Enhanced performance monitoring architecture for synchronous digital hierarchy networks

Existing high-speed network performance monitoring and measurement devices lack the flexibility to accommodate a comprehensive set of rapidly changing network conditions that require real-time information to ensure network integrity and synchronisation. This paper presents a new enhanced performance measurement/monitoring architecture (EPMA) that provides flexible, centralised, and distributed real-time information monitoring, analysis, and interpretation to support synchronous digital hierarchy (SDH) network management. The paper documents the use of existing SDH interfaces, test tools, and network analysis devices to support EPMA, and presents ideas for modifying existing SDH network equipment to provide EPMA functionality. Also presented are results of a feasibility demonstration of the basic EPMA functions using both existing and EPMA-customised SDH equipment on a model SDH network. These results demonstrate the utility of the EPMA.