Abstract:
For displaying information on all highlighted objects in a hierarchical chain of objects, a graphical user interface (GUI), identifies an original highlighted object displayed on a window at a selected hierarchically level. The highlighted object(s) subtended by the original object at the hierarchically next lower level is/are identified and selected from an object storage means, etc, until all highlighted objects corresponding to the original object are identified and selected. The selected objects are placed in a list, and the GIU displays the list in a highlighted objects window where the objects are arranged in a specified order. The list comprises a row for each highlighted object, and a plurality of columns, each column for providing a specified attribute of the object. The GUI may then selects order of the objects in the window by sorting the list by any of the columns.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     The invention is directed to management of communication networks and in particular to a highlighted object window for a network management graphical user interface.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     Due to recent explosive technological development and the ensuing growing size of the communication networks, the network management became a very complex task. Numerous factors contribute to this growing complexity. For example, modern communication networks use heterogeneous equipment provided by different vendors and/or use a multitude of data communication technologies and protocols, a multitude of network management and service provisioning protocols, etc. In addition, the topology of the network is changing at a fast pace. Not only new network elements (NE) are added, removed, moved or replaced with newer versions, but they are also more geographically dispersed. In many cases, the customers wish to divide their network into different regions based on political or business boundaries; quite frequently two or more regions overlap, presenting a challenge given the current engineering limits. All these changes cause significant technological challenges to the nature of network management.  
         [0003]     In a network management system, each managed node is defined by a plurality of “variables”. A management station or the operator can monitor the nodes by examining (reading) the values of these variables, and can control the nodes by remotely changing (writing) the values of these variables. Network information is usually presented in the form of network maps which show graphic symbols (icons) of the NEs on a video display screen of a video display terminal on a workstation. This is called a graphical user interface, or GUI. Each window of the GUI provides the user with the ability to manipulate the information of interest utilizing a mouse, or the like. This user action causes the GUI to process the request by performing the respective action or displaying a map of another hierarchical level.  
         [0004]     It is important that the information displayed by the GUI clearly identifies the network entities for which information is being presented. It is also important for the GUI to provide the user with the ability to select additional information about a particular network entity and to present the information in a clear and well organized display. Finally, displays of network information should be flexible to accommodate differing network configurations and differing network management requirements.  
         [0005]     The networks dynamics causes significant technological challenges to the way in which information is presented to a user. As generally the scale of a communications network is too large and too complex to display all objects of the respective network in a single network map window, the network is divided into hierarchical layers of network object groups, which are shown in separate windows, ranging from upper layer maps of hundreds of network nodes, to lower layer maps of network elements at a certain selected node. This same information can also be represented in a complex tree of objects.  
         [0006]     As the number of network layers increases, it becomes a time consuming job for the user to search through many windows since this involves clicking symbols in a window to open the respective sub-layer map and then clicking on the respective sub-layer map symbols, etc. The complexity of finding the correct object in a tree view representation is equally high. In many cases, this operation could also fail, as it is not easy to follow correctly the hierarchical layers conducting to the desired end result. In practice, a customer evaluates the efficiency of a GUI in terms of the number of mouse clicks it takes an operator to perform a certain function.  
         [0007]     Some network managers (such as Alcatel&#39;s 5620 NM) enable customers to highlight objects displayed on a map or a list. The highlighting changes the background color of an object(s), and is used to trace a specific object through a managed system. However, the operator needs to trace an object through different layers of the object hierarchy, so that after performing the highlight function, the operator would still have to navigate through each layer of the hierarchy, one layer at a time.  
         [0008]     Although an attempt to drastically reduce the number of hierarchical layers is impractical because it necessitates overall reconfiguration of the network object containment, it is the usual practice to merge two or more windows by transferring symbols from a lower layer to an upper layer. However, deletion and re-registration of the transferred symbols are necessary. In addition, current network display systems do not allow lower layer maps to be displayed within an upper layer window.  
         [0009]     There is a need to provide a faster, automated way to obtain information on a highlighted chain of objects in a network.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0010]     It is an object of the present invention to provide a GUI of a communication network with a highlighted objects window that enables fast access through many layers of hierarchical objects of a network.  
         [0011]     The invention provides a method of displaying highlighted objects information on a graphical user interface (GUI) comprising: a) highlighting a primary object O(n) displayed on a GUI window at a selected hierarchically level (n); b) identifying a highlighted object O(n-1) subtended by the primary object at a hierarchically next lower level (n-1); c) selecting the highlighted object O(n-1) from an object storage means and placing same in a list of highlighted objects; and d) repeating steps b) and c) for all n available hierarchical levels until all highlighted objects corresponding to the primary object are identified and placed in said list.  
