Element management system for a digital subscriber line access multiplexer

• US 6,580,727 B1
• Filed: 08/20/1999
• Issued: 06/17/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/20/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Texas Instruments, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Texas Instruments, Inc.
• Inventors: Yim, Susan, Lu, Xiaolin
• Primary Examiner(s): Yao, Kwang Bin
• Application Number:
  US09/378,139
• Time in Patent Office: 1,397 Days
• Field of Search: 370/401, 370/402, 370/403, 370/404, 370/405, 370/463, 370/535, 370/536, 370/537, 370/538, 370/540, 370/542, 370/543, 370/544, 370/465
• US Class Current: 370/463
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/04 for time-division multiplexing H04Q11/0001 takes precedence

Abstract

An access multiplexer (10) for a digital subscriber line (DSL) communications network, having element management system (EMS) capability, is disclosed. A host computer (17) is coupled to the DSL access multiplexer (DSLAM) (10) over a serial interface (27, 28). A controller (25) of the DSLAM includes an EMS agent (60) for receiving command control and information request messages from the host computer (17) over the serial interface (27, 28). The EMS agent (60) issues signals to a software process, such as the DSL channel manager (38c) in response to such messages, and generates replies to the host computer (17) over the serial interface (27, 28) upon execution of the requested operation. The controller (25) also operates in response to command control and information request messages initiated at user computers (U) that reside on a network (14). A Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) agent (62) executed by the controller (25) receives SNMP messages over the network (14), and initiates the execution of a method routine (72) to obtain the requested information or effect the corresponding control. As a result, both a local host computer (17) and also users on a network (14) may monitor, manage, and control the operation of the DSLAM (10).

Claims

1. An access multiplexer system for processing data communications, comprising:

a multiplexer, comprising;

a plurality of interface circuits, each for coupling the multiplexer to a communications facility for the bidirectional communication of data with a client location;

signal processing circuitry, for performing digital operations upon data corresponding to signals received from client locations by way of the plurality of interface circuits and corresponding to signals to be transmitted to client locations by way of the plurality of interface circuits;

a network interface;

a local communications interface; and

a controller, coupled to the signal processing circuitry, to the network interface, and to the local communications interface, for controlling the communications between the signal processing circuitry and the network interface and for managing communications channels established at the plurality of interface circuits according to an element management system agent responsive to control command and information request messages received from the local communications interface, and for generating reply messages to the local communications interface responsive to said control command and information requests; and

a host computer, coupled to the local communications interface, programmed to execute an element management system service application to receive user inputs corresponding to management functions of the access multiplexer system, to generate control command and information request messages in response to such user inputs and output said control command and information request messages at the local communications interface, and to generate display information corresponding to reply messages received at the local communications interface.

2. The access multiplexer system of claim 1, further comprising a local area network coupled to the network interface of the multiplexer.

3. The access multiplexer system of claim 2, further comprising an Internet gateway coupled to the local area network.

4. The access multiplexer system of claim 2, further comprising:

a user computer, coupled to the local area network, and programmed to execute a network protocol element management system service application to receive user inputs corresponding to management functions of the access multiplexer system, to generate control command and information request messages in response to such user inputs and output said control command and information request messages to the local area network, and to generate display information corresponding to reply messages received at the local area network;

wherein the controller of the multiplexer is also for managing communications channels established at the plurality of interface circuits according to a network protocol agent responsive to control command and information request messages received from the network interface, and for generating reply messages to the network interface responsive to said control command and information requests.

5. The multiplexer system of claim 4, wherein the controller comprises a programmable device operable according to a plurality of software elements comprising:

a communications channel manager, for initializing and dropping communications channels, and for defining communications parameters for the communications channels;

a host port manager for controlling communications over the local communications interface; and

a network manager for controlling communications over the network interface;

wherein the controller operates according to the element management system agent to cause the communications channel manager to execute operations responsive to control commands and requests received at the local communications interface by the host port manager, and operates according to the network protocol agent to cause the communications channel manager to execute operations responsive to control commands and requests received at the network interface by the network manager.

6. The multiplexer system of claim 1, wherein the communications between the multiplexer and client locations are digital subscriber line communications.

7. The multiplexer system of claim 1, wherein the controller comprises a digital signal processor integrated circuit.

8. The multiplexer system of claim 1, wherein the local communications interface is a serial interface.

9. A method of controlling communications at an access multiplexer coupled to a plurality of client locations, and coupled to a network, comprising the steps of:

receiving a command control request at a host computer;

operating the host computer to communicate a command control request message to the access multiplexer over a local communications interface;

responsive to receiving the command control request message, parsing the command control request message within an element management system software agent;

operating the element management system software agent to cause a communications channel manager to execute the corresponding command control request and generate a reply;

receiving the reply at the element management software agent; and

generating a reply message to the host computer over the local communications interface.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

receiving a command control request at a user computer;

operating the user computer to communicate a command control request message to the access multiplexer over a local area network;

responsive to receiving the command control request message, decoding the command control request message within an network protocol software agent;

calling a method routine in the network protocol software agent corresponding to the command control request message;

causing the communications channel manager to execute the method routine called in the calling step;

encoding a reply at the network protocol software agent, corresponding to a result of the executed method routine; and

generating a reply message to the user computer over the local area network.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the command control request corresponds to the establishing of a communications channel at the multiplexer.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the command control request corresponds to the setting of a state of a communications channel at the multiplexer.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the command control request corresponds to a request for performance information regarding a selected communications channel at the multiplexer.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the command control request corresponds to a downloading of communications software to a device at a client location.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

responsive to the multiplexer operating at an alarm condition, operating the communications channel manager to issue an alarm to the element management system software agent; and

responsive to receiving the alarm, operating the element management system software agent to generate an alarm message to the host computer over the local communications interface.

16. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

responsive to the multiplexer operating at an alarm condition, operating the communications channel manager to issue an alarm to the network protocol software agent; and

responsive to receiving the alarm, operating the software agent to generate an alarm message to the user computer over the local area network.