System and method for unreported trouble isolation

• US 5,784,359 A
• Filed: 06/28/1996
• Issued: 07/21/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: MCI Communications Corporation (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Brownmiller, Curtis, Tran, Minh T., Bencheck, Michael, DeMoss, Mark, Branton, Robert, Landon, Steve
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Chau
• Application Number:
  US08/672,513
• Time in Patent Office: 753 Days
• Field of Search: 370/241, 370/242, 370/248-250, 370/243, 370/255, 370/246, 370/465, 370/466, 370/522, 370/247, 371/20.1, 371/20.2, 340/825.01, 340/521, 340/523, 340/825.16, 340/825.06, 379/207
• US Class Current: 370/244
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 2203/0058 Network management, e.g. Intelligent nets
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 3/14 Monitoring arrangements for SDH/SONET rings H04J3/085
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 3/1611 Synchronous digital hierarchy [SDH] or SONET H04J3/1664 takes precedence for interactions with OTN
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/044 comprising hierarchical management structures
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0677 Localisation of faults
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5009 Determining service level performance parameters or violations of service level contracts, e.g. violations of agreed response time or mean time between failures [MTBF]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5025 by proactively reacting to service quality change, e.g. by reconfiguration after service quality degradation or upgrade
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5074 Handling of user complaints or trouble tickets
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5077 wherein the managed service relates to simple transport services, i.e. providing only network infrastructure
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0823 Errors, e.g. transmission errors
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/0478 Provisions for broadband connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0062 Provisions for network management
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 370/907 Synchronous optical network, SONET

Abstract

A system and method for isolating a problem in a network. Upon a report of error activity in a first signal transport level, a first layer in the network management system uses performance data to identify the highest signal transport level that exhibits simultaneous error activity. The first layer attempts to isolate the problem if it determines that it has access to enough information.

Claims

1. A method in a layer of a network management system for isolating a problem in a circuit path contained in a network, the circuit path including a plurality of network elements interconnected by a plurality of links having various transport levels, the method comprising the steps of:

(1) receiving performance monitoring data for a first signal transport level from a first monitoring point associated with a first network element in the circuit path;

(2) determining whether said performance monitoring data at said first signal transport level indicates a potential network problem;

(3) identifying error activity at a second signal transport level, said error activity being reported by a second monitoring point associated with a second network element in the circuit path wherein said first signal transport level is mapped into said second signal transport level;

(4) determining whether the layer has access to enough information to isolate the problem; and

(5) identifying a third monitoring point upstream of said second monitoring point that reports corresponding error activity at said second signal transport level.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

(6) moving to a next highest layer to isolate the problem if said step (4) determines that the layer does not have access to enough information to isolate the problem.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of identifying a highest signal transport level that reports corresponding error activity, wherein said first signal transport level is mapped into said highest signal transport level.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of determining if information of all network elements in the circuit path are available to the layer.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said step (5) comprises the step of:

(a) identifying a third monitoring point upstream of said second monitoring point that reports corresponding error activity at said second signal transport level, wherein said second signal transport level defines a path entity.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said step (5) comprises the step of:

(a) identifying a third monitoring point upstream of said second monitoring point that reports corresponding error activity at said second signal transport level, wherein said second signal transport level defines a line entity.

7. A method in a layer of a network management system for isolating a problem in a circuit path contained in a network, the circuit path including a plurality of network elements interconnected by a plurality of links having various transport levels, the method comprising the steps of:

(1) receiving performance monitoring data for a first signal transport level from a first monitoring point associated with a network element in the circuit path;

(2) determining whether a historical pattern of error activity at said first signal transport level indicates a potential network problem;

(3) determining whether error activity has been reported for a second signal transport signal level, wherein said first signal transport level is mapped into said second signal transport level;

(4) repeating said step (3) until a highest signal transport level reporting an indication of error activity is identified; and

(5) isolating the problem through analysis at said highest signal transport level.

8. A system for isolating a problem in a circuit path contained in a network, the circuit path including a plurality of network elements interconnected by a plurality of links having various transport levels, comprising:

means for receiving performance monitoring data for a first signal transport level from a first monitoring point associated with a first network element in the circuit path;

first means for determining whether said performance monitoring data at said first signal transport level indicates a potential network problem;

means for identifying error activity at a second signal transport level, said error activity being reported by a second monitoring point associated with a second network element in the circuit path wherein said first signal transport level is mapped into said second signal transport level;

second means for determining whether the layer has access to enough information to isolate the problem; and

means for identifying a third monitoring point upstream of said second monitoring point that reports corresponding error activity at said second signal transport level.

9. The system of claim 8, further comprising:

means for moving to a next highest layer to isolate the problem if said second means for determining determines that the layer does not have access to enough information to isolate the problem.

10. The system of claim 8, further comprising:

means for identifying a highest signal transport level that reports corresponding error activity, wherein said first signal transport level is mapped into said highest signal transport level.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising means for determining if information of all network elements in the circuit path are available to the layer.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein said second signal transport level defines a path entity.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein said second signal transport level defines a line entity.

14. A system for isolating a problem in a circuit path contained in a network, the circuit path including a plurality of network elements interconnected by a plurality of links having various transport levels, comprising:

means for receiving performance monitoring data for a first signal transport level from a first monitoring point associated with a network element in the circuit path;

means for determining whether a historical pattern of error activity at said first signal transport level indicates a potential network problem;

means for determining whether error activity has been reported for a second signal transport signal level, wherein said first signal transport level is mapped into said second signal transport level, said means for determining continuing until a highest signal transport level reporting an indication of error activity is identified; and

means for isolating the problem through analysis at said highest signal transport level.