Self monitoring of managed entities in a telecommunication network

• US 8,787,178 B2
• Filed: 07/17/2008
• Issued: 07/22/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/20/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nokia Solutions and Networks US LLC (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Hirsch, Lucian
• Primary Examiner(s): Elliott, IV, Benjamin H
• Application Number:
  US12/669,870
• Publication Number:
  US 20100185901A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,196 Days
• Field of Search: 370/217, 370/222, 370/224, 370/236, 370/242, 370/249, 370/252, 370254-258
• US Class Current: 370/249
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0213 Standardised network management protocols, e.g. simple network management protocol [SNMP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/046 comprising network management agents or mobile agents therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/052 using standardised network management architectures, e.g. telecommunication management network [TMN] or unified network management architecture [UNMA]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/06 Management of faults, events, alarms or notifications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5012 determining service availability, e.g. which services are available at a certain point in time
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0805 by checking availability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/10 Active monitoring, e.g. heartbeat, ping or trace-route
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/50 Testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0062 Provisions for network management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/08 Testing, supervising or monitoring using real traffic

Abstract

It is described a method for monitoring the operational state of a telecommunication network (100) having a first level (110) comprising a plurality of managed entities (111) and a second level (120) comprising a management system (121) for the managed entities (111) of the first level (110). The described method comprises propagating a first notification (151) within the first level (110) from a first managed entity (111) to a second managed entity (111), and transmitting a second notification (161) from one of the plurality of managed entities (111) to the management system (121). The second notification (161) comprises an information being indicative for the operational state of at least one another of the plurality of managed entities (111). Preferably, the managed entities (111) are arranged within a closed loop (152) such that the first notification (151) is propagating along this loop (152). After a full turn of the first notification (151) the second notification (161) is transmitted indicating that all managed entities (111) are in operation. Further, it is described managed entity (111) and a telecommunication network (100), which are adopted for carrying out the described monitoring method.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring an operational state of a telecommunication network having a first level comprising a plurality of managed entities and a second level comprising a management system for managing the managed entities of the first level, the method comprising:

propagating a first notification of a first type within the first level from a first managed entity to a second managed entity via successive other managed entities back from the second managed entity towards the first managed entity;

transmitting a notification of a second type from one of the plurality of managed entities to the management system, the notification of a second type indicating that the first notification of a first type has propagated from the first managed entity to the second managed entity via successive other managed entities back to the first managed entity; and

once the first notification of the first type has been received by the first managed entity, propagating a second notification of the first type within the first level from a managed entity other than the first managed entity via successive other managed entities back towards the managed entity from which the second notification of the first type was propagated.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein, if all managed entities are in operation, the first notification of the first type is a notify-loopback notification, which is sequentially propagating from one managed entity to another managed entity in such a manner that a virtual loop is formed, wherein the virtual loop comprises each of the plurality of managed entities, and

the notification of the second type is a notify-cluster-in-operation notification reporting to the management system that all managed entities of the virtual loop are in operation.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein each of the plurality of managed entities subscribes for a notify-loopback notification from a respectively neighboring managed entity, and awaits a reception of the notify-loopback notification from the respectively neighboring managed entity within a loopback-period time span.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein an originator entity of the plurality of managed entities initiates the propagation of the notify-loopback notification.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the originator entity generates the notify-loopback notification, the notify-loopback notification comprising:

a notification type parameter identifying the notify-loopback notification as to represent a notify-loopback notification; and

an initiator parameter identifying the originator entity as the managed entity which has generated the notify-loopback notification.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein, when the originator entity has received the notify-loopback notification identifying the originator entity as the managed entity which has generated the notify-loopback notification, the originator entity transmits a notify-cluster-in-operation notification to the management system.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein, when the originator entity has transmitted a notify-cluster-in-operation notification to the management system, a further originator entity initiates the propagation of a further notify-loopback notification, whereby

within the virtual loop, the further originator entity is a neighbouring neighboring entity of the originator entity, and

the further notify-loopback notification comprises a further initiator parameter identifying the further originator entity as the managed entity which has generated the further notify-loopback notification.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein, when the originator entity has transmitted a notify-cluster-in-operation notification to the management system, the originator entity triggers the further originator entity in order to initiate the propagation of the further notify-loopback notification.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein each managed entity comprises a managing part and an agent part, whereby

the managing part is coupled to an agent part of another managed entity, which is located upstream with respect to the propagation direction of the first notification, and

the agent part is coupled to a managing part of a further another managed entity, which is located downstream with respect to the propagation direction of the first notification.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein, if one of the managed entities exhibits a failure,

the corresponding upstream neighboring managed entity transmits a first alarm message to the management system, the first alarm message indicating that the managing part of the one of the managed entities exhibits a failure, and

the corresponding downstream neighboring managed entity transmits a second alarm message to the management system, the second alarm message indicating that the agent part of the one of the managed entities exhibits a failure.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the downstream neighboring managed entity

generates a notify-loopback notification identifying the downstream neighboring managed entity as the managed entity which has generated this notify-loopback notification, and

transmits this notify-loopback notification to further managed entities being arranged further downstream with respect to the upstream neighboring managed entity.

12. The method according to claim 9, wherein, if the agent part of one of the managed entities exhibits a failure, the corresponding downstream neighboring managed entity transmits a second alarm message to the management system.

13. The method according to claim 9, wherein, if a transmission channel between the management system and one of the managed entities exhibits a failure, the management system records an absence of the notification of the second type from the one of the managed entities.

14. A managed entity for a telecommunication network, the managed entity being in connection with a management system and at least one further managed entity, each managed entity comprising at least a processor and a memory, and being configured to carry out the method as set forth in claim 1.

15. A telecommunication network for mobile terminal devices, comprising:

a management system; and

at least two managed entities as set forth in claim 14.