METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR COMMUNICATION NETWORK ALERT RECORD IDENTIFICATION

摘要

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR COMMUNICATION NETWORK ALERT RECORD IDENTIFICATION Alert records flowing in a communication and data processing network to host operator console stations consist of long, variable length information records. Method and apparatus are disclosed which reduce the variable length body of information to a standard 32-bit number which indexes the lengthy, variable length information. To the 32-bit number there is concatenated a product identification code which reduces the likelihood of inadvertent duplication of the 32-bit number by two different alert sending entities to an acceptable level. The IEEE standard 802 cyclic redundancy check algorithm, ordinarily employed for checking the integrity of data transmission in a communications system, is employed in a new way to reduce a long, variable length body of alert data information to the 32-bit number. Reduction of the alert record to a 32-bit number plus the product identification code enables alert recognition and filtering to be conducted at the host/system network operator's console for logging, displaying the alert to specified operators, selective display, inhibition of these or forwarding of the alert to an additional operator or use of the alert as a triggering signal for the display of specific informational screens for the operator. Useless alerts in a particular environment may be discarded altogether and recognized prior to displaying them to the operator.