Communication network management system for displaying operation states of network elements on a remote display unit

A network management/display processing system having a network manager and a display unit, which selects data necessary for display from management data collected from a comunication network to be managed, and converts the selected data into a display data including a display identifier which is provided by the network manager. The display unit receives the display data from the network manager and displays on its screen, a management object corresponding to the display identifier contained in the display data. An attribute value for displaying a state of the management object on the screen in a distinct color manner may be attached to the display data and transmitted from the network manager to the display unit.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention generally relates to a network management/display 
processing system and method and, more particularly, to a system and 
method for displaying on a display unit a state of a communication network 
including exchanges and data multiplexers using data of a network manager 
collected from the communication network. 
To more efficiently operate and maintain a communication network, the 
invention provides a communication network managing system which manages 
the communication network based on operational data collected from the 
network. IEEE, 1988, Network Operations and Management Symposium, 17-1, 
discloses a technique in which the above operational data is used to 
display the operating state on the screen of a display unit in the form of 
a simulated communication network. However, a detailed description of the 
data processing of the display unit is not given. 
Disclosed in JP-A-64-81990 is an example of an ordinary display processing 
technique, when a display unit has an insufficient ability, for realizing 
on the display unit such conversion and processing of display data as 
display attribute conversion and control. 
Problems occur with the aforementioned communication network management 
system where the display unit is located away from the network manager, 
where a plurality of display units have different application purposes or 
where the communication network contains many objects to be managed. When 
the network manager transmits management data to the display unit or units 
to convert the management data into the display data on the display unit 
or units, the display unit must have a very large memory capacity, which 
results in an increased processing load and an enlarged communication 
quantity between the network manager and display unit(s). In particular, 
in a communication network management system based on OSI specifications, 
ISO/IEC DIS 10165-1 and 10165-2 of the International Organization for 
Standardization (ISO), the representation format of a standard object to 
be managed has a very long data length. Thus, communication between the 
network manager and display unit using this standard format without any 
modification results in an enormous communication quantity therebetween 
and a reduced data processing efficiency of the display unit. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
An object of the present invention is to provide a method and a network 
management/display processing system which includes a network manager and 
a display unit which reduces the memory capacity of the display unit, the 
display processing load and the communication quantity between the network 
manager and display unit. 
Another object of the present invention is to provide a method and a 
network management/display processing system in which a user of a display 
unit can freely set the display format of the display unit according to 
his or her preference. 
To attain the above objects, a network manager is provided which can 
select, convert and process data necessary for display while a display 
unit previously sets display data sorts and presentation methods to be 
handled. In more detail, the display unit has a means for generating a 
display identifier corresponding to a management object in a network 
arrangement to be displayed on the screen of the display unit. Meanwhile, 
the network manager has a means for registering a data table showing 
correspondences between management data (component data) collected from 
the communication network and the aforementioned display identifier. The 
network manager selects, converts and processes the above component data 
into display data which in turn is sent to the display unit in the form of 
a minimal signal necessary for the display unit. The aforementioned 
display identifier is used for communication between the communication 
network and the display unit. 
In accordance with a preferable aspect of the present invention, the 
display unit has a display presentation format setter for setting the 
presentation format of the display screen selected by a user.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
Embodiments of the present invention will be explained with reference to 
the attached drawings. 
Referring first to FIG. 1, there is shown an arrangement of a network 
management/display processing system in accordance with an embodiment of 
the present invention. 
The illustrated system includes a communication network 102 to be managed, 
a network manager 101 and a display unt 103. The network manager 101 
comprises a communication controller 104 for collecting management data on 
the communication network 102 to be managed and also for performing 
communication of display data with the display unit 103, a data base 105 
for storing therein the management data and the display data, a work 
memory 106 for retrieving necessary data from the data base 105 and 
temporarily storing therein the retrieved data or a conversion result to 
the display data, a program memory 110, and a central processing unit 
(CPU) 111. In more detail, the program memory 110 stores a management data 
collecting program 107 for controlling the collection of the management 
data from the communication network 102, a display data selecting/setting 
program 108 for selecting and setting the display data to be transmitted 
to the display unit 103, a display data converting program 109 for 
converting the selected display data and a main program 122 of these 
subroutine programs for a displaying maid controller A. The CPU 11 
controls access to these programs, the memory and the data base. 
