Method and system for automatically displaying and configuring a network monitoring system

• US 5,452,415 A
• Filed: 03/26/1992
• Issued: 09/19/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Alcatel Network Systems India Limited (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Alcatel Network Systems India Limited (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Hotka, Michael A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Herndon, Heather R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Vo, Cliff N.
• Application Number:
  US07/858,296
• Time in Patent Office: 1,272 Days
• Field of Search: 395/155, 395/158, 395/160, 395/161, 395/575, 364/146, 371/11.1, 371/16.1, 340/825.06, 340/825.17
• US Class Current: 715/735
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5048 Automatic or semi-automatic definitions, e.g. definition templates
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5064 Customer relationship management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/06 Generation of reports
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/14 using software, i.e. software packages network security related monitoring H04L63/1408

Abstract

A method and system that provides several pre-defined user templates that may be combined in various ways to represent all known network configurations of a digital cross-connect network. The system interrogates the user concerning the network configuration. The results of the interrogations determine the type of network monitor and control system configuration templates that the user will see. The system creates a database as a result of the combination of the templates and places on line the user templates and associated software to represent of the entire digital cross-connect network. This monitoring system can be used to not only vividly display the node from which a component error comes, but can illustrate the specific sub-component that provides the error and a representation of the various error lights that appear on the sub-component. The representation that the system displays appears on a computer screen and the accompanying software further allows the user to monitor, to replace, or add to remotely located patching devices in response to situations at the remote locations.

Claims

1. A method for automatically monitoring and configuring a communucations network comprising a plurality of components, the method comprising the steps of:

associating a plurality of user templates with a plurality of levels of integration of the components of the communications network so that a user template associates with each one of said levels of integration;

associating each one of said user templates with other of said user templates to permit error conditions existing at one of said components to indicate a plurality of error signals on predetermined ones of said user templates;

communicating instructions and queries through a display, said instructions and queries associated with said error signals and said levels of integration;

altering said user templates and said levels of integration in response to said instructions and said error signals;

configuring said user templates to monitor the communications network in response to said instructions; and

displaying said altered user templates on said display.

2. A system for automatically monitoring and configuring a communications network comprising a plurality of components, comprising:

a plurality of user templates associated with a plurality of levels of integration of the components of the communications network so that a user template associates with each one of said levels of integration;

means for associating each one of said user templates with other of said user templates to permit error conditions existing at one of said components to indicate a plurality of error signals on predetermined ones of said user templates;

a set of instructions and queries for communicating through a display, said instructions and queries associated with said error signals and said levels of integration;

means for altering said user templates and said levels of integration in response to said instructions;

means for configuring said user templates to monitor the communications network in response to said instructions; and

display means for displaying said altered user templates and said altered levels of integration.

3. A method for automatically monitoring and configuring a communications network comprising a plurality of components, the method comprising the steps of:

associating each one of a plurality of user outputs with a plurality of predetermined sets of the components of the communications network so that at least one user output associates with at least one of said predetermined sets;

associating certain ones of said user outputs with other ones of said user outputs to permit an error condition existing at one of the components to indicate a plurality of error signals on selected ones of said user outputs;

communicating instructions and queries through a display, said instructions and queries associated with said error signals and said selected ones of said user outputs;

altering said selected ones of said user outputs in response to said instructions;

configuring said plurality of user outputs to monitor the communications network in response to said instructions; and

displaying said altered user outputs on said display.

4. A system for automatically monitoring and configuring a communications network comprising a plurality of components, comprising:

a plurality of user outputs, each associated with a plurality of predetermined sets of the components of the communications network so that at least one user output associates with at least one of said predetermined sets;

means for associating certain ones of said user outputs with other ones of said user outputs to permit an error condition existing at one of the components to indicate a plurality of error signals on selected ones of said user outputs;

a set of instructions and queries for communicating through a display, said instructions and queries associated with said error signals and said selected ones of said user outputs;

means for altering said selected ones of said user outputs in response to said instructions;

means for configuring said plurality of user outputs to monitor the communications network in response to said instructions; and

display means for displaying said altered selected ones of said user outputs.

