Health checker for EMS CORBA notification listener

• US 7,191,228 B1
• Filed: 09/30/2002
• Issued: 03/13/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Antony, Sony, Tang, Harry
• Primary Examiner(s): Najjar, Saleh
• Assistant Examiner(s): Won, Michael
• Application Number:
  US10/259,616
• Time in Patent Office: 1,625 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/224, 709/232, 709/223, 714/4, 714/24, 714/47, 714/48, 710/15
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0233 Object-oriented techniques, for representation of network management data, e.g. common object request broker architecture [CORBA]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0681 Configuration of triggering conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0817 by checking functioning

Abstract

A system and method is described for checking the health status of a communication pathways between an EMS and a notification listener that receives notification signals from the EMS when changes have occurred in a downstream electronic system architecture.

Claims

1. A system for monitoring proper operation of a communication pathway between an EMS and an upstream notification listener, the system comprising:

at least two EMS wherein each EMS receives a notification signal transmitted by at least one electronic component when a change has been made in the electronic component;

a notification listener in communication with each EMS through a communication pathway, wherein the notification listener receives the notification signal from each EMS through its own communication pathway, and wherein the notification listener receives notification signals from all electronic components in communication with each EMS, translates each notification signal into a universally understandable format, and forwards the translated notification signals to a network management system application, wherein the translated notification signals are automatically forwarded to the network management system application and wherein the notification signals communicate changes in network creation and deletion notifications, configuration changes of asymmetric digital subscriber line network equipment, network equipment faults, and network equipment alarms;

a health checker in communication with each EMS via the notification listener, wherein the health checker monitors the health status of the communication pathways by transmitting a health status signal to each EMS and detecting a reply signal from each EMS; and

a command interface in communication with the notification listener and the health checker, wherein the command interface controls the notification listener and wherein the command interface is utilized to perform at least one of changing, adding, and deleting the communication pathways to the notification listener.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of EMS, each in communication with the notification listener, and wherein each EMS has its own unique alphanumeric string that is communicated back to the health checker upon detecting the health status signal from the health checker.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the health checker determines that a particular communication pathway between a particular EMS and the notification listener is non-operational when the particular EMS does not reply with its unique alphanumeric string when the health status signal is transmitted to the particular EMS from the health checker.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein communication pathways between system elements utilize a universally understandable format based on an object-oriented language.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the universally understandable format is CORBA interface.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the health checker periodically and continuously transmits the health status signals to any EMS that should be in communication with the notification listener to constantly monitor the communication pathway between any EMS and the notification listener.

10. The system of claim 2, wherein communication pathways between system elements utilize a universally understandable format based on an object-oriented language.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the universally understandable format is CORBA interface.

7. A system for checking the health status of an architecture for relaying information relating to changes in electronic architecture configurations, the system comprising:

a plurality of EMS wherein each EMS receives notification signals transmitted by a plurality of electronic components when a change has been made in an electronic component;

means for receiving in communication with each EMS through a synchronous and an asynchronous communication pathway, the means for receiving receives the notification signal from each EMS and translates it into a universally understandable format, wherein the translated notification signals are automatically forwarded to a network management system and wherein the notification signals communicate changes in network creation and deletion notifications, configuration changes of asymmetric digital subscriber line network equipment, network equipment faults, and network equipment alarms;

means to queue the translated messages after being received in communication with the means for receiving;

means to control and filter the translated notification messages in communication with the means for receiving;

means for checking and establishing the proper operation of the communication pathways; and

a command interface in communication with the means for receiving and the means for checking, wherein the command interface controls the means for receiving and wherein the command interface is utilized to perform at least one of changing, adding, and deleting the communication pathways in communication with the means for receiving and each EMS.

8. The system of claim 7, further comprising:

the plurality of EMS, each in communication with the means for receiving, and wherein each EMS has its own unique alphanumeric string that is communicated back to the means for checking upon detecting a health status signal from the means for checking.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the means for checking determines that a particular communication pathway between a particular EMS and the means for receiving is non-operational when the particular EMS does not reply with its unique alphanumeric string when the health status signal is transmitted to the particular EMS from the means for checking.

12. The system of claim 7, wherein the means for checking periodically and continuously transmits the health status signals to any EMS that should be in communication with the means for receiving to constantly monitor the communication pathways between any EMS and the means for receiving.