WO2001050683A1

WO2001050683A1 - Telecommunication network management with mobile workstation

Info

Publication number: WO2001050683A1
Application number: PCT/FI2000/000979
Authority: WO
Inventors: Markku Komsi
Original assignee: Nokia Corporation
Priority date: 2000-01-05
Filing date: 2000-11-10
Publication date: 2001-07-12
Also published as: AU1525701A; FI20000026A0; WO2001050683A8; FI20000026A

Abstract

The invention is based on the idea of using a wireless mobile communication system - especially a WAP (Wireless Application Protocol) network - for network management. Network management tasks are handled through a graphical display that has a wireless connection to the network element being managed through a mobile communication system and a part of the fixed network. Network management according to the invention has, therefore, been modified to utilise the wireless environment, allowing quick network management operations, the possibility of managing network elements practically from any location and the easy provision of reserve routes for network management.

Description

Telecommunication network management with mobile workstation.

Field of the invention

This invention relates to the management of 5 data/telecommunications networks and particularly to systems created for this purpose. The purpose of network management systems is to manage the entire network and to control and monitor individual network elements.

Background 0 For their operation, data/telecommunications networks require a management system for locating faults, configuring network elements, billing, monitoring the network, collecting information and administering data security. The network management system can be centralised, where most of the management system tasks are carried out in one location, or 5 decentralised, where the management system tasks are divided to be executed in different parts of the network. The division between centralised and decentralised systems is not always clear as it is often practical to handle certain tasks locally rather than centrally - in other words, the management system tasks can be prioritised for execution at the various 0 hierarchical levels in the network.

The present systems are often centralised systems operating at different hierarchical levels. Figure 1 illustrates an example of a typical management system. The network elements NE (11 ) have been connected to the network management system via a standardised interface Q3 - either 5 directly through the network management centre OSF (Operations System Function) (13) or through a part of the network dedicated to network management, a DCN (Data Communications Network) (12). Network management -is operated through workstations, WS (14) connected to the OSF via a standardised F interface. A workstation can also be dedicated to a 0 network element, in which case it is connected to the network element through a ,Q3 interface. The management system of a data/telecommunications network, TMN (Telecommunication Management Network), therefore, is comprised of the network management centre OSF, the network dedicated to network management DCN, interfaces between 5 different parts of the network, and, naturally, the network management software and hardware at each network element. Management systems of different networks can also be connected to each other through a standardised X interface.

Another well-known technique is to use the Internet/an intranet for network management. In this case, the workstation has an ordinary WWW browser that allows access to the required network element through its IP address. Typically, such a system will also have a server (located, for instance, at the network management centre) that handles the connections between workstations and network elements. The server may also contain network element-specific management software items that handle each element's management tasks through a network connection (e.g. using a DCN).

Drawbacks of existing network management systems are that they are bound to fixed networks, are difficult to install, have difficulties designing reserve management routes for different fault situations, and idle time when a network element stops functioning, e.g. when a fault occurs. The invention aims to mitigate these drawbacks.

Summary of the invention

The objective according to the invention is reached in the manner defined in the independent patent claims. The invention is based on the idea of using a wireless mobile communication network - especially a WAP

(Wireless Application Protocol) network - for the needs of network management. Network management tasks are handled through the graphical display of the mobile station that has a wireless connection to the mobile communication system, and through that, to the network element being managed through the server in the fixed network. The network management according to the invention has, therefore, been modified to utilise wireless environment, .allowing rapid functioning of the network management, the possibility to manage network elements practically from any location and an easy arrangement of reserve routes for network management.

List of drawings

The invention is illustrated below in more detail with reference to the examples in Figures 2 to 4 shown in the attached drawings, where

Figure 1 shows an example of a known network management system, Figure 2 shows an example of a network management system according to the invention, Figure 3 shows another example of a network management system according to the invention, Figure 4 shows an example of a gateway element and a WAP server according to the invention.

Detailed description of the invention

The network management system according to the invention utilises an environment with which mobile terminals are provided with data services, especially a WAP environment, developed for providing a wireless environment for WWW (World Wide Web) technologies. WAP also provides an excellent environment for the operation of the network management system, provided that the special characteristics of WAP are taken into account when configuring the management system.

