Abstract:
An alarm information synchronization in a fault management system is provided. An alarm sending apparatus includes a confirmer for checking whether a sync request message is received or not; a controller for providing one or more alarm information to be synchronized and a sync session identifier to a generator; the generator for generating one or more sync trap messages including the sync session ID; and a communicator for sending the message generated at the generator.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S) AND CLAIM OF PRIORITY 
       [0001]    This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(a) to an application filed in the Korean Intellectual Property Office on Jan. 3, 2007 and assigned Serial No. 2007-0000527, the disclosure of which is herein incorporated by reference. 
       TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention relates generally to a fault management system. More particularly, the present invention relates to an apparatus and a method for synchronizing alarm information between an alarm sender and an alarm receiver in the fault management system. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    A system constituted using a plurality of devices, such as a communication system, includes a fault management system to identify faults of the devices and handle the faults. The fault management system includes a plurality of alarm senders  110  through  110 -N and an alarm receiver  120  as shown in  FIG. 1 . Herein, the alarm is a signal generating based on an occurrence and a release of an error condition. The alarm senders  110  are various devices in the system. The alarm sender  120  collects and processes fault information from the alarm senders  110 - 1  through  110 -N. 
         [0004]    Mostly, the fault management system adopts a Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) to exchange the alarm information. The SNMP provides basic functions of ‘GET’, ‘SET’, ‘TRAP’, and so on. The ‘GET’ operation is used to retrieve alarm information recorded in the alarm sender  110 . The ‘SET’ operation is used to change the setting of the alarm sender  110 . The ‘TRAP’ operation is used to send the alarm about the alarm sender  110  to the alarm receiver  120 . Herein, a message carrying the alarm information in the ‘TRAP’ operation is referred to as a trap message. 
         [0005]    Using the ‘TRAP’ operation, the alarm senders  110  and the alarm receiver  120  exchange the alarm information with each other. However, the ‘TRAP’ operation is asynchronous. Accordingly, the alarm information transmitted from the alarm senders  110 ; that is, the trap message is likely to be lost. When the trap message is lost, the alarm receiver  120  checks the entire alarm information recorded to the alarm senders  110  by performing the ‘GET’ operation. However, frequently, because of limitations on the protocol or a plurality of alarm events, the alarm receiver  120  may not check all of the alarm information recorded to the alarm senders  110  using the one-time ‘GET’ operation. To check the entire alarm information, the alarm receiver  120  iterates the ‘GET’ operation. 
         [0006]    To check the entire alarm information by iterating the ‘GET’ operation, it is necessary to assume that the alarm information does not change at all during the iterative ‘GET’ operations. However, such an assumption can not be guaranteed because the system is not able to control the events of the error occurrence and the error release. Therefore, the accuracy of the alarm information synchronization using the ‘GET’ operation is scarcely ensured. In other words, if the alarm information is changed in the synchronization, the alarm information between the alarm senders and the alarm receiver are still inconsistent after the synchronization. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0007]    To address the above-discussed deficiencies of the prior art, it is a primary aspect of the present invention to substantially solve at least the above problems and/or disadvantages and to provide at least the advantages below. Accordingly, an aspect of the present invention is to provide an apparatus and a method for guaranteeing reliability of alarm information synchronization between an alarm sender and an alarm receiver in a fault management system. 
         [0008]    Another aspect of the present invention is to provide an apparatus and a method for synchronizing alarm information using a sync trap message in a fault management system. 
         [0009]    The above aspects are achieved by providing an alarm sending apparatus in a fault management system. The alarm sending apparatus includes a confirmer for checking whether a sync request message is received or not; a controller for providing one or more alarm information to be synchronized and a sync session identifier (ID) to a generator; the generator for generating one or more sync trap messages including the sync session ID; and a communicator for sending the message generated by the generator. 
         [0010]    According to one aspect of the present invention, an alarm receiving apparatus in a fault management system includes a generator for generating a sync request message; a communicator for sending the sync request message; a confirmer for confirming one or more sync trap messages which comprise a sync session ID; and a controller for updating alarm information using the one or more sync trap messages. 
         [0011]    According to another aspect of the present invention, a synchronization method of an alarm sender in a fault management system includes checking whether a sync request message is received or not; confirming one or more alarm information to be synchronized and sync session ID information; and sending one or more sync trap messages which comprise the sync session ID. 
         [0012]    According to yet another aspect of the present invention, a synchronization method of an alarm receiver in a fault management system includes sending a sync request message; checking whether one or more sync trap messages comprising a sync session ID is received; and updating alarm information using the one or more sync trap messages. 