Meanwhile, the display unit 103 comprises a communication controller 114 
for controlling communication of the display data with the network manager 
101, a data base 115 for storing the display data and screen data, a work 
memory 116 for temporarily storing the display data or storing a 
conversion result to the screen data, a program memory 122, a CRT 113 for 
displaying the display data, an input means such as a keyboard 120 for 
entering various sorts of parameters therethrough, and a CPU 112. In more 
detail, the program memory 122 has a screen conversion/display control 
program 117 for converting the display data into the screen data and 
controlling the display screen, a display-data setting program 118 for 
setting the display data in the data base 105 of the network manager 101 
through the communication controller 114, a display-presentation-system 
setting program 119 for assigning the conversion system of the display 
data to the screen data, an I/O control program 121 for controlling 
input/output to the input/output unit, and a main program 123 of these 
subroutine programs for a display main controller B. The CPU 112 controls 
the access to these input/output means, the memory and the data base. 
Explanation will next be made as to the arrangements and operations of the 
respective parts of the above embodiment in accordance with a network 
management/display method of an embodiment of the present invention. 
Shown in FIG. 2 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the display 
unit 103 under control of display main controller B prior to the operation 
of the network management/display processing system. First, prior to the 
operation of the network management/display processing system, a user at 
the display unit 103 sets colors of elements in the communication network 
to be displayed on the CRT 113 according to their status values 
(administrative state value, operational state value and severity) as 
shown in a state display color matrix table in FIG. 3, using the keyboard 
120 and the display-presentation-system setter 119 (step 201) to store the 
set data in the screen configuration/display data base 115 (step 202). 
The operation of the display presentation format setter 119 is shown by a 
flowchart in FIG. 16. More specifically, the presentation format setter 
119, when receiving a status display color setting request from the input 
of the keyboard 120 (step 1601), extracts the status display color setting 
table from the display data base 115 and puts the table in the work memory 
116 to display the table on the CRT 113 (step 1602). Next, the display 
presentation format setter 119 receives set values of status colors for 
different table items from the keyboard 120 (step 1603). Finally, the 
setter 119 receives a notification indicative of completion of the setting 
of status display colors from the keyboard 120 (step 1604), whereby the 
set table is shifted from the work memory 116 to the screen/display data 
base to be stored therein (step 1605), at which stage the setter 119 
completes its processing operation. 
Turning again to FIG. 2, the display unit 103 performs, through the display 
data setter 118, correspondences between instances (address names 
indicative of where the object to be managed belongs in the communication 
network) of the elements of the communication network to be displayed on 
the CRT 113 and display identifiers as well as correspondences between the 
display identifiers and the screen component data (display coordinates on 
the screen) (step 203) to prepare a list showing the correspondences 
between the display identifiers and the instances as shown in FIG. 5 as 
well as a table showing the correspondences between the display 
identifiers and the screen display coordinates as shown in FIG. 4, stores 
the correspondence table of FIG. 4 in the data base 115 (step 204) and 
transmit the correspondence list of FIG. 5 to the network manager 101 
(step 205). 
The operation of the display data setter 118 is shown by a flowchart in 
FIG. 17. More specifically, the display data setter 118, when receiving a 
user's request via keyboard 120 for setting the instance/display 
identifier correspondence list and the display identifier/display 
coordinate correspondence table (step 1701), extracts the table and list 
from the data base 115, puts them in the work memory 116, and displays 
them on the CRT 113 (step 1702). Next, the display data setter 118 
receives instance values, screen display coordinate values and display 
identifier values for the table and list from the user via keyboard 120 
and sets the input values in the table and list (step 1703). Finally, the 
display data setter 118, when receiving a notification indicative of 
completion of the setting of the table and list parameters from the user 
via keyboard 120 (step 1704), transfers the display identifier/display 
coordiante correspondence table from the work memory 116 to the data base 
115, and transmits the instance/display identifier correspondence list to 
the network manager 101 (step 1705). 
