Abstract: A network management system (10) of a communication network (5) determines members of a pool (20, 30, 40) of consumers (21, 31, 41) in the network management system (10). Consumers are arranged to receive network management event data from network elements (5, 6, 7) of the communication network (5). The network management system (10) determines members of a pool (50, 60, 70) of instances (51, 61, 71) of a network management application (A, B, N) in the network management system (10). Instances of the network management application are arranged to process the network management event data. The network management system (10) determines a mapping between the pool (20) of consumers (21) and the pool (50) of instances (51) of the network management application (A). The mapping defines connections (15) for forwarding network management event data.

Abstract: A method of determining an event instance in an event driven communications system, the method comprising the steps of: receiving (205, 207) an event stream, the event stream comprising a plurality of events; retrieving (203) metadata for each event of the received event stream; instantiating (219) an event instance for each event of the received event stream based on the retrieved metadata; reading (221) event data of each event of the received event stream into the instantiated event instance.

Abstract: A service provided to an end user in a service session is analyzed. A plurality of measurements of at least one performance parameter of a network providing a service to an end user in a service session is received (501). The received plurality of measurements of the at least one performance parameter are divided (503) into a plurality of snapshots. The service is analyzed (505) by determining the compliance of the received measurements to the expectations of the end user for that service session within a snapshot.

Abstract: A method of network management using an adaptive policy is disclosed. The adaptive policy is defined by a plurality of sets of tasks and the method comprises receiving a trigger event; obtaining information representative of at least one context in which the network operates. The method further comprises performing tasks from sets of tasks until a task from a final set is performed. Selection of tasks is based on the trigger event and context information. The method further comprises producing an action event by performing the task selected from the final set of tasks and forwarding for execution the action event.

Abstract: A method of optimizing telecommunication services for a plurality of end users of a plurality of service sessions, each service session having a priority level, the method comprising the steps of: receiving compliance measure indicating that the service experience of at least one end user is compliant, for a snapshot, with expectations of the at least one end user within a telecommunication service providing a plurality of service sessions to a plurality of end users; determining if the received compliance measure is less than a predetermined threshold; and if the received compliance measure is determined to be less than a predetermined threshold, throttling at least one of the plurality of service sessions, that has not been throttled and has the lowest priority level, to optimize telecommunication services.

Abstract: A network management system (10) of a communication network (5) determines members of a pool (20, 30, 40) of consumers (21, 31, 41) in the network management system (10). Consumers are arranged to receive network management event data from network elements (5, 6, 7) of the communication network (5). The network management system (10) determines members of a pool (50, 60, 70) of instances (51, 61, 71) of a network management application (A, B, N) in the network management system (10). Instances of the network management application are arranged to process the network management event data. The network management system (10) determines a mapping between the pool (20) of consumers (21) and the pool (50) of instances (51) of the network management application (A). The mapping defines connections (15) for forwarding network management event data.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of and device for service monitoring and a method of and device for service monitoring management. In particular the invention relates to a method of and device for service monitoring of at least one service, and of at least one sub-service associated with the service in which values for service monitoring metric and sub-service monitoring metrics derived from the terminal operational information are monitored and recorded. One or more service monitoring reports, containing service monitoring metric values and sub-service monitoring metric values that are relationally organized to reflect the association between the sub-service and the service, are sent.

Abstract: A method of distributing network management processing load across a plurality of network management processing elements is disclosed. Each network management processing element is a member of a cluster, one member being a head of the cluster updating the cluster state, and members of the cluster following the cluster state. The method comprises the cluster head monitoring the network management processing load across the members of Monitor network management processing the cluster. The method further comprises, upon detecting load across cluster members that the cluster load is unbalanced, the cluster head updating the cluster state to initiate automatic rebalancing of the network management processing load across at least a subset of the plurality of members of the cluster, once tasks being processed by the subset of the plurality of members have been completed. Also disclosed are a method of distributing the processing for controlling a communication network, and a network management processing element.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of quality of service monitoring of at least one service in a communication network. The method comprises a first and a second modes. The first mode comprises detecting degradation in quality of service in a communication network by selecting (80) a set of terminal service sessions for providing terminal service session reports; collecting (82) terminal service session information from the selected terminal service sessions; and determining (84) the quality of service in the communication network from the terminal service sessions monitored in the first mode.

Abstract: A method of optimising telecommunication services for a plurality of end users of a plurality of service sessions, each service session having a priority level, the method comprising the steps of: receiving compliance measure indicating that the service experience of at least one end user is compliant, for a snapshot, with expectations of the at least one end user within a telecommunication service providing a plurality of service sessions to a plurality of end users; determining if the received compliance measure is less than a predetermined threshold; and if the received compliance measure is determined to be less than a predetermined threshold, throttling at least one of the plurality of service sessions, that has not been throttled and has the lowest priority level, to optimise telecommunication services.

