Network management system and method provisioning OAM support for multicast communications sessions
A method for monitoring a point-to-multipoint unidirectional multicast connection via exchange of OAM messages is presented. The method includes retrieving the connection record of the multicast connection from a network management system repository and determining common parent path points between the root and a selected path branch endpoint. In turning on content conveyance monitoring for a termination other than the root, the termination specific uncommon portion of the transport path is segmented if necessary, OAM compliant managed path segments are identified, and OAM configuration commands to turn on OAM functionality are issued only to uncommon path segment endpoints. In turning off content conveyance monitoring for a termination other than the root, a single OAM configuration command to turn off OAM functionality is issued only for the path branch endpoint, or if the uncommon portion of the transport path associated with the no longer participating termination is segmented, OAM configuration commands to turn off OAM functionality are issued only to uncommon path segment endpoints. Advantages are derived from a centralized multicast connection that is configurable in real-time, and reduced signaling overhead as OAM configuration commands are sent only to relevant uncommon managed path segment endpoints as needed.
1. A method of activating monitoring of a unidirectional point-to-multipoint multicast connection, wherein a transport path of the unidirectional point-to-multipoint multicast connection forms a tree that extends from a root to a plurality of branch endpoints, via exchange of Operations, Administration, and Management (OAM) messages in a communications network management context, the method comprising:
extending connectivity to a new branch endpoint in the tree;
retrieving, with a network management system (NMS), a connection record from a network management repository, the connection record storing connectivity information for the tree;
determining common path points in the tree between the root and the new branch endpoint;
segmenting an uncommon portion of the tree between the root and the new branch endpoint;
identifying at least one uncommon OAM compliant managed path segment; and
issuing OAM configuration commands to the at least one uncommon OAM compliant managed path segment uniquely associated with the new branch endpoint to activate an OAM functionality, wherein a provisioning status of the OAM functionality is stored only once in the connection record for common managed and compliant path points in the tree between the root and the new branch endpoint and OAM messages are conveyed to the plurality of branch endpoints.
2. The method claimed in claim 1 , wherein activating the OAM functionality at uncommon managed OAM-compliant path segment endpoints, the method further comprises:
configuring each uncommon managed OAM-compliant path segment endpoint as an OAM message source when the path segment endpoint is upstream in the tree with respect to a corresponding segment relative to the root.
3. The method claimed in claim 1 , wherein activating the OAM functionality at uncommon managed OAM-compliant path segment endpoints, the method further comprises:
configuring each uncommon managed OAM-compliant path segment endpoint as an OAM message sink when the path segment endpoint is downstream in the tree with respect to a corresponding segment relative to the root.
4. The method claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving a notification of a network event affecting the transport path of the monitored multicast connection.
5. The method claimed in claim 1 further comprises: segmenting the uncommon portion, when the uncommon portion of the transport path is provisioned over an OAM functionality non-compliant infrastructure.
6. The method claimed in claim 1 further comprises: segmenting the uncommon portion, when the uncommon portion of the transport path is provisioned via at least one Inter-Carrier Interface (ICI).
7. The method claimed in claim 1 further comprises: segmenting the uncommon portion, when the uncommon portion of the transport path is provisioned over an unmanaged communications infrastructure.
8. The method claimed in claim 1 ,
wherein activating the OAM functionality includes exchange of one of: an OAM Connectivity Checking (OAM-CC) message, and an OAM Performance Monitoring (OAM-PM),
between an OAM message source and an OAM message sink.