JPH06350703A - Supervisory method for call connecting function for node system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide a supervisory method for call connecting function for node system which can be applied to the normality supervisory of call connection in communication service. CONSTITUTION:A test start part provided with a function to be operated by cyclical start and an analysis part to receive the tested result and to analyze the result are arranged inside a managing module M. The normality of a call connecting function in the various kinds of communication service is confirmed by cyclically starting each module Ln from the test start part, receiving the tested result at the managing module M and analyzing it at the analysis part. This method is provided with a function to communicate the abnormality of a certain module Ln between this module and the managing module M when the module is abnormal, and to perform stop control. With this function, the stop control, which can not be provided by a conventional external supervisory device, of the supervisory function of call connection in communication service at the time of module congestion or restart processing is possible.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method of monitoring a call connection function in a node system, which is applied to monitor the normality of call connection of a communication service provided by a switching system or an information processing system.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art The types of communication services will continue to increase and become complex, and it is important to guarantee the normality of the communication itself.

There is a demand for strengthening the monitoring function of the system for monitoring the normality / abnormality of call connection for each communication service.

Conventionally, as a function of periodically monitoring the exchange system, as shown in FIG. 9, an external monitoring device (ESE) is used.
Devices called "Ishino," Research and practical use of communication software "NTT R & D VOL41, No.5, P
P554, 1992).

This is a device for monitoring the normality of the incoming call connection function, which is a communication service for telephone calls of a digital exchange.

The ESE is installed independently of a switching system for making a call connection, and receives an activation completion signal when an incoming connection call is generated and the call connection is normal, and does not receive the signal when the call connection is abnormal. judge.

Since the switching system may not be able to receive due to congestion, it is judged by executing a plurality of times for accuracy.

The ESE is installed separately from the test equipment for the switching system.

[0009]

Problems to be Solved by the Invention In ESE, only the incoming call connection function of a telephone call is monitored.

The communication services provided by the switching system include not only basic telephone call origination / termination connection functions but also I
SDN outgoing and incoming connection services, plus 1
Communication services such as special number connection services such as 19, 113 and 116 and connection services such as toll-free numbers tend to expand, and any one of the call connection processes that processes these communication services in the system is abnormal. For example, it is discovered by user declaration, but before that, the system needs a monitoring function for detecting anomalies in the call connection function of communication services.

[0011] During congestion processing when overload traffic occurs to the system or during failure processing when a system failure occurs, the ESE activates incoming call regardless of the system status. A function for restart control at the time of restoration is required, but ESE does not have such a function because it is a hardware that is completely independent of software.

As a system, there is a problem of lack of flexibility in that stop control cannot be performed in real time even though congestion is in a normal state.

[0013] When a plurality of communication services are abnormal or a plurality of communication services become abnormal at the same time, the maintenance staff currently calls the system from the terminal to check whether the call connection of various communication services is normal. The fact is that the communication service range where communication is possible and the communication service range where communication is abnormal are distinguished, and no method has been established to analyze which part of the system is causing the failure.

An object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems of the prior art and to provide a method for monitoring a call connection function in a node system that can be applied to monitoring the normality of a call connection of a communication service.

[0015]

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention has a plurality of modules Ln (n = 1 to N), a management module M for managing them, and the module for solving the above-mentioned problems. Connection links Xn (n = 1 to N) for connecting between the Ln of Ln and between the module Ln and the management module M, and a tester Tn (n = n = n = n) for performing a call connection test of communication service for each module 1 to N)
And a control signal between the tester Tn and the module Ln,
Monitoring of the call connection function in the node system, which includes means for connecting between the control line α for transmitting and receiving the test results and the test line β for test access to the module Ln, and for communicating between the respective modules Ln and the management module M respectively. In the method, the management module M is provided with a test starting section for periodically starting each tester Tn arranged in each module Ln and an analyzing section for analyzing a test result. The test starting section and the analyzing section are , If a module becomes abnormal, a device-to-device connection link X is established between the module and the management module M.
management module M has a function of communicating via n to perform stop control and recovery control. The management module M performs test activation of a plurality of modules Ln in parallel, analyzes the test result transmitted from the tester, and performs a plurality of analysis in the analysis unit. This is achieved by using the test results of the call connection functions of various types of communication services, analyzing the commonality of call connection attributes of the communication services that are reported as abnormal in the plurality of test results, and determining the range of abnormalities. .

