Importance

Loading Importance Indicators...

Abstract

A system and method for projecting service availability in a telecommunication network. The present invention comprises an empirically-based availability estimate that accounts for the impact of maintenance actions by network personnel, as well as cable cuts and equipment failures. The system comprises a managed network comprising a plurality of interconnected switches to carry and route telecommunications traffic among customer endpoints, a network management system connected to the interconnected switches in the managed network via control links to monitor the switching activity of said managed network, a plurality of databases for storing maintenance actions and reliability factors, and a projected availability processor connected to the network management system to collect information from the network management system and the databases and determine service availability. The system also includes a workstation connected to the projected availability processor for updating information contained in the databases. Upon receiving an availability projection request for a portion of the network, the system compiles the trouble records and SONET ring data applicable to that portion of the network for which the availability projection request was made. The system then determines empirical availability factors, such as the average frequency and duration of interruptions due to actions by network personnel. The empirical availability factors are combined with accepted reliability factors to obtain a realistic availability projection.

Loading the Abstract Image...

First Claim