An optimised architecture for SDH network element management

Current architectures for element management systems within the synchronous digital hierarchy do not produce optimal implementations of management functions. This is especially true for fault recovery. Fault recovery usually requires two underlying functions: alarm surveillance (fault detection) and configuration (fault correction) to be performed upon the network objects, these in turn are influenced by factors such as protocol implementation (stack efficiency), object model complexity, capacity of the management channel, as well as the hardware platform used. Management functions can be divided into single and multiple object operations. This paper considers the various factors which influence the performance of fault recovery in an SDH environment, and proposes a number of methods of improving the performance of SDH management systems. It is shown that optimising the management functions according to the type of operation being performed can result in increased throughput of management information between an element management system and a subordinate network element, giving improved performance for the overall management system