Alarms


An alarm is a system-generated notification triggered when a defined threshold is breached. The Fault Management System (FMS) sends these alarms as notifications to indicate abnormal conditions in the network or service. When an alarm is raised, the system automatically creates an incident based on predefined policies, and the severity of the alarm linked to the incident is updated through the API to ensure accurate prioritization. This automation reduces manual effort and provides visibility into alarm details for faster diagnosis and resolution.

Alarm creation and monitoring

Alarm creation and monitoring focus on how alarms are generated and observed within the system. This process includes different methods for creating alarms and options for monitoring their status.

  • Automatic creation: Alarms are generated by FMS when thresholds are breached.
  • API-based creation: Primary and secondary alarms can be created via REST API.
  • Monitoring: Alarms can be monitored through the UI or REST API for status and details.

Alarm types

Alarm types classify alarms by their purpose and help with accurate prioritization, routing, and remediation in telecom operations. These types can be triggered via APIs and are used to indicate the nature of the underlying condition.

Alarm typePurpose
communicationsAlarm

Indicates issues in communication paths or signaling between network elements. Common in scenarios like link failures or protocol mismatches.

processingErrorAlarm  Indicates software or processing faults within network or control systems. For example, application errors, transaction failures
environmentalAlarmIndicates the arlarm is triggered by environmental conditions affecting equipment, such as temperature, humidity, or power fluctuations.

qualityOfServiceAlarm

Signals degradation in service quality, such as latency, packet loss, impacting customer experience.
equipmentAlarmGenerated when hardware components fail or malfunction, such as routers, switches, or transmission equipment.
integrityViolationIndicates data integrity issues, such as corrupted configurations or unauthorized changes to system parameters.
operationalViolationOccurs when operational policies or procedures are violated, such as exceeding capacity thresholds or improper configurations.
physicalViolationFlags physical security or infrastructure integrity is compromised, such as unauthorized access to equipment rooms.
securityServiceIndicates the Alert related to security services, such as authentication failures, or encryption issues.
mechanismViolationIndicates failure or misuse of security mechanisms, such as incorrect key management or protocol enforcement.
timeDomainViolationReports timing/synchronization breaches impacting time-sensitive services, such as synchronization errors in VoLTE service.

Alarm-to-Incident workflow

When an alarm is created through the REST API or detected by the Fault Management System (FMS), an incident is automatically generated in Incident Management. The alarm details are displayed in the incident record, providing visibility into the underlying condition. The severity of the alarm linked to the incident is updated automatically through the API, ensuring that the incident priority remains accurate and reflects the latest alarm state.
   

 

 

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BMC Helix Telco Extensions 26.1