EXPERIENCED IN FAULT MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a system for preventing losses of alarms, which are generated on mobile and fixed communication networks, being experienced in fault management systems.

Background of the Invention Today, widespread use of mobile and fixed communication networks has assigned various tasks to networks operators in the matters of setting up appropriate infrastructure and providing network maintenance in order that users can utilize communication network services at all times. Numbers of equipments operating actively in communication networks may reach millions. These equipments generate alarms with descriptive content in cases of faults. It is tried to repair the faults related to the alarm, upon the said alarms are collected by multi-layer fault management systems included within the network.

Multi-layer fault management systems comprise fixed or mobile network elements such as routers, switches, cells, base station controllers in the bottom layer; network management systems which are the intermediate layer performing management of the mobile network elements; and network fault management systems which are connected to network management systems as the top layer and collect the alarms, that are created by the network elements, in a common database by connecting to the said network management systems. Adverse weather conditions, signalling problems and similar problems lead to formation of excessive-density alarms in a network. Excessive density causes losses in alarm clear message flows from network management systems towards network fault management systems and from network fault management systems towards network management systems. Being unable to notice a fault occurring in the network is an effect experienced in case of such an alarm loss. This condition has a high effect when it is considered that there may be critical interruptions. Also, in the event of loss of the alarm clear message sent from the network fault management system to the network management system after the fault in an alarm reaching the network fault management system is repaired, maintenance personnel on site are informed that problems still continue although the fault is repaired. And this causes maintenance teams to be directed to the site unnecessarily.

When loss conditions of the said alarm and the alarm clear messages are analysed, it is seen that problems result from network density to a large extent. In addition to this, there is a loss problem about the alarm and the alarm clear messages due to various problems in the network except density.

The International patent document no. WO2001017169 discloses a system and method for management of predictive faults over a network. Within the scope of the invention, a performance of a network is monitored at first. Any degradation in the performance of the network is identified. A future performance of the network is predicted based on the degradation in the performance of the network. This predicted performance is compared to performance requirements of service level agreements of a plurality of network users in order to identify any future problems in meeting the performance requirements. The said network is reconfigured to avoid the problems in meeting the performance requirements.

The United States patent document no. US6012152 discloses a Software Fault Management (SFM) system for managing software faults in a managed mobile telecommunications network. The SFM system includes an Intelligent Management Information Base (I-MIB) comprising a Management Information Base (MIB) and a Knowledge Base (KB) having a functional model of the managed network and a trouble report/known faults (TR/KF) case base. The SFM system also includes an intelligent multi-agent portion having a plurality of agents which process the software faults utilizing the functional model from the I-MIB, case-based information, and other management information. The I-MIB and the intelligent multi-agent portion are compliant with Telecomunications Management Network (TMN) principles and framework. Fault management is both proactive and reactive. The SFM system is made independent of technology- specific implementations by representing the underlying switch design knowledge in a modular and changeable form which is then interpreted by the intelligent multi-agent portion. A clear separation is maintained between the generic procedural inference mechanisms and agents, and the specific and explicit models of the different network elements of a mobile telecommunications network.

Summary of the Invention

An objective of the present invention is to realize a system for preventing losses of alarms, which are generated on mobile and fixed communication networks, being experienced in fault management systems.

Detailed Description of the Invention

The "System (1) for Preventing Losses of Alarms, Which Are Generated on Mobile and Fixed Communication Networks, Being Experienced in Fault Management Systems" realized to fulfil the objective of the present invention is shown in the figure attached, in which:

Figure 1 is a schematic view of the inventive system. The components illustrated in the figure are individually numbered, where the numbers refer to the following:

1. System

2. Network element

3. Network management system

4. Network management system alarm database

5. Network fault management system

6. Network fault management system alarm database

7. Control unit

8. Configuration database

The inventive system (1) for preventing losses of alarms, which are generated in case of a fault by network elements on mobile and fixed communication networks, in messagings between network management system and network fault management system comprises:

a large number of network elements (2) which perform the duties assigned to themselves in mobile and fixed communication networks and create the alarm comprising the fault information about the fault in case of a fault; a large number of network management systems (3) which are in communication with the network elements (2) and collects the alarms created by the network elements (2);

at least one network management system alarm database (4) which is included within the network management systems (3) and wherein the information about the alarms received from the network elements (2) are recorded by the network management system (3);

at least one network fault management system (5) which is in communication with the network management systems (3), receives the information about all alarms collected by the network management systems (3) and then takes action about the faults included in the said alarms, returns an alarm clear message to the network management system (3) where the alarm related to the fault is received when the fault is repaired as a result of the action taken;

