Abstract: Trouble ticket management automates existing institutional operational processes by engaging various external trouble ticketing systems. These systems feed correlated alarm events, trouble analysis results, and trouble ticket information to a particular institutional network. Correlated alarm feeds, including trouble ticket information, are correlated and sent to institutional trouble ticket management systems. The alarms are processed and remedy tickets are created. The remedy tickets interact with remedy tickets at the institutional trouble ticket management systems. These remedy tickets are bonded with maintenance platform tickets.

Abstract: Example methods and apparatus to diagnose enhanced interior gateway routing protocol (EIGRP) problems in networks are disclosed. A disclosed example method to identify whether an EIGRP problem is present in a network comprises automatically performing one or more tests of one or more routers of the network in response to a submitted trouble ticket, processing results of the one or more tests to automatically identify whether the EIGRP problem is present in the network, and automatically assigning the trouble ticket to a work center when the EIGRP problem is present in the network.

Abstract: A method and system for providing automated diagnostics of networks using multiple virtual circuits are disclosed. For example, the method receives a ticket indicating a problem. The method then determines if the problem is associated with a configuration mismatch and determines if the problem is associated with at least one physical channel supporting a plurality of virtual circuits. The method then verifies status of each of the plurality of virtual circuits if the problem is not associated with the configuration mismatch or the at least one physical channel. The method then reports a result of verifying the status of each of the plurality of virtual circuits.

Abstract: Trouble ticket management automates existing institutional operational processes by engaging various external trouble ticketing systems. These systems feed correlated alarm events, trouble analysis results, and trouble ticket information to a particular institutional network. Correlated alarm feeds, including trouble ticket information, are correlated and sent to institutional trouble ticket management systems. The alarms are processed and remedy tickets are created. The remedy tickets interact with remedy tickets at the institutional trouble ticket management systems. These remedy tickets are bonded with maintenance platform tickets.

Abstract: A method and system for adaptive processing of alert messages exchanged between applications is disclosed. The system may include a diagnostic engine coupled to a plurality of applications. A plurality of application alert messages may be monitored to determine if the alerts exceed a predetermined threshold. If a threshold number of alert messages is exceeded, an interface status based on a diagnostic code for the interface may be determined. A query value for the interface may be adjusted. Based on the amount of the increase in the alert messages, different actions may be indicated. An administrator for the application interface or for equipment associated with the interface may be notified for servicing the equipment.

Abstract: A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a controller to automatically check lower level layer test results of an IPTV or iTV network, automatically retrieve inventory data from an inventory system, automatically retrieve a Layer 4 data from a live router by executing a show Class of Service (COS) interface command, automatically compare a COS value with a value from the inventory system to determine a mismatch, and automatically create an alert if the mismatch exists. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Abstract: Example methods and apparatus to diagnose enhanced interior gateway routing protocol (EIGRP) problems in networks are disclosed. A disclosed example method to identify whether an EIGRP problem is present in a network comprises automatically performing one or more tests of one or more routers of the network in response to a submitted trouble ticket, processing results of the one or more tests to automatically identify whether the EIGRP problem is present in the network, and automatically assigning the trouble ticket to a work center when the EIGRP problem is present in the network.

Abstract: Example methods and apparatus to diagnose outbound voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) services are disclosed. An example method comprises monitoring activity in a first VoIP network to determine a first value representative of a peak number of communication sessions concurrently active between a second VoIP network and a public switched telephone network via the first VoIP network, and comparing the first value to a threshold to determine whether to automatically close a trouble ticket submitted against the first VoIP network.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for providing automated processing of an alarm related to a frame relay encapsulation failure on a packet network, e.g., a Virtual Private Network (VPN), are disclosed. For example, the method receives an alarm or a ticket related to a network connection with a frame relay encapsulation, and correlates the ticket or said alarm with a circuit. The method determines a number of logical channels supported by the circuit between a customer edge (CE) router and a provider edge (PE) router. The method performs one or more tests from the PE router to one or more customer end device connected to the PE router through the CE router, and performs one or more tests from the PE router to one or more remote customer end devices, if all of the one or more tests from the PE router to the one or more customer end devices connected to the PE router through the CE router are successful.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for automatic processing of toll free call service alarms are disclosed. For example, the method receives a trouble ticket by a service provider for a toll free call service alarm, and retrieves a calling to number and a calling from number from the trouble ticket. The method determines if the service provider is a responsible organization for the toll free call service for the calling to number, and determines if a customer network for the toll free call service is active if the service provider is the responsible organization for the toll free call service. The method notifies a work center if the customer network is not active.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for providing automatic processing of a software defined network alarm or an integrated services digital network alarm are disclosed. For example, the method receives a trouble ticket for an SDN service or an ISDN service, and retrieves at least one of: a calling to number, a calling from number, one or more facility identifiers associated one or more facilities, or one or more channel identifiers related to the trouble ticket. The method then retrieves data for one or more network outages for the one or more facilities.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for providing automated processing of a switched voice alarm on a switched and/or Internet Protocol (IP) network are disclosed. For example, the method receives an alarm associated with a switched voice service, and retrieves a Local Routing Number (LRN) or Primary Inter-exchange Carrier (PIC) information from a switch serving a call associated with a caller's telephone number. The method determines if the alarm is due to one or more service degradations, and notifies a work center responsible for one or more of the service degradations if the alarm is due to the one or more service degradations.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for providing automated processing of a virtual connection alarm on a packet network, e.g., a Virtual Private Network (VPN), are disclosed. For example, the method receives an alarm related to at least one virtual connection for a virtual private network (VPN) from a provider edge (PE) router, and determines whether the VPN has reached a first threshold for a maximum number of virtual connections or a second threshold for a pre-determined percentage of the maximum number of virtual connections. The method generates a new ticket or updating an existing ticket in response to the alarm if either the first threshold or the second threshold is reached.