Method and apparatus for asynchronous alarm correlation

• US 8,018,859 B2
• Filed: 12/23/2008
• Issued: 09/13/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Lee, Herman, Lee, John, Blocker, Aaron, Tang, Sheauling, Chao, Chin-Wang, Ji, Wenwen
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham; Chi H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hom; Shick
• Application Number:
  US12/343,056
• Publication Number:
  US 20100157812A1
• Time in Patent Office: 994 Days
• Field of Search: 379/2
• 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 41/5074 Handling of user complaints or trouble tickets

Abstract

A method and apparatus for providing asynchronous alarm correlation in packet networks are disclosed. For example, the method receives a trigger, and performs an asynchronous correlation of at least one root cause alarm with at least one symptom alarm.

Claims

1. A method for providing an alarm correlation in a communication network, comprising:

receiving a trigger; and

performing an asynchronous correlation of a new root cause alarm with a symptom alarm, wherein the trigger comprises a reception of the new root cause alarm, wherein the performing the asynchronous correlation comprises;

creating a ticket for the new root cause alarm;

removing any symptom alarms that were previously stored in a correlation container that matches the new root cause alarm; and

inserting the new root cause alarm in the correlation container.

2. A method for providing an alarm correlation in a communication network, comprising:

receiving a trigger; and

performing an asynchronous correlation of a root cause alarm with a new symptom alarm, wherein the trigger comprises a reception of the new symptom alarm, wherein the performing the asynchronous correlation comprises;

suppressing the new symptom alarm if the new symptom alarm matches any root cause alarms stored in a correlation container; and

inserting the new symptom alarm into the correlation container if the new symptom alarm fails to match any root cause alarms stored in the correlation container.

3. A method for providing an alarm correlation in a communication network, comprising:

receiving a trigger; and

performing an asynchronous correlation of a stored root cause alarm with a symptom alarm, wherein the trigger comprises an end of a correlation life span time period for the stored root cause alarm in a correlation container, wherein the performing the asynchronous correlation comprises;

removing the stored root cause alarm from the correlation container.

4. A method for providing alarm correlation in a communication network, comprising:

receiving a trigger; and

performing an asynchronous correlation of a root cause alarm with a stored symptom alarm, wherein the trigger comprises an end of a correlation life span time period for the stored symptom alarm in a correlation container, wherein the performing the asynchronous correlation comprises;

promoting the stored symptom alarm to the root cause alarm in the correlation container; and

generating a ticket for the stored symptom alarm that has been promoted to the root cause alarm.

5. 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 providing an alarm correlation in a communication network, comprising:

receiving a trigger; and

performing an asynchronous correlation of a new root cause alarm with a symptom alarm, wherein the trigger comprises a reception of the new root cause alarm, wherein the performing the asynchronous correlation comprises;

creating a ticket for the new root cause alarm;

removing any symptom alarms that were previously stored in a correlation container that matches the new root cause alarm; and

inserting the new root cause alarm in the correlation container.

6. 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 providing an alarm correlation in a communication network, comprising:

receiving a trigger; and

performing an asynchronous correlation of a root cause alarm with a new symptom alarm, wherein the trigger comprises a reception of the new symptom alarm, wherein the performing the asynchronous correlation comprises;

suppressing the new symptom alarm if the new symptom alarm matches any root cause alarms stored in a correlation container; and

inserting the new symptom alarm into the correlation container if the new symptom alarm fails to match any root cause alarms stored in the correlation container.

7. 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 providing an alarm correlation in a communication network, comprising:

receiving a trigger; and

performing an asynchronous correlation of a stored root cause alarm with a symptom alarm, wherein the trigger comprises an end of a correlation life span time period for the stored root cause alarm in a correlation container, wherein the performing the asynchronous correlation comprises;

removing the stored root cause alarm from the correlation container.

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 providing an alarm correlation in a communication network, comprising:

receiving a trigger; and

performing an asynchronous correlation of a root cause alarm with a stored symptom alarm, wherein the trigger comprises an end of a correlation life span time period for the stored symptom alarm in a correlation container, wherein the performing the asynchronous correlation comprises;

promoting the stored symptom alarm to a root cause alarm in the correlation container; and

generating a ticket for the stored symptom alarm that has been promoted to the root cause alarm.

9. An apparatus for providing an alarm correlation in a communication network, comprising:

a processor configured to;

receive a trigger; and

perform an asynchronous correlation of a new root cause alarm with a symptom alarm, wherein the trigger comprises a reception of the new root cause alarm, wherein the processor is configured to create a ticket for the new root cause alarm, to remove any symptom alarms that were previously stored in a correlation container that matches the new root cause alarm, and to insert the new root cause alarm in the correlation container.

10. An apparatus for providing an alarm correlation in a communication network, comprising:

a processor configured to;

receive a trigger; and

perform an asynchronous correlation of a root cause alarm with a new symptom alarm, wherein the trigger comprises a reception of the new symptom alarm, wherein the processor is configured to suppress the new symptom alarm if the new symptom alarm matches any root cause alarms stored in a correlation container, and to insert the new symptom alarm into the correlation container if the new symptom alarm fails to match any root cause alarms stored in the correlation container.