Lucent 5e switch 21b & DMS 100

[TelTech1]

Need your help please. I am a residential telco installer with basic knowledge of DMS 100 and Lucent 5e switches. I have the opportunity to get a position monitoring the same. Where can I get information about the alarms for these switches and how to isolate them. I would do that and report it to another group; however, I have to talk intelligently about the switch trouble. I have wired switches and changed out the cards as a co tech for only 3 months. I never had to look and isolate the alarms. Time is of the essence for me. Thanks for your help.

 

[capitol31]

Before I started my own company, I was a TSE for the dms100, then SL100. The company really needs to provide formal training. Are you going to be troubleshooting the alarms or just reporting them? Either way you should have the appropriate training. How soon are looking to get this position?

 

[TelTech1]

Thanks for your response capitol31. I will be monitoring for alarms alone, I've been told. I asked if I would be usinig a laptop to troubleshoot & isolate the type of trouble and the answer was yes to both. I will not have to isolate and repair the trouble...just monitor, isolate and report it for others to fix remotely--I guess. I am concerened with knowing more information on what I am dealing with so that I can talk intelligently. I was told this by the manager...who really wants me for the job. As I have said, I have replaced both units and wired them as a central office technician, where you are told exactly what to look for---I only did it intermittantly for 1 month and I was in the midst of learning more details when it was time to retire from the company---a big buy out I could not refuse. I know the basics of switches, just not how to recognize the alarms and the various types. Also, I will have to learn the laptop that they are using. I figure there will be books laying around for that. The manager is a personal friend of a friend, who knows how reliable I am and I will be working with 4 others, all men, who may not be generious in answering my questions, since I am a minority and a woman---I HAVE BEEN TOLD THIS IN ADVANCE. There is no OJT---I HAVE TO KNOW BEFORE I SHOW UP. The manager is trying to get the VP to hold out till Jan. 1, '05. They actually need someone immediately. So far, I am the most qualified candidate, and with 34 years Telco experience, He really wants me bad. Thanks for all suggestions in advance.

 

[bikechuck]

DMS switches are as user friendly as they get for monitoring, troubleshooting and isolating problems. As long as you are familiar with the general architechture of the machine you shouldn't have much of a problem. Just don't be in a hurry to bsy or offline anything.

 

[TelTech1]

Thanks for the info bikechuck. I will not have to isolate...just be able to assist with a laptop. The employer has not contacted me and I suppose that he is going with his original plan to have someone who is familiar with all of the alarms---regardless of the fact that they will not be doing the actual fix and isolation. I was trying to get a list of the alarms and further educate myself. Thanks anyway.

 

[tievom]

There really isn't any documentation out on the web that pertains to what you are looking for. You would have to get ahold of some of the CDROM's that are distributed from the manufacturers. Even then, just having a list of possible alarms will not help you get the job unfortunately. There are literally thousands of possible alarms in both the DMS and 5E switches.

The job description you mention sounds like a NOC tech. NOC techs basically monitor one or multiple switches from a Network Operations Center. You just sit in front of a few computer displays and wait for the alarms to come in. Once they fire off, you then navigate through the menus until the problem is found. If it is a general card outage, you just poke in the command to restore it again to see if it fails or not. If it fails, then you call the switch tech to go and replace it.

I hope that explains things a little better.

 

[TelTech1]

Thanks Tievom. I am very familiar with NOC tech's work..I just did not realize exactly what the Tech monitor did. I can probably handle the job, according to your explaination. This Manager, however, insist that his VP wants someone who has done it before. I am over qualified for the position, I feel: COT, COT Remote Tester, Frame Attendant to just name a few. I did small bus/res installation and repair and I have an AA in Communications. Your imput tells me that I just may not be the 'person' the VP is looking for. Thanks so much for your response. It helped me a lot.