System and method for unreported root cause analysis

• US 6,072,777 A
• Filed: 06/28/1996
• Issued: 06/06/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: MCI Communications Corporation (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Brownmiller, Curtis, Tran, Minh T., Bencheck, Michael, DeMoss, Mark, Branton, Robert, Landon, Steve
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Chi H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, STEVEN H D
• Application Number:
  US08/668,516
• Time in Patent Office: 1,439 Days
• Field of Search: 370/241, 370/242, 370/246, 370/247, 370/248-250, 370/465, 370/466, 370/522, 340/521-523, 340/825.66, 340/825.01, 340/825.06, 364/514 B, 371/20.1, 371/20.2, 714/43, 714/47
• US Class Current: 370/244
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0631 using root cause analysis; using analysis of correlation between notifications, alarms or events based on decision criteria, e.g. hierarchy, tree or time analysis
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/147 for predicting network behaviour
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5003 Managing SLA; Interaction between SLA and QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5029 Service quality level-based billing, e.g. dependent on measured service level customer is charged more or less
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/00 Arrangements for monitoring or testing data switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0811 by checking connectivity

Abstract

A system and method for determining a root cause of error activity in a network is described herein. Root cause analysis includes the correlation between reported error activity for path, line and section entities along a provisioned channel in the network. Root causes can also be identified based upon the correlation of simultaneous error activity on various signal transport levels. Finally, root cause analysis can correlate error activity along various path entities.

Claims

1. A method, in a layer of a network, management system, for identifying a root cause of a problem in a provisioned channel in a network, the provisioned channel being routed through a plurality of network elements, the method comprising the steps of:

(1) receiving performance monitoring data gathered for section, line and path entities by a plurality of monitoring points during, a monitoring period, each of said plurality of monitoring points being associated with a network element; and

(2) identifying a correlation between any error activity in said section, line and path entities as indicated by said performance monitoring data that is received from at least two different ones of said plurality of monitoring points to locate a root cause of a problem in either said section, line or path entities of the provisioned channel.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said step (2) comprises the steps of:

(a) analyzing performance monitoring data at a first signal transport level reported from a first monitoring point to determine whether a potential problem exists;

(b) identifying a second signal transport level that experiences corresponding error activity, said error activity being reported by a second monitoring point, wherein said first signal transport level is mapped into said second signal transport level; and

(c) identifying a third monitoring point upstream of said second monitoring point that reports corresponding error activity.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said step (b) is repeated until a highest transport level is identified.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising the step of discontinuing further processing for problem alert signals that are received by the layer in the network management system from monitoring points downstream from said first monitoring point, wherein said problem alert signals correspond to the error activity reported by said first monitoring point.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said step (2) comprises the steps of:

(a) analyzing performance monitoring data reported by a monitoring point associated with a line entity to determine whether a potential problem exists;

(b) determining whether said line entity includes a plurality of section entities;

(c) determining whether a monitoring point associated with a section entity within said line entity has reported corresponding error activity; and

(d) initiating a problem handling process for said section entity, if a monitoring point associated with a section entity has reported corresponding error activity.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising the step of:

(e) initiating a problem handling process for said line entity, if a monitoring point associated with a section entity has not reported corresponding error activity.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising a step before said step (b) of determining the topology of the line entity.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said step (2) comprises the steps of:

(a) analyzing performance monitoring data reported by a monitoring point associated with a path entity to determine whether a potential problem exists;

(b) determining whether said path entity includes a plurality of line entities;

(c) determining whether a monitoring point associated with a line entity within said path entity has reported corresponding error activity; and

(d) initiating a problem handling process for said line entity, if a monitoring point associated with a line entity has reported corresponding error activity.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising the step of:

(e) initiating a problem handling process for said path entity, if a monitoring point associated with a line entity has not reported corresponding error activity.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising a step before said step (b) of determining the topology of the path entity.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein said step (2) comprises the steps of:

(a) analyzing performance monitoring data reported by monitoring points associated with a first and a second path entity to determine whether a potential problem exists;

(b) determining whether said first and second path entities include a common line entity; and

(c) initiating a problem handling process for said common line entity, if a common line entity exists.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising a step before said step (b) of determining the topology of said first and second path entities.