FIG. 6 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the network manager 
under control of the display main control program A prior to the operation 
of the network management processing system of FIG. 1. The network manager 
101, when receiving the above display identifier/instance correspondnece 
list (refer to FIG. 5) from the display unit 103 (step 601), stores in a 
data field of the management object having the corresponding key instance 
name of such a network configuration/display data table as shown in FIG. 
7, through the display data selector/setter 108, a display identifier 
corresponding to the instance (step 602). 
The operation of the display data selector/setter 108 is shown by a 
flowchart in FIG. 18. More specifically, the display data selector/setter 
108 receives the display identifier/instance correspondence list from the 
display unit 101 as a request for setting the network 
configuration/display data table and stores the list in the work memory 
106 (step 1801). Next, the display data selector/setter 108 extracts the 
network configuration/display data table from the network 
configuration/display data base 105 and stores the extracted table in an 
area of the work memory 106 different from that of the list (step 1802). 
The selector/setter 108 then retrieves a line of the network 
configuration/display data table having the key instance value with 
respect to each of the instances of the display identifier/instance 
correspondence list, and sets in the display identifier field of the 
corresponding line the display identifier value set in the list 
transmitted from the display unit 101 (step 1803). Finally, the display 
data selector/setter 108, after completing the setting of the all display 
identifiers, transfer the network configuration/display data table from 
the work memory 106 to the data base 105 (step 1804). 
FIG. 8 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the network manager 
101 (which is executed under control of the display main control program 
A) during the operation of the network management/display processing 
system of FIG. 1. 
During the operation of the system, the network manager 101 receives 
management data such as status data (for example, instance=packet network, 
packet exchange No. 01; administrative state value=01; operational state 
value=10; severity=3) an autonomous reporting by network elements or under 
control of the management data collector 107 through the communication 
controller 104 from the communication network 102 (step 801), and stores 
the received management data in the work memory 106 (step 802). 
The first-time collecting operation of the management data collector 107 is 
shown by a flowchart in FIG. 19. More specifically, respective 
communication nodes in the communication network 102 detect their own 
status changes. The communication controller 104 receives the status data 
from the communication network 102 and informs the management data 
collector 107 of the reception of the status change notification (step 
1901). The management data collector 107 then stores the received status 
data in the work memory 106 (step 1902) and finally informs the display 
main controller A of the storage completion (step 1903). 
Returning again to FIG. 8, the display data converter/processor 109 next 
retrieves the network configuration/display data table based on the key 
instance contained in the status data and converts the instance to a 
display identifier (01) (step 803). This causes the display data 
converter/processor 109 to create a display data (in the above example, 
display identifier =01; administrative state value=01; operational state 
value=10; severity=3) comprising the display identifier and the status 
value (step 804) and to send the created display data through the 
communication controller 104 to the display unit 103 (step 805). 
The operation of the display data converter/processor 109 is shown by a 
flowchart in FIG. 20. More specifically, the display data 
converter/processor 109, when first receiving a request for creation of a 
display data from the display main controller A (step 2001), retrieves the 
network configuration/display data table associated with a display 
identifier coinciding with the instance value in the status data placed in 
the work memory 106, provides a display data creation area on the work 
memory 106, and stores the corresponding identifier value at the head part 
of the creation area (step 2002). The display data converter/processor 109 
then extracts the status value and sets the extracted status value in a 
field of the display data creation area behind the display identifier 
value to create a display data (step 2003). Then the display data 
converter/processor 109 informs the display main controller A of 
completion of the creation of the display data (step 2004). 
Shown in FIG. 9 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the display 
unit 103 during the operation of the network management/display processing 
system of FIG. 1. 
