# US 5,704,036 A · System and method for reported trouble isolation > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 5,704,036 A - Document ID: US5704036A - Status: Granted - Kind: A - Application number: 08/672,812 - Filed: 1996-06-28 - Granted: 1997-12-30 - Earliest claimed: 1996-06-28 - Assignees: MCI Communications Corporation - Inventors: Curtis Brownmiller; Mike Bencheck; Minh Tran; Robert Branton; Mark DeMoss; Steve Landon - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US5704036A ## CPC - H04L 41/044: comprising hierarchical management structures - H04L 41/06: Management of faults, events, alarms or notifications - H04L 41/0677: Localisation of faults - Y10S 370/907: Synchronous optical network, SONET - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) - Y10S: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS ## Abstract A system and method for isolating a problem in a network. Upon a report of error activity in a first signal transport level, a first layer in the network management system uses performance data to identify the highest signal transport level that exhibits simultaneous error activity. The first layer attempts to isolate the problem if it determines that it has access to enough information. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method in a network management layer for isolating a problem in a circuit path contained in a network, the circuit path including a plurality of network elements interconnected by a plurality of links having various transport levels, the method comprising the steps of: (1) receiving a first problem alert signal at a first signal transport level from a first monitoring point associated with a first network element in the circuit path; (2) identifying a second problem alert signal at a second signal transport level, said second problem alert signal being generated by a second monitoring point associated with a second network element in the circuit path, wherein said first signal transport level is mapped into said second signal transport level; (3) determining whether said network management layer has access to enough information to isolate the problem; and (4) identifying a third monitoring point upstream of said first monitoring point that reports a third problem alert signal corresponding to said second problem alert signal. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of: (5) moving to a next highest network management layer to isolate the problem if said step (3) determines that said network management layer does not have access to enough information to isolate the problem. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein said step (2) is repeated until a highest transport level is identified. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein said step (3) comprises the step of: (a) determining if information of all network elements in the circuit path are available to the network management layer. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein said step (4) comprises the step of: (a) identifying a third monitoring point upstream of said second monitoring point that reports a corresponding problem alert signal at said second signal transport level, wherein said second signal transport level defines a path entity. ### Claim 6 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein said step (5) comprises the step of: (a) identifying a third monitoring point upstream of said second monitoring point that reports a corresponding problem alert signal at said second signal transport level, wherein said second signal transport level defines a line entity. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of (6) discontinuing further processing for problem alert signals corresponding to said first problem alert signal that are received by the network management layer from monitoring points downstream from said first monitoring point. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein said step (1) comprises the step of receiving a threshold crossing alert at a first signal transport level from a first monitoring point associated with a network element in the circuit path, wherein said first threshold crossing alert is triggered by a monitored parameter exceeding a predefined threshold. ### Claim 9 A method in a network management layer for isolating a problem in a circuit path contained in a network, the circuit path including a plurality of network elements interconnected by a plurality of links having various transport levels, the method comprising the steps of: (1) receiving a first report of error activity at a first signal transport level from a monitoring point associated with a network element in the circuit path; (2) determining whether a second report of error activity has been received for a next highest signal transport level, wherein said first signal transport level is mapped into a second signal transport level; (3) repeating said step (2) until a highest signal transport level reporting an indication of error activity is identified; and (4) isolating the problem through analysis at said highest signal transport level. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, wherein said step (1) comprises the step of receiving a threshold crossing alert at said first signal transport level, wherein said threshold crossing alert is triggered by a monitored parameter exceeding a predefined threshold. ### Claim 11 A computer program product for use with a computer system, comprising: a computer usable medium having computer readable program code means embodied in said medium for causing the computer system to isolate a problem in a circuit path contained in a network, the circuit path including a plurality of network elements interconnected by a plurality of links having various transport levels, wherein the isolation is effected in a network management layer, said computer readable program code means comprising: first computer readable program code means for causing a computer to effect a reception of a first problem alert signal at a first signal transport level from a first monitoring point associated with a first network element in the circuit path; second computer readable program code means for causing a computer to effect an identification of a second problem alert signal at a second signal transport level that produces a second problem alert signal being generated by a second monitoring point associated with a second network element in the circuit path, wherein said first signal transport level is mapped into said second signal transport level; third computer readable program code means for causing a computer to effect a determination of whether said network management layer has access to enough information to isolate the problem; and fourth computer readable program code means for causing a computer to effect an identification of a third monitoring point upstream of said second monitoring point that reports a third problem alert signal corresponding to said second problem alert signal. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The computer program product of claim 11, wherein said second computer readable program code means comprises: computer readable program code means for causing a computer to effect an identification of a highest signal transport level that reports corresponding error activity, wherein said first signal transport level is mapped into said highest signal transport level. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The computer program product of claim 11, wherein said second computer readable program code means comprises: computer readable program code means for causing a computer to effect a determination of whether all network elements in the circuit path are available to the network management layer. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The computer program product of claim 11, wherein said fourth computer readable program code means comprises: computer readable program code means for causing a computer to effect an identification of a third monitoring point upstream of said second monitoring point that reports a corresponding problem alert signal at said second signal transport level, wherein said second signal transport level defines a path entity. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The computer program product of claim 11, wherein said fourth computer readable program code means comprises: computer readable program code means for causing a computer to effect an identification a third monitoring point upstream of said second monitoring point that reports a corresponding problem alert signal at said second signal transport level, wherein said second signal transport level defines a line entity. ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) The computer program product of claim 11, further comprising: fifth computer readable program code means for causing a computer to effect a discontinuation of further processing for problem alert signals corresponding to said first problem alert signal that are received by the network management layer from monitoring points downstream from said first monitoring point. ### Claim 17 (depends on 11) The computer program product of claim 11, wherein said first computer readable program code means comprises: computer readable program code means for causing a computer to effect a reception of a threshold crossing alert at a first signal transport level from a first monitoring point associated with a network element in the circuit path, wherein said first threshold crossing alert is triggered by a monitored parameter exceeding a predefined threshold. ### Claim 18 A computer program product, comprising: a computer usable medium having computer readable program code means embodied in said medium that isolates a problem in a circuit path contained in a network, the circuit path including a plurality of network elements interconnected by a plurality of links having various transport levels, said computer readable program code means comprising: first computer readable program code means for causing a computer to effect a reception of a problem alert signal at a first signal transport level from a monitoring point associated with a network element in the circuit path second computer readable program code means for causing a computer to effect a determination of whether a second problem alert signal has been received for a next highest signal transport signal level, wherein said first signal transport level is mapped into said second signal transport level, wherein said second computer readable program code means causes a computer to effect a repetition of said determination until a highest signal transport level reporting an a corresponding problem alert signal is identified; and third computer readable program code means for causing a computer to effect an isolation of the problem through analysis at said highest signal transport level. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The computer program product of claim 18, wherein said first computer readable program code means comprises: computer readable program code means for causing a computer to effect a reception of a threshold crossing alert at a first signal transport level from a first monitoring point associated with a network element in the circuit path, wherein said first threshold crossing alert is triggered by a monitored parameter exceeding a predefined threshold.