at least one network fault management system alarm database (6) which is included within the network fault management system (5) and wherein information about the alarms received from the network management systems (3) by the network fault management system (5) and information about the alarm clear messages returned to the network management systems (3) as a result of the repaired faults are associated to the network management system (3) related to the alarm and then recorded;

at least one control unit (7) which is in communication with the network management system alarm database (4) and the network fault management system alarm database (6), detects alarm density status by using the predefined threshold values on the basis of the network management system (3) from the alarm information recorded inside the network fault management system alarm database (6) by connecting to the network fault management system alarm database (6) at pre-determined periods, controls whether there is non-matching alarm information or not by comparing the accessed alarm information and the alarm information recorded on the basis of the related network management system (3) inside the network fault management system alarm database (6) by accessing the alarm information recorded inside the said network management system alarm database (4) upon connecting to the network management system alarm database (4) of the network management systems (3) whose alarm density status is detected as high in order to determine whether there is an alarm loss resulting from density in the alarm traffic between the network management system (3) and the network fault management system (5) or not; and

at least one configuration database (8) which is in communication with the control unit (7), wherein it records the information about the network management system alarm database (4) and the network fault management system alarm database (6) with which the control unit (7) can communicate, the information about the period when the control unit (7) should connect to the network fault management system alarm database (6), the information about the threshold values that are necessary for the control unit (7) to detect the alarm density and the information about the actions that should be taken by the control unit (7) when high-density is detected.

The network elements (2) included in the inventive system (1) are in communication with at least one network management system (3) and they are elements such as base station controllers, routers, switches which enable the network to function by performing the duties assigned to themselves in mobile and fixed communication networks, create the alarm comprising the fault information about the fault in case of a fault and send the created alarm to the related network management system (3) in order that the action to repair the fault located inside the alarm is taken.

The network management systems (3) included in the inventive system (1) are in communication with the network elements (2) and the network fault management system (5) and they ensure that the pre-determined network elements (2) are controlled in order that they can perform their duties properly. The network management systems (3) receive the alarms taken from the related network elements (2) and record the information about the said alarms inside the network management system alarm database (4) by associating them to the network elements (2) wherefrom alarm is received. The network management systems (3) send the alarms recorded inside the network management system alarm database (4) to the network fault management system (5) in order that action is taken in relation to the fault reported inside the alarm. The network management systems (3) receive the alarm clear message sent when the fault inside the alarm is repaired by the network fault management system (5) and record it inside the network management system alarm database (4) by associating them to the records about the alarm that is subject to the message. The network management systems (3) also inform the related network elements (2) about the fact that the fault that is subject to the alarm is repaired in accordance with the alarm clear messages recorded inside the network management system alarm database (4). The network management system alarm database (4) included in the inventive system (1) is included within the network management system (3) and it is in communication with the control unit (7). Inside the network management system alarm database (4), the information about the alarms received from the network elements (2) are recorded such that they are associated to the network element (2) preferably wherefrom the alarm is received. The information about the alarm clear messages sent when the fault inside the alarm is repaired by the network fault management system (5) are also recorded inside the network management system alarm database (4) such that they are associated to the alarm whose fault is repaired.

The network fault management system (5) included in the inventive system (1) is in communication with the network management systems (3). The network fault management system (5) receives the information about the alarms sent by the network management systems (3) and records the information about the received alarms inside the network fault management system alarm database (6) by associating it to the network management system (3) wherefrom the alarm is received. The network fault management system (5) takes action about the faults located in the alarms inside the network fault management system alarm database (6) and thus ensures that the fault is repaired as a result of the action taken. The network fault management system (5) sends alarm clear message to the network management system (3) wherefrom the alarm related to the fault is received when the fault is repaired. The network fault management system (5) associates the information about the alarm clear message sent to the network management system (3), to the alarm comprising the repaired fault and records it inside the fault management system alarm database (6). The network fault management system alarm database (6) included in the inventive system (1) is included within the network fault management system (5) and it is in communication with the control unit (7). Inside the network fault management system alarm database (6), information about the alarms received from the network management systems (3) and information about the alarm clear messages returned to the network management systems (3) as a result of the repaired faults are associated to the network management system (3) related to the alarm and then recorded. The control unit (7) included in the inventive system (1) is in communication with the network management system alarm database (4), the network fault management system alarm database (6) and the configuration database (8). The control unit (7) connects to the network fault management system alarm database (6) at periods located inside the information about the period when it should be connected to the network fault management system alarm database (6) by the control unit (7) recorded in the configuration database (8). The control unit (7) detects alarm density status on the basis of the network management system (3) from the alarm information recorded inside the network fault management system alarm database (6) depending on the threshold values located in the information about the threshold values necessary for detecting the alarm density recorded in the configuration database (8). In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the control unit (7) detects that the said network management system (3) is dense if the number of alarm record associated to a network management system (3) inside the network fault management system alarm database (6) is equal to the threshold value recorded in the configuration database (8) or it has a value higher than this threshold value. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the control unit (7) breaks connection between the network fault management system (5) and the network management system (3) that has dense alarm traffic. The control unit (7) accesses the alarm information recorded inside the said network management system alarm database (4) by connecting to the network management system alarm database (4) of the network management system (3) with high alarm density status in order to determine whether there is an alarm loss resulting from density in the dense alarm traffic between the network management system (3) and the network fault management system (5) or not. The control unit (7) controls whether there is non-matching alarm information or not by comparing the accessed alarm information and the alarm information recorded on the basis of the related network management system (3) inside the network fault management system alarm database (6). The control unit (7) takes no action if it detects as a result of the control transaction that there is not any non-matching status between the alarm information accessed to the network management system alarm database (4) and the alarm information recorded on the basis of the related network management system (3) inside the network fault management system alarm database (6). The control unit (7) updates the alarm information located inside the network management system alarm database (4) and the network fault management system alarm database (6) such that the alarm information located in the network management system alarm database (4) and the alarm information located in the network fault management system alarm database (6) match if it detects as a result of the control transaction that there is a non-matching status between the alarm information accessed to the network management system alarm database (4) and the alarm information recorded on the basis of the related network management system (3) inside the network fault management system alarm database (6).

