Telecommunications management interface system
This invention relates to a method and apparatus for centralized control of operations, administration, maintenance and provisioning (OAMP) for a system comprising sub network elements and sub-elements from a plurality of vendors having different OAMP interfaces. The messages to and from the sub network elements are translated into a standard format for display at a centralized control terminal. Advantageously, a system administrator can control the network without having to have detailed knowledge of the OAMP interface of each element.
1. In a telecommunications network, comprising a plurality of sub network elements served by a plurality of different network management level units, a management interface system comprising:
means for receiving reports of events from said sub network elements;
means for translating said reports in said management interface system into a plurality of standard languages and formats for use by said network management level units and transmitting the translated reports to said network management level units;
means for translating commands in said standard languages received from said network management level units into a language of a sub network element for which said commands are destined; and
means for transmitting the translated commands to the sub network element for which it is destined;
wherein said management interface system is adapted to communicate with sub network elements from different vendors using different command languages.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said means for receiving reports comprises:
means for receiving performance measurement data from said sub network elements.
3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said means for translating said reports comprises:
means for transmitting performance measurement data to a network management center.
4. In a telecommunications network, comprising a plurality of sub network elements served by a plurality of different network management level units, a method of managing said plurality of sub network elements, comprising the steps of:
receiving reports of events from said plurality of sub network elements;
in a management interface system, translating said reports into a plurality of standard languages and formats for use by said network management level units and transmitting the translated reports to said network management level units;
translating commands in said standard languages, received from said network management level units into a language of a sub network element for which said commands are destined; and
transmitting the translated commands to the network or sub network element for which it is destined;
wherein said management interface system communicates with sub network elements from different vendors using different command languages.
5. The method of claim 4 wherein the step of receiving reports comprises the step of:
receiving performance measurement data from said sub network elements.
6. The method of claim 5 wherein the step of transmitting the translated reports comprises the step of:
transmitting accumulated performance measurement data to a network management center.