Prioritized agent-based hierarchy structure for handling performance metrics data in a telecommunication management system
First Claim
1. A telecommunications performance management system having a plurality of performance agents connected in a hierarchical structure in which performance agents at a lower level of the hierarchy transmit performance data to performance agents higher up in the hierarchy, at least one performance agent being connected to a user interface, each performance agent comprising:
- means for capturing the performance data from a traffic machine of the system;
means for processing the performance data by assigning a priority indicator of relative importance for a subscription signal received from a performance agent higher up in the hierarchy;
means for analyzing the performance data by calculating performance metrics from received event information, determining the severity of the event information, comparing the performance metrics against pre-defined thresholds, and analyzing trends in the performance data;
prioritizing means for assigning a relative weighted characteristic to subordinate performance agents at a same level in the hierarchy, wherein each assigned relative weighted characteristic is combined with respective calculated performance metrics to bias the respective performance metrics in favor of metrics received from subordinate performance agents having assigned relative weighted characteristics of greater priority;
means for generating exception events based on the biased performance metrics;
means for correlating the exception events with the performance data, to provide metric values having associated severity functions;
a filter for accepting the metric values and associated severity functions of the analysis, the filter including means for deciding what metric values and associated severity functions are to be transmitted to a next performance agent higher up in the hierarchy based on information included in the subscription signal; and
a controller for controlling the operation of the system.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A telecommunications performance management system for processing, analyzing and abstracting performance data from a traffic machine (3) in real time using a hierarchial structure of a performance agents (10) connected to a user interface (11) to ensure optimum network design and performance. Each agent (10) transmits performance data to a supra agent (10) and operates according to a subscription signal and associated delivery deadline received from the supra agent (10).
81 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A telecommunications performance management system having a plurality of performance agents connected in a hierarchical structure in which performance agents at a lower level of the hierarchy transmit performance data to performance agents higher up in the hierarchy, at least one performance agent being connected to a user interface, each performance agent comprising:
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means for capturing the performance data from a traffic machine of the system;
means for processing the performance data by assigning a priority indicator of relative importance for a subscription signal received from a performance agent higher up in the hierarchy;
means for analyzing the performance data by calculating performance metrics from received event information, determining the severity of the event information, comparing the performance metrics against pre-defined thresholds, and analyzing trends in the performance data;
prioritizing means for assigning a relative weighted characteristic to subordinate performance agents at a same level in the hierarchy, wherein each assigned relative weighted characteristic is combined with respective calculated performance metrics to bias the respective performance metrics in favor of metrics received from subordinate performance agents having assigned relative weighted characteristics of greater priority;
means for generating exception events based on the biased performance metrics;
means for correlating the exception events with the performance data, to provide metric values having associated severity functions;
a filter for accepting the metric values and associated severity functions of the analysis, the filter including means for deciding what metric values and associated severity functions are to be transmitted to a next performance agent higher up in the hierarchy based on information included in the subscription signal; and
a controller for controlling the operation of the system. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
means for transmitting the performance data to the performance agent; and
means for receiving the subscription signal from the performance agent to determine a mode of operation.
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13. A method for managing the performance of a telecommunications system comprising the steps of:
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arranging a plurality of performance agents in a hierarchy whereby subordinate performance agents at a lower level transmit performance data to performance agents at a higher level in the hierarchy;
capturing performance data from a traffic machine of the telecommunications system by the performance agents at the lower level of the hierarchy;
processing the performance data by assigning a priority indicator to a subscription signal associated with a performance agent higher up in the hierarchy;
analyzing the processed performance data by calculating performance metrics from received event information, determining the severity of the event information, comparing the performance metrics against pre-determined thresholds, and analyzing trends in the performance data;
assigning a relative weighted characteristic to subordinate performance agents at a same level in the hierarchy, wherein each assigned relative weighted characteristic is combined with respective calculated performance metrics to bias the respective performance metrics in favor of metrics received from subordinate performance agents having assigned relative weighted characteristics of greater priority;
generating exception events based on the biased performance metrics;
correlating the exception events with the performance data to provide metric values having associated severity functions; and
abstracting the performance data by filtering the metric values and associated severity functions to be transmitted to a next performance agent higher up in the hierarchy, based on information included in the subscription signal. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
retrieving raw traffic data produced by the traffic machine in response to traffic handling;
transmitting the retrieved data over a high speed interface to a filter; and
filtering selected portions of the raw data before reformatting the filtered raw data to produce performance data relating to the telecommunications system.
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15. The method as claimed in claim 13, further comprising the steps of:
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calculating performance statistics in the performance agent; and
transmitting the performance statistics to the connected performance agent upon receipt of a request from a connected performance agent.
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16. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the performance agent performs the steps of:
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retrieving interaction information from a local memory to set an activity requirement for the performance agent; and
updating the interaction information to change the activity requirement for the performance agent upon receipt of a subscription signal from a performance agent.
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17. The method as claimed in claim 16, wherein the performance agent further performs the step of identifying a priority indicator and a delivery deadline associated with the subscription signal and assigning a relative importance to the subscription signal.
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18. The method as claimed in claim 16, wherein the performance agent further performs the step of dynamically altering the subscription signal delivery deadline and transmitting the subscription signal with the altered delivery deadline to a subordinate performance agent.
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19. The method as claimed in claim 16, further comprising the step of transmitting performance data up through a hierarchy of performance agents with event signals having an event data real time deadline.
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20. The method as claimed in claim 19, wherein a performance agent receiving the event signals performs the steps of:
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identifying a performance data characteristic from the performance data; and
processing the data in accordance with the received real time deadline.
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Specification