In more detail, the display unit 103 temporarily stores the received 
display data in the work memory 116 (steps 901 and 902). Next, the screen 
converter/display controller 117 retrieves the display identifier/display 
coordinate correspondence table and the status color/display matrix table 
of the data base 115 based on the display identifier (01) and the status 
values (administrative state value=01; operational state value=10; 
severity=3), and converts the display identifier and status values into a 
screen component data comprising a display coordinate (X.sub.1, Y.sub.1) 
and a color data (red) corresponding to the status values on the network 
configuration screen (step 903). Based on the screen component data 
(screen display coordinate=X.sub.1, Y.sub.1 ; color=red), the I/O 
controller 121 displays a corresponding location (X.sub.1, Y.sub.1) 1002 
of a communication network configuration screen 1001 in the specified 
color (red) on the CRT 113, as shown in FIG. 10 (step 904). 
The operation of the screen converter/display controller 117 is shown by a 
flowchart in FIG. 21. More specifically, the screen converter/display 
controller 117, when receiving a request for creation of a screen 
component data from the display main controller B (step 2101), first 
retrieves the display coordinate correspondence table and the status 
color/display matrix table associated with the screen display coordinates 
coinciding with the display identifier and the color data coinciding with 
the status values in the display data of the work memory 116, provides a 
screen component data area on the work memory 116, and stores the 
corresponding display coordinate and color data in the screen component 
data area (step 2102). Finally the screen converter/display controller 117 
informs the display main controller B of completion of the creation of the 
screen component data (Step 2103). 
The operation of the I/O controller 121 is shown by a flowchart in FIG. 22. 
More specifically, the I/O controller 121, when receiving a screen display 
request from the display main controller B (step 2201), first indicates a 
display on the CRT 113 according to the values in the screen component 
data area of the work memory 116 (step 2202). Finally, the I/O controller 
121 informs the display main controller B of completion of the screen 
display (step 2203). 
With such arrangement and operation as mentioned above, the creation of the 
display data is carried out by the network manager and to lightens the 
display processing load of the display unit, and the display identifier is 
used to perform communication with short data. Whereby the communication 
quantity between the network manager and the display unit can be reduced 
and the display unit can easily identify the corresponding component 
element on the communication network screen using the display identifier. 
Further, since the user can assign his or her desired color corresponding 
to the status values, a highly effective human interface is realized. 
EMBODIMENT (2) 
Explanation will be made as to a second embodiment of the present 
invention, wherein a display unit can display management data of an object 
having complicated expression to be managed, but not contained as a 
display object (having no such display identifier as mentioned above), in 
association with a management object contained as a display object. 
The present embodiment is substantially the same in system arrangement and 
operation as the Embodiment (1), except that the network 
configuration/display data table stored in the data base 105 of the 
network manager 101 contains a containment pointer which indicates another 
management object superior in the containment relationship of the 
communication network configuration than the related management object 
(instance) as shown in FIG. 11. More specifically, in the case where the 
display data converter/processor 109 retrieves a display identifier based 
on the instance of the status data received from the communication network 
102 during the operation of the network management/display processing 
system, if the display data converter/processor 109 fails to find a 
display identifier corresponding to the instance, i.e., if the instance 
has no such display identifier as to indicate a direct display object to 
the display unit, then the display data converter/processor 109 finds 
management data of the management object contained as the direct display 
object to the display unit 103 which is superior in the containment 
(hierarchical) relationship than the management object having the detailed 
level or complicated expression but not contained as the direct display 
object in the communication network configuration, and transmits both the 
original and newly found management data from the network manager 101 to 
the display unit 103. The display unit 103 in turn displays information of 
non-display objects as associated with the display object. For example, 
there is no such display identifier for a 28th management object of FIG. 
