System and method for proactive management of a communication network through monitoring a user network interface

A computer-implemented system for monitoring performance parameters relating to a user network interface (“UNI”) in a communication network, the system comprising:

• a message source parser module for examining an exception message sent by a network element in the communication network and for determining which network component the message relates to;
• a component record finder module having a data communication path to the message source parser module, the component record finder module being operative to search through component records in a component record database to identify a component that is related to the received exception message;
• and
• a message recording module having a data communication path to the component record finder module, the message recording module being operative to search the component record identified by the component record finder module to retrieve from the component record the identity of one or more UNIs affected by the component, the message recording module also being operative to post information from the message to one or more data records that correspond to the one or more UNIs identified from the component record.

A computer-implemented system for monitoring performance parameters relating to a user network interface (“UNI”) in a communication network, the system comprising:

• a message source parser module for examining an exception message sent by a network element in the communication network and for determining which network component the message relates to;
• a query execution module having a data communication path to the message source parser module, the query execution module being operative to conduct a search in a database containing UNI data records to identify the UNI data records that indicate that messages relating to the component identified by the message source parser module should be posted to that UNI record;
• and
• a UNI record appending module having a data communication path to the query execution module, the UNI record appending module being operative to post information from the message to the one or more UNI data records identified by the query execution module.

A network monitoring system for a communication network, the system comprising:

• a database containing UNI data records;
• a message source parser module for examining an exception message sent by a network element in the communication network and for determining which network component the message relates to;
• a query execution module having a data communication path to the message source parser module, the query execution module being operative to conduct a search in the database to identify the UNI data records that indicate that messages relating to the component identified by the message source parser module should be posted to that UNI record;
• and
• a UNI record appending module having a data communication path to the query execution module, the UNI record appending module being operative to post information from the message to the one or more UNI data records identified by the query execution module.

A network monitoring system for a communication network, the system comprising:

• a component record database;
• a message source parser module for examining an exception message sent by a network element in the communication network and for determining which network component the message relates to;
• a component record finder module having a data communication path to the message source parser module, the component record finder module being operative to search through component records in the component record database to identify a component that is related to the received exception message;
• and
• a message recording module having a data communication path to the component record finder module, the message recording module being operative to search the component record identified by the component record finder module to retrieve from the component record the identity of one or more UNIs affected by the component, the message recording module also being operative to post information from the message to one or more data records that correspond to the one or more UNIs identified from the component record.

A method for accumulating performance information relating to a user network interface (“UNI”) in a communication network, the method comprising the steps of:

• receiving an exception message transmitted by a network element;
• determining which UNIs are affected by the exception message;
• and
• ascribing information from the exception message to data records that correspond to the affected UNIs.