Receiving network metrics data from disparate devices and displaying in a host format

• US 20040148383A1
• Filed: 01/23/2003
• Published: 07/29/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Knowledge Ventures, L.P. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: SBC Properties, L.P.
• Inventors: Gonsalves, Brian A., Pena, Sherri D.
• Granted Patent: US 7,120,689 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0213 Standardised network management protocols, e.g. simple network management protocol [SNMP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5003 Managing SLA; Interaction between SLA and QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5009 Determining service level performance parameters or violations of service level contracts, e.g. violations of agreed response time or mean time between failures [MTBF]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/026 using flow identification
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/75 Indicating network or usage conditions on the user display

Abstract

Transmitting network metrics data from disparate client platforms to a service provider for the calculation of performance measurements so that the level of service may be verified. The metrics data is received by the service provider in formats associated with the subscriber'"'"'s platform. When the metrics data is received by the service provider, it is converted into a host format so that it may be presented to the network subscribers.

Claims

1. A method for generating performance data in order to verify a level of service provided to a subscriber of a communications network, the method comprising:

receiving metrics data in a format defined by a network device of the subscriber, the data being received from the network device that collects the metrics data, which is associated with data transmissions over the network between a local site of the subscriber and a remote site of the subscriber;

extracting parameters from the received metrics data;

generating a host format based on the extracted parameters, the host format comprising performance data of the network;

sending the performance data to a backend system; and

presenting the performance data to the subscriber.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising determining whether the metrics data already resides in the host format.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the data transmissions between the local site of the subscriber and the remote site of the subscriber occurs via a first permanent virtual circuit.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the receiving further comprises receiving the metrics data via a second permanent virtual circuit.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the network device comprises a data service unit/channel service unit.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the network devices comprises a router with an embedded data service unit/channel service unit.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising extracting parameters and generating the host format with a middleware server operating middleware.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising identifying the subscriber to which the metrics data belongs.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the network comprises an ATM network or a frame relay network.

10. A method for generating performance data in order to verify a level of service provided to each of a plurality of subscribers of a communications network, the method comprising:

receiving metrics data in a plurality of formats from a first network device of each of the plurality of subscribers, each of the network devices collecting metrics data associated with data transmissions over the network between the first network device of each subscriber and a second network device of each subscriber;

mapping the metrics data received from the first network device of each of the plurality of subscribers to each of the plurality of subscribers, the mapping associating each of the plurality of subscribers with their respective metrics data;

converting the metrics data into a host format for each of the plurality of subscribers, the host format comprising performance data of the network for each of the plurality of subscribers;

sending the performance data to a backend system; and

presenting the performance data to the subscribers.

11. The method according to claim 10, further comprising determining whether the metrics data for each of the plurality of subscribers already resides in the host format.

12. The method according to claim 10, wherein the transmissions between the first network device and second network device of each subscriber occurs on a permanent virtual circuit distinct from a permanent virtual circuit in which the metrics data is received from the first network device.

13. The method according to claim 10, wherein the network device comprises a data service unit/channel service unit.

14. The method according to claim 10, wherein the network device comprises a router with an embedded data service unit/channel service unit.

15. The method according to claim 10, further comprising converting the metrics data to the host format at a middleware server operating middleware.

16. The method according to claim 10, wherein the network comprises an ATM network or a frame relay network.

17. The method according to claim 10, further comprising sorting the host formatted data according to customer preferences.

18. A system for generating performance data in order to verify a level of service provided to each of a plurality of subscribers of a communications network, the system comprising:

a router receiving metrics data from a network device of each of the plurality of subscribers, the metrics data being received in a plurality of formats associated with each respective subscriber network device,

a server converting the metrics data from the plurality of formats to a host format, the host format comprising performance data of the network for each of the plurality of subscribers;

a database mapping the metrics data received from each network device to each of the plurality of subscribers; and

a backend system storing the data in the host format, the backend system permitting the subscriber to access the host formatted data.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the database stores customer preferences regarding the host format.

20. A computer readable medium for generating performance data in order to verify a level of service provided to a subscriber of a communications network, said medium comprising:

a receiving source code segment that receives metrics data in a format defined by a network device of the subscriber, the data being received from the network device that collects the metrics data, which is associated with data transmissions over the network between a local site of the subscriber and a remote site of the subscriber;

an extracting source code segment that extracts parameters from the received metrics data;

a generating source code segment that generates a host format based on the extracted parameters, the host format comprising performance data of the network;

a transmitting source code segment that transmits the performance data to a backend system; and

a displaying source code segment that displays the performance data to the subscriber.