Maintenance operations console for an advanced intelligent network

• US 5,802,146 A
• Filed: 11/22/1995
• Issued: 09/01/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bell Atlantic Network Services, Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Dulman, Scott P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kuntz, Curtis A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, DUC MINH
• Application Number:
  US08/562,330
• Time in Patent Office: 1,014 Days
• Field of Search: 379/10, 379/27, 379/1, 379/12, 379/15, 379/22-23, 379/29, 379/32-34, 379/120, 379/134-135, 379/201, 379/207
• US Class Current: 379/32.03
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/2254 in networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/12 for working between exchanges having different types of switching equipment, e.g. power-driven and step by step or decimal and non-decimal
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13345 Intelligent networks, SCP
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13505 management information base [MIB]
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13546 Intelligent Peripheral
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0029 Provisions for intelligent networking

Abstract

An arrangement for monitoring operations of advanced intelligent network (AIN) elements of a public switched telephone network by transporting standardized network management messages across a data network. A maintenance and operations console (MOC) sends and receives Simplified Network Management Protocol (SNMP) objects from AIN elements such as an Intelligent Peripheral (IP) via a packet switched network using a standardized transport protocol such as TCP/IP. The IP includes an error monitoring system that collects error messages and generates an error status report. An SNMP agent internal to the IP converts the error status report to SNMP objects outputs the SNMP objects onto the packet switched network. The HOC receives the SNMP objects, assigns an operational priority to the SNMP objects, and displays the operational priority of the received SNMP objects based on object relationships identified by a Management Information Base (MIB). The MOC outputs SNMP objects identifying corrective measures in accordance with user selection inputs and the object relationships identified by the MIB. The MOC of the present invention provides flexible monitoring of AIN elements at different locations based on the use of SNMP object base, and accomodates changes to the AIN based on the received MIB objects.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a plurality of program-controlled nodes of a public communications network, each node including at least an operating software subsystem, an application software subsystem, a communications subsystem, and a monitoring subsystem that identifies errors in each of the subsystems, the communications subsystem outputting objects of a standardized network management message format that represent a status of the identified errors;

a data network transporting said objects to and from the nodes using a standardized transport protocol; and

a network maintenance and operations console (MOC) receiving the objects output from the respective nodes and monitoring the status of the identified errors from the nodes, the network MOC comprising;

(1) an object mapping module having a Management Information Base (MIB) identifying object relationships, the object mapping module assigning operational priorities to the received objects based on the identified object relationships, respectively,

(2) a topology module providing a relational hierarchy for presenting the status of the identified errors, represented by the received objects, and the respective operational priority of the respective objects on a graphical user interface,

(3) a graphical user interface displaying graphical objects representing said status of the identified errors, respectively, said MIB storing relations between said graphical objects and the respective status of;

the identified errors, and

(4) an error correction module outputting to said data network a second object of said standardized network management message format that represents a correction message for one of said nodes, said second object being output in response to a user selection of one of said graphical objects, said MIB storing a relation between said one graphical object, the second object, and the one node,

wherein said MIB identifies graphical objects representing a plurality of corrective measures for one of the subsystems of said one node.

2. A system comprising:

a plurality of program-controlled nodes of a public communications network, each node including at least an operating software subsystem, an application software subsystem, a communications subsystem, and a monitoring subsystem that identifies errors in each of the subsystems, the communications subsystem outputting objects of a standardized network management message format that represent a status of the identified errors;

a data network transporting said objects to and from the nodes using a standardized transport protocol; and

a network maintenance and operations console (MOC) receiving the objects output from the respective nodes and monitoring the status of the identified errors from the nodes, the network MOC comprising;

(1) an object mapping module having a Management Information Base (MIB) identifying object relationships, the object mapping module assigning operational priorities to the received objects based on the identified object relationships, respectively,

(2) a topology module providing a relational hierarchy for presenting the status of the identified errors, represented by the received objects, and the respective operational priority of the respective objects on a graphical user interface,

(3) a graphical user interface displaying graphical objects representing said status of the identified errors, respectively, said MIB storing relations between said graphical objects and the respective status of the identified errors, and

(4) an error correction module outputting to said data network a second object of said standardized network management message format that represents a correction message for one of said nodes, said second object being out-out in response to a user selection of one of said graphical objects, said MIB storing a relation between said one graphical object, the second object , and the one node,

wherein said MIB identifies graphical objects representing a plurality of corrective measures for one of the subsystems of said one node,

and wherein said corrective measures for said one subsystem include aborting and restarting subsystem software, resetting subsystem software, rebooting subsystem software, and loading new subsystem software.

3. A system comprising:

a plurality of program-controlled nodes of a public communications network, each node including at least an operating software subsystem, an application software subsystem, a communications subsystem, and a monitoring subsystem that identifies errors in each of the subsystems, the communications subsystem outputting objects of a standardized network management message format that represent a status of the identified errors;

a data network transporting said objects to and from the nodes using a standardized transport protocol; and

a network maintenance and operations console (MOC) receiving the objects output from the respective nodes and monitoring the status of the identified errors from the nodes, the network MOC comprising;

(1) an object mapping module having a Management Information Base (MIB) identifying object relationships, the object mapping module assigning operational priorities to the received objects based on the identified object relationships, respectively,

(2) a topology module providing a relational hierarchy for presenting the status of the identified errors, represented by the received objects, and the respective operational priority of the respective objects on a graphical user interface,

(3) a graphical user interface displaying graphical objects representing said status of the identified errors, respectively, said MIB storing relations between said graphical objects and the respective status of the identified errors, and

(4) an error correction module outputting to said data network a second object of said standardized network management message format that represents a correction message for one of said nodes, said second object being output in response to a user selection of one of said graphical objects, said MIB storing a relation between said one graphical object, the second object, and the one node,

wherein said second object to said one node is generated in response to an identified error in a second node.