13. A system for identifying a root cause of a problem in a provisioned channel in a network, the provisioned channel being routed through a plurality of network elements, comprising:

(1) means for receiving performance monitoring data gathered for section, line and path entities from a plurality of monitoring points during a monitoring period, each of said plurality of monitoring points being associated with a network element; and

(2) means for identifying a correlation between any error activity in said section, line and path entities as indicated by said performance monitoring data that is received from at least two different ones of said plurality of monitoring points to identify a root cause of a problem in either said section, line or path entities of the provisioned channel.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein said means for identifying comprises:

means for analyzing performance monitoring data at a first signal transport level reported from a first monitoring point to determine whether a potential problem exists;

means for identifying a second signal transport level that experiences corresponding error activity, said error activity being reported by a second monitoring point, wherein said first signal transport level is mapped into said second signal transport level; and

means for identifying a third monitoring point upstream of said second monitoring point that reports corresponding error activity.

15. The system of claim 14, further comprising means for identifying a highest signal transport level that experiences corresponding error activity.

16. The system of claim 14, further comprising means for discontinuing further processing for problem alert signals that are received by the layer in the network management system from monitoring points downstream from said first monitoring point, wherein said problem alert signals correspond to the error activity reported by said first monitoring point.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein said means for identifying comprises:

means for analyzing performance monitoring data reported by a monitoring point associated with a line entity to determine whether a potential problem exists;

means for determining whether said line entity includes a plurality of section entities;

means for determining whether a monitoring point associated with a section entity within said line entity has reported corresponding error activity; and

means for initiating a problem handling process for said section entity, if a monitoring point associated with a section entity has reported corresponding error activity.

18. The system of claim 17, further comprising:

means for initiating a problem handling process for said line entity, if a monitoring point associated with a section entity has not reported corresponding error activity.

19. The system of claim 17, further comprising means for determining the topology of the line entity.

20. The system of claim 13, wherein said means for identifying comprises:

means for analyzing performance monitoring data reported by a monitoring point associated with a path entity to determine whether a potential problem exists;

means for determining whet her said path entity includes a plurality of line entities;

means for determining whether a monitoring point associated with a line entity within said path entity has reported corresponding error activity; and

means for initiating a problem handling process for said line entity, if a monitoring point associated with a line entity has reported corresponding error activity.

21. The system of claim 20, further comprising:

means for initiating a problem handling process for said path entity, if a monitoring point associated with a line entity has not reported corresponding error activity.

22. The system of claim 21, further comprising means for determining the topology of the path entity.

23. The system of claim 13, wherein said means for identifying comprises:

means for analyzing performance monitoring data reported by monitoring points associated with a first and a second path entity to determine whether a potential problem exists;

means for determining whether said first and second path entities include a common line entity; and

means for initiating a problem handling process for said common line entity, if a common line entity exists.

24. The system of claim 23, further comprising means for determining the topology of said first and second path entities.

25. A computer program product, comprising:

a computer usable system medium having computer readable program code means embodied in said medium that identifies a root cause of a problem in a provisioned channel in a network, the provisioned channel being routed through a plurality of network elements, said computer readable program code means comprising;

first computer readable program code means for causing a computer to effect a reception of performance monitoring data gathered for section, line and path entities from a plurality of monitoring points during a monitoring period, each of said plurality of monitoring points being associated with a network element; and

second computer readable program code means for causing a computer to effect an identification of a correlation between any error activity in said section, line and path entities as indicated by said performance monitoring data that is received from at least two different ones of said plurality of monitoring points to identify a root cause of a problem in either said section, line or path entities of the provisioned channel.