         [0012]     According to a further aspect, the invention further provides a highlighted objects window system for a graphical user interface (GUI) of the type provided with highlighting capabilities and adapted to transmit commands and display information with a view to enable management of a communication network. The system comprises means for identifying all highlighted objects in a highlighted hierarchy corresponding to a primary object highlighted on the GUI; and means for selecting only the highlighted objects from an object storage means and placing the objects in a list, the GUI display ing the list in a highlighted objects window where the highlighted objects are arranged in a specified order.  
         [0013]     Still further, the invention provides a method of using a graphical user interface (GUI) of the type provided with highlighting capabilities and adapted to transmit commands and display information with a view to enable management of a communication network, comprising: a) highlighting an original object on a topological map at a selected hierarchically level; b) identifying all highlighted objects corresponding to the original object in all hierarchical levels subtended from the selected hierarchically level; c) selecting all the highlighted objects from an object storage means and placing same in a list in their hierarchical order of identification; and d) displaying the list as a highlighted objects window for obtaining information of interest about the primary object.  
         [0014]     Advantageously, use of the highlighted objects window according to the invention, results in important reduction of the amount of time it takes a user to navigate through the chain of hierarchical objects to obtain the relevant information for the managed objects of interest. In other words, the present solution results in a reduced number of “point and click” operations required for obtaining the information of interest.  
         [0015]     Still another advantage of the invention resides in the ability of the GUI to display the list of objects in the highlight hierarchy, as well as additional information relevant to each object, such as the object type, status, specification, name, etc. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0016]     The foregoing and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following more particular description of the preferred embodiments, as illustrated in the appended drawings, where:  
         [0017]      FIG. 1  shows an example of a network map with a highlighted object;  
         [0018]      FIG. 2  shows the highlighted objects window corresponding to the example of  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0019]      FIG. 3   a  is a block diagram of the units that enable generation of the highlighted object window according to the invention; and  
         [0020]      FIG. 3   b  illustrates how a highlighted objects window list is generated for the example of  FIGS. 1 and 2 . 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0021]      FIG. 1  shows an example of a very simple network management map  10 , illustrating a first node ND 1 , housing a first network device, a second node ND 2 , housing a second network device, and a link  20  between the two network devices. Let&#39;s assume that the operator wishes to find the ports on the respective devices that are the ends of link  20 . According to the invention, the operator only has to click and highlight link  20  to obtain a list of all objects involved in this connection.  
         [0022]      FIG. 2  shows a highlighted objects window  30  for the example of  FIG. 1 , which displays a list  30 ′ of the objects in the highlight heirarchy. This example has been simplified for clarity, as normally a link will have multiple nodes along the way, each with the respecive shelves, slots, cards, ports, etc. Also, each node could be in a group that could be inside another group, inside another group, etc. In this simplified example, window  30  displays a list  30 ′ showing the group the nodes ND 1  and ND 2  reside in (ON 1  in this example), the first node ND 1  and the first network device ND- 1 P 2  at node ND 1 . The icons of the respective network elements such as group icon  31 , node icon  32  and network device icon  33  are provided in this example in the first column, and the object specification (node identification) in the second column. The object names are also specified in list  30 ′. In this example, the network device ND- 1 P 2  resides in an “Ontario Group”, at an “Ottawa Node” and is called “Ottawa Node P 2 ”.  
         [0023]     The next rows show the objects contained in first network device from the top to bottom of the hierarchy. In this example they are shelf ND 1 -P 2 - 1  identified by icon  34 , card ND 1 -P 2 - 1 - 1  identified by icon  35  and port ND 1 -P 2 - 1 - 1 - 3  identified by icon  36 . For a general case, if we denote the hierarchical level of the map of interest (highest level, original map  10 ) with n and the objects highlighted on this map with O(n), the lower hierarchy objects are denoted with O(n-1), O(n-2) and O(n-3), while the respective levels are denoted with (n-1), (n- 2 ) and respectively (n-3).  
         [0024]     Link  20  is listed next, and is shown using icon  37 . The object specification for this highlighted object indicates the bandwidth of the link “OC48” and the object name gives in this example the direction “Toronto-Ottawa” for the connection over this link.  
         [0025]     The next rows (not shown) list the highlighted objects at the second node ND 2 , namely the objects relevant to the connection over link  20  at a second network device ND- 2 P 2 . These are preferably shown hierarchically from bottom to the top so that the end ports of the link  20  appear in the list above and below the row with the link object. Let&#39;s assume that these are port ND 2 -P 2 - 1 - 1 - 1 , card ND 2 -P 2 - 1 - 2 , shelf ND 2 -P 2 - 1 . Toronto end network device ND 2 -P 2 , and node ND 2  end the list of highlighted objects. If ND 2  belongs to a node group, this is also shown in list  30 ′.  
         [0026]     Icons  31 - 37  in the leftmost column quickly identify the object type and status. The colour of the icon indicates its status, therefore locating an alarmed object (e.g. coloured red) in the list is fast.  
