Raw performance monitoring correlated problem alert signals

United States Patent

[19]

Brownmiller et al.

US005913036A [ii] Patent Number: [45] Date of Patent:

5,913,036 ^Jun. 15,1999

[54] RAW PERFORMANCE MONITORING

CORRELATED PROBLEM ALERT SIGNALS

[75] Inventors: Curtis Brownmiller, Richardson;

Michael Bencheck, Garland; Minh T.
Tran, Piano; Robert Branton, Farmers
Branch; Mark DeMoss, The Colony;
Steve Landon, Richardson, all of Tex.

[73] Assignee: MCI Communications Corporation,

Washington, D.C.

[ * ] Notice: This patent issued on a continued prosecution application filed under 37 CFR 1.53(d), and is subject to the twenty year patent term provisions of 35 U.S.C. 154(a)(2).

[21] Appl. No.: 08/670,847 [22] Filed: Jun. 28, 1996

[51] Int. CI.6 G06F 11/30; H04J 3/14

[52] U.S. CI 395/200.54; 395/200.53;

395/184.01; 395/183.01; 370/244; 370/241; 370/248; 370/249; 370/250; 371/20.1; 340/825.06

[58] Field of Search 395/200.54, 200.53,

395/184.01, 183.15; 370/242, 241, 243, 246-250, 251-253, 229-231, 236, 466, 465; 340/825.06, 825.01, 825.16, 521, 522;

371/20.1, 20.2

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Primary Examiner—Tariq R. Hafiz
Assistant Examiner—Tuan Q. Dam

[57] ABSTRACT

A system and method for analyzing network performance by correlating network performance monitoring data reported by monitoring points in the network is described herein. The system analyzes the performance monitoring parameters by: determining whether the performance monitoring parameters contain non-zero values; determining whether the performance monitoring parameters exceed a predetermined threshold value; determining whether prior performance monitoring parameters exceed a predetermined threshold value. The system initiates a problem handling process if the step of analyzing indicates a possible network problem. The system maintains the problem handling process if the performance monitoring parameters continue to indicate a possible network problem.

14 Claims, 12 Drawing Sheets