DEFINITY Enterprise Communications Server Release 7
Maintenance for R7r
555-230-126 Issue 4
June 1999
Maintenance Architecture
1-11Alarm and Error Reporting
1
distinguished with an address that defines its p hysical location in the system.
These addresses are described in Chapter 8, ‘‘Maintenance Commands’’. Repair
instructions and a des cription of each MO ap pear alphab etically in Chapter 9,
‘‘Maintenance Object Repair Procedures’’.
Alarm and Error Reporting
During normal operations, software, hard ware, or firmware may detect error
conditions related to sp ecific MOs. The system attempts to fix or circumvent
these problems automatically, but if a ha rdware component incur s too many
errors, an alarm is raised.

Alarm and Error Logs

The system keeps a record of every ala rm detected in the sy stem. This record,
the alarm log, and the error log can be disp layed locally on the manag ement
terminal or remotely by Initialization and Ad ministration System (INADS)
personnel. An alarm is classified as MAJOR, MINOR, or WARNING, depending
on its effect on system operation. Alarms are also classified as ON-BOARD or
OFF-BOA RD.
■MAJOR alarms identify failures that cause c ritical degrad ation of service
and require immediate attention. On h igh and critic al reliability systems,
MAJOR alarms can occur on stand by components w ithout affecting
service since their activ e counterparts continue to function.
■MINOR alarms identify failures that cause some servic e degradation b ut
do not render a cruc ial portion of the system inoperab le. The condition
requires attention, but typic ally a a MINOR alarm affects only a few trunks
or stations or a single feature.
■WARNING alarms identify fa ilu r es tha t cause no significant degradation of
service or failures of equipment external to the system. These are not
reported to INADS or the attendant c onsole.
■ON-BOARD problems originate in c ircuitry on the alarmed c ircuit pack.
■OFF-BOARD problems originate in a process or component external to the
circuit pack.
Multiple alarms against a g iven MO can change the l evel of a given alarm as it
appears in the alarm log . If there is an active error against an MO that c auses a
MINOR alarm and an active error that causes a MAJOR alarm, then the alarm log
would show two MAJOR alarms. If the MINOR alarm prob lem is resolved first, the
error is still marked as alarmed until the M AJOR alarm problem is resolved, and
the alarm log would still show two MA JOR alarms. If the MAJOR alarm problem is
resolved first, the error is still marked as alarmed until the MINOR alarm problem
is resolved, and the alarm log would now show two MINOR alarms. Similarly, the
presence of an ON-BOARD alarm will cause all alar ms against that MO to report
as ON-BOARD.