Method and apparatus for selecting network entities

• US 6,633,312 B1
• Filed: 10/19/1999
• Issued: 10/14/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: RPX Clearinghouse LLC (RPX Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nortel Networks Limited (Nortel Networks Corporation)
• Inventors: Wille, Allan, Rochford, Suzanne L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Luu, Sy D.
• Application Number:
  US09/420,424
• Time in Patent Office: 1,456 Days
• Field of Search: 345/733-739, 345/744, 345/764, 345/765, 345/810, 345/821-823, 345/835, 345/853, 345/854, 345/969, 709/220, 709/223, 709/224, 707/1, 707/3, 707/7, 707/10, 707/100, 707/104.1
• US Class Current: 715/736
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/069 using logs of notifications; Post-processing of notifications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0817 by checking functioning

Abstract

Network management can be made more efficient by using a graphical user interface that is clear and concise in what network information is identified and subsequently displayed. One key to improving graphical user interfaces is the categorizing of network entities into a series of attribute layers that define different features of the network entities. For instance, a layer of attributes may include geographical regions, services, customers, or types of network entities. By selecting a base view from the group of geographical regions and then network features for filtering operations from one or more of the other attribute layers, the network entities defined by the selected network features can be identified and isolated with all other irrelevant network entities being filtered out. The advantages to this graphical user interface is especially evident when considering the case that a specific customer, service, or network entity requires special attention. Other features of this interface include book marking, archiving, and monitoring specific views of a network based off a base view along with one or more filtered network features.

Claims

1. Within a Graphical User Interface (GUI), a method for electing a focused subset of a plurality of network entities comprising:

providing a categorization of each of the plurality of network entities according to a plurality of network features arranged within attribute layers, each attribute layer being defined by a respective containment hierarchy of network features;

receiving as focused network features a selection of at least one respective selected network feature for each of at least one of the attribute layers; and

identifying as said focused subset the network entities categorized with all of the focused network features.

2. A method according to claim 1 further comprising providing a selection mechanism for selecting between selecting any of said network features as a base view network feature, a filter network feature, and a highlight network feature.

3. A method according to claim 2, wherein at least one of the focused network features is selected as a base view network feature;

and

wherein the method further comprises identifying as a base view subset the network entities categorized with all of the base view network features.

4. A method according to claim 3, wherein at least one of the focused network features is selected as a filter network feature;

and

wherein the identifying said focused subset comprises identifying the network entities within the base view subset categorized with all of the filter network features.

5. A method according to claim 4, wherein if any of the base view network feature(s) are changed, the GUI is operable to require reselection of the filter network feature(s).

6. A method according to claim 4, wherein if any of the base view network feature(s) are changed, the GUI is operable to not require reselection of the filter network feature(s).

7. A method according to claim 4 further comprising displaying representations of the network entities of the focused subset.

8. A method according to claim 4 further comprising receiving as highlight network features a selection of at least one respective selected network feature for each of at least one of the attribute layers;

and identifying as a highlight subset the network entities within the focused subset categorized with all of the highlight network features.

9. A method according to claim 8 further comprising displaying representations of the network entities of the focused subset and visually distinguishing the representations of the network entities within the highlight subset when displaying the representations of the network entities within the focused subset.

10. A method according to claim 3, wherein at least one of the focused network features is selected as a filter network feature;

and

wherein the identifying said focused subset comprises identifying the network entities within the base view subset categorized with any of the filter network features.

11. A method according to claim 3 further comprising receiving as highlight network features a selection of at least one respective selected network feature for each of at least one of the attribute layers;

and identifying as a highlight subset the network entities within the focused subset categorized with all of the highlight network features.

12. A method according to claim 3, wherein one of the base view network features corresponds to a geographical region.

13. A method according to claim 1 further comprising displaying representations of the network entities within the focused subset.

14. A method according to claim 13, wherein the displaying representations of the network entities within the focused subset is done by producing a geographical view of the representations of the network entities within the focused subset.

15. A method according to claim 13, wherein the displaying representations of the network entities within the focused subset is done by producing a logical view of the representations of the network entities within the focused subset.

16. A method according to claim 13, wherein the displaying the network entities of the focused subset is done by producing a text list of the network entities within the focused subset.

17. A method according to claim 1 further comprising providing a selection mechanism for selecting each focused network feature to define one of a type or a geographical region within one of the attribute layers.

18. A method according to claim 1, wherein one of the attribute layers is defined by a containment hierarchy of geographical region network features.

19. A method according to claim 1, wherein one of the attribute layers is defined by a containment hierarchy of network features concerning types of services and specific services.

20. A method according to claim 1, wherein one of the attribute layers is defined by a containment hierarchy of network features concerning types of customers and specific customers.

21. A method according to claim 1, wherein one of the attribute layers is defined by a containment hierarchy of network features concerning types of network entities.

22. A method according to claim 1 further comprising saving the focused network features as a bookmark for reselection at a later time.

23. A method according to claim 1 further comprising saving the focused network features automatically as a history entry which can be reselected at a later time.

24. A method according to claim 1 further comprising monitoring network information pertaining to the network entities within the focused subset and reporting this information.

25. A method according to claim 24, wherein the reporting the network information comprises counting the number of errors or warnings corresponding to the network entities within the focused subset.

26. A method according to claim 25, wherein the reporting the network information further comprises reporting periodically the number of errors or warnings corresponding to the network entities within the focused subset.

27. A computer system adapted to implement the method of claim 1.

28. A Graphical User Interface (GUI) adapted to implement the method of claim 1.

29. A computer readable medium having software stored thereon for instructing a computer to implement a method according to claim 1.

30. A Graphical User Interface (GUI) that is arranged to have access to categorization information with regard to a plurality of network entities within a network, the categorization information for each of the plurality of network entities being a plurality of network features arranged within attribute layers, each attribute layer being defined by a respective containment hierarchy of network features;

wherein the GUI operates to receive as focused network features a selection of at least one respective selected network feature for each of at least one of the attribute layers; and

wherein the GUI is arranged to output the focused network features to an apparatus that operates to identify as a focused subset the network entities categorized with all of the focused network features.

31. An apparatus being controlled by control logic, the control logic operating to:

provide a categorization of each of a plurality of network entities according to a plurality of network features arranged within attribute layers, each attribute layer being is defined by a respective containment hierarchy of network features;

receive as focused network features a selection of at least one respective selected network feature for each of at least one of the attribute layers; and

identify as said focused subset the network entities categorized with all of the focused network features.

32. An apparatus according to claim 31, wherein the control logic further operates to provide a selection mechanism for selecting between selecting a base view network feature, a filter network feature, and a highlight network feature.

33. An apparatus according to claim 32, wherein at least one of the focused network features is selected as a base view network feature;

and

wherein the control logic further operates to identify as a base view subset the network entities categorized with all of the base view network features.

34. An apparatus according to claim 33, wherein at least one of the focused network features is selected as a filter network feature;

and

wherein the control logic operates to identify said focused subset by identifying the network entities within the base view subset categorized with all of the filter network features.

35. An apparatus according to claim 34, wherein the control logic further operates to display representations of the network entities of the focused subset.

36. An apparatus according to claim 34, wherein the control logic further operates to receive as highlight network features a selection of at least one respective selected network feature for each of at least one of the attribute layers;

and identify as a highlight subset the network entities within the focused subset categorized with all of the highlight network features.

37. An apparatus according to claim 36, wherein the control logic further operates to display representations of the network entities of the focused subset and visually distinguish the representations of the network entities within the highlight subset when displaying the representations of the network entities within the focused subset.