Method and apparatus for policy-based alarm notification in a distributed network management environment

• US 6,064,304 A
• Filed: 05/10/1999
• Issued: 05/16/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cabletron Systems Incorporated (Extreme Networks, Inc.)
• Inventors: Tracy, William, Arrowsmith, Russell
• Primary Examiner(s): Pope, Daryl
• Application Number:
  US09/307,833
• Time in Patent Office: 372 Days
• Field of Search: 340/506, 709/229, 709/224, 714/25, 714/39, 714/46, 714/48
• US Class Current: 340/506
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/042 comprising distributed management centres cooperatively managing the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0622 based on time
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0893 Assignment of logical groups to network elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0894 Policy-based network configuration management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0895 Configuration of virtualised networks or elements, e.g. virtualised network function or OpenFlow elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/16 using machine learning or artificial intelligence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]

Abstract

Apparatus and method for receiving alarms from multiple network management servers and applying a plurality of policy-based filters to the alarms. The filters may be named and stored in a database, and application of the policy-based filters may be scheduled for different times. The same policy-based filters may be applied to one or more multiple network management applications. The invention allows greater control over which alarms get reported to network management applications and provides a means to ensure consistency of reported alarms across multiple network management applications.

Claims

1. A method of alarm notification comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving alarms from multiple network management servers;

(b) creating, in response to a user action, a plurality of policy-based filters; and

(c) applying the policy-based filters to the received alarms, generating an alarm notification and forwarding the same to at least one network management application.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the creating step includes creating a plurality of filters comprising a policy.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein:

each filter comprises at least one filter parameter; and

the applying step comprises performing a logical AND of all parameters within one filter and performing a logical OR between all filters within one policy.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein:

the generating step includes specifying real-time values of each filter parameter in the alarm notification.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein:

the creating step includes storing a policy name and at least one associated network management application in a database accessible to all servers.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the creating step includes assigning a tag to each filter.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein:

the generating step includes specifying the tag for the filter which the alarm passed in the alarm notification.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein:

the creating step includes storing the filters in a database.

9. The method of claim 2, wherein:

the generating step further includes specifying a user name in the alarm notification to enable an application which receives the alarm notification to notify a user having the specified user name.

10. The method of claim 2, wherein:

the creating step includes scheduling the creating to occur at a specified time.

11. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

(d) following resolution of an alarm, forwarding an alarm clear message to the at least one network management application.

12. The method of claim 2, wherein:

the creating step includes assigning the same filters to multiple network management applications.

13. The method of claim 2, wherein:

the creating step is performed by a user via a graphical user interface.

14. The method of claim 2, wherein:

the generating step includes generating an alarm notification which contains information about the device which generated the alarm.

15. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

the at least one network management application generating an alarm clear message and forwarding the same to the network management server which generated the alarm.