JP3009033B2 - Alarm collection method in network management system - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention [0002] The present invention relates to a network management system, and more particularly to alarm collection used in a network management system.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, as a network management system, for example, a monitoring device (EC: Element Con
A plurality of transmission devices (NE: Network)
rkElement) is connected, and the monitoring device is connected to a workstation (WS) terminal device through a dedicated line. In such a network management system, a monitoring device monitors a transmission device for a failure or the like. When a failure occurs, an alarm is sent from the monitoring device to the WS terminal device. That is, the warning is collected by the WS terminal device. At least one transmission device is connected to the monitoring device, and the transmission device managed by the monitoring device is called its own transmission device.

Conventionally, when a failure occurs in a dedicated line, a failure of a transmission device or the like is transmitted to a WS terminal device via a separately provided bypass line (dedicated line) or a public line (for example, In Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. Hei 4-290046 or Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. Hei 4-329450, an alarm is transmitted using a public line or a dedicated line (a bypass line).

[0004]

As described above, a separate bypass route (redundant configuration) for transferring fault information (alarm).
In consideration of this, when considering that this detour route is not used in a normal use state, an investment for setting a line with extremely low use frequency is required. In other words, if a detour route is set separately for a situation where the frequency of use is low, as in the case of an alarm collection notification, there is a problem that the line cost becomes relatively high.

[0005] In other words, if no abnormality occurs in the working line, the line on the standby side (a detour route) is not used, and in a large-scale network, the line cost is further increased. In addition, it cannot be said that no failure occurs in the detour route, and backup of the detour route must be considered. In any case, there is a problem that the line cost becomes high.

When transferring fault information using a standby route (a detour route), the detour route is fixed for each monitoring device, and a failure occurs in the standby route as described above. In consideration of this, there may be a case where the failure information cannot be transferred.

[0007] It is an object of the present invention to provide an alarm collection method capable of securing a detour route at low cost.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an alarm collecting method capable of automatically setting a detour route and transferring fault information.

[0009]

According to the present invention, there are provided a plurality of monitoring devices and a central monitoring station connected to the monitoring devices via a network, wherein each of the monitoring devices includes a transmission device. Is connected as a local transmission device, in a network management system in which the transmission devices are connected to each other and transmit via a main signal, the monitoring device receives alarm information from the local transmission device via the network. A first transfer unit for transmitting the alarm information to the centralized monitoring station; and a second transmission unit for transmitting the alarm information to its own transmission device when an abnormality occurs between the monitoring device and the network.
Transfer means, the transmission equipment is provided with multiplexing / demultiplexing means for multiplexing the alarm information into the main signal and separating the alarm information from the main signal, and the monitoring device further comprises the multiplexing means. An alarm collection method in a network management system is provided, wherein a third transfer means for transmitting the alarm information to the centralized monitoring station via the network when receiving the alarm information from the separation means is provided. Can be

Specifically, each monitoring device detects a communication error with the centralized monitoring station, and when an error occurs, the monitoring device uses the multiplexing / demultiplexing unit of the transmission device to perform another monitoring using the section overhead channel. Communicates with the device to check the health of the detour route in case of failure. Then, by using the section overhead of the main signal, the alarm collection information (that is, alarm information) in the own station is transferred to the monitoring device via the demultiplexing unit. Other monitoring devices receive alarm collection information using section overhead and transfer the alarm collection information to the central monitoring station.

As described above, since the overhead of the main signal is used as the detour route, not only can the detour route be inexpensively secured, but also the detour route can be automatically set and the fault information can be transferred. .

[0012]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

Referring to FIG. 1, the illustrated network management system includes a plurality of monitoring devices (ECs) 4 to 6, which are managed via a public line or a dedicated line packet network 7. Machine interface (HM
I: Human Machine Interfac
e) a workstation (WS) terminal (centralized monitoring station) 8.

The monitoring device 4 includes a transmission device (NE: Network)
Ork Element 1 is connected, and similarly, transmission devices 2 and 3 are connected to the monitoring devices 5 and 6, respectively. As shown, the transmission devices 1 to 3 are connected to each other. In the illustrated example, lower-level transmission devices 11 and 21 are connected to the transmission devices 1 and 2, respectively, and the transmission devices 11 and 21 are connected to each other.

Referring to FIG. 2, here, focusing on the monitoring device 4 and the transmission device 1, the monitoring device 1 includes a control unit 4a,
Line abnormality detection unit 4b, own station alarm termination unit 4c, switching unit 4
d, and an overhead (OH) interface 4e. On the other hand, the transmission device 1 includes a control unit 1a and an overhead demultiplexing unit 1b. Although not shown, the monitoring devices 5 and 6 have the same configuration as the monitoring device 4, and the transmission devices 2 and 3 also have the same configuration as the transmission device 1.

As shown in FIG. 1, the monitoring devices 4 to 6 are connected to the transmission devices 1 to 3 by an alarm information collection protocol 100, respectively. They are connected by an overhead connection line 101. That is, the alarm information in the transmission devices 1 to 3 is stored in the dedicated collection protocol 1
00 are collected in the monitoring devices 4 to 6 respectively.
Further, the section overheads of the monitoring devices 4 to 6 and the transmission devices 1 to 3 are connected by a section overhead connection line 101.

In FIG. 1, transmission apparatuses 1 to 3 transmit and receive a main signal 201. Here, a section overhead 200 multiplexed on the main signal 201 is shown separately. Then, the monitoring devices 4 to 6 send the main signal 20
As will be described later, a state check (health check) and a search for a bypass route are performed using the section overhead 200 of the first section.

