Network capacity management system and method

• US 20060072463A1
• Filed: 09/17/2004
• Published: 04/06/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LYFT Incorporated
• Original Assignee: SBC Knowledge Ventures LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Armanino, Frederick Michael, Manthoulis, Orestis, Rele, Amit, Schine, Bruce Alden, Wong, Peter A., Rozema, John G.
• Granted Patent: US 8,659,996 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/241
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0853 by actively collecting configuration information or by backing up configuration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0856 by backing up or archiving configuration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0896 Bandwidth or capacity management, i.e. automatically increasing or decreasing capacities flow or congestion control using dynamic resource allocation, e.g. in-call renegotiation, H04L47/76

Abstract

A network capacity management system and method are disclosed. In one form, a capacity management system for use with an optical network includes a network capacity management engine operable to actively access a network element. The system further includes a network-based application interface associated with the network capacity management engine. The application may facilitate providing information associated with a network element to a user in near real-time.

Claims

1. A method for accessing information associated with an optical network comprising:

determining a network element within the network; and

communicating an inquiry to access information obtained from the network element.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising directly accessing the network element to access the information.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising accessing a database storing the information.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

periodically accessing the network element to determine the information; and

updating the database with the information.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising accessing an Element Management System (EMS) to determine the information.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising accessing an Operation Support System (OSS) to determine the information.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising presenting the information within an Internet browsing environment.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing trend usage information relating to the network element.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing historical information relating to the network element.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing performance information relating to the network element.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining an exhaust status of at least one portion of the network; and

graphically presenting the exhaust status within an Internet-based user interface.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the exhaust status includes trunk utilization.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the exhaust status includes a switch status.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the exhaust status includes processing utilization.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the exhaust status include memory utilization.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

determining if an exhaust level is reached; and

communicating a message in response to determining the exhaust level is reached.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising accessing inventory information relating to plural network elements within the network.

18. A computer-readable medium having encoded logic operable to:

determine a network element within the network; and

communicate an inquiry to access information obtained from the network element.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 18, further comprising encoded logic operable to directly access the network element to access the information.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 18, further comprising encoded logic operable to access a database storing the information.

21. The computer-readable medium of claim 18, further comprising encoded logic operable to:

periodically access the network element to determine the information; and

update the database with the information.

22. The computer readable medium of claim 18, further comprising encoded logic operable to access an Element Management System (EMS) to determine the information

23. A capacity management system for use with an optical network comprising:

a network capacity management engine operable to actively access a network element; and

an Internet-based application interface associated with the network capacity management engine and operable to provide information associated with a network element in near real-time.

24. The system of claim 23, further comprising a user interface operable to display the information within a web browsing environment.

25. The system of claim 24, further comprising a data element access engine operable to determine the information.

26. The system of claim 24, further comprising an Operation Support System operably coupled to the network capacity management engine.

27. The system of claim 23, further comprising an Element Management System operably coupled to the network capacity management engine.

28. The system of claim 23, further comprising threshold detection engine operably coupled to the network element to determine an operation threshold of the network element.

29. The system of claim 23, further comprising a performance management engine operable to determine a performance level of the network element.

30. The system of claim 23, further comprising a report generation engine operable to generate report data relating to the network element.

31. The system of claim 23, wherein the network element comprises at least one of a network switch, a network card, a communication port, a virtual local area network, or an Labeled Switch Path.

32. The system of claim 31. further comprising a network discovery module operable to obtain network element information of directly from the network element.

33. The system of claim 23, further comprising a computer system operably associated with the network capacity management engine.

34. The system of claim 23, further comprising a data storage device operable to store a database storing the information associated with a network element.