The configuration database (8) included in the inventive system (1) is in communication with the control unit (7). The information about the network management system alarm database (4) and the network fault management system alarm database (6) with which the control unit (7) can communicate, the information about the period when the control unit (7) should connect to the network fault management system alarm database (6), the information about the threshold values that are necessary for the control unit (7) to detect the alarm density and the information about the actions that should be taken by the control unit (7) when high-density is detected are recorded inside the configuration database (8). In the exemplary embodiment of the invention, the information about the period when the control unit (7) recorded inside the configuration database (8) should connect to the network fault management system alarm database (6) comprise a value such as "0.5 seconds". In this exemplary embodiment of the invention, the control unit (7) detects whether there is a network management system (3) with dense alarm traffic between itself and the network fault management system (5) by connecting to the network fault management system alarm database (6) at every 0.5 second. In an exemplary embodiment of the invention, the information about the threshold values necessary for detecting the alarm density of the control unit (7) recorded inside the configuration database (8) comprise a value such as "200". In this exemplary embodiment of the invention, if there are 200 or more alarm records belonging to a network management system (3) inside the network fault management system alarm database (6), the control unit (7) determines that the alarm traffic between the said network management system (3) and the network fault management system (5) is dense.

In one preferred embodiment of the invention, a non-density control period information which enables to detect whether the alarm information recorded inside the said network management system alarm database (4) and the network fault management system (5) match each other or not by communicating with the network management system alarm database (4) and the network fault management system (5) in order to prevent that a loss is experienced in alarm or alarm clear message traffic due to a reason except alarm density between the network management systems (3) and the network fault management system (5), is recorded inside the configuration database (8). In this embodiment of the invention, the control unit (7) controls whether the alarm information recorded inside the said network management system alarm database (4) and the network fault management system (5) match each other or not by communicating with the network management system alarm database (4) and the network fault management system (5) at periods located inside the non-density control period information recorded inside the configuration database (8). The control unit (7) takes no action if it is detected as a result of the control transaction that there is not any non-matching status between the alarm information accessed to the network management system alarm database (4) and the alarm information recorded on the basis of the related network management system (3) inside the network fault management system alarm database (6). The control unit (7) updates the alarm information located inside the network management system alarm database (4) and the network fault management system alarm database (6) such that the alarm information located in the network management system alarm database (4) and the alarm information located in the network fault management system alarm database (6) match if it detects as a result of the control transaction that there is a non-matching status between the alarm information accessed to the network management system alarm database (4) and the alarm information recorded on the basis of the related network management system (3) inside the network fault management system alarm database (6).

With the inventive system (1), alarm density occurring in communication networks can be automatically noticed. Upon the alarm density is noticed, it is ensured that network fault management systems located in communication networks and responsible for repairing faults are automatically protected from alarm density. Lost messages in alarm and alarm clear messagings between the network management systems (3) and the network fault management systems (5) are automatically detected and problems that may be experienced due to these losses are avoided. The inventive system (1) also enables to prevent problems that may be experienced due to losses by also detecting alarm and alarm clear message losses that are experienced due to reasons such as disconnection, wrong configuration, switch on-off of a non-density network element (2) with the network. Within these basic concepts; it is possible to develop various embodiments of the inventive "System (1) for Preventing Losses of Alarms, Which Are Generated on Mobile and Fixed Communication Networks, Being Experienced in Fault Management Systems", the invention cannot be limited to examples disclosed herein and it is essentially according to claims.