Methods and systems for verifying EMS compliance via NMS interface

• US 7,174,555 B2
• Filed: 07/08/2002
• Issued: 02/06/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: SBC Properties, L.P.
• Original Assignee: SBC Properties, L.P.
• Inventors: Yasrebi, Mehrad, Yampanis, Mark, Freede Garbanati, Linda Jean
• Primary Examiner(s): Thomson; William
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ho; Andy
• Application Number:
  US10/191,785
• Publication Number:
  US 20040005038A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,674 Days
• Field of Search: 719/318, 719/310, 719/311, 719/313, 719/328, 719/330, 714/30, 714/32, 714/33, 714/37, 714/48, 714/741, 709/220, 709/222, 709/223, 709/225, 709/227
• US Class Current: 719/313
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/02 Standardisation; Integration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/50 Testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/2254 in networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0087 Network testing or monitoring arrangements

Abstract

A test harness tests an element management system (EMS) via a network management system (NMS) interface for compliance with a particular interface standard. The test harness may be used by a party other than a vendor of the EMS to verify compliance of the EMS to the particular interface standard, such as Q.834.4.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

translating test scripts defining one or more tests in an interface standard into sequences of Common Object Request Broker Architecture (CORBA) messages;

executing the CORBA messages to test an element management system (EMS) via a network management service (NMS) interface for compliance with the interface standard; and

determining whether the EMS is compliant with the interface standard based on responses to the CORBA messages received from the EMS.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the interface standard is based on Q.834.4.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said testing is performed by a party other than a vendor of the EMS.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the party other than the vendor of the EMS comprises a customer of the EMS.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein the party other than the vendor of the EMS comprises a carrier network.

6. The method of claim 3 wherein the party other than the vendor of the EMS comprises a service provider.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein determining whether the EMS is compliant with the interface standard comprises:

determining whether initialization actions required of the EMS on startup are performed correctly.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein executing the CORBA messages to test an element management system (EMS) via a network management service (NMS) interface causes acts of:

creating a naming hierarchy structure in a naming service;

creating at least one event channel and registering the at least one event channel with the naming service;

starting the EMS;

determining whether at least one NMS interface object associated with the at least one event channel has been properly registered using the naming service; and

determining whether the EMS has registered as an event supplier for the at least one event channel using a notification service.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein executing the CORBA messages to test an element management system (EMS) via a network management service (NMS) interface causes acts of:

testing whether one or more valid method invocations cause expected results.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein executing the CORBA messages to test an element management system (EMS) via a network management service (NMS) interface causes acts of:

testing whether one or more invalid method invocations raises a proper exception.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein executing the CORBA messages to test an element management system (EMS) via a network management service (NMS) interface causes acts of:

performing every operation defined by an EMS-NMS interface definition language (IDL) interface specification of the interface standard.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein executing the CORBA messages to test an element management system (EMS) via a network management service (NMS) interface causes acts of:

determining whether the EMS responds appropriately to at least one external stimulus from a network element.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein executing the CORBA messages to test an element management system (EMS) via a network management service (NMS) interface causes acts of:

providing a simulated network error condition to the EMS;

receiving an alarm event sent by the EMS in response to the simulated network error condition;

determining whether the alarm event is appropriate for the simulated network error condition.

26. The method of claim 1, wherein executing the CORBA messages to test the EMS via the NMS interface comprises performing at least one of an initialization test, an interface test, a NMS action, and a EMS action.

14. An apparatus comprising:

a test harness which interfaces with a network management service (NMS) interface of an element management system (EMS), the test harness having an NMS client to test the EMS via the NMS interface for compliance with a interface standard;

wherein the test harness is operative to translate test scripts defining one or more tests in the interface standard into sequences of Common Object Request Broker Architecture (CORBA) messages, to execute the CORBA messages to test the EMS via the NMS interface for compliance with the interface standard, and to determine whether the EMS is compliant with the interface standard based on responses to the CORBA messages received form the EMS.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the interface standard is based on Q.834.4.

16. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the NMS client is further operative to determine whether initialization actions required of the EMS on startup are performed correctly.

17. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein test harness further comprises:

a naming service having a naming hierarchy structure and having at least one event channel registered therewith; and

a notification service.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein upon starting the EMS the test harness is further operative to determine whether at least one NMS interface object associated with the at least one event channel has been properly registered using the naming service, and to determine whether the EMS has registered as an event supplier for the at least one event channel using the notification service.

19. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the test harness is further operative to test whether one or more valid method invocations to the EMS cause expected results.

20. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein the test harness is further operative to test whether one or more invalid method invocations to the EMS raises a proper exception.

21. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the test harness is further operative to generate an operation invocation.

22. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the test harness is further operative to determine whether the EMS responds appropriately to at least one external stimulus from a network element.

23. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the test harness is further operative to provide a simulated network error condition to the EMS, receive an alarm event sent by the EMS in response to the simulated network error condition, and determine whether the alarm event is appropriate for the simulated network error condition.

24. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the test harness is further operative to provide an actual network error condition to the EMS, receive an alarm event sent by the EMS in response to the actual network error condition, and determine whether the alarm event is appropriate for the actual network error condition.

25. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein executing the CORBA messages to test the EMS comprises performing at least one of an initialization test, an interface test, a NMS action, and a EMS action.

27. A computer-readable storage medium comprising a set of instructions to direct a computer system to perform acts of:

translating test scripts defining one or more tests in an interface standard into sequences of Common Object Request Broker Architecture (CORBA) messages;

executing the CORBA messages to test an element management system (EMS) via a network management service (NMS) interface for compliance with the interface standard; and

determining whether the EMS is compliant with the interface standard based on responses to the CORBA messages received from the EMS.