Mci Communications Corporation

Mci Worldcom, Inc.

Robert Branton, Jr

Steve Landon

Curtis Brownmiller

Minh T Tran

Mark DeMoss

Michael Bencheck

Mike Bencheck

John Mark DeMoss

Mark Lamb

Rick Sheffield

Roy Feldt

A method and apparatus for testing network elements within a communications system. A test is initiated at a data processing system located at a first site by the selection of one or more network elements for testing. In initiating the test, a communications link is established between the data processing system located at the first site and a network element located at a second site. The network element is monitored during testing of the network element using the communications link. The information is displayed on the data processing system in the form of a web page. Monitoring of the network element is paused from the data processing system in response to detecting an error originating from the network element. Monitoring of the network element is restarted from the data processing system in response to a correction of the error. These steps of monitoring, pausing, and restarting are repeated until a selected amount of time has passed without an occurrence of an error originating from the second network element.

Method and apparatus for testing components in a communications system

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.

System and method for unreported root cause analysis

A system and method for analyzing network performance by correlating network performance monitoring data reported by monitoring points in the network is described herein. The system analyzes the performance monitoring parameters by: determining whether the performance monitoring parameters contain non-zero values; determining whether the performance monitoring parameters exceed a predetermined threshold value; determining whether prior performance monitoring parameters exceed a predetermined threshold value. The system initiates a problem handling process if the step of analyzing indicates a possible network problem. The system maintains the problem handling process if the performance monitoring parameters continue to indicate a possible network problem.

Raw performance monitoring correlated problem alert signals

A system and method for detecting intermittent network performance problems are described herein. The detection process begins upon the receipt of a problem alert signal (PAS). The system then initiates a problem handling process if a predetermined of number of PASs have been received in a predetermined time period prior to receiving the PAS. The system then maintains the problem handling process if additional PASs are received. This system clears the problem and handling processes if no additional PASs are received in a predetermined time period.

Enhanced problem alert signals

A system and method for processing performance data in a telecommunication system. The system includes a site controller which is part of an element management layer of a network management hierarchy. Briefly stated, the site controller receives performance data from a network element. The performance data is associated with a plurality of ports of the network element. The network element is part of a network element layer of the network management hierarchy. The site controller selects a first port of the network element to process. The site controller determines whether the first port is cross-connected to a second port of the network element. If the first port is cross-connected to the second port, then the site controller combines performance data associated with the first port and performance data associated with the second port into a performance report. The site controller forwards the performance report to a monitoring module. The monitoring module is part of a network management layer and/or a service management layer of the network management hierarchy.

System and method for formatting performance data in a

System and method for reported root cause analysis

A system and method for performance monitoring of a telecommunications network that uses a layered performance monitoring structure. First, the monitoring points within the network are identified according to a customer request. The customer request is used to generate a service provisioning request, which indicates the path endpoints and the desired level of service. If the service is a digital data service and is supported for monitoring purposes, the network elements closest to the path endpoints are identified as primary monitoring points and activated, and based upon the desired level of service, a number of intermediate secondary points along the path are also identified but not activated. If the service is not a digital data service but the customer desires monitoring, then monitoring points are similarly identified and activated. Second, an end-to-end threshold is set for each service requiring thresholding per the service provisioning request. Third, previously identified secondary monitoring points are activated in the event that a degradation or failure is detected at the path endpoints. Upon an indication of trouble, the higher performance monitoring layers command the lower layers to perform trouble isolation processing, during which the lower layers determine which secondary monitoring points must be activated to determine the origin of the problem. The higher layers command the lower layers to commence activation.

System and method for end-to-end threshold setting

A system and method for isolating a problem in a network. Upon a report of error activity in a first signal transport level, a first layer in the network management system uses performance data to identify the highest signal transport level that exhibits simultaneous error activity. The first layer attempts to isolate the problem if it determines that it has access to enough information.

System and method for unreported trouble isolation

The system and method of analyzing the performance of the network is described herein. The system operates by receiving a first problem alert signal (PAS) from a monitoring point associated with a network facility. The PAS indicates a potential problem with a network facility in a path entity. The system then determines whether the path entity includes distinct line entities. If the path entity includes distinct line entities, then the system determines whether a second problem alert signal has been reported by a monitoring point associated with a network facility in a line entity. The system then initiates a problem handling process for a line entity and suppresses the first PAS if a second PAS has been reported for the line entity. If no problem alert signals have been reported for the line entity, the system initiates a problem handling process for the path entity and reports the first PAS to a higher layer in the network management system.

System method and computer program product for processing faults in a

Described herein are a system and method of determining a far-end format of a customer service unit (CSU) operating using an Extended SuperFrame (ESF) framing format. The CSU is in communication with a network element over a DS 1 circuit. The system operates by determining whether any performance data was received from the CSU during a preceding time interval. If no performance data was received from the CSU during the preceding time interval, then the system determines whether the network element is currently configured to operate according to ANSI standard T1.403 or AT&T Recommendation 54016. If the network element is currently configured to operate according to AT&T Recommendation 54016, then the system commands the network element to operate according to ANSI standard T1.403. The system then waits a predetermined time period for receipt of valid performance data conforming to ANSI standard T1.403 from the CSU. If valid performance data conforming to ANSI standard T1.403 is received from the CSU during the predetermined time period, then the system commands the network element to operate according to ANSI standard T1.403 until further notice. If valid performance data conforming to ANSI standard T1.403 is not received from the CSU during the predetermined time period, then the system commands the network element to return to operating according to AT&T Recommendation 54016.

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Farmers Branch, TX, United States of America

Robert Branton, Jr