Method and apparatus for providing internet protocol call signaling network assurance

• US 8,437,246 B1
• Filed: 12/30/2005
• Issued: 05/07/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Croak, Marian, Eslambolchi, Hossein
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Hemant
• Application Number:
  US11/323,025
• Time in Patent Office: 2,685 Days
• Field of Search: 379/27.02, 379/27.03, 379/27.04, 379 101- 35, 379 671- 8828, 379111-1121, 379/201.01, 379219-337, 379350-386, 340 31- 332, 340500-534, 370351-356, 370216-253, 370259-271, 370229-258, 709201-248, 348 1401- 1416, 455423-425, 702 57-126
• US Class Current: 370/216
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0654 using network fault recovery ring fault isolation or reconfiguration in loop networks without recovery actions by a network management system H04L12/437
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0661 by reconfiguring faulty entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/16 Threshold monitoring

Abstract

A method and apparatus for alarming on all signaling protocol messages that fail in substantial numbers on any particular routes within an IP network are disclosed. For example, upon receiving these alarms, the network will attempt to identify, and to correct the error producing conditions to prevent further call signaling message failures.

Claims

1. A method for providing call signaling network assurance in a communication network, comprising:

monitoring, by a processor, a health status of a plurality of network elements and network routes that are interconnecting the plurality of network elements in the communication network, wherein the health status of each of the plurality of network elements and the network routes is monitored via signaling failure alarms that are generated by the plurality of network elements and sent from the plurality of network elements, wherein each of the plurality of network elements is used to support a call initiated by a subscriber in the communication network;

determining, by the processor, if a number of the signaling failure alarms received by for a network element of the plurality of network elements exceeds a predefined alarm threshold, wherein the predefined alarm threshold is a ratio of a number of blocked calls against a call volume in a predefined period of time;

analyzing, by the processor, the signaling failure alarms after it is determined that the predefined alarm threshold is exceeded; and

performing, by the processor, a corrective action in the communication network, wherein the corrective action comprises resetting a call signaling message queue.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication network is an internet protocol network.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the health status of each of the plurality of network elements and the network routes is monitored by a network management system.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the predefined alarm threshold is a configurable parameter set by a network provider.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the performing comprises:

identifying a root cause of the alarm threshold being exceeded; and

performing the corrective action on a network element that is identified as the root cause of the alarm threshold being exceeded.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the corrective action further comprises:

failing over to a redundant network element.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the corrective action further comprises:

replacing a network link.

7. A tangible computer-readable medium storing a plurality of instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations for providing call signaling network assurance in a communication network, the operations comprising:

monitoring a health status of a plurality of network elements and network routes that are interconnecting the plurality of network elements in the communication network, wherein the health status of each of the plurality of network elements and the network routes is monitored via signaling failure alarms that are generated by the plurality of network elements and sent from the plurality of network elements, wherein each of the plurality of network elements is used to support a call initiated by a subscriber in the communication network;

determining if a number of the signaling failure alarms received for a network element of the plurality of network elements exceeds a predefined alarm threshold, wherein the predefined alarm threshold is a ratio of a number of blocked calls against a call volume in a predefined period of time;

analyzing the signaling failure alarms after it is determined that the predefined alarm threshold is exceeded; and

performing a corrective action in the communication network, wherein the corrective action comprises resetting a call signaling message queue.

8. The tangible computer-readable medium of claim 7, wherein the communication network is an internet protocol network.

9. The tangible computer-readable medium of claim 7, wherein the health status of each of the plurality of network elements and the network routes is monitored by a network management system.

10. The tangible computer-readable medium of claim 7, wherein the predefined alarm threshold is a configurable parameter set by a network provider.

11. The tangible computer-readable medium of claim 7, wherein the performing comprises:

identifying a root cause of the alarm threshold being exceeded; and

performing the corrective action on a network element that is identified as the root cause of the alarm threshold being exceeded.

12. The tangible computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the corrective action further comprises:

failing over to a redundant network element.

13. An apparatus for providing call signaling network assurance in a communication network, comprising:

a processor; and

a computer-readable medium storing a plurality of instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations, the operations comprising;

monitoring a health status of a plurality of network elements and network routes that are interconnecting the plurality of network elements in the communication network, wherein the health status of each of the plurality of network elements and the network routes is monitored via signaling failure alarms that are generated by the plurality of network elements and sent from the plurality of network elements, wherein each of the plurality of network elements is used to support a call initiated by a subscriber in the communication network;

determining if a number of the signaling failure alarms received for a network element of the plurality of network elements exceeds a predefined alarm threshold, wherein the predefined alarm threshold is a ratio of a number of blocked calls against a call volume in a predefined period of time;

analyzing the signaling failure alarms after it is determined that the predefined alarm threshold is exceeded; and

performing a corrective action in the communication network,

wherein the corrective action comprises resetting a call signaling message queue.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the communication network is an internet protocol network.