WO1996019071A2

WO1996019071A2 - A method for expanding a supporting system

Info

Publication number: WO1996019071A2
Application number: PCT/SE1995/001451
Authority: WO
Inventors: Claes Ola Hjalmar Smith
Original assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget L M Ericsson (Publ)
Priority date: 1994-12-13
Filing date: 1995-12-04
Publication date: 1996-06-20
Also published as: SE9404352L; SE9404352D0; JPH10510960A; SE516541C2; AU4275696A; WO1996019071A3; EP0797888A2

Abstract

The invention comprises a method whereby an operations support system (20) is connected to an electronic communications system (2) to process or convert the raw data (22) received from an event detected in said communications system into measured data; to register said gathered measured data; to be able to read said registered data; thereby enabling said operations support system to expand its ability to obtain separate structures from the same raw data. An event-extracting system comprises several units or measuring instruments (24a-24c) that process or convert the same raw data into unique elements of measured data. At least one of said units or measuring instruments can be activated via the operations support system. Said activated unit or measuring instrument (24a-24c) process or convert received raw data to a unique element of measured data, according to an algorithm that applies for that unit, whereafter the unit registers the converted measured data in a memory or a database (25a-25c) for measured data. Moreover, via the operations support system (20), said memory can be identified, and the information it contains about the measured data can be read.

Description

A method for expanding a supporting system

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a method that can be used to expand an operations support system's ability to obtain sepa¬ rate, selected structures from a given source of raw data that has been gathered from an electronic communications system.

The invention is based on an ability to detect, or to detect and register, specific events within an electronic communica¬ tions syste —for example, a telecommunications system--in a way that permits later evaluation of the system's functions and performance.

Further, the invention is based on the concept that, at the very least, the results of an evaluation or of a registered event must be obtainable with help from an operations support system that is connected to the electronic communications system, provided the operations support system can be con¬ trolled by persons who are charged with operating the elec¬ tronic communications system efficiently in relation to the traffic it handles.

To better understand the characteristics that are associated with the invention, the following terms and definitions are provide . TERMS AND DEFINITIONS

1. Electronic Communications System

A system that reacts to external stimulus. When a traffic request, a message, or something similar enters the system, it must handle the request immediately. The electronic communi¬ cations system has few opportunities to influence the inten¬ sity and timely distribution of traffic requests. When the system is temporarily overloaded with traffic, all excessive traffic is rejected.

2. Operations Support System

A system that

° is separate from the electronic communications system, and that has its own processing capacity. In this case, by postponing work assignments, the operations support system can free capacity for the benifit of the communications system when the workload of the communications system is heavy.

° is integrated into the electronic communications system. In this case, the operations support system only uses excess capacity within the communications system.

If the operations support system is temporarily without processing capacity, it solves the problem by postponing work assignments. In an operations support system, processing is not as time-crucial as it is in an electronic communications system.

3. Event Extraction System

A system that transforms raw data into measured data. Ordina¬ rily, systems of this kind obtain their executing capacity from the electronic communications system.

4. Event

An event is an occurrence in a communications system that characterizes the operations of the system. By studying spe¬ cific events within the communications system, a systems analyst can draw conclusions regarding the system's perfor- mance and efficiency in the short term as well as in the long term. In this way, the systems analyst can create conditions for optimizing the communications system as relates to its work assignments.

5. Event-sensing Point

An event-sensing point is a specific measuring point within the switching paths and/or within the logic that controls the communications system from which the information (that would not otherwise be externally accessible), which is relevant for the event that is sensed by the measuring point, can be tapped for storage and/or subsequent processing. Thus, an event- sensing point is related not only to an event, but also to a specific handling object in the system. Generally, an event affects a given element in a system, a printed board assembly, a customer account, or (the local representation of) a coope¬ rating unit in a neighbouring system.

6. Raw Data

The information that is potentially available in an event- sensing point. Hereafter, when the term is used, raw data may be interpreted as follows: the various logic state values that are available in the unit when the event occurs, and that are somehow relevant to the event.

