Apparatus and method for alarm suppression in a monitoring system

1. A method comprising:

receiving a suppression trigger message;

comparing the suppression trigger message to a suppression description an alarm to be suppressed;

enabling the suppression description in accordance with a result of the comparison of the suppression trigger message to the suppression description;

receiving an alarm record at an alarm controller; and

if the suppression description is enabled, comparing the received alarm record to the suppression description and settings a suppression flag of the received alarm record in accordance with a result of the comparison of the received alarm record to the suppression description.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the suppression description comprises a description of a group of alarms to be suppressed.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, after setting the suppression flag of the received alarm record, sending a message comprising the received alarm record.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the suppression trigger message comprises a message from a control system indicating a system-wide status that requires a group of alarms to be suppressed.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

storing the received alarm record;

wherein comparing the received alarm record to the suppression description comprises comparing the suppression description to the stored alarm record in response to enabling the suppression description.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising removing the stored alarm record from a display of stored alarm records in accordance with the result of the comparison of the received alarm record to the enabled suppression description.

7. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:

storing a plurality of received alarm records;

storing an index for each of the stored alarm records; and

deleting the stored index for one of the stored alarm records in accordance with the result of the comparison of the stored alarm record to the enabled suppression description.

8. An apparatus comprising:

an input operable to receive a suppression trigger message and an alarm record; and

an alarm controller operable to:

compare the suppression trigger message to a suppression description describing an alarm to be suppressed;

enable the suppression description in accordance with a result of the comparison of the suppression trigger message to the suppression description; and

if the suppression description is enabled, compare the received alarm record to the suppression description and set a suppression flag of the received alarm record in accordance with a result of the comparison of the received alarm record to the suppression description.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the suppression description comprises a description of a group of alarms to be suppressed.

10. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the alarm controller is further operable, after setting the suppression flag of the received alarm record, to send a message comprising the received alarm record.

11. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the alarm record includes:

a point identifier identifying a device originating an alarm that might be suppressed;

a parameter identifying a characteristic of the device associated with the alarm that might be suppressed; and

an alarm condition identifying a condition of the device.

12. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the alarm controller is operable to:

store the received alarm record; and

compare the enabled suppression description to the stored alarm record in response to enabling the suppression description.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the alarm controller is further operable to remove the stored alarm record from a display of stored alarm records in accordance with the result of the comparison of the received alarm record to the enabled suppression description.

14. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the alarm controller is further operable to:

store a plurality of received alarm records;

store an index for each of the stored alarm records; and

delete the stored index for one of the stored alarm records in accordance with the result of the comparison of the stored alarm record to the enabled suppression description.

15. A system comprising:

a device operable to send an alarm record; and

an alarm controller operable to:

receive a suppression trigger message;

compare the suppression trigger message to a suppression description describing an alarm to be suppressed;

enable the suppression description in accordance with a result of the comparison of the suppression trigger message to the suppression description;

receive the alarm record; and

if the suppression description is enabled, compare the received alarm record to the suppression description and set a suppression flag of the received alarm record in accordance with a result of the comparison of the received alarm record to the suppression description.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the suppression description comprises a description of a group of alarm records to be suppressed.

17. The system of claim 15 , wherein the alarm controller is further operable, after setting the suppression flag of the received alarm record, to send a message comprising the received alarm record.

18. The system of claim 15 , wherein the alarm controller is operable to provide the alarm record with the set suppression flag to a database for storage.

19. The system of claim 15 , wherein the alarm controller is operable to:

store the received alarm record; and

compare the enabled suppression description to the stored alarm record in response to enabling the suppression description.

20. The system of claim 19 , wherein the alarm controller is further operable to remove the stored alarm record from a display of stored alarm records in accordance with the result of the comparison of the received alarm record to the enabled suppression description.

21. The system of claim 19 , wherein the alarm controller is further operable to:

store a plurality of received alarm records;

store an index for each of the stored alarm records; and

delete the stored index for one of the stored alarm records in accordance with the result of the comparison of the stored alarm record to the enabled suppression description.