Network Anomaly Monitoring With Correlated-Group Tagging

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing network monitoring systems struggle to efficiently process large amounts of real-time data for anomaly detection and management, particularly in wireless telecommunications networks, making it difficult for operators to identify and prioritize anomalies effectively.

Innovation Solution

A method and system for automatized monitoring of anomalies that involves receiving real-time network data, detecting anomalies, computing groups of correlated anomalies, and applying tags with associated conditions and actions, including user-defined and system-related tags, to facilitate automated anomaly detection and reconfiguration.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If automated anomaly detection systems process all real-time network data, then anomaly detection capability is improved, but system complexity and processing burden increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveanomaly detection capabilityVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the complex anomaly detection task into multiple processing stages: data collection from multiple sources, preliminary filtering to remove duplicate and low-value events, correlation analysis to group related anomalies, and prioritization ranking. This segmentation reduces system complexity by breaking down the monolithic processing burden into manageable modules while maintaining comprehensive anomaly detection capability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent extracts and removes low-value data elements (duplicate alarms, noise events) from the processing stream before main analysis. By taking out irrelevant information early in the pipeline, the system reduces processing burden and complexity while focusing computational resources on significant anomalies that require attention.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

2Measurement precision

If operators manually analyze large amounts of network monitoring data, then anomaly identification accuracy is improved, but time consumption and operational burden increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveanomaly identification accuracyVSAvoidtime consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by automatically collecting, filtering, correlating, and prioritizing anomalies before presentation to operators. This preliminary processing prepares the data in advance, organizing it into meaningful groups with assigned priority levels, so operators receive pre-processed information ready for decision-making rather than raw unprocessed data.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces an automated processing system as an intermediary between raw network data and operator analysis. This intermediary performs initial filtering, correlation, and prioritization tasks, reducing the volume and complexity of data presented to operators while maintaining accuracy through systematic processing rules and algorithms.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Reliability

If comprehensive anomaly monitoring is implemented across the entire network, then network reliability is improved, but resource consumption and processing load increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvenetwork reliabilityVSAvoidprocessing load
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by implementing differential processing strategies for different network elements and anomaly types. High-priority anomalies receive comprehensive analysis while lower-priority events undergo simplified processing. The system dynamically adjusts processing intensity based on anomaly severity, network criticality, and current system state, optimizing resource consumption while maintaining reliable monitoring coverage.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentEP4614916A1Automatized monitoring of anomalies during operation of a network using tagging of groups of correlated anomalies
Publication Date: 2025.09.10 EXFO SOLUTIONS SAS
  • EP4614916A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4614916A1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4614916A1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The invention concerns a method and system for automatized monitoring of anomalies during operation of a network, the method comprising: - receiving (70) real-time network data describing operation of the network, - processing (72) the received real-time network data to detect anomalies, and postprocessing anomalies to compute groups of correlated anomalies, the method further comprising : - configuring (74) tags relating to anomalies, each tag belonging to a tag category and having an associated identifier, an associated label, a condition field allowing to define one or several associated condition(s), - assigning (76) tags among the previously configured tags to groups of correlated anomalies, comprising automatic assigning of conditional tags if the associated condition or conditions is validated for said groups of correlated anomalies. Optionally, for each group of correlated anomalies tagged with a tag having at least one associated action, the at least one action is applied.