Raw data contains two obligatory parts; namely, that if an event occurs, where (that is, in which unit did it occur) and when (that is, at what exact time did it occur) are under¬ stood.

All other raw data is transferred only upon request by the event-extraction system; for example, when the operations support system is interested in registering this information.

This means that the primary call from the electronic commu- nications system contains only the minimum, obligatory por¬ tions of the raw data. If the event-extraction system is con¬ figured to require additional information, then it sends a request for additional raw data to the electronic communi¬ cations system. The electronic communications system then gathers and returns the information to the event-extraction system.

This arrangement, which will not be described in greater detail, exists because the gathering and transfer of raw data is a capacity-intensive operation that should not be exercised unnecessarily. How raw data is structured in each individual case is determined by the unit that handles it in the elec¬ tronic communications system. The operations support system knows this structure.

7. Measuring Instrument

A device that converts raw data into measured data, in a way specific to that type of selected measuring instrument.

8. Measuring Instrument Selector

A device that can be controlled by the operations support system to mediate raw data to one or more chosen measuring instruments. 9. Measured Data

The immediate information that remains after raw data has been processed, and that is saved for subsequent processing. Once the measured data has been stored in a database, the act of registering the event ceases to draw on the communications system's executing capacity.

10.Database for Measured Data

A database where measured data is stored or saved and held available for subsequent processing by the operations support system.

DESCRIPTION OF THE BACKGROUND ART

With regards to the technical area to which the present inven¬ tion belongs, which was described in greater detail above, we can mention that a technique is already known for supplying an electronic communications system--for example, a telecommuni¬ cations system—with event-sensing points whose measured data is accessible to a systems analyst via an operations support system.

It is also known that a systems analyst, via an operations support system, can connect to every event-sensing point or to processed raw data, thereby gaining access to preserved measu¬ red data, so that it can be processed further within the operations support system.

To date, all known technology has integrated the electronic communications system, the gathering of raw data, and an instantaneous processing of the raw data into measured data, such that the data can be processed only once, and in the manner determined when the electronic communications system was first designed. Thus, the systems analyst is unable to choose for him- or herself how the obtained raw data is to be converted into measured data.

When deciding how raw data is to be processed into measured data and stored, the designer of the communications system has had to consider that any processing of raw data, however slight, may load the electronic communications system, while at the same time an extended registration of measured data is preferable and must be possible. However, in terms of capa- city, it is unthinkable to store all available raw data.

Thus, according to the design of previously known electronic communications systems, for each event-sensing point, after the raw data that represents an event has been processed, it must be possible to transfer it to a measured data register or database of the event's object that administers readable measured data from the operations support system.

Within known electronic communications systems, various ways of registering measured data are offered; for example:

⁰ Each time an event occurs, a counter that is associated with the event-sensing point is incremented by '1' .

° For events that are associated with the state (for example, 'busy' or 'available') of a unit in a group of units:

- each time the state of the unit changes to 'busy' , a counter is incremented by '1';

- each time the state of the unit changes to 'available' , the counter is decremented by '1' .

⁰ Each time an event occurs, a message about the event is recorded in a log.

The first two of these methods are most common, since they create the least amount of load for the electronic communica¬ tions system.

It is also known to further process thus compiled measured data within an operations support system.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

TECHNICAL PROBLEMS

Taking the background art into consideration, as it has been described above, it ought to be a technical problem to be able to create the conditions necessary for a systems analyst to choose and obtain different kinds of information--which, via an event-sensing point in an electronic telecommunications system, is generated from a single source of raw data-- regarding the operations of the electronic communications system.

Another technical problem is in being able to create the conditions necessary whereby systems analysts are be able to choose, via their operations support systems, from amongst several available ways of registering events at any given event-sensing point, without influencing the way in which the same or another event is registered when it occurs at other event-sensing points.

Yet another technical problem is to be able to create condi- tions whereby it is possible, through simple means and measu¬ res, to show a method for facilitating the gathering of infor¬ mation within an electronic communications system, which might mean taking a measurement and/or influencing the various processes within the electronic communications system.