11 "having a high-speed digital network, a multiplexer No. 07 and a 
communication module as an instance". In this case, its display identifier 
is set to be NULL (no object), a 7th management object of the display 
object "having a high-speed digital network and a multiplexer No. 07 as an 
instance" and superior in the containment relationship than the 28th 
management object is found based on a containment pointer 1101, a display 
data A for the 28th management object "having a high-speed digital 
network, a multiplexer No. 07 and a communication module as an instance" 
is set to have display identifier=NULL, administrative state value=01, 
operational state value=10 and severity=3, and a display data B for the 
7th management object "having a high-speed digital network and a 
multiplexer No. 07 as an instance" is set to have display identifier=07, 
administrative state value=CONT, operational state value=CONT, 
severity=CONT and status value=CONT (indicating the upper containment 
relationship). A pair of two sorts of such display data A and B are 
transmitted from the net manager 101 through the communication controller 
104 to the display unit 103. The screen converter/display controller 117 
of the display unit 103 obtains screen display coordinates (X.sub.7, 
Y.sub.7) of the management object which are higher than the display 
identifier of the display data B and a display color (red) based on the 
status value of the display data A. Further, since the NULL and CONT data 
mean the partial trouble of the management object as the display object, 
the screen converter/display controller 117 creates a screen component 
data (screen display coordinates=X.sub.7, Y.sub.7, color=red, color 
representation=framing), so that a communication network display screen 
such as shown in FIG. 12 is provided on the CRT 113, that is, only the 
corresponding constituent element is distinguishably displayed in a framed 
color representation 1201. 
With the arrangement and operation as mentioned above, the display unit can 
also show the status of a management object in a detail level as not 
contained in the display objects on the network configuration display 
screen with use of the display identifier of the management object 
contained in the upper display object. 
EMBODIMENT (3) 
Explanation will be made as to a third embodiment of the present invention 
wherein a plurality of display units having different application purposes 
are all connected to a common network manager. 
FIG. 13 shows an arrangement of a network management/display processing 
system in accordance with the third embodiment of the present invention. 
As illustrated, a common network manager 1301 is connected to three 
display units A, B and C having different application purposes, that is, a 
display unit 1302 for manager, a display unit 1303 for maintenance 
operator and a display unit 1304 for network designer. The interior 
structure of each of the display units 1302, 1303 and 1304 are 
substantially the same as that of the display unit 103 in FIG. 1. 
Meanwhile, the interior structure of the network manager 1301 is also 
substantially the same as that of the network manager 101 in FIG. 1, 
except that the display data selector/setter 108 in FIG. 1 contains a 
program for specifying one of the display units to be transmitted by means 
of a data sort identifier included in the management data collected from 
the communication network 102, and the data base 105 contains a table 
showing such transmission destinations (distribution destinations). 
FIG. 14 is a flowchart for explaining the distributing operation of the 
network manager 1301 of the present embodiment with respect to the display 
data to the plurality of display units 1302, 1303 and 1304 under control 
of the display main controller A. FIG. 15 shows the aforementioned 
transmission destination table. 
First, the network manager 1301, when receiving management data from the 
communication network 102, temporarily stores the received management data 
in the work memory 106 via the communication controller 104 (step 1401). 
The network manager 1301 extracts a data sort identifier from the received 
message and designates a transmission destination display unit identifier 
by referring to the distribution table (refer to FIG. 15) of the network 
configuration/display data base 105 at the display data selector/setter 
108 (step 1402). 
The operation of the display data selector/setter 108 is shown by a 
flowchart in FIG. 23. More specifically, the display data selector/setter 
108, when receiving a request for creation of a display data from the 
display main controller A (step 2301), extracts the data sort identifier 
from the status data of the work memory 106, and retrieves the 
distribution table of the network configuration data base 105 to designate 
a transmission destination display unit identifier (step 2302). The 
display data converter/processor 109 provides a display data creation area 
on the work memory 106 for each designated transmission destination 
identifier and stores each transmission destination identifier value at 
the head part of the creation area (step 2303). Then, the display data 
converter/processor 109 retrieves the network configuration/display data 
table with respect to a display identifier coinciding with the instance 
value of the status data and stores the identifier value in each 
transmission-destination identifier display-data creation area of the work 
memory 106 behind the transmission destination identifier value (step 
2304). The display data conveter/processor 109 extracts the status value 
from the status data of the work memory 106 and sets the extracted status 
value in the transmission-destination display data creation area behind 
the display identifier value (step 2305). Finally, the display data 
converter/processor 109 informs the display main controller A of 
completion of the creation of the display data (step 2306). 
