Connection management system and graphical user interface for large-scale optical networks

• US 6,957,263 B2
• Filed: 11/19/2002
• Issued: 10/18/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Muniganti, Vinay, Lafontaine, Francois, Zhu, Kevin, Wang, Yalin, Galou, Salim, Levesque, Gilbert
• Primary Examiner(s): Etienne, Ario
• Assistant Examiner(s): EL CHANTI, HUSSEIN A
• Application Number:
  US10/300,096
• Publication Number:
  US 20040098474A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,064 Days
• Field of Search: 709217-220, 709222-225, 709227-228, 709/244, 709/230
• US Class Current: 709/227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0806 for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0873 Checking configuration conflicts between network elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0879 Manual configuration through operator
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]

Abstract

A network management system program and graphical user interface for large-scale optical networks is described. The network management system includes a connection management system that allows a user to manually configure connections among network elements within the network. The user defines general connection attributes within the network and adds network elements to the route or routes. The user provisions crossconnects within each network element to establish the route connections. The connection management system includes a validation function to verify the validity of the user defined connections. A graphical user interface comprises a portion of a network management system that controls a network comprising a plurality of coupled computers. The graphical user interface includes a first user input area within a first display window allowing a user to specify a network address for a source node, a second user input area within the first display window allowing the user to specify a network address for a destination node, and a third user input area within a second display window allowing the user to graphically select a connection between the source node and one or more destination nodes in the network. The network management system program includes a first database storing the selected connection as a pending connection, a second database storing the selected connection as an active connection upon activation by the user, and a program module establishing a physical connection between the source and destination nodes upon activation by the user.

Claims

1. A network management system for displaying connections associated with a network span coupling a first network element to a second network element, the system comprising:

a first user input area within a first display window allowing a user to specify a network address for a source network element;

a second user input area within the first display window allowing the user to specify a network address for a destination network element;

a third user input area within a second display window allowing the user to graphically select a connection between the source network element and one or more destination network elements in the network, wherein the connection is based on a timeslot of a physical link between the source and destination network element;

a first program module allowing the user to store the selected connection as a pending connection or an active connection;

a second program module establishing a physical connection between the source and destination nodes upon activation by the user;

a synchronization function correlating a display of transmission channels within the first display area with a display of reception channels in the second display area; and

a scrolling function configured to simultaneously scroll the display of the reception channels in the second display area in accordance with user scrolling of the display of the transmission channels in the first display area.

2. The network management system of claim 1 further comprising a third module for allowing the user to manually provision one or more crossconnects within each network element of the source network element and one or more destination network elements.

3. The network management system of claim 1 further comprising:

a validation module that automatically validates the connection to determine whether the connection attributes conform to predefined conditions; and

a storage module that stores the connection information for a validated connection in a database.

4. The network management system of claim 1 wherein the network comprises a Synchronous Digital Hierarchy network.

5. The network management system of claim 1 wherein the network comprises a Synchronous Optical Network comprising a plurality of networked nodes coupled through fiber optic links.