Network managing method and system

Details Network managing method and system Network managing method and system

1998-12-07

2003-04-08

Olms, Douglas W. (Department: 2661)

Multiplex communications

Data flow congestion prevention or control

Flow control of data transmission through a network

C370S236100, C370S236000, C370S230000, C370S401000, C370S389000, C370S392000, C709S223000, C709S225000, C707S793000, C707S793000, C345S215000, C345S215000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06545978

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a network managing method and system for maintaining and managing an ATM (Asynchronous Transfer Mode) network.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, a variety of demands for information communications have been increasing, and not only data of conventional speech communications but also data such as image data etc. are required to be exchanged between users. Especially, a communications network must quickly transmit a large amount of information for a video telephone which exchanges moving images, etc. in real time. If a communications network accommodating such a video telephone only is separately arranged, it must be juxtaposed with a conventional telephone network, etc. Therefore, it is difficult to maintain such networks. As a result, there is a demand for a high-speed communications network where image data communications, etc. as well as conventional speech communications can be implemented. An analog line switching network such as a conventional telephone network, etc. is difficult to adopt as such a communications network, and a communications network implemented with a new method is required. An ATM communications network (ATM network) has been actively studied and developed as the most promising technique of such a communications network.
In the ATM communications network, information of voice, images, etc. are resolved into packets referred to as fixed-length cells, to each of which a VPI/VCI, that is, an address for a cell switching process, is assigned, and the cell is routed accordingly. In such an ATM communications network, user terminals are interconnected via communications lines arranged between ATM exchanges. The specification of an ATM exchange is standardized based on the recommendations of the ITU-T. Common carriers are currently developing ATM communications networks, conforming to these recommendations. The capabilities to be included in an ATM exchange, which is an important constituent element of an ATM communications network, are stipulated by the standardized recommendations. The typical configuration of the ATM exchange comprises a line corresponding unit for terminating a transmission line, an ATM switch for routing cells, and a process or for controlling all of the operations of the ATM exchange.
For an exchange configuring a network, a maintenance terminal for maintaining and managing the exchange itself is normally arranged. However, a centralized management center maintains and manages an entire network including exchanges. Therefore, the scale of the centralized management center becomes larger with the increase of the scale of the network. There is a demand for saving the cost of such maintenance and management of the network.
FIG. 1
is a block diagram for explaining the configuration of a conventional ATM network.
100
indicate exchanges.
101
indicates a centralized management center.
102
indicates an ATM switch.
103
and
104
indicate line corresponding units.
105
indicates a controlling unit.
106
indicates a maintenance terminal. The exchanges
100
have almost the same configuration where ATM cells are transmitted/received by the line corresponding units
103
and
104
and are routed by the ATM switch
102
. A network is configured by interconnecting such exchanges
100
with lines.
The centralized management center
101
has the capability for maintaining and managing the network by collecting the information of the respective exchanges
100
. The maintenance terminal
106
has the capability for maintaining and managing a local exchange, and the capability for transmitting/receiving information to/from the centralized management center
101
depending on need. However, the maintenance terminal
106
does not have the capability for maintaining and managing other exchanges.
An ATM cell transmitted over an ATM network has a 53-byte configuration composed of a 5-byte header and a 48-byte information field. ATM cells are classified into two major categories: a user cell and an OAM (Operation, Administration, and Maintenance) cell. The user cell transmits speech, images, data, etc. between subscribers using the information field. The OAM cell has a capability for monitoring performance, a capability for detecting a fault/problem, a capability for protecting a system, a capability for transmitting fault information/performance report information, a capability for identifying a location where a fault has occurred, etc. The OAM cell is transmitted by being inserted into an empty position of the user cell.
Typically, each of the exchanges
100
comprises the maintenance terminal
106
, which has the capability for maintaining and managing a local exchange as described above. For example, the maintenance terminal
106
can establish/release a PVC (Permanent Virtual Channel) between an opposing exchange and a local exchange, and can read path information, etc. However, it does not have a capability for performing various control operations for other exchanges.
Accordingly, when a network fault occurs, the normality of a local exchange can be verified, but that of other exchanges
100
cannot be verified. Therefore, the centralized management center
101
isolates the location where a fault has occurred, and sets up a bypass, so that it becomes difficult to quickly recover from the fault.
The operations of an ATM exchange are controlled by a processor. When an ATM communications network is upgraded, the processes performed by the ATM exchange may sometimes be desired to be changed. In this case, the file or files including the program or software for running the processor must be updated.
Conventionally, a maintenance engineer visits all of the stations (including exchanges), which configure an ATM network, and loads a new file from the medium storing the new file into the processor of the exchange with the entry of a command, etc.
Additionally, the system version of each of the stations is read by the centralized management center, or that of an exchange is read by the maintenance engineer of each of the stations (with the entry of a command, etc.), in order to manage the version number of each of the stations.
Furthermore, the centralized management center stores the version number of each of the stations in a database.
As the number of constituent elements configuring an ATM network increases, the size of the database for managing version numbers become larger. As a result, a lot of system resources become necessary. Furthermore, a maintenance engineer must visit each station and perform the operation for updating each file at each station. Consequently, a considerable amount of labor is required to update files or databases.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to make a maintenance terminal included in an exchange perform the operations such as maintenance, management, etc. for another exchange or other exchanges with a relatively simple means.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a means for facilitating an update of a file of each ATM exchange in an ATM network, and for allowing management to be performed.
A network managing method according to the present invention is a method with which one exchange specifies, maintains, and manages another exchange in a network. This method comprises the steps of: transmitting an order for maintaining and managing an exchange at an order request destination by specifying this exchange from an exchange at an order request source, by using a control cell; and executing the order included in the control cell in the exchange at the order request destination which receives the control cell. Namely, this method allows the maintenance and management of another exchange by transmitting the order with the control cell.
The control cell is composed of a header and an information field. The information field includes a request identifier indicating the contents of an order, a sequence number when the order is divided and transmitted, and a total number indicating t

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