Method and platform for interfacing between application programs performing telecommunications functions and an operating system

• US 6,269,396 B1
• Filed: 12/11/1998
• Issued: 07/31/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: WSOU Investments, LLC (WSOU Holdings, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Alcatel USA Sourcing L.P. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Worline, Mark E., Jaggers, Stephen B., Vatteroni, James R., McDaniel, David W., Shah, Mahesh V.
• Primary Examiner(s): Harrell, Robert B.
• Application Number:
  US09/211,016
• Time in Patent Office: 963 Days
• Field of Search: 379/113, 379/201, 379/242, 709/200, 709/220, 709/221, 709/222, 709/223-224
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0803 Configuration setting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0806 for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/00 Arrangements for monitoring or testing data switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/045 for graphical visualisation of monitoring data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/06 Generation of reports
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/062 related to network traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/067 using time frame reporting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0811 by checking connectivity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0817 by checking functioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0823 Errors, e.g. transmission errors
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/10 Active monitoring, e.g. heartbeat, ping or trace-route
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/16 Threshold monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0095 Specification, development or application of network management software, e.g. software re-use

Abstract

A method of providing a software interface between application programs performing telecommunications functions and an operating system running on at least one node at a site supporting the application programs, and further forming an interface between the application programs and a telecommunications network is provided. The method includes providing a network platform manager operable to remove nodes from service, restore nodes to service, remove applications from service, and restore applications to service, providing a network system integrity manager operable to monitor the nodes and to enable failed nodes to recover, providing a configuration manager operable to interface with a host coupled to the telecom platform, providing a node platform manager operable to provide management functions for a node, providing a service manager operable to start and stop processes at the direction of the node platform manager, and providing a node system integrity manager operable to monitor inter-node links.

Claims

1. A method of providing a software interface between application programs performing telecommunications functions and an operating system running on at least one node at a site supporting the application programs, and further forming an interface between the application programs and a telecommunications network, comprising:

supplying network management processes operable to provide inter-node configuration, monitoring and management functionality;

supplying node management processes operable to provide node initialization, configuration, monitoring, and management functionality;

supplying event processes operable to provide initialization, termination, and distribution of tasks in response to predetermined events;

supplying common processes operable to provide a library of a plurality of programming tools for the development of the application programs;

supplying communications processes operable to provide message handling functionality; and

supplying distributed object processes operable to provide a distributed database repository for object-based communications.

2. The method, as set forth in claim 1, wherein providing the network management processes comprise:

providing a network platform manager operable to remove nodes from service, restore nodes to service, remove applications from service, and restore applications to service;

providing a network system integrity manager operable to monitor the nodes and to enable failed nodes to recover; and

providing a configuration manager operable to interface with a host coupled to the telecom platform.

3. The method, as set forth in claim 2, wherein providing the node management processes comprise:

providing a node platform manager operable to provide management functions for a node;

providing a service manager operable to start and stop processes at the direction of the node platform manager; and

providing a node system integrity manager operable to monitor inter-node links.

4. The method, as set forth in claim 3, comprising:

monitoring and detecting a failure in a configurable element;

notifying the fault to the service manager;

generating, by the service manager, a status change for the configurable element and forwarding the notification to the node system integrity manager;

forwarding, by the node system integrity manager, the notification to the node platform manager;

determining, by the node platform manager, the node status in response to the failed configurable element; and

notifying the net platform manager, by the node platform manger, of a node status change.

5. The method, as set forth in claim 4, further comprising:

determining, by the network platform manager, a status change in an application having the failed configurable element and a status change in a processor service group having the application having the failed configurable element; and

notifying any status change to the configuration manager.

6. The method, as set forth in claim 5, further comprising forwarding, by the configuration manager, a node, processor service group or application status change to a host.

7. The method, as set forth in claim 3, further comprising:

registering with an event manager, by an application, an interest to receive a particular event;

sending, by an event receiver, the particular event to the registered application.

8. The method, as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:

running the network management processes on at least one platform management node; and

running the node management processes on at least one application node coupled to the at least one platform management node.

9. The method, as set forth in claim 8, further comprising running the network management processes and the node management processes on a platform management node also serving as an application node.

10. The method, as set forth in claim 8, further comprising:

operating a first platform management node in an active mode; and

operating a second platform management node in a standby mode.

11. The method, as set forth in claim 8, further comprising operating two or more platform management nodes operating in a load-sharing mode.

12. The method, as set forth in claim 1, further comprising supplying statistics processes operable to provide methods to access system measurement data and to generate reports on the system measurement data.

13. The method, as set forth in claim 12, wherein supplying statistics processes comprise:

providing a peg counter process operable to count specific events occurring across multiple nodes;

providing a time metering process operable to accumulate the duration of a specific event;

providing a data collection process operable to collect counter data on a node and storing the collected data.

14. The method, as set forth in claim 1, further comprising supplying information and problem report and alarm processes operable to provide error condition monitoring, alarms, and reporting.

15. The method, as set forth in claim 1, further comprising supplying dictionary processes operable to provide data storage and access methods.

16. The method, as set forth in claim 1, further comprising supplying graphical user interface processes operable to provide graphical user interface building methods.

17. The method, as set forth in claim 1, wherein providing the event processes comprise:

providing an event manager operable to register client processes wishing to receive events; and

providing an event receiver operable to provide an interface for client processes which are registered to receive events.

18. The method, as set forth in claim 1, wherein providing the common processes comprise providing a timer manager operable to provide date and time functionality.