         [0027]     Additional columns, such as a status column shown in  FIG. 2 , may also be provided depending on the level of information available at the resepective node. Still further, list  30 ′ may include a column with the count of all the objects in the highlighted hierarchy. As all the managed objects of the hierarchically lower layers are shown on the list, the amount of time it takes a user to navigate through the highlight chain and evaluate each iobject is greatly reduced. In addition, GUI  40  enables the operator to select objects in the list  30 ′ for viewing further details if necessary and available.  
         [0028]     List  30 ′ can be sorted by the highlight hierarchy or by any of the displayed columns. Window  30  may also be provided with a refresh button (not shown) for enabling the operator to update list  30 ′ of highlighted objects. Double clicking on a row (line) item in the list provides access to that item.  
         [0029]      FIG. 3   a  show a high-level block diagram of the main units involved in generating the highlighted objects window according to the invention. It is to be noted that this figure illustrates only the units at the node relevant to this invention, for simplicity. GUI  40  performs conventional user interface functions enabling an operator to monitor and manage the network as well known. For the example used in this specification, GUI  40  provides an operator with a map (or tree) of interest, here map  10 , that is displayed on the screen of workstation  5 , as well known. In addition, GUI  40  enables the operator to highlight objects displayed in the window. In this example, the operator clicks on link  20  to highlight it.  
         [0030]     The object highlighted on map  10 , here link  20 , and all objects of interest subtended by this primary highlighted object are identified by identifier block  25  based on the GUI  40  object highlight capability. An object list selector  45  accesses the respective objects and object specification information relevant to all the objects identified by unit  25 . Once the information pertinent to the highlighted objects is collected, GUI  40  generates list  30 ′ that is displayed on the screen  5 .  
         [0031]     It is to be mentioned that the location or the way the object specification information is stored at the node is not relevant to the invention; relevant is only availability of this information. In general, all nodes maintain an object library  50  that comprises data pertinent to all network elements at the respective node, available for use by various network management applications. The place where object data is stored is called herein generically “object specification storage” and is denoted with  50 . The information about the ports used by a specified connection is also available at the node, shown generically in  FIG. 3   a  by connectivity database  55 ; if this information is not readily available, it may be imported from the routing database.  
         [0032]      FIG. 3   b  shows how list  30 ′ of highlighted objects is generated for the example of  FIGS. 1 and 2 . It is to be noted that this Figure does not illustrate the objects at the device, node and node group level for simplification. To reiterate, the highlighted objects window  30  provides a list of all the objects that are highlighted in a certain window presented by the GUI, from all the layers of the object hierarchy. The objects are arranged in the list in a specified order, as described above.  
         [0033]     First, the operator clicks on link  20  to highlight it, as shown by arrow a. The highlighted objects identifier  25  (see  FIG. 3   a ) identifies the objects on map  10  pertinent to the operator&#39;s request. Then, the object list selector  45  (see  FIG. 3   a ) collects hierarchically the highlighted object data from the object storage  15  that includes generically the pertinent databases with the objects specifications and connectivity data, by first locating the highlighted node group, node and network device information and placing it in list  30 ′ (not shown).  
         [0034]     Next, the highlighted shelf ND 1 -P 2 - 1  is identified in shelf domain  51  corresponding to the first network device, as shown by arrow b. Shelf ND 1 -P 2 - 1  is placed in list  30 ′ together with the relevant information in the respective columns. Then, objects list selector  45  searches domain  52  of cards subtended by this shelf to locate the highlighted card ND 1 -P 2 - 1 - 1 , as shown by arrow c. Card ND 1 -P 2 - 1 - 1  and the relevant information are now placed in the next row of the list  30 ′, and the respective columns of the list are completed with the relevant information. Arrow d shows how the port information is located by searching the domain  53  of ports available on card ND 1 -P 2 - 1 - 1 . The object selector identifies highlighted port ND 1 -P 2 - 1 - 1 - 3  and places it in list  30 ′.  
         [0035]     Link  20  data is searched next, arrow e, in routing domain  54  as it provides the connection between the port-3/card-1/shelf-1/node-P 2 /ND 1  and port- 1  at the Toronto end. This information is also provided to the GUI for insertion in list  30 ′.  
         [0036]     Next, highlighted objects identifier  25  identifies the objects at the second end of link  20  for completing list  30 ′. As described above, the respective object storage unit  15  at the second node maintains the data pertinent to network device ND 2 -P 5  at the Toronto node ND 2 . For this example, these are port ND 2 -P 5 - 1 - 1 - 1  in domain  53 ′ with the ports of card ND 2 -P 5 - 1 - 2 , card ND 2 -P 5 - 1 - 2  from the domain  52 ′ with the cards of shelf ND 2 -P 5 - 1  and shelf ND 2 -P 5 - 1  from the domain  51 ′ with the shelves of the second network device ND 2 . The last items on list  30 ′ are the second network device ND- 2 P 2  and the second node ND 2 . As before, arrows f, g, h and i indicate how the collection of the data proceeds at network device ND 2 .