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the analysis unit uses the test results of the call connection functions of a plurality of types of communication services, and the call connection of a communication service that is reported as abnormal by the plurality of test results is used. As a method of analyzing the commonality of attributes and determining the range of abnormalities, the first attribute of the communication service call connection function is categorized into the service type of basic service call and multiple specific communication service calls, and each service is called. Set up connection call and incoming connection call.

Alternatively, the call connection processing sequence is divided into a plurality of second attributes, the attributes for which the call connection processing sequence has not progressed are aggregated, and the analysis unit analyzes the commonality.

A mode in which the test starting unit or the analyzing unit is installed for each module Ln, and the stop control and the restart control of the main monitoring are performed in the own module Ln during the congestion processing and the failure restart processing at the time of failure. Is valid.

[0019]

[Function] Conventionally, a device (E
SE) was required, but in the present invention, a testing device prepared to respond to complaints from the user is used, and monitoring software is added to the management module in order to periodically start and execute this automatically. This allows the monitoring system to be economically realized.

With this, the normality of the call connection of a plurality of communication services provided by the system can be constantly monitored, and the monitoring result is reported to the operation system (OpS) at the time of abnormality and periodically.

By providing the test starting unit and the analyzing unit in the management module, during the congestion processing of the module and the failure processing of the failure, the stop control is performed in real time by the communication between the management module and the module. Can be done at.

[0022]

Embodiments will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the present invention.

A plurality of modules Ln (n = 1 to N), a management module M that manages these modules, and an inter-device connection link Xn (n = 1) that connects the plurality of modules Ln and the management module M. ~ N), each module L
n is a tester Tn (n
= 1 to N), a control line between the tester Tn and the module Ln, a control line α for transmitting and receiving test results, and a test line β for test access to the module Ln are connected to each module Ln and management. In the node system having means for communicating between the modules M, the test modules Tn arranged in the modules Ln are included in the management module M.
A test starting unit for periodically starting the test and an analyzing unit for analyzing the test result are arranged.

This tester Tn is used for originating and terminating connection functions of a plurality of communication services (not only basic telephone call originating and terminating connection functions, but also packet connection services,
ISDN connection service, special number connection service such as 119, 113 and 116, connection service such as toll-free, etc.) can be tested.

This is a tester for starting a test and executing a test when a user complaint is generated from the operation system (OpS) which is the above-mentioned device of the management module M.

The operation of FIG. 1 will be described.

In the management module M, a test starter having a function of operating by periodical start and an analyzer for receiving the test result and analyzing the result are arranged.

The test starting unit periodically starts each module Ln, and the test result is received by the management module M.
The normality of the call connection function of various communication services is confirmed by the analysis unit.

If a certain module Ln becomes abnormal, the module and the management module M are provided with a function of communicating to the management module M that the module is abnormal and controlling the stop.

This function makes it possible to control the stoppage of the call connection monitoring function of the communication service when the module is congested or restarted, which could not be realized by the conventional external monitoring apparatus (ESE).

The management module M to module L
In FIG. 1, the inter-device connection link X is used for the test start and test signal direction transmission / reception via the
Although it is displayed via n, the case where the management module M is connected to the test device by a line (dedicated line or public network line) different from the inter-device connection link Xn is also included in the aspect of the present invention.

Further, by implementing each processing in the management module M by multiple processing, not only the call connection test of a plurality of types of communication services can be executed in parallel, but also the plurality of modules Ln can be tested. It is also included in the aspect of the present invention to perform the test start-up processing and the test result analysis processing in parallel and multiplex for the test of the call connection of the types of communication services.

FIG. 2 shows an example of a test start sequence.

Type of communication service for test execution, relationship between activation target and type, activation cycle, report format to OpS,
Initial settings such as reporting time are set from OpS.

From the tester, depending on the type of call connection of the communication service, a test in module Ln, a test in which a plurality of modules are interlocked (a call test in a node, a call test in a node),
Furthermore, it is realized by performing a test in which devices outside the node are linked (for example, the normality of communication services such as toll-free can be confirmed by linking with other nodes).

In the figure, it is indicated by a broken line between the module Ln and (other device).

