Method and system for providing automated data retrieval in support of fault isolation in a managed services network

• US 8,738,760 B2
• Filed: 12/23/2005
• Issued: 05/27/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Atlassian US, Inc. (Atlassian Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Business Global LLC (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: White, Christopher Lawson, Smith, Stephen Michael, Spieker, Jonathan Lyle, Smith, Michael Robert, Morris, Joshua Jerome, Drescher, Richard Brian, Damle, Sanjiv Purushottam, Adams, JR., Frank Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Wang, Liangche A
• Assistant Examiner(s): NDIAYE, CHEIKH T
• Application Number:
  US11/317,893
• Publication Number:
  US 20060233310A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,077 Days
• Field of Search: 709/223, 709/224, 714/2, 714/43
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0233 Object-oriented techniques, for representation of network management data, e.g. common object request broker architecture [CORBA]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0659 by isolating or reconfiguring faulty entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/344 Out-of-band transfers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5003 Managing SLA; Interaction between SLA and QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5025 by proactively reacting to service quality change, e.g. by reconfiguration after service quality degradation or upgrade
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/507 Filtering out customers affected by service problems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5074 Handling of user complaints or trouble tickets
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/50 Testing arrangements

Abstract

An approach for supporting automated fault isolation is provided. An alarm is received indicating a fault within a customer network that includes one or more network elements. The customer network being monitored by a service provider. A script is retrieved for specifying a dialogue with the network elements for data collection. A command is transmitted to the customer network according to the one script to obtain data from the network elements, wherein the data is utilized to determine the fault. Further, a workflow event corresponding to the alarm is generated, wherein resolution of the fault is automated according to the workflow event.

Claims

1. A method for supporting automated fault isolation, the method comprising:

receiving at a service provider an alarm from a customer network indicating a fault within the customer network that includes one or more network elements, the customer network being monitored by the service provider, the service provider being remotely located from the customer network;

retrieving one of a plurality of scripts for specifying a dialogue with the network elements by the service provider for data collection;

transmitting a command from the service provider to the customer network according to the one script to obtain data from the network elements, wherein the data is utilized to determine the fault;

determining, via automation rules applied by at least one processor, how the determined fault will be repaired;

determining, via the at least one processor, whether to proceed with an automation process, based on a flag set in accordance with a customer preference; and

generating a workflow event corresponding to the alarm for resolving the fault if, based on the flag, the automation process is determined to proceed, wherein resolution of the fault is automated according to the workflow event.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the one script is created by a user associated with the customer network.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein the command is transmitted to a network management equipment configured to communicate with the network elements to obtain the data.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein one of the network elements is under control of the service provider, the one network element receiving the command.

5. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

initiating automated testing to resolve the fault as specified by the workflow event, wherein additional data is collected from the network elements after the testing.

6. A system for supporting automated fault isolation as a managed service by a service provider, the system comprising:

one or more processors configured to execute an automation engine, a command factory, and a workflow engine,

wherein the automation engine is configured to receive at the service provider an alarm from a customer network indicating a fault within the customer network that includes one or more network elements, and to retrieve one of a plurality of scripts for specifying a dialogue with the network elements by the service provider for data collection, the service provider being remotely located from the customer network,

wherein the command factory is configured to transmit a command from the service provider to the customer network according to the one script to obtain data from the network elements, wherein the data is utilized to determine the fault,

wherein automation rules applied by the one or more processors determine how the determined fault will be repaired;

wherein the one or more processors determine whether to proceed with an automation process, based on a flag set in accordance with a customer preference; and

wherein the workflow engine is configured to generate a workflow event corresponding to the alarm for resolving the fault if, based on the flag, the automation process is determined to proceed, wherein resolution of the fault is automated according to the workflow event.

7. A system according to claim 6, wherein the one script is created by a user associated with the customer network.

8. A system according to claim 6, wherein the command is transmitted to a network management equipment configured to communicate with the network elements to obtain the data.

9. A system according to claim 6, wherein one of the network elements is under control of the service provider, the one network element receiving the command.

10. A system according to claim 6, wherein the workflow engine is further configured to initiate automated testing to resolve the fault as specified by the workflow event, wherein additional data is collected from the network elements after the testing.

11. An apparatus for supporting automated fault isolation as a managed service by a service provider, the apparatus comprising:

a communication interface configured to transmit an alarm from a customer network to a network management platform operated by the service provider, the alarm indicating a fault within the customer network that includes one or more network elements, wherein the network management platform is configured to retrieve one of a plurality of scripts for specifying a dialogue with the network elements by the service provider for data collection, the service provider being remotely located from the customer network; and

a processor coupled to the communication interface and configured to receive a command at the customer network from the network management platform of the service provider according to the one script to obtain data from the network elements, wherein the data is utilized to determine the fault and the processor is further configured to determine, via automation rules, how the determined fault will be repaired;

to determine whether to proceed with an automation process, based on a flag set in accordance with a customer preference; and

to generate a workflow event corresponding to the alarm for resolving the fault, if, based on the flag, the automation process is determined to proceed, wherein resolution of the fault is automated according to the workflow event.

12. An apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the one script is created by a user associated with the customer network, the apparatus further comprising:

another communication interface configured to communicate with a computing apparatus to generate the one script.

13. An apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to convey the command to the network elements to obtain the data.

14. An apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the network management platform is further configured to initiate automated testing to resolve the fault as specified by the workflow event, wherein additional data is collected from the network elements after the testing.

15. An apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the scripts are stored in a database maintained by the service provider.