Methods and apparatus for controlling multi-layer communications networks
First Claim
1. A controller for controlling a communications network providing services at least two Layers, the controller comprising:
- a data collector operable to collect data characterizing demand and activity of the network at at least two Layers;
a reinforcement operable to determine a scalarReinforcement signal from the data characterizing the network at least two Layers;
a data processor operable to process the collected data to determine whether customer demands should be met and whether a reconfiguration of at least one Layer is favourable, and to determine a favoured reconfiguration of the at least one Layer; and
a reconfiguration initiator operable to initiate implementation of the favoured reconfiguration to initiate the acceptance or rejection of incoming customer demands.
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Abstract
In methods and apparatus for controlling multi-layer communications networks, data characterizing activity and state of the network and external demands made on the network by customer requests at at least two Layers is collected. The collected data are processed in accordance with a dynamic policy to determine that a reconfiguration of at least one Layer of the at least two Layers is favourable, and to determine a favoured reconfiguration of the at least one Layer. The collected data are processed in accordance with a dynamic policy to determine a favoured selection of customer demands on the network to be accepted. Implementation of the favoured reconfiguration and favoured admission is initiated. The resulting network behaviour is observed and the dynamic policy is adjusted to increase its ability to find favourable reconfiguration and call admission actions. The Layers may, for example, be a Layer 3 packet data service, such as Internet Protocol service, and layers below Layer 3 including one or more Layer 2 path-oriented service and one or more Layer 1 transport services. The reconfiguration of all Layers depends on information received from all Layers. Rapid reconfiguration of the Layer 2 and Layer 1 equipment and rapid decisions on the acceptance or rejection of customer demands based on data collected from all Layers reduces over-provisioning of the network needed to meet difficult-to-predict traffic patterns and loss of revenue due to inability to serve traffic with the current network configuration. A Fuzzy Logic control algorithm with policy tuning by temporal difference Reinforcement algorithms is described.
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Citations
15 Claims
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1. A controller for controlling a communications network providing services at least two Layers, the controller comprising:
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a data collector operable to collect data characterizing demand and activity of the network at at least two Layers;
a reinforcement operable to determine a scalarReinforcement signal from the data characterizing the network at least two Layers;
a data processor operable to process the collected data to determine whether customer demands should be met and whether a reconfiguration of at least one Layer is favourable, and to determine a favoured reconfiguration of the at least one Layer; and
a reconfiguration initiator operable to initiate implementation of the favoured reconfiguration to initiate the acceptance or rejection of incoming customer demands. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A method for controlling a communications network supporting a packet data service, the communications network having an optical transport layer below a packet data layer, the method comprising:
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collecting data characterising activity of the network and customer traffic demands at both the packet data layer and the optical transport layer;
processing the collected data to determine that a reconfiguration of the optical transport layer is favourable, and to determine a favoured reconfiguration of the optical transport layer;
initiating implementation of the favoured reconfiguration;
determining whether incoming customer demands at both the packet data and optical transport layer should be met; and
initiating acceptance or rejection of customer demands at both the packet data and optical transport layers.
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Specification