Method for the visual display of states of network elements of a network to be monitored, and also a monitoring device and program module therefor

• US 20030046386A1
• Filed: 07/23/2002
• Published: 03/06/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alcatel SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Alcatel SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Takats, Martin
• Granted Patent: US 7,111,241 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0609 based on severity or priority
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0622 based on time
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0062 Provisions for network management

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for the visual display of states of network elements of a network to be monitored in a monitoring device, the incoming notifications of a network element being evaluated and, therefrom, said network element being allocated a current state from a population of possible states, the number of uncleared notifications or uncleared notifications having certain criteria of a network element being determined at respective certain time intervals and a current state trend being determined therefrom, all the network elements or selected network elements being displayed as pictorial objects on a display screen and each pictorial object displaying at least the actual state and the state trend of the relevant network element, and also a monitoring device and a program module therefor.

Claims

1. Method for the visual display of states of network elements of a network to be monitored in a monitoring device, wherein the following steps are performed in any order:

the notifications received relating to a network element are evaluated and, therefrom, said network element is assigned a current state from a population of possible states,

the number of uncleared notifications or uncleared notifications having certain criteria of a network element is determined in each case at certain time instants and a current state trend is determined therefrom,

network elements are displayed as pictorial objects on a display screen and

each pictorial object displays at least the current state or the current state trend of the relevant network element.

2. Method according to claim 1, wherein on receipt of certain notifications or of notifications that fulfil defined criteria, a visual display of an indication of the receipt of said notification or of an item of information corresponding to said notification is automatically initiated on the display screen.

3. Method according to claim 1, wherein the content of at least one current notification, in particular the content of the last notification received, from a network element is displayed in a dialog window on the display screen if the relevant network element is selected by means of a display-screen cursor.

4. Method according to claim 1, wherein detailed trend information is displayed in a dialog window on the display screen if the relevant network element is selected by means of a display-screen cursor.

5. Monitoring device for monitoring a network comprising the following means:

receiving means for receiving notifications from network elements or for network elements of the network to be monitored,

allocation means for allocating a respective current state from a population of possible states for individual network elements,

determining means for determining the number of uncleared notifications or uncleared notifications having certain criteria from a network element at respective certain time instants,

calculating means for determining a current state trend from the numbers determined and

display means for displaying network elements as pictorial objects with a respective display at least of the current state or of the current state trend of the relevant network element on a display screen.

6. Program module for implementation in a monitoring device for monitoring a network having means for controlling the following steps:

the notifications received relating to a network element are evaluated and, therefrom, said network element is allocated a current state from a population of possible states,

the number of uncleared notifications or uncleared notifications having certain criteria from a network element are determined at respective certain time instants and a current state trend is determined therefrom,

network elements are displayed as pictorial objects on a display screen, and

each pictorial object displays at least the actual state or the actual state trend of the relevant network element.