Inter-domain network management system for multi-layer networks

#The present application claims the priority of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/146,704 filed Jul. 30, 1999 in the name of inventors Y. S. Bagga et al. and entitled “A Network Management System Solution For Diverse And Converged Voice And Data Networks.”

#The present invention relates generally to telecommunications network management systems, and more particularly to systems for management of multi-layer networks incorporating diverse architectural and technological domains.

#The rapid evolution of the telecommunications industry has resulted in the convergence of voice and data transport over a number of diverse architectural and technological domains, such as, e.g., Time Division Multiplexing (TDM), Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM), Synchronous Optical Network (SONET), Synchronous Digital Hierarchy (SDH), Frame Relay (FR), Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing (DWDM) and Internet Protocol (IP). The choice of the backbone transport protocols depends on the service mix. For example, public multi-service providers such as AT&T having customer Service Level Agreements (SLAs) may utilize a full stack of technologies, while national Internet Service Providers (ISPs) may choose direct IP over DWDM networks.

#FIG. 1 shows an example of a multi-layer network in which the present invention may be implemented.

#FIG. 2 shows an inter-domain network management system in accordance with an illustrative embodiment of the invention.

#FIG. 3 shows a more detailed view of an inter-domain configuration manager component of the FIG. 2 network management system in accordance with the invention.

#FIG. 1 shows an example of a multi-layer telecommunications network 100 in which the present invention may be implemented. The network 100 in this example provides voice, data and video services utilizing a multi-layer architecture which includes five layers 110-i, i=1, 2, . . . 5. The layer 110-1 is a service layer associated with the above-noted voice, data and video services. The remaining layers 110-2, 110-3, 110-4 and 110-5 include an IP fabric 112, an ATM fabric 114, a Synchronous Transfer Mode (STM) fabric 116, and an optical fabric 118, respectively. The network 100 provides direct optical wavelength access 120 via the optical fabric 118, variable bandwidth access 122 via the IP fabric 112 and ATM fabric 114, and fixed bandwidth access 124 via the STM fabric 116.

#It should be emphasized that the architecture of the network 100 as shown in FIG. 1 is by way of example only. The particular multi-layer network configuration for a given telecommunication service provider will generally depend on factors such as the multitude and type of services the service provider would like to offer. For example, as previously noted, public multi-service providers like AT&T having customer Service Level Agreements (SLAs) will generally utilize a full stack of technologies, while national Internet service providers (ISPs) will choose direct IP over DWDM networks.

#Additional details regarding the configuration and operation of multi-layer telecommunication networks such as network 100 may be found in, e.g., ITU-T, “Recommendation G.805—Generic Functional Architecture of Transport Networks,” November 1995; ITU-T, “Recommendation M.3100—Generic Network Information Model,” July 1995; M. Mortensen, “Operations Architecture for Data-Centric Converged Telecommunications Networks: Lucent Technologies Open Operations CORBA Architecture,” Lucent Network and Services Management White Paper, 1999; and M. Mortensen, “Guaranteeing operations quality,” Telephony, Jul. 5, 1999, all of which are incorporated by reference herein.