Moreover, it ought to be a technical problem to be able to more evenly balance the need to gather data from the elec- tronic communications system against the load that gathering data places on the system; this is especially true since the data that is considered relevant may change from case to case.

It should also be considered a technical problem to be able to create conditions whereby the raw and measured data of an event from a given event-sensing point that belongs to an electronic communications system can, in a controlled manner via the operations support system, be processed in ways that are adapted according to the operations support system's current need for information.

Another technical problem is that the preservation of measured data must be an integrated part of an electronic chain of events, which draws on the capacity of the communications system. The present invention is intended to be able to limit this load.

Still another technical problem is to be able to create condi- tions under which it is possible to reduce the processing capacity for measured data by being able to choose only rele¬ vant raw data and a relevant method for converting it to measured data.

Another technical problem is to be able to realize the bene¬ fits and significance of using an event-extracting system that can be controlled by the systems analyst via the operations support system.

Another technical problem is in being able to realize the importance of structuring the chain of events that make up electronic communications so that it is integrated into the gathering of measured data.

Moreover, it should be considered a technical problem to be able to predict the benefits associated with allowing the chain of events that make up electronic communications chiefly to be decided solely by cooperation between, electronic commu¬ nications systems, thereby creating a stable chain of elec¬ tronic-communications-events, while the problem associated with extracting performance-related information can be solved via the design of the event-extracting system.

Another technical problem is to create, by means of simple measures, the conditions necessary whereby each registration can occur independently of the registration method or methods that have been selected within other parts of the network.

Yet another technical problem is to be able to realize the benefits and the importance of allowing each registration to depend on the operations support system, even though registra- tions of this kind are intimately related to the electronic communications system, and are part of the chain of events that make up electronic communications.

Another technical problem is in having every software designer understand and agree to the requirements for programming how a particular event is to be handled during a specific chain of events.

Another technical problem is to create, by simple means, the conditions necessary whereby an electronic communication can be registered without unnecessary delay.

Another technical problem is to create, by simple measures, the conditions necessary whereby a large number of transac- tions that appear in parallel can be evaluated simultaneously.

A technical problem for the designer is to be able to create, by simple measures, a balance between the operations support system's requirements for registration, and the load that registration causes on the electronic communications system.

Because designers are well-acquainted with the specifications for the current protocol for setting up connections within the communications system, but are generally less knowledgeable about telecommunications operators or systems analysts, and know even less about how any given operator will, at some future time, want to measure the performance of a telecommuni¬ cations systems, it ought to be a technical problem to be able to establish general guidelines regarding how designers, in each individual case, are to design their products.

Another technical problem is in being able to create control¬ lable relationships from the operations support system, so that a given source of raw data can be processed in several measuring instruments, which are connected through parallel or cascade connections, and stored at different locations within a database for measured data.

SOLUTION

In order to solve one or more of the above-stated technical problems, the present invention shows a method whereby an electronic communications system processes and/or converts raw data from a detected event into measured data; registers the gathered measured data; and is able to read, via an operations support system, said measured data.

The invention shows a method that can be used to expand an operations support system's ability to obtain different structures from the same raw data.

According to the invention, the method shows that an event- extracting system must comprise several processing and con¬ verting units or measuring instruments, each of which produces unique measured data from the same raw data; that at least one of said units or measuring instruments can be activated via the operations support system; that said activated unit pro¬ cesses and converts received raw data into unique measured data--according to an algorithm that applies to said unit--as well as registers the processed measured data in a memory; that via an operations support system said memory can be identified, and the information it contains about the mea¬ sured data can be read at a time that is determined by the operations support system.

ADVANTAGES

According to the present invention, the prime advantages that are characterizing for a method, are that conditions have been created whereby, via an operations support system that is operating, one can easily choose from amongst several avai¬ lable forms for converting and/or for processing raw data into measured data, which conversion or processing forms can be adapted for each event-sensing point according to the opera¬ tions support system/systems analyst's current needs for information.

