Classifications

• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04Q—SELECTING
  • H04Q11/00—Selecting arrangements for multiplex systems
  • H04Q11/04—Selecting arrangements for multiplex systems for time-division multiplexing
  • H04Q11/0428—Integrated services digital network, i.e. systems for transmission of different types of digitised signals, e.g. speech, data, telecentral, television signals
  • H04Q11/0478—Provisions for broadband connections
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04L—TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION
  • H04L12/00—Data switching networks
  • H04L12/54—Store-and-forward switching systems 
  • H04L12/56—Packet switching systems
  • H04L12/5601—Transfer mode dependent, e.g. ATM
  • H04L2012/5628—Testing
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04L—TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION
  • H04L12/00—Data switching networks
  • H04L12/54—Store-and-forward switching systems 
  • H04L12/56—Packet switching systems
  • H04L12/5601—Transfer mode dependent, e.g. ATM
  • H04L2012/5629—Admission control
  • H04L2012/5631—Resource management and allocation
  • H04L2012/5636—Monitoring or policing, e.g. compliance with allocated rate, corrective actions
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04L—TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION
  • H04L12/00—Data switching networks
  • H04L12/54—Store-and-forward switching systems 
  • H04L12/56—Packet switching systems
  • H04L12/5601—Transfer mode dependent, e.g. ATM
  • H04L2012/5687—Security aspects