         [0013]    Before undertaking the DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION below, it may be advantageous to set forth definitions of certain words and phrases used throughout this patent document: the terms “include” and “comprise,” as well as derivatives thereof, mean inclusion without limitation; the term “or,” is inclusive, meaning and/or; the phrases “associated with” and “associated therewith,” as well as derivatives thereof, may mean to include, be included within, interconnect with, contain, be contained within, connect to or with, couple to or with, be communicable with, cooperate with, interleave, juxtapose, be proximate to, be bound to or with, have, have a property of, or the like; and the term “controller” means any device, system or part thereof that controls at least one operation, such a device may be implemented in hardware, firmware or software, or some combination of at least two of the same. It should be noted that the functionality associated with any particular controller may be centralized or distributed, whether locally or remotely. Definitions for certain words and phrases are provided throughout this patent document, those of ordinary skill in the art should understand that in many, if not most instances, such definitions apply to prior, as well as future uses of such defined words and phrases. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0014]    For a more complete understanding of the present disclosure and its advantages, reference is now made to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals represent like parts: 
           [0015]      FIG. 1  is a diagram of a simplified structure of a general fault management system; 
           [0016]      FIG. 2  is a block diagram of an alarm sender in a fault management system according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0017]      FIG. 3  is a block diagram of an alarm receiver in the fault management system according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0018]      FIG. 4  is a flowchart of a synchronization method of the alarm sender in the fault management system according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0019]      FIG. 5  is a flowchart of a synchronization method of the alarm receiver in the fault management system according to an embodiment of the present invention; and 
           [0020]      FIG. 6  is a diagram of signal exchanges between the alarm sender and the alarm receiver in the synchronization of the fault management system according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0021]      FIGS. 2 through 6 , discussed below, and the various embodiments used to describe the principles of the present disclosure in this patent document are by way of illustration only and should not be construed in any way to limit the scope of the disclosure. Those skilled in the art will understand that the principles of the present disclosure may be implemented in any suitably arranged fault management system. 
         [0022]    The present invention provides a technique for synchronizing alarm information between an alarm sender and an alarm receiver in a fault management system. It is assumed that the system adopts a Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) to exchange alarm information. Note that the present invention is applicable to systems using other protocols. 
         [0023]      FIG. 2  is a block diagram of an alarm sender in a fault management system according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
         [0024]    The alarm sender of  FIG. 2  includes a controller  201 , a message confirmer  203 , a message generator  205 , an alarm information storage  207 , and a communicator  209 . 
         [0025]    The controller  201  controls overall operation of the alarm sender. For example, the controller  201  controls to manage alarm information and to send the alarm information to an alarm receiver. Particularly, when the message confirmer  203  confirms a synchronization (sync) request message, the controller  201  controls the message generator  205  to generate a sync response message. In doing so, the controller  201  provides the message generator  205  with information relating to the number of alarm information to be sent and a sync session identifier (ID). Herein, alarm information to be sent are the one or more alarm information which have been stored when the sync request message is received. The controller  201  restricts the transmission of a trap message about an alarm occurring in the synchronization, and controls to send the trap message after the termination of the synchronization. Herein, the transmission of the trap message is limited so as to prevent the alarm information from changing in the process of the synchronization. 
         [0026]    The message confirmer  203  confirms a message received from the alarm receiver. In this embodiment of the present invention, the message confirmer  203  confirms the sync request message received from the alarm receiver and informs the controller  201  of the reception of the sync request message. The message generator  205  generates a message to be sent to the alarm receiver. Particularly, the message generator  205  generates a sync response message and a sync trap message. The sync response message includes information relating to the number of sync trap messages to be sent and the sync session ID. In other words, the sync response message informs the alarm receiver of the sync session ID included in the sync trap message and the number of the sync trap messages to be sent. The sync trap message, which carries alarm information for the synchronization, is transmitted after the sync response message is transmitted. The sync trap message includes the sync session ID so that the alarm receiver can identify the message for the synchronization. 
         [0027]    The alarm information storage  207  stores alarm information based on the occurrence and the release of the error conditions, and outputs the alarm information under the control of the controller  201 . The communicator  209  interfaces to communicate with the alarm receiver; that is, converts a physical signal. 
         [0028]      FIG. 3  is a block diagram of the alarm receiver in the fault management system according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
         [0029]    The alarm receiver of  FIG. 3  includes a controller  301 , a message generator  303 , a message confirmer  305 , an alarm information storage  307 , and a communicator  309 . 
         [0030]    The controller  301  controls overall operation of the alarm receiver. For example, the controller  301  inquires the alarm information of the alarm sender and controls to collect alarm information from a plurality of alarm senders. In the embodiment of the present invention, when determining the necessity of the alarm information synchronization, the controller  301  controls sending a sync request message to the corresponding alarm sender. For example, if the serial numbers of the received trap messages are not consecutive, the controller  301  determines the necessity of the alarm information synchronization. The controller  301  updates the alarm information about the corresponding alarm sender based on the sync trap message received for the synchronization. 
