SONET network element simulator
First Claim
1. A network element simulator for simulating behavior of network elements capable of being interconnected to function as a telecommunications network, said network capable of being managed by a network management system that generates commands for receipt by said network and receives network responses, said apparatus comprising:
- means for inputting data representing behavioral of network elements to be simulated;
input/output processing component for communicating with said network management system, said input/output processing component including means for receiving commands from said network management system and forwarding responses generated by said simulator to said network management system;
a response generator means in communication with said input/output processing means for receiving said network management commands and generating appropriate responses in accordance with said network element behavior data;
an autonomous message generator means for autonomously generating one or more unsolicited messages for input to said network management system;
wherein receipt of said commands and generation and forwarding of responses and autonomous messages are concurrently performed.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A network simulator for use as a testing tool for a network management system includes an input device for inputting data containing network elements, their attributes, and information about their configuration, for storage in memory. User-defined scenario instructions for specifying particular network behavior and user directives are input in real time, or in advance of simulation. The simulator includes an input/output processing component that receives commands from the network management system and user-scenario data or directives and forwards received commands and directives to a response generator processing component that generates appropriate responses in accordance with the network element behavior data stored in memory. The response generator processing component transmits responses back to the network management system. Directives and user-scenario data are also forwarded to an autonomous message generator component for autonomously generating one or more alarm or event messages for input to the network management system at pre-defined times. The tool is capable of continuous and concurrent operation as in a real network and provides real-time performance monitoring of the network elements.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A network element simulator for simulating behavior of network elements capable of being interconnected to function as a telecommunications network, said network capable of being managed by a network management system that generates commands for receipt by said network and receives network responses, said apparatus comprising:
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means for inputting data representing behavioral of network elements to be simulated; input/output processing component for communicating with said network management system, said input/output processing component including means for receiving commands from said network management system and forwarding responses generated by said simulator to said network management system; a response generator means in communication with said input/output processing means for receiving said network management commands and generating appropriate responses in accordance with said network element behavior data; an autonomous message generator means for autonomously generating one or more unsolicited messages for input to said network management system; wherein receipt of said commands and generation and forwarding of responses and autonomous messages are concurrently performed. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification