Object selection across multiple processes

Details Object selection across multiple processes Object selection across multiple processes

1998-11-20

2001-05-01

Sax, Steven (Department: 2773)

Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system

Display driving control circuitry

Controlling the condition of display elements

C345S215000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06225994

ABSTRACT:

This invention relates to the field of object-oriented programming, and in particular to a method of managing network elements.
In traditional procedural programming, functions dictate program organization. In a procedural language, the functions are coded only once. The function must handle a variety of different types of data. Decision making is handled inside the function, and its effectiveness is largely a matter of the programmer's ability to foresee how many different kinds of data the function will have to sort out. As programs involved, a function would be used for a greater variety of purposes, some of which the program may have foreseen, some not. In a procedural language, one function does many things.
In an object based language, the processor decides which method to use based on the type of object that calls the method. The underlying program code is written specifically for objects.
Most programs are now written in object-oriented languages, and this is true of network management software used for managing large wide area networks.
The Telecommunications Management Network (TMN) model, developed by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), defines three areas: Element Management, Network Management, and Service Management.
The Element Manager Layer controls the information exchange between network elements or groups of network elements. Functions within this layer communicate with the Network Management Layer by relaying element status and performance to a network management system (NMS).
The Network Management Layer in the TMN Model covers the end-to-end management of an entire network. It contains an overview of the network and knows how elements relate to each other. Focusing on network usage, traffic patterns, bandwidth availability and performance monitoring, the Network Management Layer interacts with the Service Management Layer by exchanging network status information for customer and service data.
Responsibilities of the Network Management Layer include:
controlling and coordinating the network view of all network elements within its domain
provisioning and modifying network capabilities for customer-service support
maintaining statistical, log and other data about the network and interacting with the Service Management Layer on performance, usage and availability
The Service Management Layer is the service provider's first point of contact with customers for all service transactions, including service requests and fault reporting, interaction with other service providers, and maintaining statistical data and interaction between services.
One of the problems with existing software is that it is not possible to select a common object on one application in this model, for example, a 46020 Network Manager (Newbridge Networks Corporation) and pass its attributes into a foreign application, such as a Newbridge 45190 Element Manager. This creates discrepancies between shared information on different applications and degrades data quality through data throughput errors.
According to the present invention there is provided a method managing network elements in an object-oriented environment comprising the step of referencing a common selected object in an application and passing its attributes to an element manager by sending messages with the aid of a suitable protocol.
In this way, discrepancies between shared information on different applications can be eliminated, greatly enhancing data quality through reduced data input errors.
The element manager is typically a graphical element manager (GEM) with a graphical user interface (GUI), in which case the common object can be selected with a pointing device, such as a mouse.
For example, a port (an object) on 46020 Newbridge Networks Corporation Network Manager may be selected and the characteristics (attributes) of the port used by the 45190 element manager. The 46020 can have multiple element managers connected to it and this invention allows the 45190 to determine if the selected object is relevant to it.
The invention also provides a network element manager comprising an object model of a network managed with the aid of a network manager, and an interface for exchanging messages with said network manager using a suitable protocol to permit a common object to be referenced and its attributes to be passed to the network manager.


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