Method and system for automatically displaying and configuring a network monitoring system

A system for automatically monitoring and configuring a communications network comprising a plurality of components, comprising:

• a plurality of user templates associated with a plurality of levels of integration of the components of the communications network so that a user template associates with each one of said levels of integration;
• means for associating each one of said user templates with other of said user templates to permit error conditions existing at one of said components to indicate a plurality of error signals on predetermined ones of said user templates;
• a set of instructions and queries for communicating through a display, said instructions and queries associated with said error signals and said levels of integration;
• means for altering said user templates and said levels of integration in response to said instructions;
• means for configuring said user templates to monitor the communications network in response to said instructions;
• and
• display means for displaying said altered user templates and said altered levels of integration.

A method for automatically monitoring and configuring a communications network comprising a plurality of components, the method comprising the steps of:

• associating each one of a plurality of user outputs with a plurality of predetermined sets of the components of the communications network so that at least one user output associates with at least one of said predetermined sets;
• associating certain ones of said user outputs with other ones of said user outputs to permit an error condition existing at one of the components to indicate a plurality of error signals on selected ones of said user outputs;
• communicating instructions and queries through a display, said instructions and queries associated with said error signals and said selected ones of said user outputs;
• altering said selected ones of said user outputs in response to said instructions;
• configuring said plurality of user outputs to monitor the communications network in response to said instructions;
• and
• displaying said altered user outputs on said display.

A system for automatically monitoring and configuring a communications network comprising a plurality of components, comprising:

• a plurality of user outputs, each associated with a plurality of predetermined sets of the components of the communications network so that at least one user output associates with at least one of said predetermined sets;
• means for associating certain ones of said user outputs with other ones of said user outputs to permit an error condition existing at one of the components to indicate a plurality of error signals on selected ones of said user outputs;
• a set of instructions and queries for communicating through a display, said instructions and queries associated with said error signals and said selected ones of said user outputs;
• means for altering said selected ones of said user outputs in response to said instructions;
• means for configuring said plurality of user outputs to monitor the communications network in response to said instructions;
• and
• display means for displaying said altered selected ones of said user outputs.

A method for automatically monitoring and configuring a communications network comprising a plurality of components, the method comprising the steps of:

• associating a plurality of user outputs with a plurality of levels of integration of the components of the communications network so that at least one user output associates with each one of said levels of integration;
• communicating instructions and queries through a display, said instructions and queries associated with said levels of integration;
• altering said user outputs and said levels of integration in response to said instructions;
• and
• configuring said levels of integration to monitor the communications network in response to said instructions;
• displaying said altered user outputs and said altered levels of integration.

An automatic monitoring and configuring system for a communications network comprising a plurality of components, comprising:

• a plurality of user outputs associated with a plurality of levels of integration of the components of the communications network so that at least one user output associates with each one of said levels of integration;
• a set of instructions and queries for communicating through a display, said instructions and queries associated with said levels of integration;
• means for altering said user outputs and said levels of integration in response to said instructions;
• and
• means for configuring said levels of integration to monitor the communications network in response to said instructions;
• display means for displaying said altered user outputs and said altered levels of integration.

A method of generating a computer monitor representation of a communications network having a plurality of sub-components and higher components for use in monitoring and controlling said communucations network, comprising the steps of:

• predefining a plurality of templates, one for each possible sub-component and higher component of the communications network, each of said templates defining at least one characteristic of a portion of the communications network;
• interrogating a user to supply responses describing a predetermined set of characteristics of the communications network from a selection of possible characteristics defined by said templates;
• generating a database from which any desired representation of the communications network may be displayed based on the responses to said interrogating step;
• and
• displaying a simulation of any portion of the communications network as requested by the user.

A system for generating a computer monitor representation of a communications network having a plurality of sub-components and higher components for use in monitoring and controlling said network, comprising:

• a plurality of predefined templates, one for each possible sub-component and higher component of the communications network, where each template defines, in software terminology, a system characteristic of an associated portion of the network;
• means for interrogating a user to supply responses as to the sub-components and higher components of the communications network from a selection of choices defined by said predefined templates;
• a database from which any desired representation of the communications network may be displayed, based on the responses to said interrogating means;
• and
• a simulation for displaying any portion of the communications network as requested by said user.

A method of monitoring a communications network having a plurality of sub-components and higher components using a computer monitor representation, comprising the steps of:

• predefining a plurality of templates, one for each possible sub-component and higher component of the communications network, each one of said templates defining, in software terminology, at least one alarm condition effecting a portion of the communications network;
• interrogating a user to supply responses describing the sub-components and higher components of the communications network from a selection of choices defined by said templates;
• generating a database, from which any desired representation of the communications network may be displayed, based on said responses to said interrogating step;
• and
• displaying a simulation of any portion of the communications network and alarm conditions in that portion.

A system for monitoring a communications network having a plurality of sub-components and higher components using a computer monitor representation, comprising:

• a plurality of templates for predefining each possible communications network sub-component and higher component, where each template defines at least one network alarm condition;
• a set of queries for interrogating a user to supply responses describing the sub-components and higher components of the communications network from a selection of choices defined by said templates;
• a database for generating a display of any desired representation of the communications network based on the responses to said set of queries;
• and
• a display for responsively displaying a simulation of any alarm conditions.

A method of generating a computer monitor representation of a communications network having a plurality of sub-components and higher components for use in monitoring and controlling said communications network, comprising the steps of:

• predefining a plurality of templates, one for each possible communications network sub-component and higher component, where each template defines a set of characteristics for a portion of the communications network;
• associating certain ones of said plurality of templates with one another to indicate relationships among the communications network sub-components and higher components;
• interrogating a user to supply responses as to the sub-components and higher components of the communications network from a selection of choices defined by said templates;
• generating a database from which any desired representation of the communications network may be displayed, based on the responses to the interrogating step;
• and
• displaying a simulation of any portion of the communications network as requested by said user.

A system of generating a computer monitor representation of a communications network having a plurality of sub-components and higher components and for use in monitoring and controlling said communications network, the system comprising:

• a plurality of templates for each possible sub-component and higher component of the communications network, where each template defines, in software terminology, a set of characteristics for that portion of the communications network;
• means for associating certain ones of said plurality of templates with one another to indicate relationships among said communications network sub-components and higher components;
• a plurality of queries for interrogating a user to supply responses as to said sub-components and higher components of the communications network from a selection of choices defined by said templates;
• a database for containing data to display any desired representation of the communications network based on the responses to said plurality of queries;
• and
• means for displaying a simulation of any portion of the communications network as requested by the user.