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, when a failure or the like occurs in transmission device 1 in the normal operation state, control unit 1a
Notifies the monitoring device 4 of the alarm information via the alarm information collection protocol (normal path) 100. This alarm information is passed to the control unit 4a via the switching unit 4d. Then, the control unit 4a notifies the WS terminal device 8 of the alarm information through the packet network 7. That is, the alarm information is notified to the WS terminal device 8 as indicated by the solid arrow in FIG.

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 4, it is assumed that a failure has occurred between the monitoring device 4 and the packet network 7. This line abnormality is detected by the line abnormality detection unit 4b. And
The line abnormality detection unit 4b sends a line abnormality signal to the switching unit 4d. In response to the line abnormality signal, the switching unit 4d sends a notification to the effect that a line abnormality has occurred to the control unit 4a and the OH (overhead) interface 15. The controller 4a changes from the normal mode to the main signal transfer mode due to a line abnormality.

The OH interface 15 polls the other monitoring devices 5 and 6 via the overhead demultiplexing unit 1b. That is, an address is assigned to each monitoring device and transmission device in advance, and in the main signal transfer mode, the OH interface 15 polls the transmission device and the monitoring device based on the address table, and searches for a monitoring device that can mediate. I do. The alarm information generated in the transmission device 1 and the like is temporarily stored in a memory in the control unit 4a.

In the monitoring devices 5 and 6 that have received the polling, each OH interface inquires of the control unit whether or not communication with the host is possible. Then, each OH interface sends a response via the overhead demultiplexing unit as to whether communication with the host is possible.

Assuming that the monitoring device 5 responds to the effect that communication with the host is possible, the control unit 4a of the monitoring device 4 recognizes the monitoring device 5 as an intermediary monitoring device. Then, the switching unit 4d switches the alarm transfer route from the normal mode to the main signal transfer mode. On the other hand, in the intermediary monitoring device, a process for transferring alarm information to the WS terminal device 8 is operated in the control unit, and to that effect, the monitoring device 1
Notify.

Upon confirming that the transfer process has been activated, the monitoring device 4 checks the transmission device 1 (or the transmission device 11).
Passes the received alarm information to the OH interface 4e via the switching unit 4d. And the OH interface 4e
Sends the alarm information to the section overhead multiplexer / demultiplexer 22, which multiplexes the alarm information into the main signal.

The intermediary monitoring device receives alarm information from the section overhead demultiplexing unit 22, and the OH interface sends the alarm information to the control unit. The control unit transfers the above-mentioned alarm information together with other alarm information (such as alarm information from a transmission device under its own station) to the WS terminal device 8 via the packet network 7 according to the transfer process. That is, as shown by the solid arrows in FIG. 4, the alarm information from the transmission device 1 is once provided to the monitoring device 4 and then sent to the transmission device 2 again via the transmission device 1 and the monitoring device 5 outputs the alarm information. Receive information. The alarm information is sent from the monitoring device 5 to the WS terminal device 8 via the packet network 7.

When an abnormality occurs in the monitoring device 4 in the event of a line abnormality, the abnormality is terminated in the local station alarm terminating unit 4c, and is given to the OH interface 4e as alarm information. Then, the OH interface 4e sends the alarm information from another monitoring device to the WS terminal device 8 using the overhead of the main signal as described above.

[0026]

As described above, according to the present invention, alarm information is carried on a portion corresponding to an overhead in a frame, such as a section overhead of a main signal, and concentrated from another monitoring device via another node (transmission device). Since the alarm information is transferred to the monitoring station, there is no need to provide a standby or standby line to duplicate the line, and there is an effect that the detour route can be inexpensively secured.

Further, according to the present invention, when an abnormality occurs between the centralized monitoring station and the monitoring device, the detour route is automatically set, so that the detour route can be flexibly secured.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of a network management system according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a part of the network management system shown in FIG. 1 in detail.

FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining a normal transfer mode in the network management system shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining an alarm transfer mode in the network management system shown in FIG. 1;

[Explanation of symbols]

 1-3 Transmission equipment (NE) 4-6 Monitoring device (EC) 7 Packet network 8 Workstation terminal device (WS)

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ identification code FI H04Q 11/04 (58) Investigated field (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB name) H04L 12/24 G06F 13/00 351 H04L 12 / 26 H04M 3/00 H04M 3/22 H04Q 11/04

Claims (3)

(57) [Claims] 1. A monitoring apparatus comprising: a plurality of monitoring devices; and a central monitoring station connected to the monitoring devices via a network, wherein a transmission device is connected to each of the monitoring devices as its own transmission device. In a network management system in which transmission devices are connected to each other and perform transmission via a main signal, the monitoring device receives alarm information from its own transmission device and sends the alarm information to the centralized monitoring station via the network. A first transfer unit; and a second transfer unit that sends alarm information to a transmission device of the own station when an abnormality occurs between the monitoring device and the network. The transmission device includes the main signal. Multiplexing / demultiplexing means for multiplexing the alarm information and separating the alarm information from the main signal, and the monitoring apparatus further comprises: An alarm collection method in a network management system, comprising: third transfer means for transmitting alarm information to the centralized monitoring station via the network when receiving alarm information. 2. The alarm collection method in a network management system according to claim 1, wherein the second transfer unit detects a communication abnormality with the centralized monitoring station, and detects a communication abnormality. An alarm collection method in a network management system, comprising: a transmission unit that supplies the alarm information to the local station transmission device. 3. The alarm collection method in the network management system according to claim 1, wherein said demultiplexing means multiplexes said alarm information on a section overhead channel of said main signal. Alarm collection method in the management system.