Abstract: A service provided to an end user in a service session is analysed. A plurality of measurements of at least one performance parameter of a network providing a service to an end user in a service session is received (501). The received plurality of measurements of the at least one performance parameter are divided (503) into a plurality of snapshots. The service is analysed (505) by determining the compliance of the received measurements to the expectations of the end user for that service session within a snapshot.

Abstract: A method of monitoring broadcast or multicast streaming service in a communications network comprising collecting (102) quality feedbacks related to the streaming service, determining (106) a maximum distance to a neighbor in a cluster and a minimum number of values required to form a cluster (106). The method further comprises grouping (108) collected values from the feedbacks into clusters based on the maximum distance to a neighbor in a cluster and the minimum number of values required to form a cluster and then mapping (112) the clusters onto topology of the network and determining (114) location of a problem causing degradation of the service.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for assessing the compatibility of a selected network feature with the network features of an existing telecommunications network 10 comprises providing an abstraction of each network feature in the form of a data model 100 which defines the relationships between any network elements 12 or nodes 27, software elements 13 and software features 14 required for each network feature. Information 19 is then collected about the existing telecommunications network 10 to identity the deployment of the network features in the existing network. This information is then combined with the data model 100 to build a feature compatibility matrix 107 which defines the compatibility of network features in the existing telecommunications network 10. The matrix 107 can then be interrogated with information defining the parameters of the selected feature to be added or upgraded to determine whether the selected feature is compatible with features of the existing network.

Abstract: A method of determining an event instance in an event driven communications system, the method comprising the steps of: receiving (205, 207) an event stream, the event stream comprising a plurality of events; retrieving (203) metadata for each event of the received event stream; instantiating (219) an event instance for each event of the received event stream based on the retrieved metadata; reading (221) event data of each event of the received event stream into the instantiated event instance.

Abstract: A method for use in management of network elements in a communications network performed by a network element of said network. The method comprises receiving by an agent operating in said network element a request to execute a first function, wherein said first function relates to management of at least one network element; sending to said first function a message corresponding to said request and executing said first function. Said request being from a predefined set of requests and said first function being from a predefined set of functions. Said first function is implemented in a network element where it is to be executed.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of quality of service monitoring of at least one service in a communication network. The method comprises a first and a second modes. The first mode comprises detecting degradation in quality of service in a communication network by selecting (80) a set of terminal service sessions for providing terminal service session reports; collecting (82) terminal service session information from the selected terminal service sessions; and determining (84) the quality of service in the evaluate quality of service communication network from the terminal service sessions monitored in the first mode.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of and device for service monitoring and a method of and device for service monitoring management. In particular the invention relates to a method of and device for service monitoring of at least one service, and of at least one sub-service associated with the service in which values for service monitoring metric and sub-service monitoring metrics derived from the terminal operational information are monitored and recorded. One or more service monitoring reports, containing service monitoring metric values and sub-service monitoring metric values that are relationally organised to reflect the association between the sub-service and the service, are sent.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of and device for service monitoring and a method of and device for service monitoring management. In particular the invention relates to a method of and device for service monitoring wherein terminal operation information is monitored to determine the occurrence of session events of each of a plurality of stages of a user service session. Values for service monitoring metrics 1 for a stage are recorded in response to a session event of that stage. Finally at least one service monitoring report containing service monitoring metric values is sent for each stage of the user service session. The invention also relates to a method of service monitoring management in which one or more service monitoring reports containing service monitoring metric values in respect of the service are received for each stage of the user service session.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for assessing the compatibility of a selected network feature with the network features of an existing telecommunications network 10 comprises providing an abstraction of each network feature in the form of a data model 100 which defmes the relationships between any network elements 12 or nodes 27, software elements 13 and software features 14 required for each network feature. Information 19 is then collected about the existing telecommunications network 10 to identity the deployment of the network features in the existing network. This information is then combined with the data model 100 to build a feature compatibility matrix 107 which defines the compatibility of network features in the existing telecommunications network 10. The matrix 107 can then be interrogated with information defining the parameters of the selected feature to be added or upgraded to determine whether the selected feature is compatible with features of the existing network.

Abstract: A method of monitoring broadcast or multicast streaming service in a communications network comprising collecting (102) quality feedbacks related to the streaming service, determining (106) a maximum distance to a neighbour in a cluster and a minimum number of values required to form a cluster (106). The method further comprises grouping (108) collected values from the feedbacks into clusters based on the maximum distance to a neighbour in a cluster and the minimum number of values required to form a cluster and then mapping (112) the clusters onto topology of the network and determining (114) location of a problem causing degradation of the service.