Correlation engine comprising root cause and service impact analyses

1. A method comprising:

providing a correlation engine comprising a stack of at least two event analysis blocks, each event analysis block comprising at least:

a root cause analysis module to:

receive on input an event notification; and

supply on output a root cause analysis result; and

a service analysis module to:

receive on input the root cause analysis result from the root cause analysis module of the block; and

supply, on output, a service impact analysis result;

coupling each of the at least two event analysis blocks to a different network section of a telecommunications network to supply at least one event notification upon detection of an event relating to each respective network section coupled to a respective event analysis block;

configuring the root cause analysis module and the service analysis module of each of the at least two event analysis blocks to:

analyze an event notification received from at least one of the coupled network sections; and

provide a root cause analysis result and a service impact analysis result; and

configuring the at least two event analysis blocks such that at least one of the root cause analysis result and/or the service impact analysis result supplied by a first event analysis block is provided on input to a second event analysis block.

2. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving an alarm on input to the root cause analysis module of an event analysis block;

supplying, by the root cause analysis module, a root result;

receiving, by the service analysis module of the event analysis block, the root result; and

supplying, by the service analysis module, a service impact analysis result.

3. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving an alarm on input to the root cause analysis module of the first event analysis block;

supplying, by the root cause analysis module, a root result;

receiving, by the service analysis module of the first event analysis block, the root result;

supplying, by the service analysis module, a service impact analysis result; and

receiving, by at least one root cause analysis module or service impact analysis module, a root cause analysis result or service impact analysis result supplied by the second event analysis block.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein:

the root cause analysis module of each event analysis block further:

receives on input a root cause analysis result from a root cause analysis module of an event analysis block arranged in a first direction; and

supplies on output its root cause analysis result to a root cause analysis module of an event analysis block arranged in a second direction, opposite to the first; and

the service analysis module of each event analysis block further:

receives on input a service impact analysis result from a service impact module of an event analysis block arranged in the second direction; and

supplies on output its service impact analysis result to a service impact analysis module of an event analysis block arranged in the first direction.

5. The method according to claim 4 , wherein the first direction corresponds to increasingly logically defined event analysis blocks, and the second direction corresponds to increasingly physically defined event analysis blocks.

6. The method according to claim 4 , wherein the root cause analysis result or the service impact analysis result is supplied to more than one other event analysis block.

7. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon a computer program comprising instructions, that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to:

provide a correlation engine comprising a stack of at least two event analysis blocks, each event analysis block comprising at least:

a root cause analysis module to:

receive on input an event notification; and

supply on output a root cause analysis result; and

a service analysis module to:

receive on input the root cause analysis result from the root cause analysis module of the block; and

supply on output a service impact analysis result;

couple each of the two event analysis blocks to a different network section of a telecommunications network to supply at least one event notification upon detection of an event relating to each respective network section; and

configure the root cause analysis module and the service analysis module of each of the at least two event analysis blocks to:

analyze an event notification received from the respective network sections; and

provide a root cause analysis result and a service impact analysis result.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 7 , wherein:

the root cause analysis module of each event analysis block further:

receives on input a root cause analysis result from a root cause analysis module of an event analysis block arranged in a first direction; and

supplies on output its root cause analysis result to a root cause analysis module of an event analysis block arranged in a second direction, opposite to the first; and

the service analysis module of each event analysis block further:

receives on input a service impact analysis result from a service impact module of an event analysis block arranged in the second direction; and

supplies on output its service impact analysis result to a service impact analysis module of an event analysis block arranged in the first direction.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 8 , wherein the root cause analysis result or the service impact analysis result is supplied to more than one other event analysis block.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 8 , wherein the first direction corresponds to increasingly logically defined event analysis blocks, and the second direction corresponds to increasingly physically defined event analysis blocks.

11. A network correlation engine to be coupled to a telecommunication network comprising:

a stack of at least two event analysis blocks, each event analysis block comprising at least:

a root cause analysis module to:

receive, on input, an event notification; and

supply, on output, a service impact analysis result; and

a service analysis module to:

receive, on input a root cause analysis result from the root cause analysis module of the block; and

supply, on output, a service impact analysis result,

wherein the at least two event analysis blocks are coupled to a different network section of the telecommunications network to supply at least one event notification upon detection of an event relating to each respective network section coupled to a respective event analysis block, and wherein, the at least two event analysis blocks are configured to:

analyze an event notification received from at least one of the coupled network sections; and

provide a root cause analysis result and a service impact analysis result; and

wherein the at least two event analysis blocks are configured such that at least one of the root cause analysis result and/or the service impact analysis result supplied by a first event analysis block is provided on input to a second event analysis block.

12. The network correlation engine according to claim 11 , wherein:

the root cause analysis module of each event analysis block further:

receives on input a root cause analysis result from a root cause analysis module of an event analysis block arranged in a first direction; and

supplies on output its root cause analysis result to a root cause analysis module of an event analysis block arranged in a second direction, opposite to the first; and

the service analysis module of each event analysis block further:

receives on input a service impact analysis result from a service impact module of an event analysis block arranged in the second direction; and

supplies on output its service impact analysis result to a service impact analysis module of an event analysis block arranged in the first direction.

13. The network correlation engine according to claim 12 , wherein the first direction corresponds to increasingly logically defined event analysis blocks, and the second direction corresponds to increasingly physically defined event analysis blocks.

14. The network correlation engine according to claim 12 , wherein the root cause analysis result or the service impact analysis result is supplied to more than one other event analysis block.

15. The network correlation engine according to claim 12 , wherein at least one event analysis block receives event notifications from more than one of the at least two network sections.

16. The network correlation engine according to claim 12 , wherein at least one event analysis block receives more than one event notifications from one of the at least two network sections.

17. The network correlation engine according to claim 12 , wherein at least one event analysis block comprises more than one root cause analysis module and/or service analysis module.

18. The network correlation engine according to claim 11 , wherein the service impact analysis result is supplied to a man-machine interface.

19. The network correlation engine according to claim 18 , wherein the man-machine interface is a graphical display used to monitor a status of the telecommunication network and of the correlation engine.