Figure 2 illustrates a network management system according to the invention. A gateway element GW (16) has been located somewhere in the network with the main task of coding and decoding network element management data in a less capacity-hungry form to suit the WAP environment. There can be one or several gateway elements, depending on the structure of the network, the amount of traffic and other factors. The network also has a WAP server WAS (17) that contains network element- specific management data in WML (Wireless Markup Language), which is related to the HTML language used in the WWW environment. There can be one or several WAP servers, depending on the structure of the network, the amount of traffic and other factors. The gateway element GW and WAP server WAS are preferably placed in the same physical location. Figure 2 shows three , possible locations for gateway elements: the network management centre OSF, a network element NE or some other central location in the network. Naturally, the same location options apply to the WAP server.

When establishing a connection from a mobile station MS (15) to a network element NE, the mobile station requests a connection to the network element in question, to its URL address located in the WAP server. The connection is established using a commonly used method, known for mobile communication systems (18). When the connection has been established, the mobile station MS can request from the WAP server the required network element data in WML format and carry out network management operations. Between the mobile station MS and the WAP server WAS, the information is transferred in WML format. The gateway element GW between the WAP server and the mobile station will handle the coding and decoding in a format better suited for wireless applications.

The WAP server is connected to network elements and other parts of the network management system, such as the network management centre OSF, through the DCN network used by the fixed network. Transfer of data between a network element and the WAP server is done using the network management protocol (for instance SNMP, Simple Network Management Protocol) used by the network element. Hence, the network element and the WAP server communicate with each other through the fixed network, and the commands from the mobile station to the network element are also transmitted through it. Information of the actions carried out can also be transmitted to the network management centre OSF via the fixed network DCN.

If there is a base station with the network element and the network element has a WAP environment interface, it is also possible for the network element NE to contact the network management centre OSF through the mobile communication system 18, for instance in fault situations. The network element can, therefore, be connected to both the network management centre OSF (18) through the mobile communication system and the network management personnel through the mobile station MS (15). For direct mobile communication system connections to the network management centre, the network element does not have to use the fixed network. The mobile communication system, therefore, replaces the fixed network or acts as a reserve route in case of a fault situation (V, Figure 2) in the fixed network preventing the management connection of the network element. Such an arrangement may be necessary, for instance, in locations which_, are at the end of a single long line far away from the rest of the fixed network.

In fault situations, modifications to the configuration settings of the network element have to be made. In these cases, the network element can establish a contact, if required, with the network management centre and/or the WAP server from where the messages are relayed to the mobile station of the person in charge of network management. Through the mobile station, the person in charge of network management can effect the necessary operations. Through the mobile station, the person in charge can also inform the network management centre about the operations carried out. As WAP mobile stations have graphical user interfaces, they replace fixed network workstations WS (14). Because the operating personnel are thus not tied to the fixed network, for instance, fault situations can be handled quicker than before, resulting in shorter interruptions for individual network elements. The operating personnel can be contacted quickly even during evenings and weekends.

Figure-3 shows an example of a network management system according to the invention, where a part of the fixed network operates in the WWW network. At a certain location in the network, there is a WWW server (19). The WWW server replaces the above-mentioned WAP server, and network element-specific data are provided in HTML format. In this case, the gateway element GW must include the functions for translating HTML data into WML language. There may be one or several WWW servers, depending on the structure of the network, amount of traffic and other factors.

If a separate WWW server (19) has been installed in the network element NE for WWW connections, the network element can be monitored using a workstation WS (14) connected through the Internet connection. One part of the fixed TMN system can operate in a DCN environment and the other part in a WWW environment.

The mobile communication system (18) can be connected to the WWW server through the gateway element GW (16). When, for instance, one wants to use the mobile station MS to contact the network element NE using the WWW environment for the needs of network management, the mobile station will request a connection to the URL address of the subject network element, located at the WWW server. The connection is established in the mobile communication system, using a known method, through the gateway element to the WWW server which in turn is connected to the desired network element through the network management protocol used by the network element. It is also possible that the network element has a WWW connection to the WWW server, in which case the network element will not need a separate network management protocol, because the network management is handled in the WWW environment. It is also possible that the network element will not need a separate WWW server because the WWW server-contained network element-specific functions are located in the network element itself.

When the connection has been established, the mobile station may request network element data and carry out network management operations. The information is transferred between the mobile station MS (15) and the gateway element GW (16) in WML format. The gateway element will complete the coding and decoding and translate the commands and data in WML format to the HTML format used by the WWW server (18). The WWW server can communicate with the network element either through a network management protocol (typically SNMP, Simple Network Management Protocol) used by the DCN, or directly through the WWW environment, if the network element has a direct interface with the WWW environment. The network management centre OSF can be informed of the operations carried out through the fixed network DCN or through the WWW.

