Method and apparatus for policy-based alarm notification in a distributed network management environment

• US 6,373,383 B1
• Filed: 05/15/2000
• Issued: 04/16/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Aprisma Management Technologies Incorporated (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Tracy, William, Arrowsmith, Russell
• Primary Examiner(s): POPE, DARYL C
• Application Number:
  US09/571,625
• Time in Patent Office: 701 Days
• Field of Search: 340/506, 709/229, 709/224, 714/25, 714/39, 714/46, 714/48
• US Class Current: 340/506
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/042 comprising distributed management centres cooperatively managing the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0622 based on time
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0893 Assignment of logical groups to network elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0894 Policy-based network configuration management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0895 Configuration of virtualised networks or elements, e.g. virtualised network function or OpenFlow elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/16 using machine learning or artificial intelligence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]

Abstract

Apparatus and method for receiving alarms from multiple network management servers and applying a plurality of policy-based filters to the alarms. The filters may be named and stored in a database, and application of the policy-based filters may be scheduled for different times. The same policy-based filters may be applied to one or more multiple network management applications. The invention allows greater control over which alarms get reported to network management applications and provides a means to ensure consistency of reported alarms across multiple network management applications.

Claims

1. A method of alarm notification comprising actions of:

(a) receiving alarms from multiple network management servers;

(b) assigning policy-based filters to associated network management applications; and

(c) applying the assigned policy-based filters to the alarms and for the alarms which pass the filters, generating an alarm notification and forwarding the same to the associated network management application.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the action of assigning includes assigning a plurality of filters comprising a policy to the associated network management application.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein:

each filter comprises at least one filter parameter; and

the action of applying comprises performing a logical AND of all parameters within one filter and performing a logical OR between all filters within one policy.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein:

the action of generating includes specifying real-time values of each filter parameter in the alarm notification.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein:

the action of assigning includes storing a policy name and the associated applications in a database accessible to all servers.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the action of assigning includes assigning a tag to each filter.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein:

the action of generating includes specifying the tag for the filter which the alarm passed in the alarm notification.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the action of assigning includes storing the filters in a database.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the action of generating further includes specifying a user name in the alarm notification to enable the application which receives the alarm notification to notify a user having the specified user name.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the action of assigning includes scheduling the assigning to occur at a specified time.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

(d) following resolution of an alarm, forwarding an alarm clear message to the associated network management applications.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the action of assigning includes assigning the same filters to multiple associated network management applications.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the action of assigning is performed by a user via a graphical user interface.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the action of generating includes generating an alarm notification which contains information about the device which generated the alarm.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

one or more of the network management applications generating an alarm clear message and forwarding the same to the network management server which generated the alarm.

16. An apparatus for alarm notification comprising:

a database of policy-based filters;

a user interface for assigning policy-based filters to associated network management applications;

a processor and a memory device containing a program of instructions for the processor which instructions include;

means for receiving alarms from a plurality of network management servers;

means for applying policy-based filters to the alarms and generating an alarm notification for those alarms which pass the filters; and

means for forwarding the alarm notification to the associated network management applications.

17. A method for performing alarm notification comprising:

(a) receiving a plurality of alarms from a plurality of management servers;

(b) creating, in response to a user action, a plurality of policy-based filters; and

(c) applying the policy-based filters to the received plurality of alarms, generating an alarm notification and forwarding the same to at least one management application.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein the action of creating includes creating a plurality of filters comprising a policy.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein each filter comprises at least one filter parameter, and the action of applying comprises performing a logical AND of all parameters within one filter and performing a logical OR between all filters within one policy.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein the action of generating includes specifying real-time values of each filter parameter in the alarm notification.

21. The method according to claim 18, wherein the action of creating includes storing a policy name and at least one associated management application in a database accessible to all servers.

22. The method according to claim 17, wherein the action of creating includes assigning a tag to each filter.

23. The method according to claim 22, wherein the action of generating includes specifying the tag for the filter which the alarm passed in the alarm notification.

24. The method according to claim 18, wherein the action of creating includes storing the filters in a database.

25. The method according to claim 18, wherein the action of generating further includes specifying a user name in the alarm notification to enable an application which receives the alarm notification to notify a user having the specified user name.

26. The method according to claim 18, wherein the action of creating includes scheduling the creating to occur at a specified time.

27. The method according to claim 18, further comprising an action of (d) following resolution of an alarm, forwarding an alarm clear message to the at least one management application.

28. The method according to claim 18, wherein the action of creating includes assigning the same filters to multiple management applications.

29. The method according to claim 18, wherein the action of creating is performed by a user via a graphical user interface.

30. The method according to claim 18, wherein the action of generating includes generating an alarm notification which contains information about the device which generated the alarm.

31. The method according to claim 18, further comprising the at least one management application generating an alarm clear message and forwarding the same to the management server which generated the alarm.

32. The method according to claim 17, wherein the plurality of management servers are network management servers.

33. The method according to claim 17, wherein the at least one management application includes at least one network management application.