Communication system architecture, apparatus and management and signalling method therein

• US 6,356,627 B1
• Filed: 04/20/1999
• Issued: 03/12/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ciena Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nortel Networks Limited (Nortel Networks Corporation)
• Inventors: Hayball, Clive C, Prozeniuk, Perry L
• Primary Examiner(s): Kuntz, Curtis
• Assistant Examiner(s): Barnie, Rexford N
• Application Number:
  US09/295,196
• Time in Patent Office: 1,057 Days
• Field of Search: 379/112.01, 379/112.06, 379/126, 379/115.01, 379/133, 379/134, 379/137, 379/219, 379/221.1, 379/223, 379/225, 379/112.05, 379/112.04, 370/487, 370/489, 370/490, 370/298, 370/395, 370/400, 370/352
• US Class Current: 379/112.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5618 Bridges, gateways [GW] or interworking units [IWU]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/562 Routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5626 Network management, e.g. Intelligent nets
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/563 Signalling, e.g. protocols, reference model
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0226 Mapping or translating multiple network management protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/044 comprising hierarchical management structures
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/34 Signalling channels for network management communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/0478 Provisions for broadband connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0025 Provisions for signalling
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0062 Provisions for network management

Abstract

Constrained operation performance of exchanges (50) and switches (16, 216) of wireline communication systems (10) is mitigated and single entry point management of the system maintained through the provision of a distributed multi-service hub (MSH) sub-net (350) architecture in which individual MSHs (302-308) have hidden point codes (1001-1003). A signalling server (352) is able to translate an address of the MSH sub-net into a point code associated with an MSH entry point into the MSH sub-net, while dialled digit information pertaining to a service or party identifies a related MSH exit point from the MSH sub-net (350). A path can therefore be established, with the signalling server (352) further required to ensure that the hidden point code associated with the MSH exit point is translated back to the address of the MSH sub-net in onward routing of signalling messages to the dialled service or party.

An intermediate element manager EM² (312) isolates a management server OSS (54) from element managers (314-322) associated with the control of individual MSHs (302-310), with the intermediate EM² (312) therefore providing a single address point to the OSS (54) while itself appearing as an OSS to the element managers (314-322) of individual MSHs (302-310). Signalling and management functions can therefore be consolidated at the intermediate EM² (312) to increase efficiency and reduce overhead.

Claims

1. A communication system comprising:

a plurality of multi-service hubs (MSH), each MSH comprising an exchange having at least one multi-service platform (MSP), the exchange and the at least one MSP managed by an element manager that co-ordinates management thereof;

an operations and support system (OSS) providing a control interface to an operator of the communication system; and

an intermediate element manager coupled to each element manager in each MSH, the intermediate element manager further coupled to the OSS and configured to intercept system management information passed between the OSS and each of the element managers such that the intermediate element manager provides a single address point to the OSS while also appearing to be an OSS to each element manager in each MSH.

2. The communication system of claim 1, wherein the intermediate element manager comprises:

a memory containing a connection map; and

means, coupled to the connection memory, for stripping-out system addressing incident to the intermediate element manager from the OSS and for routing system management information to individual MSHs through use of the connection map.

3. The communication system of claim 1, wherein the intermediate element manager comprises:

means of consolidating information from each element manager in each MSH to the OSS, thereby ensuring that the OSS receives system management information from a single node only.

4. The communication system of claim 3, wherein each of the plurality of MSHs contains an associated call server, and the means of consolidating information consolidates, onto a single flow, at least one of:

log records from call servers and MSPs; and

performance measures from the call servers and MSPs, said the performance measures typically reflecting traffic flows, billing information and semi-permanent virtual channel set-up rates.

5. The communication system of claim 4, wherein the means for consolidating information further includes means for identifying affected/failed system entities by at least one of name and location.

6. The communication system of claim 1, the intermediate element manager further comprising means for queuing system management information and means for re-packaging said system management information into blocks of related data.

7. The communication system of claim 1, wherein the intermediate element manager is configured to strip-out superfluous data from messages communicated to it by the each of the element managers.

8. The communication system of claim 1, wherein the intermediate element manager further comprises means for translating artificial but assigned MSH addresses into system-wide addresses understandable by the OSS.

9. The communication system of claim 1, wherein the intermediate element manager further comprises means for performing additional management functionality.

10. The communication system of claim 9, wherein the intermediate element manager further comprises means for merging billing streams emanating from each MSH (314-322) to produce a network billing record.

11. The communication system of claim 4, wherein in the intermediate element manager further comprises means for correlating billing records from a plurality of call managers involved in a call across the communication system, thereby providing a single consolidated record for each call.

