Method, service agent and network management system for operating a telecommunications network

A network management system, embodied in a computer readable storage medium and hardware, for provision of at least one of a maintenance, monitoring or control service to at least one network element of a telecommunications network, the system comprising:

• receiving means for receiving event messages which concern the at least one network element;
• filter means for filtering out event messages which are irrelevant to the maintenance, monitoring or control service to be provided by the system;
• and
• analysis and instruction means for determining at least one relationship between at least one first relevant event message and at least one second relevant event message relating to the maintenance, monitoring or control service to be provided and for instructing output means to output at least one of the first and second relevant event messages according to the at least one relationship, the at least one first relevant event message and the at least one second relevant event message being output in dependence on their relevance to the maintenance, monitoring or control service to be provided, and wherein instructing output means to output at least one first relevant event message with priority over at least one second relevant event message, to provide a first output form in which the at least one second relevant event message is suppressed, and a second output form in which the at least one second relevant event message is output and only a particular portion of a relevant event message is output, which particular portion is relevant to the service to be provided.

A computer-readable storaae medium carrying program code executable by a computer for implementing a service agent for provision of at least one of a maintenance, monitoring or control service to .at least one network element of a telecommunications network, the computer performing the following functions on execution of said code:

• receiving event messages which concern the at least one network element;
• filtering out event messages which are irrelevant to the maintenance, monitoring or control service to be provided by means of the service agent;
• and
• determining at least one relationship between at least one first relevant event message and at least one second relevant event message relating to the maintenance, monitoring or control service to be provided and instructing output means to output at least one of the first and second relevant event messages according to the at least one relationship, the at least one first relevant event message and the at least one second relevant event message being output in dependence on their relevance to the maintenance, monitoring or control service to be provided, and wherein instructing output means to output at least one first relevant event message with priority over at least one second relevant event message, to provide a first output form in which the at least one second relevant event message is suppressed. and a second output form in which the at least one second relevant event message is output and only a particular portion of a relevant event message is output, which particular portion is relevant to the service to be provided.