During the congestion process at the time of congestion of the module Ln and the failure restart process at the time of failure, the stop control and the restart control are performed by communicating between the management module M and the module.

Once the initial setting is made, the test start of each module Ln under the control of the management module M, the analysis of the test result from each module Ln, and the OpS at the fixed time initialized by the management module M are performed. Processing such as reporting of directions and abnormalities is automatically executed until the management module M performs stop control from OpS or until the module Ln temporarily stops the test execution due to congestion.

A configuration in which the above-mentioned test starting unit or analysis unit is installed in each module Ln is also possible. In this case, the module Ln is in its own module Ln during congestion processing during congestion and during failure restart processing during failure. Stop control and restart control of this monitoring are performed.

This is because the part of the module Ln that performs call connection processing and the part that performs the processing of the test start part or the analysis part are divided according to the tasks of the program, and independent structures that do not interfere with each other can be taken. Is.

FIG. 3 shows a concrete configuration example of each module.
□ in each module Ln indicates a reset terminal or an initial program start-up terminal of the control device.

When a particularly important communication service is stopped (for example, when all outgoing connections or all incoming connections are stopped), when the analysis section of the management module M analyzes, these control lines C are used. Then, each module is started and reset or initial program startup is executed.

The logic of the analysis unit in the management module M will be described.

4 shows an example of the software configuration of the exchange system (for example, Kiuchi et al. "Aiming at efficient exchange software development" NTT Technical Journal Vol.
2) is shown.

The call connection processing of the communication service provided to the user is specific to the system basic section (main control section (not shown), service common section, signal processing section, interface section, basic call processing section) within the switching system. It is realized by the individual service unit.

Although a part of the system basic part always passes for each communication service, a part of the system basic part and the service individual part include a software part that passes by each communication service and a software part that does not pass.

In the telephone-only exchange system, not only the basic telephone call origination / termination connection function but also 119, 113,
A special number connection service such as 116, a call waiting connection service, an off-hook connection service, etc. correspond to the service individual unit.

FIG. 5 shows an example of the control flow of the analysis unit for estimating the faulty part of the system using the test results of a plurality of types of communication service calls.

This control flow makes it possible to analyze the location of a problem in software processing.

In addition to the telephone-only communication service, ISDN call, packet call, toll-free call or ATM service call, frame relay call, etc. to be provided in the future can be used as a basic service call or specific communication service call as a specific communication service. Classifying attributes is included in aspects of the invention.

In practice, as shown in FIG. 4, the type of connection test for each communication service call is also performed by an outgoing connection test or an incoming connection test.

That is, since the basic call processing or the individual service part in FIG. 5 can be disassembled into an outgoing connection and an incoming connection and tested, as shown in the embodiment of FIG. 6, the analysis of the problem part of the system software is further detailed. It is possible to realize a simplified control flow.

FIG. 7 shows attribute locations through which test calls for various communication services pass within the module to be monitored.

Since the fault extends over a wider range at the overlapping portion of the passage points, it can be used for judging the importance of the system fault.

In order to improve the reliability of the test result, a certain communication service has an abnormality only once, and a process for surely determining an abnormality is performed by activating multiple retry tests instead of activating this analysis unit. To do.

FIG. 4 shows an example applied to communication software of a certain switching system. A part or order of the control flow may be changed depending on the structure of the software or how to make it. included.

It is obvious that the common part of the software can be specified in detail according to the present invention as the attributes of the communication service are decomposed and defined in detail.

FIG. 8 shows an example in which the call processing procedure is divided into the second attributes.

As shown in the figure, the attribute of which the processing sequence of the call connection has not progressed is recorded on the tester side, and a test is executed for a plurality of types of communication services. An aspect of the present invention also includes a method of collecting and collecting the common part and comparing the common part with the structure attribute of software as shown in FIG.

For example, if there is a problem with the software for transmitting and receiving numbers, the process stops at attribute 3 and does not proceed to attribute 4.

Even in other communication services, if the result of the correlation indicates that the sequence has stopped due to the attribute (for example, attribute 3), it can be determined that there is a problem in the signal processing unit.

If it stops at the attribute X in a specific communication service part and does not occur in other types of communication services, it can be analyzed that only the processing part X of the specific communication service has a problem.