19. The method, as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:

running a boot script;

starting a service manager in accordance to the boot script;

starting, by the service manager, a node platform manager for a node;

starting, by the service manager, PRE-MIN configuration elements for the node;

starting, by the service manager, OS-MIN configuration elements for the node; and

upgrading a state of the node in response to the OS-MIN configuration elements in the node.

20. A telecom platform forming an interface between application programs performing telecommunications functions and an operating system running on at least one node at a site supporting the application programs, and further forming an interface between the application programs and a telecommunications network, comprising:

network management processes operable to provide inter-node configuration, monitoring and management functionality;

node management processes operable to provide node initialization, configuration, monitoring, and management functionality;

event processes operable to provide initialization, termination, and distribution of tasks in response to predetermined events;

common processes operable to provide a library of a plurality of programming tools for the development of the application programs;

communications processes operable to provide message handling functionality; and

distributed object processes operable to provide a distributed database repository for object-based communications.

21. The telecom platform, as set forth in claim 20, further comprising:

at least one platform management node on which network management processes are supported;

at least one application node coupled to the at least one platform management node on which node management processes are supported.

22. The telecom platform, as set forth in claim 21, wherein the at least one platform management node is also the at least one application node.

23. The telecom platform, as set forth in claim 21, wherein the at least one platform management node comprises:

a first platform management node operating in an active mode; and

a second platform management node operating in a standby mode.

24. The telecom platform, as set forth in claim 21, wherein the at least one platform management node comprises two or more platform management nodes operating in a load-sharing mode.

25. The telecom platform, as set forth in claim 20, further comprising statistics processes operable to provide methods to access system measurement data and to generate reports on the system measurement data.

26. The telecom platform, as set forth in claim 25, wherein the statistics processes comprise:

a peg counter process operable to count specific events occurring across multiple nodes;

a time metering process operable to accumulate the duration of a specific event;

a data collection process operable to collect counter data on a node and storing the collected data.

27. The telecom platform, as set forth in claim 20, further comprising information and problem report and alarm processes operable to provide error condition monitoring, alarms, and reporting.

28. The telecom platform, as set forth in claim 20, further comprising dictionary processes operable to provide data storage and access methods.

29. The telecom platform, as set forth in claim 20, further comprising graphical user interface processes operable to provide graphical user interface building methods.

30. The telecom platform, as set forth in claim 20, wherein the network management processes comprise:

a network platform manager operable to remove nodes from service, restore nodes to service, remove applications from service, and restore applications to service;

a network system integrity manager operable to monitor the nodes and to enable failed nodes to recover; and

a configuration manager operable to interface with a host coupled to the telecom platform.

31. The telecom platform, as set forth in claim 20, wherein the node management processes comprise:

a node platform manager operable to provide management functions for a node;

a service manager operable to start and stop processes at the direction of the node platform manager; and

a node system integrity manager operable to monitor inter-node links.

32. The telecom platform, as set forth in claim 20, wherein the event processes comprise:

an event manager operable to register client processes wishing to receive events; and

an event receiver operable to provide an interface for client processes which are registered to receive events.

33. The telecom platform, as set forth in claim 20, wherein the common processes comprise a timer manager operable to provide date and time functionality.

34. A method of providing a software interface between application programs performing telecommunications functions and an operating system running on at least one node at a site supporting the application programs, and further forming an interface between the application programs and a telecommunications network, comprising:

providing a network platform manager operable to remove nodes from service, restore nodes to service, remove applications from service, and restore applications to service;

providing a network system integrity manager operable to monitor the nodes and to enable failed nodes to recover;

providing a configuration manager operable to interface with a host coupled to the telecom platform;

providing a node platform manager operable to provide management functions for a node;

providing a service manager operable to start and stop processes at the direction of the node platform manager; and

providing a node system integrity manager operable to monitor inter-node links.

35. The method, as set forth in claim 34, comprising:

monitoring and detecting a failure in a configurable element;

notifying the fault to the service manager;

generating, by the service manager, a status change for the configurable element and forwarding the notification to the node system integrity manager;

forwarding, by the node system integrity manager, the notification to the node platform manager;

determining, by the node platform manager, the node status in response to the failed configurable element; and

notifying the net platform manager, by the node platform manger, of a node status change.

36. The method, as set forth in claim 35, further comprising:

determining, by the net platform manager, a status change in an application having the failed configurable element and a status change a processor service group having the application having the failed configurable element; and

notifying any status change to the configuration manager.

37. The method, as set forth in claim 36, further comprising forwarding, by the configuration manager, a node, processor service group or application status change to a host.

38. The method, as set forth in claim 34, further comprising:

providing an event manager operable to register client processes wishing to receive events; and

providing an event receiver operable to provide an interface for client processes which are registered to receive events.

39. The method, as set forth in claim 34, further comprising providing a timer manager operable to provide date and time functionality.

40. The method, as set forth in claim 34, further comprising:

providing a peg counter process operable to count specific events occurring across multiple nodes;

providing a time metering process operable to accumulate the duration of a specific event;

providing a data collection process operable to collect counter data on a node and storing the collected data.

41. The method, as set forth in claim 34, further comprising:

running a boot script;

starting a service manager in accordance to the boot script;

starting, by the service manager, a node platform manager for a node;

starting, by the service manager, PRE-MIN configuration elements for the node;

starting, by the service manager, OS-MIN configuration elements for the node; and

upgrading a state of the node in response to the OS-MIN configuration elements in the node.

42. The method, as set forth in claim 34, further comprising:

registering with an event manager, by an application, an interest to receive a particular event;

sending, by an event receiver, the particular event to the registered application.