Use of an identification information in a network management

• US 8,918,491 B2
• Filed: 12/15/2006
• Issued: 12/23/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nokia Solutions and Networks GmbH & Co. KG (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Solutions and Networks GmbH & Co. KG (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Pollakowski, Olaf, Ulrich, Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Phuoc
• Assistant Examiner(s): John, Clarence
• Application Number:
  US12/223,165
• Publication Number:
  US 20100293260A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,930 Days
• Field of Search: 709204-207, 709212-216, 709/223, 707/611, 707/621
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/00 Arrangements for maintenance, administration or management of data switching networks, e.g. of packet switching networks
• 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: H04Q 3/0062 Provisions for network management

Abstract

A method for the operation of network management systems, according to which values of attributes relating to an element are presented to a first manager and values of attributes relating to an element, which correspond to the values of the first manager, are presented to a second manager. The first and second manager determine the same identification information according to the same rule and using at least some of the values as well as store said identification information independently from a modification of the values of attributes relating to the respective element. The identification information is used during communication between the first manager and the second manager for identifying the element.

Claims

1. A method for the operation of at least two network management systems, comprising:

presenting values of attributes relating to an element to a first network management device that is provided for managing elements in a first network management system;

presenting a copy of the values of attributes relating to the element to a second network management device that is provided for managing elements in a second network management system, the elements in the first and second network management systems supporting communications between at least two terminal devices via a telecommunications network;

generating, by each of the first network management device and the second network management device, an identification information item according to an original configuration of the element using at least some of the values of attributes relating to the element, the identification information item generated by the first network management device and the identification information item generated by the second network management device being the same;

storing, by the first network management device and the second network management device, the respective identification information items, the information items being stored independently of a change in values of attributes relating to the element;

conveying, to the second network management device, the change of values, presented to the first network management device, of the attributes relating to the element using the identification information items during a communication between the first network management device and the second network management device; and

changing, by the second network management device, the values, presented to the second network management device, of the attributes relating to the element, exclusively based on the change of values conveyed to the second network management device by the communication between the first and second network management devices.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the identification information items generated each comprise a single variable.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein a combination of values of attributes is generated as identification information items.

4. The method as claimed in claim 3, wherein the identification information items are generated using a hash function.

5. The method as claimed in claim 4, wherein the communication between the first network management device and the second network management device involves a synchronization of values of attributes relating to the element.

6. The method as claimed in claim 5, wherein

the first network management device determines further identification information items and conveys them to the second network management device in the context of the communication, and

the further identification information items are used during a further communication between the first network management device and the second network management device for identifying the element.

7. The method as claimed in claim 6, wherein the first network management device functions as a manager with respect to the element, while the second network management device functions as a manager exclusively with respect to other elements.

8. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the first network management device and the second network management device are parts of mutually different network management systems.

9. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the element is a radio cell of a mobile radio communication system.

10. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein a combination of values of attributes is generated as identification information items.

11. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the identification information items are generated using a hash function.

12. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the communication between the first network management device and the second network management device involves a synchronization of values of attributes relating to the element.

13. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein

the first network management device determines further identification information items and conveys them to the second network management device in the context of the communication, and

the further identification information items are used during a further communication between the first network management device and the second network management device for identifying the element.

14. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first network management device functions as a manager with respect to the element, while the second network management device functions as a manager exclusively with respect to other elements.

15. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first network management device and the second network management device are parts of mutually different network management systems.

16. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the element is a radio cell of a mobile radio communication system.

17. A method for the operation of at least two network management systems, comprising:

presenting values of attributes relating to an element representing a resource of a telecommunications network to a first network management device that is provided for managing elements in a first network management system, the element being managed by the first network management device;

presenting a copy of the values of attributes relating to the element to a second network management device that is provided for managing elements in a second network management system, the elements in the first and second network management systems supporting communications between at least two terminal devices via the telecommunications network;

generating, by the first network management device and the second network management device, respective first and second identification information items according to an original configuration of the element using at least some of the values of attributes relating to the element, the first identification information item generated by the first network management device and the second identification information item generated by the second network management device being the same and the first identification information item and the second identification information item representing an identity of the element in the management systems;

storing, by the first network management device and the second network management device, the respective identification information items, the information items being stored independently of a change in values of attributes relating to the element;

using the identification information items during a communication between the first network management device and the second network management device to identify the element to enable the second network management device to interrogate the first network management device in respect of at least one attribute of the element;

conveying, to the second network management device, the change of values, presented to the first network management device, of the attributes relating to the element; and

changing, by the second network management device, the values, presented to the second network management device, of the attributes relating to the element, exclusively based on the change of values conveyed to the second network management device.

18. A network management device capable of managing elements in a network management system managing a telecommunications network providing communication between terminal devices, said network management device comprising:

a store to store values of attributes relating to an element managed by the network management device received by the network management device, the element representing a resource of the telecommunications network supporting communications between at least two of the terminal devices;

an identification information item generator to generate an internally generated identification information item according to an original configuration of the element using at least some of the values of attributes relating to the element, the internally generated identification information item representing an identity of the element in the management system;

a store to store the internally generated identification information item, the internally generated information item being stored independently of a change in values of attributes relating to the element;

an input to receive in a communication from an external management entity in another network management system an externally generated identification information item generated by the external management entity according to an original configuration of the element using at least some of the values of attributes relating to the element, the externally generated identification information element representing an identity of the element in the other management system and being the same as the internally generated identification information element;

an interrogation handler to use the internally generated identification information element and the externally generated identification information element to identify the element to enable the external management entity to interrogate the network management device in respect of at least one attribute of the element; and

a processor to change values, presented to the network management device, of attributes relating to the element exclusively based on the change, conveyed to the network management device, of values presented to the external management entity.