It is also possible to add means for comparing the analysis result with the spread range and importance of the failure in the analysis section in the management module.

[0065]

In the past, a device (ESE) dedicated to the external monitoring of the exchange system was required, but in the present invention, a test device prepared to respond to complaints from the user is used, and this is automatically activated periodically. The monitoring system can be economically realized by adding monitoring software to the management module in order to execute it.

As a result, the normality of the call connection of the plurality of communication services provided by the system can be constantly monitored, and the monitoring result is reported to the operation system (OpS) at the time of abnormality and periodically.

By having the test starting unit and the analyzing unit in the management module, the stop control is performed in real time by the communication between the management module and the module during the congestion processing at the time of congestion and the failure processing at the time of failure. Made it possible to do in.

Conventionally, the failure can be determined only by the user's report, but the failure method of the system, especially the problem area of the software can be automatically analyzed by the monitoring method and the analysis logic shown in the present invention.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a system configuration example for implementing the present invention.

FIG. 2 Example of test start control flow

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a reset terminal or an initial program start-up terminal of a control device in a module Ln.

[Fig. 4] Example of software configuration of exchange system

FIG. 5 is a first embodiment of the control flow of the analysis unit of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a second embodiment of the control flow of the analysis unit of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory view of attribute points through which a test call passes in a module to be monitored.

FIG. 8 is an example in which a procedure of a call processing sequence is divided into a plurality of attributes.

[FIG. 9] A realization example of conventional external monitoring

[Explanation of symbols]

 Ln (n = 1 to N) module M Management module Xn (n = 1 to N) Device-to-device connection link Tn (n = 1 to N) Tester α Control line β Test line

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A plurality of modules Ln (n = 1 to N), a management module M that manages these modules, and an inter-device connection link Xn (that connects between the modules Ln and between the modules Ln and the management module M). n = 1 to N), each module Ln is equipped with a tester Tn (n = 1 to N) for performing a call connection test of a communication service, and control signals and test results are transmitted and received between the tester Tn and the module Ln. Control line α
And the module Ln by a test line β for test access, and a method of monitoring a call connection function in a node system including means for communicating between the respective modules Ln and the management module M. A test starting unit for periodically starting each tester Tn arranged in each module Ln and an analyzing unit for analyzing a test result are arranged. The test starting unit and the analyzing unit are arranged so that if a module becomes abnormal. The test result transmitted from the tester Tn is provided with a function of communicating between the module and the management module M via the inter-device connection link Xn to perform stop control and recovery control, perform test start of a plurality of modules Ln in parallel. A method for monitoring call connection functions in a node system, which is characterized by performing analysis. 2. The analysis unit uses test results of call connection functions of a plurality of types of communication services, and analyzes commonality of call connection attributes of communication services that are reported as abnormal in the plurality of test results. The method of monitoring a call connection function in a node system according to claim 1, wherein a range of abnormality is determined. 3. The first attribute of the call connection function of the communication service is classified into a service type of a basic service call and a plurality of specific communication service calls, and an outgoing connection call and an incoming connection call are set for each service. 3. The method according to claim 2,
A method for monitoring the call connection function in the described node system. 4. The call connection processing sequence is divided into a plurality of second attributes, tested by a plurality of communication services, and the test results are aggregated and analyzed by the analysis unit for attributes in which the call connection processing sequence is stopped. 3. The method of monitoring a call connection function in a node system according to claim 2, wherein the commonality of the attributes stopped in the department is analyzed. 5. A plurality of modules Ln (n = 1 to N), a management module M that manages these modules, and an inter-device connection link Xn (that connects between the modules Ln and between the modules Ln and the management module M). n = 1 to N), each module Ln is equipped with a tester Tn (n = 1 to N) for performing a call connection test of a communication service, and control signals and test results are transmitted and received between the tester Tn and the module Ln. Control line α
And a module Ln connected by a test line β for test access, and a method for monitoring a call connection function in a node system including means for communicating between each module Ln and the management module M. A test start-up unit or an analysis unit for performing automatic start-up is installed for each module Ln, and the stop control and restart control of the main monitoring are performed in the own module Ln during the congestion process and the fault restarting process at the time of failure. A method of monitoring call connection functions in a node system characterized by the above.