Communications network

• US 20030014538A1
• Filed: 07/08/2002
• Published: 01/16/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/08/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: British Telecommunications PLC (BT Group PLC)
• Original Assignee: British Telecommunications PLC (BT Group PLC)
• Inventors: Roadknight, Christopher Mark, Marshall, Ian W
• Granted Patent: US 7,478,162 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/238
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0893 Assignment of logical groups to network elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0894 Policy-based network configuration management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/16 using machine learning or artificial intelligence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/50 Network service management, e.g. ensuring proper service fulfilment according to agreements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

The present invention provides an emergent network that is autonomous at the service level. Network nodes have policies that enable them to process different types of service requests, with the processing earning the nodes ‘rewards’. Successful nodes can pass some or all of their policies to other nodes using the evolutionary biology of bacteria as a model.

Claims

1. A multi-service communications network comprising more than one node, each node comprising one or more nodal policy and being configured to process one or more services in accordance with said one or more nodal policy, each nodal policy comprising;

(i) a service request identifier, said service request identifier determining the type of service request that may be processed by each respective node; and

(ii) one or more service request criteria, said service request criteria determining whether a type of service request defined by said service request identifier will be processed by each respective node

characterised in that the processing of said one or more services determining an activity indicator of said node such that the node may vary one or more of the nodal policies in accordance with the activity indicator.

2. A multi-service communications network according to claim 1 such that if the activity indicator reaches a first upper threshold then the node may export one or more of the nodal policies.

3. A multi-service communications network according to claim 1 or claim 2 such that if the activity indicator reaches a second upper threshold then the node may replicate all of the nodal policies to generate a clone of the node.

4. A multi-service communications network according to claim 3 wherein the second upper threshold value is a value of the activity indicator that is greater then the first upper threshold value.

5. A multi-service communications network according to claim 3 wherein the second upper threshold value is the maintenance of the activity indicator at the first upper threshold for a predetermined period of time.

6. A multi-service communications network according to claim 1 such that if the activity indicator reaches a first lower threshold then the node may import a further nodal policy.

7. A multi-service communications network according to claim 1 or claim 6 such that if the activity indicator reaches a second lower threshold then the node may delete an enabled nodal policy and enable a dormant nodal policy.

8. A multi-service communications network according to claim 7 wherein the second lower threshold value is a value of the activity indicator that is lower then the first lower threshold value.

9. A multi-service communications network according to claim 7 wherein the second upper threshold value is the maintenance of the activity indicator at the first upper threshold for a predetermined period of time.

10. A multi-service communications network according to any of claims 7 to 9 such that if the activity indicator reaches a second lower threshold and the node has no dormant nodal policies then the node may deactivate itself.

11. A multi-service communications network according to any of the preceding claims wherein a variable within a nodal policy is randomly varied.

12. A multi-service communications network according to any of the preceding claims wherein at least one of the nodal policies is adapted to process preferentially one of the types of service requests.

13. A multi-service communications network according to claim 12, further characterised in that the preferential processing of the service request is determined by a service request function.

14. A multi-service communications network according to claim 13, in which the service request function is the time to live.

15. A multi-service communications network according to claim 13, in which the service request function is the value derived from processing the service request.

16. A multi-service communications network according to any of the preceding claims, the communications network being configured to process an additional service by the insertion of an additional nodal policy into the network.

17. A multi-service communications network according to claim 16 wherein the additional nodal policy is inserted into the multi-service communications network such that a node may import the additional nodal policy.

18. A multi-service communications network according to claim 17 wherein the additional nodal policy is inserted directly into a node.

19. A multi-service communications network according to claim 17 wherein a node is created and the additional nodal policy is inserted directly into said node.

20. A data carrier comprising computer code means for implementing a multi-service communications network according to any of claims 1 to 19.

21. A method of upgrading a multi-service communications network such that the network can process an additional service, the network comprising more than one node, each node being configured to process one or more services in accordance with one or more nodal policies, each nodal policy comprising;

(i) a service request identifier, said service request identifier determining the type of service request that may be processed by each respective node; and

(ii) one or more service request criteria, said service request criteria determining whether a type of service request defined by said service request identifier will be processed by each respective node

the method comprising the step of inserting an additional policy into the network, the policy being configured to enable a node to process the additional service.

22. A method of operating a multi-service communications network comprising more than one node, the method comprising the steps of

(a) each node processing one or more types of service requests in accordance with one or more nodal policies, each nodal policy comprising;

(i) a service request identifier, said service request identifier determining the type of service request that may be processed by each respective node; and

(ii) one or more service request criteria, said service request criteria determining whether a type of service request defined by said service request identifier will be processed by each respective node;

characterised by the step of

(b) processing said one or more services to determine an activity indicator of said node such that the node may vary one or more of the nodal policies in accordance with the activity indicator.

23. A method of operating a multi-service communications network according to claim 22 further characterised in that one type of the service requests is processed preferentially in accordance with an adapted nodal policy.

24. A method of operating a multi-service communications network as in claim 22, further characterised in that the preferential processing of the service request is determined by a service request function.

25. A method of operating a multi-service communications network as in claim 24, in which the service request function is the time to live.

26. A method of operating a multi-service communications network as in claim 24, in which the service request function is the value derived from processing the service request.