Turning again to FIG. 15, data sort identifiers 1, 2 and 3 identify status 
data, trouble data and performance data respectively. When the data sort 
identifier 1, the transmission destination display unit identifiers are 1 
and 2, the display data is transmitted to the display units 1302 and 1303. 
When the data sort identifier 2, the transmission destination display unit 
identifiers are 1, 2 and 3, the display data is transmitted to the display 
units 1302, 1303 and 1304. When data sort identifier 3, the transmission 
destination display unit identifiers is 3, the display data is transmitted 
to the display unit 1304. 
Returning again to FIG. 14, the display data converter/processor 109, after 
creating a display data to be transmitted to the display unit or units 
(step 1403), transmits the created display data to the corresponding 
display unit destination (step 1404). 
With such arrangement and operation as explained in the foregoing, since 
the previous selection and distribution of the management data at the side 
of the network manager enable extraction of only the data corresponding to 
its application purpose, the communication quantity between the network 
manager and the display units can be reduced and thus, processing burden 
of the display units can be reduced. 
EMBODIMENT (4) 
Explanation will be made as to a fourth embodiment of the present 
invention, wherein color distribution is performed while considering the 
importance of a management object when viewed from user's viewpoint in 
addition to the importance of determining color distinction in the status 
display color matrix table. 
The arrangement and operation of the present embodiment is substantially 
the same as those of the Embodiment (1), except that, when determining the 
display color of a constituent element in the communication network 
arrangement according to the status values at the display presentation 
format setter 119 of the display unit 103, the determination is carried 
out on the basis of a total importance corresponding to an integration of 
the severity as a status value and the management object importance when 
viewed from the user's viewpoint. To this end, in the arrangement, a 
program for determining a color based on a total importance I expressed by 
the following evaluation equation is set in the display presentation 
format setter 119. 
EQU I=(n.sub.1 +n.sub.2).times.2.div.3 
A severity value n.sub.1 represents either critical=6, major=5, minor=4, 
indeterminate=3, warning=2 and normal=1; while a user importance n.sub.2 
represents either high importance level=3, middle importance level=2 and 
low importance level=1. 
In operation, the screen converter/display controller 117 determines, 
according to the value of I based on the status values (administrative 
state value, operational state value, severity, user importance), 0-1 is 
specified in the matrix table of FIG. 3 depending on the management and 
operational state value, 1-2 for yellow, 2-3 for orange, 3-4 for red, 4-5 
for red (blink), 5-6 for red (blink) for color distinction; creates and 
display a screen component data. 
As a result, the user of the network management/display processing system 
can also reflect the management object importance when viewed from the 
user on the distinct color representation of the network status 
advantageously. 
In accordance with the present invention, in a management/display 
processing system of a type wherein a large amount of management data can 
be processed as in management of a communication network to be displayed 
on a display unit, since the management data is converted and processed to 
display data handleable at the display unit, and communication with the 
display unit can be carried out with use of such an abbreviated short data 
as a display identifier, the display processing load of the display unit 
side can be reduced and the communication quantity between the network 
controller and the display unit can be minimized. Further, by creating and 
attaching a display data utilizing containment relationship in the 
arrangement of the communication network, the data of a management object 
not contained in the display objects can be displayed as associated with 
the corresponding management object contained in the display objects. In 
addition, since the display unit is provided with a function of setting a 
display parameter for color setting in somewhat varying degree depending 
on user's preference, a highly effective network management human 
interface can be realized.