12. A method of managing a communication system comprising a plurality of multi-service hubs (MSH) each having an exchange with at least one multi-service platform (MSP), the exchange and the at least one MSP managed by an element manager that co-ordinates management thereof, the communication system further comprising an operations and support system (OSS) providing a control interface to an operator of the communication system and an intermediate element manager interconnecting each element manager in each MSH and the OSS, the method comprising:

restricting a passage of system management information between the OSS and selected ones of the plurality of element managers to a path via the intermediate network manager, such that the intermediate element manager provides a single address point to the OSS while also appearing to be an OSS to each element manager in each MSH.

13. The method of managing a communication system according to claim 12, the intermediate element manager comprises a memory containing a connection map, the method further comprising:

stripping-out system addressing incident to the intermediate element manager from the OSS; and

routing system management information to individual MSHs through use of the connection map.

14. The method of managing a communication system according to claim 13, further comprising:

in the intermediate element manager, consolidating information from each element manager in each MSH to the OSS, thereby to ensure that the OSS receives system management information from a single node only.

15. The method of managing a communication system according to claim 14, wherein each of the plurality of MSHs contains an associated call server, and the method of consolidating consolidates, onto a single flow, at least one of:

log records from call servers and MSPs; and

performance measures from the call servers and MSPs, said the performance measures typically reflecting traffic flows, billing information and semi-permanent virtual channel set-up rates.

16. The method of managing a communication system according to claim 14, wherein the consolidating information further includes identifying affected/failed system entities by at least one of name and location.

17. The method of managing a communication system according to claim 12, further comprising:

at the intermediate element manager, queuing system management information; and

re-packaging said system management information into blocks of related data.

18. The method of managing a communication system according to claim 12, further comprising:

at the intermediate element manager, stripping-out superfluous data from messages communicated to it by the each of the element managers.

19. The method of managing a communication system according to claim 12, further comprising:

at the intermediate element manager, translating artificial but assigned MSH addresses into system-wide addresses understandable by the OSS.

20. The method of managing a communication system according to claim 12, further comprising:

at the intermediate element manager, merging billing streams emanating from each MSH to produce a network billing record.

21. The method of managing a communication system according to claim 14, further comprising:

at the intermediate element manager, correlating billing records from a plurality of call managers involved in a call across the communication system, thereby providing a single consolidated record for each call.

22. The method of managing a communication system according to claim 14, further comprising:

associating a unique hidden point code with each of the plurality of multiservice service hubs (MSH); and

one of the steps of;

translating unique hidden point codes into an MSH sub-net address point code; and

communicating an indication of the hidden point codes to indicate to the OSS a relative billing level between different geographic areas serviced by different MSHs having different hidden point codes.

23. An intermediate element manager for a communication system comprising a plurality of multi-service hubs (MSH) each having an exchange with at least one multi-service platform (MSP), the exchange and the at least one MSP managed by an element manager that co-ordinates management thereof, the communication system further comprising an operations and support system (OSS) providing a control interface to an operator of the communication system, wherein:

the intermediate element manager is arranged to be coupled to each element manager in each MSH and also to be coupled to the OSS, the intermediate element manager configured to intercept system management information passed between the OSS and each of the element managers such that the intermediate element manager provides a single address point to the OSS while also appearing to be an OSS to each element manager in each MSH and such that the intermediate element manager relays system management information between the OSS to each element manager.

24. The intermediate element manager according to claim 23, further comprising:

a memory containing a connection map; and

means, coupled to the connection memory, for stripping-out system addressing incident to the intermediate element manager from the OSS and for routing system management information to individual MSHs through use of the connection map.

25. The intermediate element manager according to claim 23, further comprising:

means of consolidating information from each element manager in each MSH to the OSS 54, thereby ensuring that the OSS 54 receives system management information from a single node only.

26. The intermediate element manager according to claim 23, wherein each of the plurality of MSHs contains an associated call server, and the means of consolidating information consolidates, onto a single flow, at least one of:

log records from call servers and MSPs; and

performance measures from the call servers and MSPs, said the performance measures typically reflecting traffic flows, billing information and semi-permanent virtual channel set-up rates.

27. The intermediate element manager according to claim 25, wherein the means for consolidating information further includes means for identifying affected/failed system entities by at least one of name and location.

28. The intermediate element manager according to claim 23, further comprising means for queuing system management information and means for re-packaging said system management information into blocks of related data.

29. The intermediate element manager according to claim 23, wherein the intermediate element manager is configured to strip-out superfluous data from messages communicated to it by the each of the element managers.

30. The intermediate element manager according to claim 23, further comprising means for translating artificial but assigned MSH addresses into system-wide addresses understandable by the OSS 54.

31. The intermediate element manager according to claim 23, further comprising means for performing additional management functionality.

32. The intermediate element manager according to claim 23, further comprising means for merging billing streams emanating from each MSH (314-322) to produce a network billing record.

33. The intermediate element manager according to claim 26, further comprising means for correlating billing records from a plurality of call managers involved in a call across the communication system, thereby providing a single consolidated record for each call.