Providing at least subset of network element functionality when network element resource operates in state of reduced, nonzero functionality

• US 20050262242A1
• Filed: 05/07/2004
• Published: 11/24/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent USA, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent USA, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Makowski, Steven L., Byers, Charles C.
• Granted Patent: US 7,991,889 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/225
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0663 Performing the actions predefined by failover planning, e.g. switching to standby network elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/50 Testing arrangements

Abstract

A deferred maintenance mode for network elements is described, wherein upon failure of one or more resources in a network element, redundant resources are used to preserve functionality. Upon subsequent failure of the redundant resources, function can revert to the first set of resources if those resources have a higher level of functionality. This deferred mode is valuable in situations where it may not be possible to repair failed elements in a timely manner, or if there is a limit upon the amount of backup power available.

Claims

1. A method, comprising the step of:

employing a resource of one or more resources of a network element to provide at least a subset of functionality of the network element when a resource of the one or more resources of the network element operates in a state of reduced, nonzero functionality.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of employing a resource of the one or more resources of the network element to provide the at least the subset of functionality of the network element when a resource of the one or more resources of the network element operates in the state of reduced, nonzero functionality comprises the step of:

selecting a resource of the one or more resources of the network element to provide the at least the subset of functionality of the network element based on one or more usability ratings for one or more of the one or more resources of the network element.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of selecting a resource of the one or more resources of the network element to provide the at least the subset of functionality of the network element based on the one or more usability ratings for the one or more of the one or more resources of the network element comprises the steps of:

performing one or more comparisons of the one or more usability ratings for the one or more of the one or more resources of the network element; and

selecting a resource of the one or more resources of the network element to provide the at least the subset of functionality of the network element based on one or more of the one or more comparisons of the one or more usability ratings for the one or more of the one or more resources of the network element.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of selecting a resource of the one or more resources of the network element to provide the at least the subset of functionality of the network element based on the one or more usability ratings for the one or more of the one or more resources of the network element comprises the steps of:

executing one or more performance tests on the one or more of the one or more resources of the network element;

making one or more determinations of one or more levels of functionality of the one or more of the one or more resources of the network element based on one or more results of the one or more performance tests; and

employing the one or more determinations of the one or more levels of functionality of the one or more of the one or more resources of the network element to develop the one or more usability ratings for the one or more of the one or more resources of the network element.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the step of employing the one or more determinations of the one or more levels of functionality of the one or more of the one or more resources of the network element to develop the one or more usability ratings for the one or more of the one or more resources of the network element comprises the steps of:

performing one or more comparisons of the one or more results of the one or more performance tests to one or more metrics of normal results for the one or more performance tests; and

quantifying the one or more comparisons of the one or more results of the one or more performance tests to determine the one or more levels of functionality for the one or more of the one or more resources of the network element.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of employing a resource of the one or more resources of the network element to provide the at least the subset of functionality of the network element when a resource of the one or more resources of the network element operates in the state of reduced, nonzero functionality comprises the steps of:

providing a reduction in a level of power to a resource of the one or more resources of the network element when a resource of the one or more resources of the network element operates in the state of reduced, nonzero functionality.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the one or more resources of the network element comprise a plurality of resources of the network element, wherein the plurality of resources of the network element comprise a set of critical resources and a set of non-critical resources, wherein the step of providing the reduction in the level of power to a resource of the plurality of resources of the network element when a resource of the plurality of resources of the network element operates in the state of reduced, nonzero functionality comprises the step of:

providing the reduction in the level of power to the set of non-critical resources of the plurality of resources of the network element; and

employing the reduction in the level of power to the set of non-critical resources to provide a level of power to the set of critical resources when a resource of the plurality of resources of the network element operates in the state of reduced, nonzero functionality.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more resources of the network element comprise a plurality of resources of the network element, wherein the step of employing a resource of the one or more resources of the network element to provide the at least the subset of functionality of the network element when a resource of the one or more resources of the network element operates in the state of reduced, nonzero functionality comprises the steps of:

providing power to the plurality of resources of the network element;

determining a level of available power for the network element;

making one or more determinations to power down one or more resources of the plurality of resources of the network element based on the level of available power for the network element;

powering down one or more of the plurality of resources of the network element.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the one or more resources of the plurality of resources of the network element comprise a first one or more resources of the plurality of resources of the network element, the method further comprising the steps of:

re-evaluating the level of available power for the network element; and

powering down a second one or more of the plurality of resources of the network element based on the re-evaluated level of available power for the network element.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of employing a resource of the one or more resources of the network element to provide the at least the subset of functionality of the network element when a resource of the one or more resources of the network element operates in the state of reduced, nonzero functionality comprises the steps of:

performing one or more maintenance adjustments to one or more parameters of a resource of the one or more resources of the network element to provide the at least the subset of functionality of the network element; and

