Trail management across transport functionality of large and complex telecommunications networks
First Claim
1. A method of managing a plurality of communications trails each comprising a transport entity for the simultaneous transfer of information in opposite directions between respective inputs and outputs, said method comprising:
- maintaining a database describing said plurality of trails in which each said trail is represented by a corresponding respective trail data describing at least one of a plurality of states applicable to said trail; and
checking consistency for ensuring consistency of trails with the trail data stored in said database wherein the trail data is capable of modification so as to transition between the states, wherein said state applicable to a trail is selected from a set consisting of;
a state representing a condition in which said trail is provisioned in a network;
a state representing a condition in which said trail is un-provisioned in a network;
a state representing a condition in which said trail is supporting at least one client trail; and
a state representing a condition in which said trail is present in a network, but which has not been accepted or rejected by a network management system.
14 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A trail management system for a transport network comprises a database storing data describing each of a plurality of actual and intended/planned trails within a network. Each trail is described in terms of a state model, in which the trail is recorded as being in one of a plurality of stable states, e.g. ready for service, not ready for service, existing in the network but not fully recorded in the network management system, or assigned for deletion from the network. The trail data is modified by a set of automatic processes, by means of which a trail data may transition between stable states. Each trail data may adopt one of a plurality of sub-states, e.g. fully provisioned, incomplete, in conflict with another trail, inconsistent with another trail, unprovisioned, or unsupported by network resources. The network management system learns of actual existing trails within the network and checks for consistency of actual trails with stored trail data.
87 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method of managing a plurality of communications trails each comprising a transport entity for the simultaneous transfer of information in opposite directions between respective inputs and outputs, said method comprising:
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maintaining a database describing said plurality of trails in which each said trail is represented by a corresponding respective trail data describing at least one of a plurality of states applicable to said trail; and
checking consistency for ensuring consistency of trails with the trail data stored in said database wherein the trail data is capable of modification so as to transition between the states, wherein said state applicable to a trail is selected from a set consisting of;
a state representing a condition in which said trail is provisioned in a network;
a state representing a condition in which said trail is un-provisioned in a network;
a state representing a condition in which said trail is supporting at least one client trail; and
a state representing a condition in which said trail is present in a network, but which has not been accepted or rejected by a network management system. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
for individual ones of said trails, applying a transition to said corresponding respective trail data from describing one of said plurality of states, to describing another of said plurality of states.
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3. The method as claimed in claim 1, comprising the step of applying a transition to said trail data from describing one of said plurality of states to describing another of said plurality of states, wherein said transition between states is made in response to instructions input from a graphical user interface.
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4. The method as claimed in claim 1, comprising the step of applying a transition to said trail data from describing one of said plurality of states to describing another of said plurality of states, wherein said transition is made in response to data received from at least one transport entity.
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5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said trail data comprises data describing a stable state, in which stable state said trail data may reside for an indefinite period of time.
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6. The method as claimed in claim 1, comprising implementing said database as a plurality of trail objects, each said trail object representing a corresponding trail, and representing said trail as an attribute of said trail object.
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7. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein for each said trail, said corresponding trail data represents a condition of a plurality of connections of said trail.
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8. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said trail data representing a corresponding respective said trail describes:
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a sub-state of each of a plurality of connections comprising said trail; and
a sub-state of said trail.
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9. A method of managing a plurality of communications trails each comprising a transport entity for the simultaneous transfer of information in opposite directions between respective inputs and outputs, said method comprising:
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maintaining a database describing said plurality of trails in which each said trail is represented by a corresponding respective trail data describing at least one of a plurality of states applicable to said trail; and
consistency check means for ensuring consistency of trails with the trail data stored in said database wherein the trail data is capable of modification so as to transition between the states, wherein said trail data describes at least one trail sub-state applicable to said trail, wherein said applicable trail sub-state is selected from a set consisting of;
a substate describing that no other sub-states exist;
a sub-state describing an incomplete trail;
a sub-state describing a trail which conflicts with another trail;
a sub-state describing a trail which the underlying physical resources are not consistent with each other;
a sub-state describing a trail which is not fully provisioned in a network; and
a sub-state describing a trail, details of which are present in the database, where the network physical resources supporting that trail are not communicable with said database. - View Dependent Claims (10)
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11. A method of managing a plurality of communications trails each comprising a transport entity forte simultaneous transfer of information in opposite directions between respective inputs and outputs, said method comprising:
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maintaining a database describing said plurality of trails in which each said trail is represented by a corresponding respective trail data describing at least one of a plurality of states applicable to said trail;
consistency check means for ensuring consistency of trails with the trail data stored n said database wherein the trail data is capable of modification so as to transition between the states, wherein said trail data describes at least one connection sub-state applicable to a connection comprising said trail, wherein said connection sub-state is selected from a set consisting of;
a sub-state describing a provisioned connection;
a sub-state describing an incomplete connection;
a sub-state describing a connection which conflicts with another connection;
a sub-state describing a connection which lacks support of physical resources;
a sub-state describing a connection which is not provisioned in a network; and
a sub-state describing a connection supported by network physical resources not described in said database. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13)
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14. A network management system capable of managing a plurality of end to end trails, each comprising a transport entity for the simultaneous transfer of information in opposite directions between respective inputs and outputs, said management system comprising:
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a database containing descriptions of said plurality of trails in which each said trail is represented in terms of a state model by a corresponding respective tail data describing at least one of a plurality of states applicable to that trail; and
consistency check means for ensuring consistency of trails with the trail data stored in said database wherein trail data is capable of modification so as to transition between the states, wherein said state applicable to a trail is selected from a set consisting of;
a state representing a condition in which said trail is provisioned in a network;
a state representing a condition in which said trail is un-provisioned in a network;
a state representing a condition in which said trail is supporting at least one client trail; and
a state representing a condition in which said trail is present in a network, but which has not been accepted or rejected by the network management system. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 20)
sending a request signal to said element controller to request a list of all network trails supported by a plurality of network elements controlled by said element controller;
said element controller issuing interrogation signals over an operations, administration and maintenance channel for interrogation of a plurality of network elements;
said element controller recovering a plurality of response signals describing trails supported by said network elements; and
said element controller sending to said network controller signals describing a plurality of network trails supported by said network elements controlled by said element controller.
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19. A network management system capable of managing a plurality of end to end trails, each comprising a transport entity for the simultaneous transfer of information in opposite directions between respective inputs and outputs, said management system comprising:
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at least one element controller means capable of controlling a plurality of network elements by sending and receiving signals over an operations, administration and maintenance channel; and
a network controller capable of communicating with said element controller means for sending and receiving messages concerning said plurality of trails, network controller comprising a database containing descriptions of said plurality of trails in which each said trail is represented by a corresponding respective trail data describing at least one of a plurality of states applicable to that trail;
consistency check means for ensuing consistency of trails with the trail data stored in said database wherein the trail data is capable modification so as to transition between the states, wherein said state applicable to a trail is selected from a set consisting of;
a state representing a condition in which said trail is provisioned in a network;
a state representing a condition in which said trail is un-provisioned in a network;
a state representing a condition in which said trail is supporting at least one client trail; and
a state representing a condition in which said trail is present in a network, but which has not been accepted or rejected by the network management system.
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Specification