According to the present invention, the primary characteristic features for a method are set forth in the characterizing clause of Claim 1.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The currently proposed embodiment for a system, which shows the characterizing features of the present invention, will be described in greater detail relative to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 shows a telecommunications system that is connec- ted in a known way to an operations support system; Figure 2 shows the principle design of a system that permits the method to be exercised according to the invention;

Figure 3 shows a telecommunications system that is connec¬ ted to an operations support system in a first application according to the invention;

Figure 4 shows a telecommunications system that is connec¬ ted to an operations support system in a second application according to the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS AT PRESENT PREFERRED

According to the invention, the basic principle is that a systems analyst 20a for an electronic communications system 2, which has several built-in event-sensing points 3, must--from a central location, and at a later point in time via an opera- tions support system—be able to gather relevant information on an electronic communications system; for example, function, load, evident errors or faults, and disturbances .

This information must then be instructional for how the systems analyst, via methods and means not pictured, can control the electronic communications system 2 in the most efficient manner possible.

The systems analyst can use gathered relevant information either immediately, or in the long-term; for example, to keep statistics.

Thus, the principle on which the invention is based requires an electronic communications system to use several event- sensing points 3a that are arranged so that they can, depen¬ ding on a corresponding current event, provide raw data and convert the event in a measuring instrument into information. or measured data.

By way of example, the description that follows uses a tele¬ communications system 2 to represent an electronic communi- cations system.

According to Figure 1, the known telecommunications system is illustrated as a calling telephone apparatus 1 that is connec¬ ted, via a line circuit 3, to a telecommunications system 2, which after being connected by a switch 4, and by means of a line circuit 5, can be connected with another—the called-- telephone apparatus 6.

A seized line circuit (3 or 5) is an example of an event that, as was mentioned earlier, represents a condition worth registering.

An event-sensing point 3a exists in the line circuit 3. When an event occurs (the line circuit is seized), a counter 7— which is an integrated part of the design of line circuit 3— is activated and incremented by '1' .

The counter 7 keeps track of the number of times the line circuit 3 is seized. The counter 7 can be read at any chosen discrete time by the operations support system 20.

Hence, a choice regarding the timing of readings can provide information on the number of seizures between readings, as well as the sum of seizures from any given point in time.

In practice, a continuous evaluation would not be practical,

Once the operations support system has read the value from the counter 7, the value can be processed using all the methods and capabilities the operations support system has to offer.

For example, if the counter is read every 15 minutes, the operations support system can, by calculating the difference in values between two consecutive readings, determine the number of seizures during that period. This information can then be used in the long-term, for statistical objective, or in the short-term, for supervision.

Thus, if the number of seizures were to exceed a threshold during a specific period, the system could report this condition, visually or acoustically, to a systems analyst.

If the systems analyst, via said counter reading, becomes interested in a given line circuit, then s/he still cannot, with known technology, observe the events that caused the counter to be incremented, except as incremental changes.

In order to describe in greater detail what might occur in each respective unit, the description that follows will be written as if it had been executed by a software application. We will use a pseudocode; that is, an intuitive descriptive form that resembles a programming language, but that is independent of technology.

When the line circuit 3 is seized, the chain of events that take place in it might well be as follows:

my line circuit's.counter(seizure).increment you The counter 7 might be as follows

begin Counter variable counter_value; method increment_you; counter_value := counter_value + 1; exit; end method increment_you; method read_counter_value; return counter_value; end method read_counter_value; end Counter;

The operation support system uses the method read_counter_value.

Figure 2 shows the principle design of a system in which this method can be offered according to the invention.

A schematic drawing is shown of a line circuit 3, which con¬ nects to an electronic communications system 2, or a telecom¬ munications system.

Raw data is drawn from the measuring point 3a on the line circuit 3, and fed into a measuring instrument selector 21.