4. A system as in claim 3, wherein said one node is an integrated services control point serving a plurality of telephone switches in an advanced intelligent network (AIN), at least a portion of said nodes are elements of said AIN, said second object corresponding to a rerouting command for said telephone switches to direct network traffic away from said second node.

5. A system as in claim 3, wherein said one node is an operational support system maintaining logical assignments of said nodes, said second object identifying a rerouting request to assign a subsystem from a third node to said second node.

6. A system comprising:

a plurality of program-controlled nodes of a public communications network, each node including at least an operating software subsystem, an application software subsystem, a communications subsystem, and a monitoring subsystem that identifies errors in each of the subsystems, the communications subsystem outputting objects of a standardized network management message format that represent a status of the identified errors;

a data network transporting said objects to and from the nodes using a standardized transport protocol; and

a network maintenance and operations console (MOC) receiving the objects output from the respective nodes and monitoring the status of the identified errors from the nodes, the network MOC comprising;

(1) an object mapping module having a Management Information Base (MIB) identifying object relationships, the object mapping module assigning operational priorities to the received objects based on the identified object relationships, respectively, and

(2) a topology module providing a relational hierarchy for presenting the status of the identified errors, represented by the received objects, and the respective operational priority of the respective objects on a graphical user interface,

wherein said object mapping module comprises;

a classification script that assigns said operational priorities to said, received objects based on the corresponding identified error status;

an error log that stores the identified error status in accordance with the received objects; and

a trap collection module that distributes the received objects to the classification script, the error log, and the MIB.

7. A system comprising:

a plurality of program-controlled nodes of a public communications network, each node including at least an operating software subsystem, an application software subsystem, a communications subsystem, and a monitoring subsystem that identifies errors in each of the subsystems, the communications subsystem outputting objects of a standardized network management message format that represent a status of the identified errors;

a data network transporting said objects to and from the nodes using a standardized transport protocol; and

a network maintenance and operations console (MOC) receiving the objects output from the respective nodes and monitoring the status of the identified errors from the nodes, the network MOC comprising;

(1) an object mapping module having a Management Information Base (MIB) identifying object relationships, the object mapping module assigning operational priorities to the received objects based on the identified object relationships, respectively, and

(2) a topology module providing a relational hierarchy for presenting the status of the identified errors, represented by the received objects, and the respective operational priority of the respective objects on a graphical user interface,

wherein said topology module comprises;

a discovery module that identifies devices on said data network having a network address, said devices including said nodes; and

a filter module for selectively assigning a group of said devices for display on the graphical user interface, said MIB identifying graphical icons assigned to the group of devices, at least one of said nodes being in said group of devices.

8. In an advanced intelligent network (AIN) comprising a plurality of AIN elements providing call processing functions in a public switched telephone network and a data network providing operations messages between the AIN elements, wherein each of said AIN elements includes an operating software subsystem, an application subsystem performing a call processing function, a communication subsystem sending and receiving operations messages to and from said each AIN element, and a monitoring subsystem identifying errors in each of the subsystems of said each AIN element, an apparatus for monitoring the operations of said AIN elements comprising:

a network interface agent receiving said operations messages from said AIN elements and processing the received operations messages carrying objects in a standardized network management message format as received network objects;

a topology daemon comprising a discovery routine that identifies the nodes having an address on said data network including said AIN elements, said topology daemon providing a relational hierarchy of the AIN elements and the respective subsystems;

an object mapping system having a Management Information Base (MIB) identifying object relationships including said relational hierarchy, the object mapping module assigning operational priorities to the received network objects based on the identified object relationships;

a graphic user interface for displaying said received network objects as error status icons based on the relational hierarchy of the AIN elements and the respective operational priorities, said graphic user interface displaying said errors in one of said AIN element subsystems in response to user selection inputs; and

a correction module outputting network objects corresponding to corrective measures for one of said AIN element subsystems in response to said user selection inputs,

wherein said MIB identifies relationships between said corrective measures and the respective output network objects for said one AIN element subsystem, and

wherein said topology daemon further comprises a filter module selectively assigning a group of said AIN elements for display on said graphic user interface.

9. In an advanced intelligent network (AIN) comprising a plurality of AIN elements providing call processing functions in a public switched telephone network and a data network providing operations messages between the AIN elements, wherein each of said AIN elements includes an operating software subsystem, an application subsystem performing a call processing function, a communication subsystem sending and receiving operations messages to and from said each AIN element, and a monitoring subsystem identifying errors in each of the subsystems of said each AIN element, an apparatus for monitoring the operations of said AIN elements comprising:

a network interface agent receiving said operations messages from said AIN elements and processing the received operations messages carrying objects in a standardized network management message format as received network objects;

a topology daemon comprising a discovery routine that identifies the nodes having an address on said data network including said AIN elements, said topology daemon providing a relational hierarchy of the AIN elements and the respective subsystems;

an object mapping system having a Management Information Base (MIB) identifying object relationships including said relational hierarchy, the object mapping module assigning operational priorities to the received network objects based on the identified object relationships;

a graphic user interface for displaying said received network objects as error status icons based on the relational hierarchy of the AIN elements and the respective operational priorities, said graphic user interface displaying said errors in one of said AIN element subsystems in response to user selection inputs; and

a correction module outputting network objects corresponding to corrective measures for one of said AIN element subsystems in response to said user selection inputs,

wherein said object mapping system comprises;

a classification script that assigns said operational priorities to said received network objects based on the corresponding identified error status; and

an error log that stores the identified error status.