Providing network management access through user profiles

• US 7,280,529 B1
• Filed: 08/04/2000
• Issued: 10/09/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ciena Corporation
• Original Assignee: Ciena Corporation
• Inventors: Perry, James R, Perry, Thomas R, Black, Darryl, Snow, Kevin D
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, STEVEN H D
• Application Number:
  US09/632,954
• Time in Patent Office: 2,622 Days
• Field of Search: 370/254, 370/252, 709220-223, 709226-229, 709/217, 713200-202
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1433 during software upgrading
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2069 Management of state, configuration or failover
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99938 Concurrency, e.g. lock management in shared database
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99954 Version management

Abstract

The present invention provides a method for managing telecommunications networks through user profiles that establish management capabilities and lists of network devices capable of being managed through each user profile. Through profiles, users may be given controlled access to configure network devices, provision services or simply view the network devices, services or portions thereof. For example, customers may be enabled to view services dedicated to their particular networks while being simultaneously prevented from viewing services particular to other customer'"'"'s networks. This provides security while enabling controlled customer network management. In addition, profiles may be used to limit the management capabilities of network managers to only those network devices and capabilities for which each network manager is responsible and authorized. This controlled access again provides security and may prevent network outages due to inexperienced network management errors as well as simplify network management for each level of network manager. The user profiles may also be used to customize the user interface each user accesses to improve efficiency and ease of network management. Profiles may also be used to establish local network connections and set up appropriate network communication channels to improve the efficiency of user access.

Claims

1. A method of managing a telecommunications network, comprising:

generating a plurality of user profiles each providing a network management access to a user, each user profile defining network management capabilities assigned to a respective user for configuring one or more network devices;

generating a group access level for various management capabilities, wherein a level has a group name with an associated list of network devices;

listing the network devices and/or the group name being managed through the user profiles;

utilizing at least one of said user profiles to physically and logically configure one or more of said network devices within a scope of that profile, wherein at least one of enabling a network device port on the network device or provisioning a network path on a network device port is conducted; and

displaying a graphical user interface in accordance with the user profile, wherein the graphical user interface comprises a user-specific customized view with predefined network management capabilities, user-specific fields in the listing of network devices, and a custom presentation format.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein providing network management access further comprises:

receiving a user name and password; and

comparing the received user name and password against values stored within the user profile.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein defining management capabilities comprises:

assigning the group access level corresponding to specific management capabilities.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein assigning the group access level comprises:

assigning an administrator access level to permit a user to read and write physical and logical objects.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein assigning the group access level comprises:

assigning a provisioner access level to permit a user to read physical objects and read and write logical objects.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein assigning the group access level comprises:

assigning a customer access level to permit a user to read their logical objects.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein listing network devices comprises:

listing a telecommunication network address for each network device.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein listing network devices further comprises:

listing an SNMP community string for each network device.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein listing network devices further comprises:

listing an SNMP retry value for each network device.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein listing network devices further comprises:

listing an SNMP timeout value for each network device.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

designating a primary network management server associated with the user profile.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

designating a secondary network management server associated with the user profile.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

setting network management policy flags within the user profile.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein setting network management policy flags comprises:

setting a password control policy flag to enable a user to change a password within the user profile.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein setting network management policy flags comprises:

setting an account disabled policy flag to disable the user profile and prevent access.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein setting network management policy flags comprises:

setting an add device policy flag to enable a user to add network devices to the list of devices capable of being managed through the user profile.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of listing network devices further comprises listing, for each user profile, one or more network devices capable of being managed through that profile.

18. A method of managing a telecommunications network, comprising:

adding a user profile to a network management system comprising network devices;

editing parameters within the user profile to establish management capabilities assigned to one or more users associated with said user profile for physically and logically configuring one or more of said network devices;

assigning a group access level for various management capabilities, wherein a level has a group name with an associated list of network devices; and

listing the network devices and/or the group name being managed through the user profile, wherein at least one of enabling a network device port on the network device or provisioning a network path on a network device port is conducted; and

displaying a graphical user interface in accordance with the user profile, wherein the graphical user interface comprises a user-specific customized view with predefined network management capabilities, user-specific fields in the listing of network devices, and a custom presentation format.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the network management system includes a plurality of user profiles and where the method further comprises:

receiving a user name and password;

comparing the received user name and password against user names and passwords stored in the plurality of user profiles; and

displaying a user interface in accordance with a user profile including the received user name and password.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

receiving input from a user through the user interface; and

configuring a network device from the list of network devices within the user profile in accordance with the management capabilities in the user profile.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein configuring a network device comprises:

enabling a network device port on the network device.

22. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

receiving input from a user through the user interface; and

provisioning services within a network device from the list of network devices within the user profile in accordance with the management capabilities in the user profile.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein provisioning services within a network device comprises:

setting up a SONET path within the network device.

24. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

receiving user profile data from a user; and

modifying parameters within the user profile in accordance with the received user profile data.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising:

copying the user profile to another user profile; and

editing parameters within the other user profile to establish management capabilities and a list of network devices capable of being managed through the other user profile.