providing the at least the subset of functionality of the network element through employment of the one or more maintenance adjustments.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of performing the one or more maintenance adjustments to the one or more parameters of a resource of the one or more resources of the network element to provide the at least the subset of functionality of the network element comprises the steps of:

making one or more evaluations of one or more previous maintenance adjustments for the one or more parameters of a resource of the one or more resources of the network element to provide the at least the subset of functionality of the network element;

developing one or more predictions for the one or more maintenance adjustments based on the one or more evaluations of the one or more previous maintenance adjustments; and

performing the one or more maintenance adjustments to the one or more parameters of a resource of the one or more resources of the network element to provide the at least the subset of functionality of the network element based on one or more of the one or more predictions for the one or more maintenance adjustments.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more resources of the network element comprise a plurality of resources of the network element, wherein a resource of the plurality of resources of the network element to provide the at least the subset of functionality of the network element comprises a first resource of the plurality of resources of the network element, wherein the plurality of resources of the network element comprises a second resource of the plurality of resources of the network element, wherein the step of employing a resource of the one or more resources of the network element to provide the at least the subset of functionality of the network element when a resource of the one or more resources of the network element operates in the state of reduced, nonzero functionality, the method comprising the steps of:

determining a level of functionality of the first resource of the plurality of resources of the network element at a first time;

determining a level of functionality of the second resource of the plurality of resources of the network element at the first time;

selecting the first resource of the plurality of resources of the network element to provide the at least the subset of functionality of the network element based on the level of functionality of the first resource of the plurality of resources of the network element at the first time and the level of functionality of the second resource of the plurality of resources of the network element at the first time;

determining a level of functionality for the first resource of the plurality of resources of the network element at a second time;

determining a level of functionality of the second resource of the plurality of resources of the network element at the second time; and

selecting the second resource of the plurality of resources of the network element to provide the at least the subset of functionality of the network element based on the level of functionality of the first resource of the plurality of resources of the network element at the second time and the level of functionality of the second resource of the plurality of resources of the network element at the second time.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of employing a resource of the one or more resources of the network element to provide the at least the subset of functionality of the network element when a resource of the one or more resources of the network element operates in the state of reduced, nonzero functionality comprises the step of:

employing one resource of the one or more resources of the network element to provide the at least the subset of functionality of the network element when the one resource of the one or more resources of the network element operates in the state of reduced, nonzero functionality.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the step of employing the one resource of the one or more resources of the network element to provide the at least the subset of functionality of the network element when the one resource of the one or more resources of the network element operates in the state of reduced, nonzero functionality comprises the steps of:

executing one or more performance tests on the one resource;

making a determination of a level of functionality for the one resource; and

employing the level of functionality of the one resource to provide the at least the subset of functionality of the network element.

15. An apparatus, comprising:

a maintenance component that allocates a resource of one or more resources of a network element to provide at least a subset of functionality of the network element when a resource of the one or more resources of the network element operates in a state of reduced, nonzero functionality.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the maintenance component determines one or more levels of functionality of the one or more resources of the network element.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the maintenance component executes one or more performance tests on the one or more resources of the network element;

wherein the maintenance component employs one or more results of the one or more performance tests to determine the one or more levels of functionality of the one or more resources of the network element.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the maintenance component selects one resource of the one or more resources of the network component to provide the at least the subset of functionality of the network element based on the one or more levels of functionality of the one or more resources of the network element.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the maintenance component develops one or more usability ratings of the one or more resources of the network element though a quantification the one or more results of the one or more performance tests;

wherein the maintenance component employs the one or more usability ratings of the one or more resources of the network element to select a first resource of the one or more resources of the network element to provide the at least the subset of the functionality of the network element.

20. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the one or more resources of the network element comprise a plurality of resources of the network element, wherein the plurality of resources of the network element comprise a set of critical resources and a set of non-critical resources, further comprising:

a power supply component that provides a first portion of power available to the network element to the set of critical resources, wherein the power supply provides a second portion of the power available to the network element to the set of non-critical resources;

wherein the maintenance component and the power supply component cooperate to provide to the set of non-critical resources, a reduction in the second portion of the power available to the network element;

wherein the maintenance component and the power supply component cooperate to extend a duration of time to provide to the set of critical resources, the first portion of the power available to the network element.

21. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the one or more resources of the network element comprises a plurality of resources, wherein a resource of the plurality of resources of the network element to provide the at least the subset of functionality of the network element comprises a first resource of the plurality of resources of the network element;

wherein the maintenance component selects the first resource of the plurality of resources of the network element to provide the at least the subset of functionality of the network element at a first time;

wherein the maintenance component selects a first resource of the plurality of resources of the network element to provide the at least the subset of functionality of the network element at a second time.