Method and apparatus for providing automated diagnostics of networks

• US 7,995,485 B1
• Filed: 12/31/2006
• Issued: 08/09/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hunt, Mark, Bajpay, Paritosh, Liu, Jackson, Dardashti, Mojgan, Qian, Zhiqiang, Anderson, Thomas, Bienfait, Roberta, Zinnikas, Michael John
• Primary Examiner(s): Vu; Huy D
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chery; Dady
• Application Number:
  US11/618,891
• Time in Patent Office: 1,682 Days
• Field of Search: 370/252, 370/253, 370/241, 370/216, 714/4, 714/25, 714/37, 714/39, 714/42, 714/43, 714/47, 709/223, 709/224, 709/232, 725/105, 725/100, 725/106, 725/109, 725/111, 725/116, 725/120
• US Class Current: 370/242
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0631 using root cause analysis; using analysis of correlation between notifications, alarms or events based on decision criteria, e.g. hierarchy, tree or time analysis
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5019 Ensuring fulfilment of SLA
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5032 Generating service level reports
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5074 Handling of user complaints or trouble tickets
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/091 Measuring contribution of individual network components to actual service level

Abstract

A method and system for providing automated diagnostics of networks using multiple physical channels are disclosed. For example, the method receives a ticket indicating a problem and attempts to identify at least one physical channel of the network that is a potential cause of the problem. The method runs at least one diagnostic test on the identified physical channel and reports a result of said diagnostic test.

Claims

1. A method for automatically diagnosing a problem in a network having a plurality of physical channels, comprising:

receiving a ticket indicating the problem for a logical channel, wherein the plurality of physical channels is grouped into the logical channel;

identifying a physical channel of the plurality of physical channels of the network that is a potential cause of the problem;

running a diagnostic test on the physical channel that is identified;

reporting a result of the diagnostic test;

comparing the physical channel that is identified with a reported physical channel in the ticket;

checking for a recorded alarm associated with the reported physical channel in the ticket;

logging an alarm if the recorded alarm is associated with the reported physical channel; and

changing a circuit identification in the ticket if there is no recorded alarm associated with the reported physical channel.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

verifying the network is compatible with the diagnostic test.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining if a working card and a protection card deployed in a provider edge router of the network are inactive.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifying comprises:

running a test script that determines a status of each of the plurality of physical channels; and

running an extended ping test script on each of the plurality of physical channels.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the identifying further comprises:

running a quick monitor test script for each of the plurality of physical channels; and

determining if the problem is associated with more than one of the plurality of physical channels.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the quick monitor test script tests a plurality of predefined test points in the network.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the reporting comprises notifying a party impacted by the problem.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon a plurality of instructions, the plurality of instructions including instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method for automatically diagnosing a problem in a network having a plurality of physical channels, comprising:

receiving a ticket indicating the problem for a logical channel, wherein the plurality of physical channels is grouped into the logical channel;

identifying a physical channel of the plurality of physical channels of the network that is a potential cause of the problem;

running a diagnostic test on the physical channel that is identified;

reporting a result of the diagnostic test;

comparing the physical channel that is identified with a reported physical channel in the ticket;

checking for a recorded alarm associated with the reported physical channel in the ticket;

logging an alarm if the recorded alarm is associated with the reported physical channel; and

changing a circuit identification in the ticket if there is no recorded alarm associated with the reported physical channel.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, further comprising:

verifying the network is compatible with the diagnostic test.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, further comprising:

determining if a working card and a protection card deployed in a provider edge router of the network are inactive.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the identifying comprises:

running a test script that determines a status of each of the plurality of physical channels; and

running an extended ping test script on each of the plurality of physical channels.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the identifying further comprises:

running a quick monitor test script for each of the plurality of physical channels; and

determining if the problem is associated with more than one of the plurality of physical channels.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the quick monitor test script tests a plurality of predefined test points in the network.

14. An apparatus for automatically diagnosing a problem in a network having a plurality of physical channels, comprising:

a processor configured to;

receive a ticket indicating the problem for a logical channel, wherein the plurality of physical channels is grouped into the logical channel;

identify a physical channel of the plurality of physical channels of the network that is a potential cause of the problem;

run a diagnostic test on the physical channel that is identified;

report a result of the diagnostic test;

compare the physical channel that is identified with a reported physical channel in the ticket;

check for a recorded alarm associated with the reported physical channel in the ticket;

log an alarm if the recorded alarm is associated with the reported physical channel; and

change a circuit identification in the ticket if there is no recorded alarm associated with the reported physical channel.