scope:

The present document specifies the overall requirements for 3G Fault Management (FM) as it applies to the Network Elements (NE), Element Manger (EM) and Network Manager (NM).

Clause 4 defines the FM concept and functional requirements for the detection of faults and the generation, collection and presentation of alarms, operational state data and test results across 3G systems. These functions are described on a non-formal level since the formal standardization of these functions across the different vendors' equipment is not required. The functional areas specified in the present document cover:

• fault surveillance and detection in the NEs;

• notification of alarms (including alarm cease) and operational state changes;

• retrieval of current alarms from the NEs;

• fault isolation and defence mechanisms in the NEs;

• alarm filtering;

• management of alarm severity levels;

• alarm and operational state data presentation and analysis at the Operations System (OS);

• retention of alarm and operational state data in the NEs and the OS; and

• the management of tests.

Any (re)configuration activity exerted from the EM as a consequence of faults will not be subject of the present document. These are described in [1].

Clause 5 of the present document defines the functional requirements for the standard Itf-N, for the purpose of Fault Management of 3G networks, as seen from the Network Manager (NM). The Itf-N is fully standardized so as to connect systems of any vendor to the NM via this interface.