The advantage of WAP compared with the WWW is the use of push technology. While with the WWW, the user has to establish a contact to access the desired information or service, with push technology the server containing the desired information or service can transmit it to the user without a separate request by the user. In network management systems, this offers the advantage that the network element can send real-time information of the element to the selected address (mobile station or fixed network workstation) without the user having to specifically request it. In many cases, this means, in practice, that the user will not have to send each individual command, because with push technology, sending one command will generate subcommands that will jointly execute the original command in a user-friendly extent. This means that requesting a small detail will not require its own command, but it can be executed in connection with another command. This will considerably reduce interruption times of network elements, for instance in fault situations.

Because WAP was designed for WAEs (Wireless Application Environment), the language (WML, Wireless Markup Language) and applications it uses have been constructed so that they need as little memory and CPU processing capacity as possible. A specific command language, WMLScript, a distant relative of the Java language, has also been developed for WAP In addition, WAP is capable of utilising formats developed for the WAE to process data - such as transmitting images and managing the user's calendar functions. WAP supports the URL addressing usage of the WWW standard, allowing the control of access to the network management system and data security management. Figure 4 shows an example of a gateway element and a WAP server according to the invention. The gateway element (16) has a WML coder/decoder (21) whose function is to transform the displayed information into a format suitable for wireless connections and mobile stations, requiring less transfer and memory capacity. The command translator (22) relays the commands between the mobile station and the WAP server. If the gateway element is connected to the WWW server, it will also contain the WML/HTML translator (23) between WML and HTML.

The WAP server WAS contains WML cards (24) that correspond to HTML pages. One card is one HTML page. A deck of cards forms one unit, such as the WML cards of an individual network element. These cards can be tailored for managing each network element. The features of the network management software that are common to network elements have also been stored in a database (25) in the WAP server. The connection to a network element is established using the CGI (Common Gateway Interface) commands (26) and the API (Application Programming Interface) (27). Even though the WAP server and the gateway element have been shown as separate units in the figure, they can be combined into one unit.

A solution according to the invention can be used for data/telecommunication network management through a wireless connection, so that the network management personnel can be contacted at any time and network management operations can be carried out quickly through a mobile station. The fixed network does not necessarily need a DCN network, to take up capacity, and thus the freed capacity can be used for the needs of commercial traffic. The used WAP environment can also be connected to an existing WWW environment so that the existing network management applications can be used. Even though the invention has, in this text, been described in the light of examples, it is clear that it can be applied to other types of solutions within the scope of the idea behind the invention.

Claims

Patent claims

1. An arrangement for the management of a telecommunication network, where control messages are sent from the user's management workstation to network elements (NE), characterized in that - at least one gateway element (16), located somewhere in the fixed network, is used for network management, at least one management server (17), located somewhere in the fixed network and connected to the managed network elements and gateway elements through a part of the fixed network, is also used for network management, the used management workstation is a mobile station with a graphical user interface, connected with the gateway element through the mobile communication network.

2. An arrangement according to claim 1, characterized in that the gateway element is located in the network management centre.

3. An arrangement according to claim 1, characterized in that the gateway element is located in the network element being managed.

4. An arrangement according to claim 1, characterized in that the management server is located in the network management centre.

5. An arrangement according to claim 1, characterized in that the management server is located in the network element being managed.

6. An arrangement according to claim 1, ch a ra cte rized in that the gateway element contains

- means (21) for translating the information to be transmitted from the format used by the wireless part of the network into the format used by the fixed part of the network and vice versa, - means (22) for translating the commands from the format used by the wireless part of network into the format used by the fixed part of the network and vice versa.

7. An arrangement according to claim 6, characterized in that the gateway element contains - means (23) for translating the information and commands from the format used by the gateway element into the format used by the management server and vice versa.

8. An arrangement according to claim 1, characterized in that the management server contains

- means (24) for displaying the information on the managed network element in a format according to the mobile communication system,

- means (25) for storing network element data,

- means for (26) relaying commands between a network element and the management server,

- means (27) for forming an interface between a network element and the management server.

9. An arrangement according to claim 1, characterized in that the management server and the gateway element are located in the same unit.