Integrated access management of element management systems

• US 7,779,100 B2
• Filed: 06/14/2006
• Issued: 08/17/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sbc Knowledge Ventures, L.P.
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Jiang, Baofeng, Lim, Yew-Aik Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Bruckart; Benjamin R
• Assistant Examiner(s): Khajuria; Shripal K.
• Application Number:
  US11/452,319
• Publication Number:
  US 20070294379A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,525 Days
• Field of Search: 709/223, 709/224
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/04 Network management architectures or arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/34 Signalling channels for network management communication

Abstract

Access to network elements of a telecommunications network is integrated through a common access point by an integrated access application which receives a request for communication with a network element. An element management system (EMS) group, including at least one EMS server, associated with the network element is identified. The at least one EMS server is queried to identify an active EMS server and to determine whether the active EMS server has an available connection sufficient to support the request. When the active EMS server has the available connection, the request is sent over the available connection. When the active EMS server does not have the available connection, the request may be buffered and, after a predetermined time, it is again determined whether the active EMS server has the available connection. When the request is sent, it may be multiplexed with other requests over the same available connection.

Claims

1. A method for integrating access to network elements of a telecommunications network from at least one operation support system through a common integrated access computer system, the method comprising:

receiving, by the common integrated access computer system, a system request from an operation support system for communication with a network element, the system request comprising a transaction language command;

identifying, by the common integrated access computer system, an element management system group associated with the network element, the element management system group comprising at least one element management system server;

querying, by the common integrated access computer system, the at least one element management system server to identify an active element management system server in the element management system group;

determining a type of the active element management server;

determining at least one configuration constraint corresponding to the type of element management system server;

determining, by the common integrated access computer system, whether the active element management system server has an available connection sufficient to support the system request for communication with the network element based on the at least one configuration constraint; and

when the active element management system server has an available connection, the common integrated access computer system sending the system request for communication with the network element over the available connection, the sending the system request over the available connection comprising multiplexing the system request with at least one other request to the active element management system server;

when the active element management system server does not have an available connection and a time out has not occurred, the common integrated access computer system determining if an alternative active element management system server is available;

when a time out has not occurred and the alternative active element management system server does not have an available connection, the common integrated access computer system buffering the request for communication with the network element and again determining whether an active element management system server has the available connection after a predetermined time; and

when a time out occurs, the common integrated access computer system notifying the operation support system that a connection is not available.

2. The method according to claim 1, in which identifying the element management system group associated with the network element comprises querying a database of network elements and associated element management system groups.

3. The method according to claim 1, in which determining the type of the active element management system server comprises querying a database of element management system servers and associated types.

4. A method for integrating access to network elements of a telecommunications network from at least one client through a common integrated access computer system, the method comprising:

receiving, by the common integrated access computer system, a client command from a client, the client command, comprising a transaction language command, being directed to a network element in the telecommunications network;

identifying, by the common integrated access computer system, an element management system group associated with the network element;

identifying, by the common integrated access computer system, at least one active element management system server in the element management system group;

determining a type of the active element management system server;

determining at least one configuration parameter corresponding to the type of the active element management system server;

determining, by the common integrated access computer system, whether the active element management system server has at least one available connection having sufficient capacity to support the client command based on the at least one configuration parameter; and

when the active element management system server has the at least one available connection having sufficient capacity, the common integrated access computer system establishing a user session with the active element management system server over the at least one available connection and multiplexing the client command with at least one other command to send to the active element management system server over the available connection;

when the active element management system server does not have an available connection and a time out has not occurred, the common integrated access computer system determining if an alternative active element management system server is available;

when a time out has not occurred and the alternative active element management system server does not have an available connection, the common integrated access computer system buffering the command and again determining whether an active element management system server has the available connection after a predetermined time; and

when a time out occurs, the common integrated access computer system notifying the client that a connection is not available.

5. The method according to claim 4, in which the at least one other command is associated with another user session.

6. The method according to claim 4, in which identifying the at least one active element management system server comprises polling the at least one element management system server after receiving the client command.

7. The method according to claim 4, further comprising:

when the active element management system server does not have the at least one available connection, not sending the client command to the network element.

8. The method according to claim 4, in which determining the type of the active element management system server comprises querying a database of element management system servers and associated types.

9. A non-transitory computer readable medium that stores a computer program for integrating access to network elements of a communications network from at least one client through a common integrated accesser, the computer readable medium comprising:

a receiving code segment that receives, by the common integrated accesser, a client command from a client, the client command, comprising a transaction language command, being directed to a network element in the communications network;

a group identifying code segment that identifies, by the common integrated accesser, an element management system group associated with the network element;

an element management system identifying code segment that identifies, by the common integrated accesser, at least one active element management system server in the element management system group;

determining a type of the active element management system server;

determining at least one configuration parameter corresponding to the type of element management system server;

a determining code segment that determines, by the common integrated accesser, whether the active element management system server has at least one available connection having sufficient capacity to support the client command based on the at least one configuration parameter;

a connecting code segment that establishes, by the common integrated accesser, a user session with the active element management system server over the at least one available connection and sends the client command to the network element through the active element management system server when the active element management system server has the at least one available connection,

a multiplexing code segment that multiplexes the client command sent to the network element with other network commands;

an alternative connecting code segment that, when the active element management system server does not have an available connection and a time out has not occurred, determines if an alternative active element management system server is available,

a buffering code segment that, when a time out has not occurred and the alternative active element management system server does not have an available connection, buffers the client command and again determines whether an active element system server has an available connection after a predetermined time, and

a notification segment that, when a time out occurs, causes the common integrated management system to notify the client that a connection is not available.

10. The computer readable medium according to claim 9, further comprising:

a notifying code segment that notifies the client that the sending of the client command has been buffered.

11. A common integrated access apparatus for integrating operation support system access to network elements of a communications network comprising a plurality of network elements, the common integrated access apparatus comprising:

a first interface that interfaces with at least one operation support system;

a second interface that interfaces with a plurality of element management system groups, each element management system group comprising at least one element management system server and being configured to connect to at least one network element of the plurality of network elements; and

a processor that receives a system command, comprising a transaction language command, from the operation support system directed to a network element of the plurality of network elements from the at least one operation support system through the first interface, determines an element management system group from the plurality of element management system groups associated with the network element, identifies at least one active element management system server in the determined element management system group, determines a type of the active element management system server, determines at least one configuration parameter corresponding to the type of element management system server, and determines whether the active element management system server has at least one available connection having sufficient capacity to support the system command based on the at least one configuration parameter;

wherein, when the active element management system server has the at least one available connection having sufficient capacity, the processor establishes a session with the active element management system server over the at least one available connection through the second interface and sends the system command to the network element through the active element management system server, the sending comprising multiplexing the system command with at least one other command;

wherein, when the active element management system server does not have an available connection and a time out has not occurred, the common integrated access computer system determines if an alternative active element management system server is available;

when a time out has not occurred and the alternative active element management system server does not have an available connection, the common integrated access computer system buffers the request for communication with the network element and again determines whether an active element management system server has the available connection after a predetermined time; and

when a time out occurs, the common integrated access computer system notifies the operation support system that a connection is not available.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the determining the element management system group associated with the network element comprises querying a database of network elements and associated element management system groups.