System and method for ethernet network design

• US 20050188059A1
• Filed: 01/05/2004
• Published: 08/25/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Sbc Knowledge Ventures, L.P.
• Inventors: Sahasrabuddhe, Laxman, Manthoulis, Orestis, Chiang, Mung
• Granted Patent: US 7,610,361 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/220
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0826 for reduction of network costs H04L41/0833 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/145 involving simulating, designing, planning or modelling of a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]

Abstract

A system and method for Ethernet network design are disclosed. In one embodiment of a method incorporating teachings of the present disclosure, embedded network information describing at least one existing network element and a plurality of physical locations available for locating new network nodes may be inputted. A demand forecast for a coverage area of a proposed network may also be inputted. In an embodiment in which a to-be-designed network has at least a core layer and an aggregation layer, a number of core layer nodes and aggregator nodes to be included in the proposed network may also be inputted. Consideration may be given to these and other inputs in connection with generating a potential network design for the proposed network, and a cost of implementing the potential network design may be calculated.

Claims

1. A network design method comprising:

inputting embedded network information describing at least one existing network element and a plurality of physical locations available for locating new network nodes;

inputting a demand forecast for a coverage area of a proposed network having a core layer, an aggregation layer, and an access layer;

inputting a number of core layer nodes to be included in the proposed network;

inputting a number of aggregator layer nodes to be included in the proposed network;

generating a potential network design for the proposed network comprising an assigned physical location for each of the core layer nodes and aggregator layer nodes; and

calculating a cost of implementing the potential network design.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the potential network design comprises a list of line cards to be added to existing network elements, a list of to be added core layer nodes and aggregator layer nodes, and connection information describing an interconnection plan.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the cost of implementing the potential network design comprises an equipment cost for the core layer nodes and aggregator layer nodes and an interconnection cost for the interconnection plan.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating a second potential network design for the proposed network, wherein at least one network node has an altered assigned physical location that is different than the assigned location for the at least one node in the potential network design; and

calculating a cost of implementing the second potential network design.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising comparing the cost of implementing the second potential network design to the cost of implementing the potential network design.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising gathering embedded network information from a Trunk Inventory Record Keeping system.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising gathering embedded network information from a network Element Management system.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising;

determining a lower bound number of aggregator layer nodes to service the coverage area; and

adding a value of at least one to the lower bound number to determine the number of aggregator layer nodes.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the value is a user-defined integer.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprises outputting a proposed network report.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the network report comprises cost of implementing the potential network design and a list of equipment to be deployed in accordance with the potential network design.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the proposed network comprises an Ethernet optical network.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the proposed network is a Multiprotocol Label Switching based network.

14. A computer-readable medium having computer-readable data to access embedded network information, to access a proposed number of core layer nodes for a network, to access a number of proposed aggregation layer nodes for the network, to consider a forecasted demand for the network, to generate at least two potential network designs for the network, and to identify a lower cost network from the at least two potential network designs.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 14 having additional computer-readable data to initiate presentation of a graphical user interface comprising a field for receiving a user input defining the number of proposed aggregation layer nodes.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 14 having additional computer-readable data to initiate retrieval of the embedded network information from a remote repository.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 14 wherein the network comprises a Multiprotocol Label Switching based Ethernet Optical Network.

18. A network design system, comprising:

a network interface operable to form at least a portion of a communication link between a local component and a remote memory maintaining embedded network information;

a design engine operable to generate at least two proposed network designs each including at least one deployed network node described in the embedded network information; and

a costing engine operable to determine a lower cost proposed network from the at least two proposed network designs.

19. The system of claim 18, further comprising a user interface operable to receive at least one design parameter for a to-be-designed network, wherein the design engine is further operable to consider the at least one design parameter in connection with generating the at least two proposed network designs.

20. The system of claim 19, further comprising an output engine operable to initiate presentation of design details for the lower cost proposed network.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein the to-be-designed network comprises a Multiprotocol Label Switching based Ethernet Optical Network.

22. The system of claim 19, wherein the at least one design parameter comprises a number of aggregation layer nodes.

23. The system of claim 19, wherein the at least one design parameter comprises a number of core layer nodes.

24. The system of claim 19, wherein the at least one design parameter comprises a forecasted demand for the to-be-designed network.

25. The system of claim 19, wherein the at least one design parameter comprises a price list for at least one piece of equipment to be included in the to-be-designed network.

26. The system of claim 19, wherein the at least one design parameter comprises a design limitation for at least one piece of equipment to be included in the to-be-designed network.

27. An Ethernet network design method comprising:

receiving a user input comprising at least one design parameter for a proposed Ethernet optical network;

generating at least two different potential network designs for the proposed network; and

calculating a cost of implementing at least one of the at least two different potential network designs.

28. The method of claim 27, further comprising considering embedded network elements in connection with generating the at least two different potential network designs.

29. The system of claim 27, wherein the at least one design parameter comprises a number of aggregation layer nodes.

30. The system of claim 27, wherein the at least one design parameter comprises a number of core layer nodes.

31. The system of claim 27, wherein the at least one design parameter comprises a forecasted demand for the to-be-designed network.

32. The system of claim 27, wherein the at least one design parameter comprises a price list for at least one piece of equipment to be included in the to-be-designed network.

33. The system of claim 27, wherein the at least one design parameter comprises a design limitation for at least one piece of equipment to be included in the to-be-designed network.