Alarm correlation system for a telephone network

A system for correlating performance monitoring and testing data of a channel having a plurality of embedded channels, comprising:

• a receiver capable of receiving the channel, wherein each of the channel and the embedded channels have a received clock frequency and phase;
• a first sampler capable of detecting a disturbance in the channel;
• a second sampler capable of detecting a disturbance in one of the embedded channels;
• an alarm correlator capable of correlating the disturbance in the channel with the disturbance in the embedded channel;
• an alarm generator capable of generating an alarm for a one of the disturbances including an alarm blocking function for preventing the generation of an alarm of the embedded channel disturbance when the embedded channel disturbance correlates to the disturbance of the channel;
• and
• a transmitter capable of transmitting the channel, wherein each of the channel and the embedded channels have the received clock frequency and phase.

A method of correlating performance monitoring and testing data of a channel having a plurality of embedded channels, the method comprising the steps of:

• receiving the channel, wherein each of the channel and the embedded channels have a received clock frequency and phase;
• detecting a disturbance in the channel;
• detecting a disturbance in one of the embedded channels;
• correlating the disturbance in the channel with the disturbance in the embedded channel;
• generating an alarm for a one of the disturbances including the step of blocking the generation of an alarm of the embedded channel disturbance when the embedded channel disturbance correlates to the disturbance of the channel;
• and
• transmitting the channel, Wherein each of the channel and the embedded channels have the received clock frequency and phase.