System and method for network element management in a Telecommunications network

• US 6,269,397 B1
• Filed: 10/18/1999
• Issued: 07/31/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 05/05/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nokia Networks (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Networks (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Pirhonen, Jouni
• Primary Examiner(s): Maung, Zarni
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHANG, JUNGWON
• Application Number:
  US09/420,074
• Time in Patent Office: 652 Days
• Field of Search: 709/223, 709/230, 709/201, 707/10, 707/103, 379/207, 379/230
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0213 Standardised network management protocols, e.g. simple network management protocol [SNMP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/022 Multivendor or multi-standard integration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0253 using browsers or web-pages for accessing management information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0266 using meta-data, objects or commands for formatting management information, e.g. using eXtensible markup language [XML]

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for network element management in a telecommunications network. The network elements are coupled on a management bus (MB) used by the telecommunications network. In accordance with the method, management messages are sent from a management workstation via the management bus to the network elements (NE) to be managed. In order to facilitate the management of network elements having various management interfaces, a management server (S1) in the Internet or in an Intranet is used for the management, the server being connected via the management bus (MB) to the network elements to be managed, the management alternatives relating to the managed network element are sent through the Internet or Intranet to the user'"'"'s management workstation in the form of SGML-based documents, and the management operations carried out by the user in the documents are converted in the management server into messages to be sent onto the management bus, by means of which messages the network elements are managed.

Claims

1. A management system for network element management in a telecommunications network, the system comprising

at least one management workstation (WS1, WS2) for sending management information to the network elements to be managed,

a management bus (MB) in the telecommunications network, on which bus the network elements (NE) to be managed are coupled and through which the management information sent by the management workstation is transferred to the network elements,

a management server (S1) in the Internet or in an Intranet,

first conversion means (41, 45, 46) in connection with the management server for converting the management information given from the management workstation that is in contact with the management server into management messages, and

second conversion means (41, 45, 46) in connection with the management server for converting the response messages given by the network element into documents in accordance with the description language understood by the program used by the management workstation, the documents being sent in a known manner to the management workstation,

wherein said telecommunications network is a non-TCP network,

wherein said management server is connected to the management bus (MB) of said telecommunications network for converting the management information into messages conforming to a management protocol used in said telecommunications network and for sending said messages to the management bus, and

a main menu of management alternatives relating to the network elements to be managed is stored in advance in the management server, and the management server is adapted to request other management alternatives from the network element and to form from the received response a SGML-based document to be sent to the management workstation.

2. A management system as claimed in claim 1 wherein, the documents are presented in the form of HTML pages.

3. A management system as claimed in claim 1 wherein, the addresses of all network elements on the management bus are stored in the management server.