5. A method for automatically monitoring and configuring a communications network comprising a plurality of components, the method comprising the steps of:

associating a plurality of user outputs with a plurality of levels of integration of the components of the communications network so that at least one user output associates with each one of said levels of integration;

communicating instructions and queries through a display, said instructions and queries associated with said levels of integration;

altering said user outputs and said levels of integration in response to said instructions; and

configuring said levels of integration to monitor the communications network in response to said instructions;

displaying said altered user outputs and said altered levels of integration.

6. An automatic monitoring and configuring system for a communications network comprising a plurality of components, comprising:

a plurality of user outputs associated with a plurality of levels of integration of the components of the communications network so that at least one user output associates with each one of said levels of integration;

a set of instructions and queries for communicating through a display, said instructions and queries associated with said levels of integration;

means for altering said user outputs and said levels of integration in response to said instructions; and

means for configuring said levels of integration to monitor the communications network in response to said instructions;

display means for displaying said altered user outputs and said altered levels of integration.

7. A method of generating a computer monitor representation of a communications network having a plurality of sub-components and higher components for use in monitoring and controlling said communucations network, comprising the steps of:

predefining a plurality of templates, one for each possible sub-component and higher component of the communications network, each of said templates defining at least one characteristic of a portion of the communications network;

interrogating a user to supply responses describing a predetermined set of characteristics of the communications network from a selection of possible characteristics defined by said templates;

generating a database from which any desired representation of the communications network may be displayed based on the responses to said interrogating step; and

displaying a simulation of any portion of the communications network as requested by the user.

8. A system for generating a computer monitor representation of a communications network having a plurality of sub-components and higher components for use in monitoring and controlling said network, comprising:

a plurality of predefined templates, one for each possible sub-component and higher component of the communications network, where each template defines, in software terminology, a system characteristic of an associated portion of the network;

means for interrogating a user to supply responses as to the sub-components and higher components of the communications network from a selection of choices defined by said predefined templates;

a database from which any desired representation of the communications network may be displayed, based on the responses to said interrogating means; and

a simulation for displaying any portion of the communications network as requested by said user.

9. A method of monitoring a communications network having a plurality of sub-components and higher components using a computer monitor representation, comprising the steps of:

predefining a plurality of templates, one for each possible sub-component and higher component of the communications network, each one of said templates defining, in software terminology, at least one alarm condition effecting a portion of the communications network;

interrogating a user to supply responses describing the sub-components and higher components of the communications network from a selection of choices defined by said templates;

generating a database, from which any desired representation of the communications network may be displayed, based on said responses to said interrogating step; and

displaying a simulation of any portion of the communications network and alarm conditions in that portion.

10. A system for monitoring a communications network having a plurality of sub-components and higher components using a computer monitor representation, comprising:

a plurality of templates for predefining each possible communications network sub-component and higher component, where each template defines at least one network alarm condition;

a set of queries for interrogating a user to supply responses describing the sub-components and higher components of the communications network from a selection of choices defined by said templates;

a database for generating a display of any desired representation of the communications network based on the responses to said set of queries; and

a display for responsively displaying a simulation of any alarm conditions.

11. A method of generating a computer monitor representation of a communications network having a plurality of sub-components and higher components for use in monitoring and controlling said communications network, comprising the steps of:

predefining a plurality of templates, one for each possible communications network sub-component and higher component, where each template defines a set of characteristics for a portion of the communications network;

associating certain ones of said plurality of templates with one another to indicate relationships among the communications network sub-components and higher components;

interrogating a user to supply responses as to the sub-components and higher components of the communications network from a selection of choices defined by said templates;

generating a database from which any desired representation of the communications network may be displayed, based on the responses to the interrogating step; and

displaying a simulation of any portion of the communications network as requested by said user.

12. A system of generating a computer monitor representation of a communications network having a plurality of sub-components and higher components and for use in monitoring and controlling said communications network, the system comprising:

a plurality of templates for each possible sub-component and higher component of the communications network, where each template defines, in software terminology, a set of characteristics for that portion of the communications network;

means for associating certain ones of said plurality of templates with one another to indicate relationships among said communications network sub-components and higher components;

a plurality of queries for interrogating a user to supply responses as to said sub-components and higher components of the communications network from a selection of choices defined by said templates;

a database for containing data to display any desired representation of the communications network based on the responses to said plurality of queries; and

means for displaying a simulation of any portion of the communications network as requested by the user.