selected procedure contained in said output of said procedure table, said output of said message counter means containing said selected procedure;

auxiliary analyzer means, connected to said message detector means and said message counter means, responsive to said output of said message counter means, for receiving alarm messages from said message detector means which are identified by the said counted event identifiers, analyzing said received alarm messages in accordance with said selected procedure contained in said output of said message counter means, and producing an analysis result; and

means, responsive to said analysis result, for generating one of said recovery command messages and transmitting said one recovery command message to said interface means of said main processor.

2. A network management system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said auxiliary processor further comprises an event registration means, connected to said event table of said main processor and said procedure table of said auxiliary processor, for entering said event identifier and names of alarm messages defined in said list into said event table and entering said event identifier and said procedure into said procedure table.

7. A network management system as claimed in claim 1, 3, 4 or 5, wherein said auxiliary processor is a workstation.

8. A network management system as claimed in claim 1, 3, 4 or 5, wherein said auxiliary processor is a personal computer.

3. A network management system for a communications network of a plurality of electronic switching systems, said network management system comprising:

a main processor comprising;

interface means for receiving alarm messages from said communications network and transmitting one of a traffic recovery command message and a fault recovery command message thereto for recovering said switching systems from abnormal conditions;

main analyzer means, connected to said interface means, for analyzing the received alarm messages and producing observation reports;

message detector means, connected to said interface means, for determining to which alarm message defined in a list of alarm messages said received messages correspond; and

an event table, connected to said message detector means, in which unique relationships between said alarm messages defined in said list and network events are stored, for producing an event identifier when a corresponding alarm message determined by the message detector means is a network event; and

an auxiliary processor connected to said main processor, said auxiliary processor comprising;

a procedure table, connected to said event table, in which said event identifier and corresponding procedures are stored, for selecting a stored procedure in response to said event identifier from said event table, and producing an output containing said event identifier and the selected procedure;

a message counter, connected to said procedure table, and responsive to said output of said procedure table, counting said event identifier contained therein and which identifies a traffic-related alarm message relating to traffic conditions of said network determined by said message detector means, and producing a first output when said counted event identifiers exceed a first threshold value specified by said selected procedure; and

counting said event identifier contained in said output of said procedure table and which identifies a fault-related alarm message relating to fault conditions of said network determined by said message detector means, and producing a second output when said counted event identifiers exceed a second threshold value specified by said selected procedure, each of said first and second outputs of said message counter means containing said selected procedure;

traffic analyzer means, connected to said message detector means and said message counter, and responsive to said first output of said message counter, for analyzing traffic-related alarm messages from said message detector means in accordance with said selected procedure contained in said first output, and producing traffic control data;

fault analyzer means connected to said message detector means and said message counter, and responsive to said second output of the message counter for analyzing said alarm messages in accordance with said selected procedure contained in said second output, and producing fault alarm data; and

a command generator, connected to said traffic analyzer means and said fault analyzer means, generating and transmitting said traffic recovery command message to said interface means in response to said traffic control data, and generating and transmitting said fault recovery command message to said interface means in response to said fault alarm data.

4. A network management system for a communications network of a plurality of electronic switching systems, said network management system comprising:

a main processor comprising;

interface means for receiving alarm messages from said communications network and transmitting recovery command messages thereto for recovering said switching systems from abnormal conditions;

main analyzer means, connected to said interface means, for analyzing the received alarm messages and producing observation reports;

message detector means, connected to said interface means, for determining to which alarm message defined in a list of alarm messages said received messages correspond; and

an event table, connected to said message detector means, in which unique relationships between the alarm messages defined in said list and network events are stored, for producing an event identifier when a corresponding alarm message determined by said message detector means is a network event; and

a plurality of auxiliary processors connected to said main processor, each of said auxiliary processors comprising;

a procedure table, connected to said event table, in which said event identifier and corresponding procedures are stored, for selecting a stored procedure in response to said event identifier from the said event table, and producing an output containing said event identifier and said selected procedure;

message counter means, responsive to said output of said procedure table, for counting said event identifier contained therein and producing an output when said counted event identifiers exceed a threshold value specified by said selected procedure contained in said output of said procedure table, said output of said message counter means containing said selected procedure;

auxiliary analyzer means, connected to said message detector means and said message counter means, responsive to said output of said message counter means, for receiving alarm messages from said message detector means which are identified by the counted event identifiers, analyzing the received alarm messages in accordance with the said selected procedure contained in said output of said message counter means, and producing therefrom an analysis result; and

means, responsive to said analysis result, for generating one of said recovery command messages and transmitting said one recovery command message to said interface means of said main processor.

5. A network management system for a communications network of a plurality of electronic switching systems, said network management system comprising:

a main processor comprising;

interface means for receiving alarm messages from said communications network and transmitting one of a traffic recovery command message and a fault recovery command message thereto for recovering said switching systems from abnormal conditions;

main analyzer means, connected to said interface means, for analyzing the received alarm messages and producing observation reports;

message detector means, connected to said interface means, for determining to which alarm message defined in a list of alarm messages said received messages correspond; and

an event table, connected to said message detector means, in which unique relationships between the alarm messages defined in said list and network events are stored, for producing an event identifier when a corresponding alarm message detected by said message detector means is a network event; and

a plurality of distributed auxiliary processors connected to said main processor, each of the auxiliary processors comprising;

a procedure table, connected to said event table, in which said event identifier and corresponding procedures are stored, for selecting a stored procedure in response to said event identifier from said event table, and producing an output containing said event identifier and said selected procedure;

message counter, connected to said procedure table, and responsive to said output of the procedure table, counting the event identifier contained therein and which identifies a traffic-related alarm message relating to traffic conditions of said network determined by said message detector means, and producing a first output when the counted event identifiers exceed a first threshold value specified by said selected procedure; and

counting the event identifier contained in said output of said procedure table and which identifies a fault-related alarm message relating to fault conditions of said network determined by said message detector means, and producing a second output when the counted event identifiers exceed a second threshold value specified by said selected procedure, each of said first and second outputs of said message counter means containing said selected procedure;

traffic analyzer means, connected to said message detector means and said message counter, and responsive to said first output of said message counter, for analyzing traffic-related alarm messages from said message detector means in accordance with said selected procedure contained in said first output, and producing traffic control data;

fault analyzer means, connected to said message detector means and said message counter, and responsive to said second output of said message counter, for analyzing the alarm messages in accordance with said selected procedure contained in said second output, and producing fault alarm data; and

a command generator, connected to said traffic analyzer means and said fault analyzer means, generating and transmitting said traffic recovery command message to said interface means in response to said traffic control data, and generating and transmitting said fault recovery command message to said interface means in response to said fault alarm data.

6. A network management system as claimed in claim 6 or 5, wherein each of said auxiliary processor further comprises an event registration means, connected to said event table of said main processor and said procedure table of said auxiliary processors, for entering said event identifier and names of alarm messages defined in said list into said event table and entering said event identifier and said procedure into said procedure table.