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a device and a method for connection to a network of a broadband telecommunications service provider and more particularly relates to a device for connection to a digital network in which the so-called "SDH” communication techniques are used ( Synchronous Digital Hierarchy in English) or "ATM" (Asynchronous Transfer Mode in English).
• SDH Synchronous Digital Hierarchy in English
• ATM Asynchronous Transfer Mode in English
• a client's access point to such a network is often an optical or electrical distributor which is generally located up to several tens of kilometers from the interconnection equipment installed at the edge of the telecommunications service provider's network. .
• the area between this access point and the service provider's site contains potential sources of faults not supervised by the interconnection equipment. These sources can be located either on the service provider side or on the client side.
• transmission anomalies are the responsibility of the service provider while in the second case they are the responsibility of the customer.
• FIG. 1 schematically illustrates three distinct zones of a link to a high speed communication network 2, a first Zl in which is the network 2 and the equipment 4 for interconnection to the network of the service provider, a second zone Z2 in which is located customer infrastructure and a third zone Z3, not supervised by the interconnection equipment, located between zones Zl and Z2.
• Zone Z3 generally comprises an electronic output interface 6, a line amplifier 8, possibly a converter 10 for electrical signals into optical signals and a jumper 12 for optical or electrical connection connecting the equipment 4 to one at the distributor 14 located at the point access 15 to the network 2.
• the anomalies which come from zone 1 are the responsibility of the service provider, while the anomalies which come from zone 2 are the responsibility of the customer. Since zone Z3 is not supervised by the interconnection equipment of the service provider, the responsibility for a transmission anomaly which occurs in this zone is not clearly defined.
• the known interconnection equipment is either intended exclusively for the connection function and generally includes internal supervision modules which are not capable of detecting and locating communication anomalies in the zone Z3, or intended exclusively for the function supervision of the services provided and do not make it possible to transmit the supervision information in the transmission band.
• the object of the invention is to overcome the drawbacks of the prior art by means of a device ensuring at the same time the connection to the network of the service provider and the supervision of the services provided so as to allow telecommunications service providers optimize their personnel and measuring equipment resources by avoiding untimely trips by their maintenance technicians to identify faults for which they are not responsible.
• Another object of the invention consists in isolating and locating an unambiguous transmission anomaly and in informing the customer of the presence of an anomaly before the latter realizes it so as to guarantee a certain level of Quality of Service .
• the system thus makes it possible to prevent telecommunications service providers from paying penalties on anomalies that are not their responsibility.
• Another advantage of the invention comes from the fact that the service provider can solve any transmission problem within the succession time agreed with their customers as part of an SLA (Service level Agreement in English) thanks to professional supervision. -active offered by the device.
• a device for connecting to the network of a broadband telecommunications service provider comprising a non-intrusive interface capable of measuring the quality of service at the access point to said network provided with at least one sensor arranged in such a way as to derive part of the energy from a transmitted signal or from a signal received at the access point and to transmit the energy thus derived to an analysis module programmed to detect and locate anomalies of transmission likely to occur upstream and downstream of the access point, said sensor being connected to an electronic anomaly analysis module.
• the invention thus makes it possible to integrate in a single piece of equipment the function of connection to the network of the broadband service provider and the function of supervision of the services provided to the access point to the network.
• the invention also makes it possible to centralize the commissioning and maintenance functions so as to avoid the travel of technicians from telecommunications service providers to customer sites and to avoid investments in measuring devices.
• Another advantage of the device according to the invention comes from the fact that it provides a remote view of the quality of service thanks to the transmission in the band, thanks to the POH overhead speed (path over-head in English language) in SDH or to ATM maintenance cells, measured Quality parameters.
• FIG. 1 schematically illustrates a connection to a communication network according to the prior art
• FIG. 2 schematically shows a link to a communication network comprising a device according to the invention
• a link to a high speed telecommunications network 2 via connection equipment 4 comprises three distinct zones Z1, Z2 and Z3.
• Communication anomalies can come either from network 2 and equipment 4 from the service provider located in zone Zl, either from the customer's infrastructure located in zone Z2, or elements which are located in zone Z3.
• These elements are generally constituted by an electronic output interface 6, a line amplifier 8, a converter 10 for electrical signals into an optical signal or even a jumper 12 for connection.
• the connection device 4 comprises a non-intrusive connection interface 20 comprising means capable of measuring the quality of service at the access point 15 to the network 2.
• These means are constituted by a sensor 22 arranged so as to derive a part of the energy from a signal transmitted or from a signal received at the access point 15 and an anomaly analysis module 23 which receives the energy thus derived and performs a service test of the exchanges between the telecommunications service provider and its client.
• Said anomaly analysis module 23 comprises at least one analog receiver, a clock recovery module, a transcoding module, an SDH frame alignment and locking module, a management byte analysis module inserted in the overhead of the SDH frame and possibly an ATM maintenance cell analysis module.
• the senor is of the optical coupler type and the analog receiver is a laser diode.
• the senor is of the electrical type such as for example a protected control point defined by the ITU-T according to recommendation G.772 or a connection at high impedance
• the analog receiver is an equalizer / amplifier.
• the device 4 further comprises two transport interfaces 32 and 34 arranged on the side of the service provider, and a third transport interface 36 arranged on the side of the client.
• the interfaces 32 and 34 are connected to a switching element 37 intended to automatically switch the service from the link connected to the interface 32 (respectively to the interface 34) to the link connected to the interface 34 (respectively on the interface 32) upon detection of a transmission anomaly severe on the interface 32 (respectively on the interface 34).
• the operation of the transport interfaces 32, 34 and 36 is controlled by a central management unit 38 supervising test modules 40 which integrate a service test generator, a service test receiver and an element intended to perform a function of bidirectional remote loopback.
• each of the interfaces 32, 34, 36 comprises a test module 40 which can be individually configured by the central management unit 38.
• the non-intrusive interface 20 provides in-service control of the information exchanged at the access point (15) to the network of the service provider.
• the central management unit 38 consolidates, correlates and filters all the anomalies detected upstream and downstream of the access point 15. so as to unambiguously locate faults and calculate the quality of service.
• test carried out by the device 4 on commissioning or in the event of an anomaly on the service consists in:
• This operation consists in measuring the time taken by a given pattern of a signal to traverse a part of the communication network to the loopback point and to return;
• the remote looping carried out by the device according to the invention consists in making it possible to return the signal received independently on each of the interfaces 32, 34, 36 on the two sides of each interface.
• the detection, qualification and localization of anomalies consist of:
• the device comprises a bidirectional non-intrusive sensor 22 disposed at the access point 15 making it possible to measure the quality of each direction of transmission to this access point, and the end quality - at the end of the two directions of transmission.
• the Quality of Service is calculated from the information contained in the overhead bytes on each of the SDH layers. In the case of ATM, this information is contained in the maintenance cells.

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Computer Networks & Wireless Communication (AREA)
• Data Exchanges In Wide-Area Networks (AREA)
• Monitoring And Testing Of Exchanges (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=8852051

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (4)

• 2000
  • 2000-07-03 FR FR0008630A patent/FR2811176B1/fr not_active Expired - Fee Related
• 2001
  • 2001-07-02 WO PCT/FR2001/002112 patent/WO2002003742A1/fr not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 2001-07-02 EP EP01949609A patent/EP1297719A1/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 2001-07-02 BR BR0112133-2A patent/BR0112133A/pt not_active Application Discontinuation

Non-Patent Citations (1)

Also Published As

Similar Documents

Legal Events