Method and apparatus for locating faults in an optical network
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A methods comprising:
- monitoring historic and current optical layer performances of at least some of a plurality of network elements (NEs) forming a communications path within a communications network to extract thereby historic and current measures of performances;
correlating a historic time trend for the historic measure of optical layer performance of each NE with a historic time trend of an end node performance measurement to identify thereby historic fault conditions associated with the monitored NEs;
identifying a historic underperforming NE using a respective historic time trend correlation;
correlating a current time trend for the current measure of optical layer performance of each NE with a current time trend of an end node performance measurement to identify thereby future fault conditions associated with the monitored NEs; and
predicting a future underperforming NE by comparing the current time trend correlation with the historic time trend correlation.
10 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Method and apparatus for fault localization in an optical network using time trend correlation of end node performance parameters and intermediate node performance parameters, such as QoS and quasi-Q factors, respectively. The method and apparatus are bit-rate and protocol independent, enabling testing for each channel of a diverse dense wavelength division multiplexed traffic system using a single set of hardware.
18 Citations
25 Claims
-
1. A methods comprising:
-
monitoring historic and current optical layer performances of at least some of a plurality of network elements (NEs) forming a communications path within a communications network to extract thereby historic and current measures of performances; correlating a historic time trend for the historic measure of optical layer performance of each NE with a historic time trend of an end node performance measurement to identify thereby historic fault conditions associated with the monitored NEs; identifying a historic underperforming NE using a respective historic time trend correlation; correlating a current time trend for the current measure of optical layer performance of each NE with a current time trend of an end node performance measurement to identify thereby future fault conditions associated with the monitored NEs; and predicting a future underperforming NE by comparing the current time trend correlation with the historic time trend correlation. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
-
-
15. A method, comprising:
-
monitoring historic and current optical layer performances for each of a plurality of intermediate network elements (NEs) in a communications path; monitoring historic and current quality of service (QoS) performances for an end NE in the communications path; and correlating historic time trend data for said monitored historic optical layer performance and said historic QoS performance; determining a NE proximate a historic degradation in said communications path using said changes in historic correlation; correlating current time trend data for said monitored current optical layer performance and said current QoS performance; and predicting a future underperforming NE by comparing the changes in current correlation with historic changes in correlation. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
-
-
21. A network manager for managing a plurality of network elements (NEs) in a communications system, said network manager performing the steps of:
-
receiving, from each of a plurality of intermediate NEs in a communications path, historic and current data indicative of respective optical layer performance; receiving, from an end node in said communications path, historic and current data indicative of a quality of service (QoS) performance level; correlating, for each of said plurality of intermediate NEs, historic time trend data of respective optical layer performance and historic end node QoS performance; in response to a degradation in said communications path, using said historic correlations to identify a NE proximate a historic degradation condition; correlating, for each of said plurality of intermediate NEs, current time trend data of respective optical layer performance and current end node QoS performance; and predicting a NE proximate a future degradation condition by comparing the current correlated time trend data with historic correlated time trend data. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24)
-
-
25. A computer readable medium for storing software instructions which, when executed, perform the steps of:
-
receiving current and historic optical layer performance data for each of a plurality of intermediate network elements (NEs) in a communications path; receiving current and historic quality of service (QoS) performance data for an end NE in the communications path; correlating historic time trend data for said monitored historic optical layer performance data and said historic QoS performance data; determining a NE proximate a historic degradation in said communications path using said changes in said correlation; correlating current time trend data for monitored current optical layer performance data and current QoS performance data; and predicting the NE proximate a future degradation by comparing the changes in the current correlation with historic time trend correlation.
-
Specification