# US 11,121,908 B2 · Alarm prioritization in a 5G Telco network

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 11,121,908 B2
- Document ID: US11121908B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/792,320
- Filed: 2020-02-17
- Published: 2021-06-24
- Granted: 2021-09-14
- Earliest claimed: 2019-12-24
- Assignees: VMware, Inc.
- Applicants: Vmware, Inc.
- Inventors: Girish Nadger; Somenath Pal; Somaresh Sahu
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11121908B2

## CPC

- H04L 67/10: in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network (software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46)
- G06F 9/542: {Event management; Broadcasting; Multicasting; Notifications}
- H04L 41/0226: Mapping or translating multiple network management protocols
- H04L 41/0609: {based on severity or priority}
- H04L 41/0631: using root cause analysis; using analysis of correlation between notifications, alarms or events based on decision criteria, e.g. hierarchy, tree or time analysis
- H04L 41/22: comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
- H04L 41/40: using virtualisation of network functions or resources, e.g. SDN or NFV entities
- H04L 67/75: Indicating network or usage conditions on the user display
- H04L 41/122: of virtualised topologies, e.g. software-defined networks [SDN] or network function virtualisation [NFV]
- H04L 41/145: {involving simulating, designing, planning or modelling of a network}
- H04L 41/147: for predicting network behaviour
- H04L 41/149: for prediction of maintenance
- H04L 41/5012: {determining service availability, e.g. which services are available at a certain point in time}
- H04L 43/0805: by checking availability
- H04L 43/16: Threshold monitoring
- H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M)
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)

## Abstract

Examples herein describe systems and methods for alarm prioritization in a Telco network. A prioritization engine can receive root cause problems and impacted network components from a network analysis module. The prioritization engine can define a mapping matrix that weights the problems according to network component type and service level. Using the problem weights, the prioritization engine can construct a problem-impact matrix that includes impact weights. The impact weights can be summed for each problem, as can the problem weights. The problems with the highest summed weights can then be prioritized first. The summed weights can also be based on predicted failure costs, such that the most expensive problems are prioritized first. The prioritization engine can send prioritized alerts for the problems for display on a graphical user interface (“GUI”).

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for alarm prioritization in a Telco network, comprising:
constructing a mapping matrix that maps network resource types to problem weights, wherein the problem weights correlate to how impactful a network resource type is to operation of the Telco network;
receiving, at a prioritization engine, problem notifications that indicate impacted network resources, the impacted network resources having corresponding network resource types;
creating a problem-impact (“PI”) matrix based on the received problem notifications, wherein creating the PI matrix includes:
correlating problems to corresponding impacted network resources based on the problem notifications; and
assigning impact weights to the impacted network resources based on the problem weights of the mapping matrix, wherein the problem weights are identified in the mapping matrix based on the respective network types of the network resources;
summing the impact weights for each problem notification to produce PI weights; and
prioritizing alerts on a graphical user interface (“GUI”) based on the PI weights of the problem notifications.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the mapping matrix further includes different classes of service that act as multipliers against weights for the network resource types, and wherein different tenants are assigned different classes of service.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the problem weights are updated based on which problems an administrator resolves before other problems.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein assigning impact weights includes determining an edge weight value in a graph.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein creating the PI matrix includes:
creating a table having a first dimension for problems and a second dimension for impacted network components; and
populating the table with the impact weights for impacted resources based on the symptoms identified in the problem notifications.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The method of claim 5, wherein a first symptom corresponding to a first network resource is used to determine a first tenant is impacted by the problem, and wherein the corresponding impact weight is populated from the mapping matrix based on identifying the first tenant and the resource type of the first network resource.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein prioritizing the alerts includes ranking problems based on failure costs, and wherein the failure costs are obtained based on multiplying an estimated downtime against a PI weight.

### Claim 8

A non-transitory, computer-readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed by a processor, perform stages for alarm prioritization in a Telco network, the stages comprising:
constructing a mapping matrix that maps network resource types to problem weights, wherein the problem weights correlate to how impactful a network resource type is to operation of the Telco network;
receiving, at a prioritization engine, problem notifications that indicate impacted network resources, the impacted network resources having corresponding network resource types;
creating a problem-impact (“PI”) matrix based on the received problem notifications, wherein creating the PI matrix includes:
correlating problems to corresponding impacted network resources based on the problem notifications; and
assigning impact weights to the impacted network resources based on the problem weights of the mapping matrix, wherein the problem weights are identified in the mapping matrix based on the respective network types of the network resources;
summing the impact weights for each problem notification to produce PI weights; and
prioritizing alerts on a graphical user interface (“GUI”) based on the PI weights of the problem notifications problems.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the mapping matrix further includes different classes of service that act as multipliers against weights for the network resource types, and wherein different tenants are assigned different classes of service.

### Claim 10 (depends on 8)

The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the problem weights are updated based on which problems an administrator resolves before other problems.

### Claim 11 (depends on 8)

The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein assigning impact weights includes determining an edge weight value in a graph.

### Claim 12 (depends on 8)

The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein creating the PI matrix includes:
creating a table having a first dimension for problems and a second dimension for impacted network components; and
populating the table with the impact weights for impacted resources based on the symptoms identified in the problem notifications.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein a first symptom corresponding to a first network resource is used to determine a first tenant is impacted by the problem, and wherein the corresponding impact weight is populated from the mapping matrix based on identifying the first tenant and the resource type of the first network resource.

### Claim 14 (depends on 8)

The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein prioritizing the alerts includes ranking problems based on failure costs, and wherein the failure costs are obtained based on multiplying an estimated downtime against a PI weight.

### Claim 15

A system for alarm prioritization in a Telco network, comprising:
a non-transitory, computer-readable medium containing instructions; and
a processor that executes the instructions perform stages comprising:
constructing a mapping matrix that maps network resource types to problem weights, wherein the problem weights correlate to how impactful a network resource type is to operation of the Telco network;
receiving, at a prioritization engine, problem notifications that indicate impacted network resources, the impacted network resources having corresponding network resource types;
creating a problem-impact (“PI”) matrix based on the received problem notifications, wherein creating the PI matrix includes:
correlating problems to corresponding impacted network resources based on the problem notifications; and
assigning impact weights to the impacted network resources based on the problem weights of the mapping matrix, wherein the problem weights are identified in the mapping matrix based on the respective network types of the network resources;
summing the impact weights for each problem notification to produce PI weights; and
prioritizing alerts on a graphical user interface (“GUI”) based on the PI weights of the problem notifications.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The system of claim 15, wherein the mapping matrix further includes different classes of service that act as multipliers against weights for the network resource types, and wherein different tenants are assigned different classes of service.

### Claim 17 (depends on 15)

The system of claim 15, wherein the problem weights are updated based on which problems an administrator resolves before other problems.

### Claim 18 (depends on 15)

The system of claim 15, wherein assigning impact weights includes determining an edge weight value in a graph.

### Claim 19 (depends on 15)

The system of claim 15, wherein creating the PI matrix includes:
creating a table having a first dimension for problems and a second dimension for impacted network components; and
populating the table with the impact weights for impacted resources based on the symptoms identified in the problem notifications.

### Claim 20 (depends on 15)

The system of claim 15, wherein prioritizing the alerts includes ranking problems based on failure costs, and wherein the failure costs are obtained based on multiplying an estimated downtime against a PI weight.