The measuring instrument selector 21 can be controlled so that it, via the operations support system 20, can mediate received raw data on conductor 22 to one or more output conductors 23a

A measuring instrument 24a ... 24c is connected to each of these conductors.

It may be assumed that each measuring instrument 24a ... 24c is adapted to a unique, basic processing and conversion of received raw data. After the raw data is converted to measured data, it can be registered in a database 25a ... 25c for measured data.

At any given time, the operations support system 20 can read all or part of the contents in the database 25a ... 25c for measured data.

Further, Figure 2 intends to show that the operations support system 20 not only influences the selector 21, but also that the operations support system 20 can choose from amongst one or more basic preselected processes, depending on the particular process or conversion.

Thus, the basic process of the measuring instrument 24a might be to evaluate the seizures that occur on line circuit 3.

Via an particular identified process, in section 24al, the number of seizures are counted,

Via another particular identified process, in section 24a2, certain time intervals are marked when the amount of seizures exceeds a predetermined number.

Via yet another particular identified process, in section 24a3, a given time interval is marked when the amount of seizures reaches a "all-time high".

This measured data can, in a known way, be sorted and stored in the database 25a for measured data, where it can be read at any given time by an operator 20a of the operations support system.

Shown further is the ability for each measuring instrument 24a ... 24c to request, as required by line circuit 3, additional raw data. In order to increase the efficiency of the electronic communi¬ cations system, then it is very important that the required conversion of raw data into measured data, and its subsequent storage use as little processing capacity from the communica- tions system 2 as possible.

According to the present invention, which Figures 2, 3, and 4 are meant to show schematically, and given the same conditions as described for Figure 1—which is arranged to study the seizures of a line circuit--the integrated counter 7 in line circuit 3 is replaced with a measuring instrument selector 21.

The invention is based on the idea that the systems analyst 20a, via the operations support system 20, can--with immediate impact--choose which of several available measuring instru¬ ments (24a ... 24c) to connect, thereby choosing the manner in which raw data is converted into measured data. Further, the systems analyst can choose when the information stored in memory 25a ... 25c is to be read.

Figure 3 shows how raw data from an event in the line circuit 13 is mediated via the measuring instrument selector 17 to the type of measuring instrument (24a ... 24c) that has been selec¬ ted. The choice is indicated by an arrow from the operations support system 20 to the measurement selector 17.

In Figure 3, one can also see that the measurement selector 19 in the line circuit 15 is not currently taking any measure¬ ments.

In order to describe in greater detail what might occur in each respective unit, the description that follows will be written as if it had been executed by a software application. We will use a pseudocode; that is, an intuitive descriptive form that resembles a programming language, but that is independent of technology. By applying the present invention, the registration of measured data should now appear as follows:

As before, the chain of events requires a line to be seized in a line circuit 13, whereby the measurement selector 17 is called--much the same as the counter 7 was called in the previous example, except that instead of increment you, the current request is to make a registration, which in it self is not an implication that a counter is to be incremented.

When a registration is requested, the chain of events that take place might well be as follows:

my_line_circuit.measurement_selector (seizure).register_event;

The measurement selector 17 (or 19) might appear as follows:

begin measurement_selector; variable list measuring_instrument_address_list of measuring_instrument_addresses; measuring_instrument_address_list := empty; /* Initially, the list is empty*/

visible method register_event; if not measuring_instrument_address_list = empty then while there is still one instrument in the list get next measuring_instrument_address measuring_address.register_measured_data; end while; exit; end method register_event; hidden method connect_measuring_instrument(my_address); add my_address to measuring_instrument_address_list; exit; end method connect_measuring_instrument; hidden method delete_measuring_instrument (my_address); remove my_address from measuring_instrument_address_list; exit; end method delete_measuring_instrument; end measurement selector;

It is easy to see that the measurement selector is general; it has no connection to line circuits or to connecting proce¬ dures.

The line circuit 3 has a measurement selector 17 for each event. The measurement selector is a part of the line circuit, but does not belong to it in a technical sense. Instead, the event-extracting system 18 owns the measurement selector 17 and controls its technical design.

