Method and system for real time simultaneous monitoring of logical circuits in a data network

• US 7,639,623 B2
• Filed: 12/23/2003
• Issued: 12/29/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Taylor, William, Massengill, David, Hollingsworth, John
• Primary Examiner(s): Ngo, Ricky
• Assistant Examiner(s): Phung, Luat
• Application Number:
  US10/744,283
• Publication Number:
  US 20050135263A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,198 Days
• Field of Search: 370/244, 370/242, 370/250, 370216-219, 370/221, 370/389, 370/395.1, 714/4, 714/43
• US Class Current: 370/244
• 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 43/0817 by checking functioning

Abstract

For real time simultaneous monitoring of logical circuits in a data network, a network management module receives trap data for a group of logical circuits in the data network. The trap data may include current status information for each of the circuits in the logical circuit group. Next, based on the trap data, a logical identifier associated with each of the logical circuits in the group is identified. Then, each of the logical identifiers is associated with customer data stored in a database. The customer data includes one or more logical identifiers associated with a customer identification. Finally, the current status information for the logical circuit group is displayed along with the corresponding customer identification.

Claims

1. A method for real time simultaneous monitoring of a plurality of logical circuits in a data network, wherein each logical circuit comprises at least one logical connection for communicating data, the method comprising:

receiving trap data for a plurality of logical circuits in the data network, the trap data including current status information for each of the plurality of logical circuits, wherein a first one of the plurality of logical circuits connects a host device to a remote device and traverses a first local access and transport area, an inter-exchange carrier, and a second local access and transport area, wherein the inter-exchange carrier connects the first local access and transport area to the second local access and transport area, wherein the first local access and transport area is at a host end of the first one of the plurality of logical circuits associated with the host device, wherein the second local access and transport area is at a remote end of the first one of the plurality of logical circuits associated with the remote device, and wherein receiving the trap data for the plurality of logical circuits in the data network comprises;

requesting first trap data for a first logical connection at the host end of the first one of the plurality of logical circuits;

identifying, based on the first trap data, a logical identifier of the first one of the plurality of logical circuits;

accessing a database to identify a second logical connection at the remote end of the first one of the plurality of logical circuits based on the logical identifier of the first one of the plurality of logical circuits; and

requesting second trap data for the second logical connection after identifying the second logical connection using the database;

updating customer data stored in the database with the current status information of the first one of the plurality of logical circuits based on the first and second trap data, the customer data comprising the logical identifier and a customer identification; and

displaying the current status information for the first one of the plurality of logical circuits associated with the customer identification, wherein displaying the current status information comprises displaying whether the first one of the plurality of logical circuits has failed.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein when the first one of the plurality of logical circuits has failed, the first one of the plurality of logical circuits is no longer communicating data.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein requesting the first trap data for the first logical connection comprises requesting the first trap data from a switch that generated the first trap data in response to receiving a management communication via the data network indicating whether the first one of the plurality of logical circuits has failed or whether the first one of the plurality of logical circuits is congested.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the logical identifier is a data link connection identifier (DLCI).

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the logical identifier is a virtual path/virtual circuit identifier (VPI/VCI).

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first logical connection comprises a network-to-network interface.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first one of the plurality of logical circuits is a permanent virtual circuit.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first one of the plurality of logical circuits is a switched virtual circuit.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the data network is a frame relay network.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the data network is an asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) network.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the first local access and transport area is operated by a first telecommunications carrier, and wherein the inter-exchange carrier is operated by a second telecommunications carrier.

12. A system for real time simultaneous monitoring of a plurality of logical circuits in a data network, where each logical circuit comprises at least one logical connection for communicating data, the system comprising:

a network device to collect trap data for the plurality of logical circuits in the data network, the trap data including current status information for each of the plurality of logical circuits, wherein a first one of the plurality of logical circuits connects a host device to a remote device and traverses a first local access and transport area, an inter-exchange carrier, and a second local access and transport area, wherein the inter-exchange carrier connects the first local access and transport area to the second local access and transport area, the first local access and transport area being at a host end of the first one of the plurality of logical circuits associated with the host device, the second local access and transport area being at a remote end of the first one of the plurality of logical circuits associated with the remote device;

a network management module, in communication with the network device, to;

request first trap data for a first logical connection at the host end of the first one of the plurality of logical circuits;

identify, based on the first trap data, a logical identifier of the first one of the plurality of logical circuits;

access a database to identify a second logical connection at the remote end of the first one of the plurality of logical circuits based on the logical identifier of the first one of the plurality of logical circuits; and

request second trap data for the second logical connection after identifying the second logical connection using the database;

update customer data stored in the database with the current status information of the first one of the plurality of logical circuits based on the first and second trap data, the customer data comprising the logical identifier and a customer identification; and

displaying the current status information for the first one of the plurality of logical circuits associated with the customer identification, wherein displaying the current status information comprises displaying whether the first one of the plurality of logical circuits has failed.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein when the first one of the plurality of logical circuits has failed, the first one of the plurality of logical circuits is no longer communicating data.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the network device is to request the first trap data for the first logical connection by requesting the first trap data from a switch that generated the first trap data in response to receiving a management communication via the data network indicating whether the first one of the plurality of logical circuits has failed or whether the first one of the plurality of logical circuits is congested.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the logical identifier is a data link connection identifier (DLCI).

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the logical identifier is a virtual path/virtual circuit identifier (VPI/VCI).

17. The system of claim 12, wherein the first logical connection comprises a network-to-network interface.

18. The system of claim 12, wherein the first one of the plurality of logical circuits is a permanent virtual circuit.

19. The system of claim 12, wherein the first one of the plurality of logical circuits is a switched virtual circuit.

20. The system of claim 12, wherein the data network is a frame relay network.

21. The system of claim 12, wherein the data network is an asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) network.

22. The system of claim 12, wherein the first local access and transport area is operated by a first telecommunications carrier, and wherein the inter-exchange carrier is operated by a second telecommunications carrier.