         [0031]    The message generator  303  generates a message to be sent to the alarm sender. Particularly, the message generator  303  generates a sync request message. The message confirmer  305  confirms a message received from the alarm sender. In the embodiment of the present invention, the message confirmer  305  confirms the sync session ID and the number of the sync trap messages to be received in the sync response message received after the synchronization request. The message confirmer  305  distinguishes the sync trap message from the received trap messages using the sync session ID and provides the sync trap message to the controller  301 . 
         [0032]    The alarm information storage  307  stores alarm information collected from the plurality of the alarm senders. The communicator  309  interfaces to communicate with the alarm sender; that is, converts the physical signal. 
         [0033]      FIG. 4  illustrates a synchronization method of the alarm sender in the fault management system according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
         [0034]    The alarm sender checks whether a sync request is defined for the alarm synchronization. 
         [0035]    Upon receiving the sync request message, the alarm sender confirms the number of the sync trap messages to be sent in step  403 . Namely, the alarm sender confirms the number of the alarm information to be sent. Herein, alarm information to be sent are the one or more alarm information which have been stored when the sync request message is received. 
         [0036]    In step  405 , the alarm sender sends a sync response message. Herein, the sync response message is defined for the alarm synchronization and includes the information relating to the sync session ID and the number of the sync trap messages to be sent, which will be included in the sync trap message. 
         [0037]    In step  407 , the alarm sender sequentially sends the sync trap messages including the sync session ID. 
         [0038]    When an alarm occurs between the reception of the sync request message in the step  403  and the transmission of the sync trap message in step  407 , the alarm sender does not send the trap message. To accurately synchronize the alarm information, the trap message about the alarm occurring in the steps  403  through  407  is buffered and then transmitted after the synchronization is completed. 
         [0039]      FIG. 5  illustrates a synchronization method of the alarm receiver in the fault management system according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
         [0040]    The alarm receiver determines the necessity of the alarm synchronization in step  501 . For instance, when the serial numbers in the trap messages are not consecutive, the alarm receiver determines the necessity of the alarm synchronization. 
         [0041]    Upon determining the necessity of the alarm synchronization, the alarm receiver requests an alarm synchronization with the relevant alarm sender in step  503 . That is, the alarm sender sends a sync request message to the relevant alarm sender. Herein, the sync request message is defined for the alarm synchronization. 
         [0042]    In step  505 , the alarm receiver checks whether a sync response message is received from the alarm sender. Herein, the sync response message is defined for the alarm synchronization. The sync response message includes the information relating to the sync session ID and the number of the sync trap messages to be received, which will be included in the sync trap message. 
         [0043]    When no sync response message is received over a certain time period, the alarm receiver goes back to step  503 . 
         [0044]    By contrast, receiving the sync response message, the alarm receiver sets a time limit for the reception of the sync trap message in step  507 . Herein, the time limit is set using the information relating to the number of the sync trap messages in the sync response message. 
         [0045]    In step  509 , the alarm receiver checks whether all of the sync trap messages are received within the set time limit. The alarm receiver checks whether as many the sync trap messages as the number included in the sync response message are received within the set time limit. Herein, the sync trap message includes the sync session ID confirmed from the sync response message. Accordingly, the alarm receiver can distinguish the sync trap message from the general trap message using the session ID. 
         [0046]    After receiving every sync trap message within the time limit, the alarm receiver updates the alarm information in step  511 . 
         [0047]      FIG. 6  is a diagram of signal exchanges between the alarm sender and the alarm receiver in the synchronization of the fault management system according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
         [0048]    The receiver  620  determines the necessity of the alarm synchronization in step  601 . The receiver  620  determines that the serial numbers of the trap messages are not consecutive. 
         [0049]    Next, the receiver  620  sends a sync request message to the sender  610  in step  603 . 
         [0050]    The sender  610 , receiving the sync request message, confirms the number of the sync trap messages to be sent in step  605 . That is, the sender  610  confirms the number of the alarm information to be sent. 
         [0051]    In step  607 , the sender  610  sends the sync response message to the receiver  620 . Herein, the sync response message includes the information relating to the number of the sync trap messages confirmed in the step  605  and the sync session ID. 
         [0052]    Upon receiving the sync response message, the receiver  620  sets the reception time limit of the sync trap messages in step  609 . Herein, the time limit is set by referring to the number of the sync trap messages in the sync response message. 
         [0053]    In step  611 , the sender  610  sends all of the sync trap messages in sequence. 
         [0054]    The receiver  620 , receiving every sync trap message within the time limit, updates the alarm information in step  613 . 
         [0055]    As set forth above, the fault management system synchronizes the alarm information using the sync trap message. Therefore, the accuracy of the alarm information synchronization can be ensured without limiting amount of the alarm information and the protocol in use. 
         [0056]    Although the present disclosure has been described with an exemplary embodiment, various changes and modifications may be suggested to one skilled in the art. It is intended that the present disclosure encompass such changes and modifications as fall within the scope of the appended claims.