The sole method that the connection procedure can use--or indeed knows about--is the method register _event . All other methods are unknown and inaccessible to the line circuit.

The measurement selector solely consists of a list of addres¬ ses for measuring instruments. Initially, this list is empty.

Thus, if the measurement selector 17 is called by the method register_event, then nothing will happen--the procedure will go directly to exit; that is, it will return directly to the point in the line circuit 13 from which the call register _event was made. Thus, if no measuring instrument is connected, nothing will be measured. The procedure simply steps into the measurement selector and then steps out again. The idle load is very low.

In this example, according to Figure 3, the measurement selector's 19 address list for measuring instruments is empty (end).

It may be assumed that a measuring instrument has been connec¬ ted that contains a simple counter of the type described ear¬ lier. This might appear as follows:

begin measuring_instrument_simple_counter;

variable counter value;

hidden method register_measured_value; measured_value := measured_value + 1; exit; end method register measured value; hidden method read_measured_value; return measured_value; end method read_measured_value; end measuring_instrument_simple_counter;

From my_address, which was previously stored in the measurement selector using the method connect_2πeasuring_instru*πent (my_address , one can access not only the memory cell for the counter value, but also the program address of the associated method register_zneasured_value. The method register_zneasured_value is hidden, meaning that it is accessible to the measurement selector 17, but is inaccessible to the line circuit 13, which belongs to another system.

According to Figure 3, the procedure steps from the line circuit 13 into the measurement selector 17, after which it steps into the measuring instrument, increments the counter, and then returns to the line circuit 13 and to the rest of the connection.

Figure 4 shows another example of how the invention may be applied.

A measuring instrument is shown to have a basic function and three sub-functions, an individual of type counter 20, level 21, or log 22.

These can be connected to the measurement selector 17 with the method connect_measurϊng_instruπ^*ent(my_address) , which inserts the measuring instrument's address my_address, into the mea¬ surement selector's 17 address list of measuring instruments. The connection is a lead in another chain of events. It has been initiated--via the operations support system--by the systems analyst, who in this case wants to start registering seizures of this particular line circuit.

This example can easily be expanded to show how one or more additional measuring instruments can be connected in series to the measurement selector 17.

According to Figure 4, the form of the arrangement can be seen as nearly identical to that of Figure 2, except that a systems analyst for the operations support system 20 has connected a log of type 25c to the measurement selector. In this case, a seizure of the line circuit would not only cause the counter to be incremented, but would also cause the event to be logged in a log of type 25c.

The above example is based on a computer environment that will not here be described in greater detail. In practice, how these programs are executed differs considerably from one environment to another. Nevertheless, the above example closely resembles a modern execution. The example can be implemented in less modern systems, but will be less flexible.

The invention is not restricted to the illustrated exempli¬ fying embodiments thereof. Modifications can be made within the scope of inventive thought as illustrated in the following claims.

Claims

1. Method whereby an operations support system is connected to an electronic communications system to process or convert the raw data received from an event detected in said communica¬ tions system into measured data; to register thus gathered measured data; to be able to read said registered data; there¬ by enabling said operations support system to expand its ability to obtain separate structures from the same raw data, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in, that an event-extracting system comprises several units or measuring instruments that process or convert the same raw data into unique elements of measured data; that at least one of said units or measuring instruments can be activated via the operations support system; that said activated unit or measuring instrument process or convert re¬ ceived raw data into a unique element of measured data, accor¬ ding to an algorithm that applies for that unit, whereafter the unit registers the converted measured data in a memory or a database for measured data; that via an operations support system said memory can be identified, and the information it contains about the measured data can be read.

2. Method according to Claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in, that the operations support system activates a selector unit in order to channel raw data to one or more measuring instru¬ ments.

3. Method according to Claim 1 or 2, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in, that the operations support system activates a measuring instrument and a subroutine associated to that measuring instrument.

4. Method according to Claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in, that said measuring instrument is arranged so that it can request additional raw data.