Network Management System Multicast Fault Message Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional network management systems face inefficiencies in processing and correlating fault messages, leading to high resource consumption and increased network downtime due to redundant messages and capacity limitations, which complicates determining the principal cause of faults.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a method where the Network Management System (NMS) sends a multicast message to network devices after receiving source fault messages, instructing them to reduce related fault messages sent to the NMS, thereby minimizing storage requirements and improving correlation efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the NMS stores and correlates all fault messages from network devices, then the principal cause of faults can be determined, but network resources (CPU time, memory, disk space) are excessively consumed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes redundant fault messages from the correlation process. Network devices are instructed to withhold related fault messages upon receiving a multicast notification, so only essential source fault messages are sent to the NMS for correlation, eliminating wasted storage and processing resources while preserving the ability to determine the principal cause.
Solution Approach 2:
The NMS sends a multicast message to network devices in advance before they would generate related fault messages. This preliminary action instructs the devices to hold back redundant messages, preventing resource consumption before it occurs rather than filtering after collection.
2Reliability
If the NMS correlates multiple fault messages to determine the principal cause, then accurate fault identification is achieved, but the correlation process becomes time consuming and increases network downtime
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the essential source fault messages needed for correlation by having network devices withhold related fault messages. This reduces the total number of messages requiring correlation processing, thereby decreasing correlation time and network downtime while maintaining accurate fault identification.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of correlating all possible fault messages (excessive action), the system correlates only the necessary source fault messages (partial action). The multicast mechanism ensures that sufficient information is gathered for accurate fault identification without the overhead of processing redundant related messages.
3Quantity of substance
If the NMS receives a large number of fault messages beyond its capacity, then comprehensive fault data is collected, but the NMS must discard messages which complicates determining the principal cause
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates redundant fault messages at the source by instructing network devices to withhold related messages upon receiving the multicast notification. This prevents message volume from exceeding NMS capacity and avoids the complexity of discarding messages, as only essential source fault messages are transmitted.
Solution Approach 2:
The multicast message serves as a preliminary anti-action that prevents network devices from generating redundant fault messages that would overwhelm the NMS. By acting in advance, the system avoids the harmful effect of excessive message volume and the subsequent complexity of message discarding.
Data Source
AI summary
A method and a system for handling fault messages in a network where a network device publishes fault messages related to the principal cause of the fault. The messages are received by a Network Management System (NMS) that identifies the source of the fault and sends a multicast message to other network devices managed by the NMS. The multicast message comprises information regarding the fault. In response to the multicast message, the other network devices determine whether to publish or drop related fault messages.