MPLS VPN fault management using IGP monitoring system

• US 20060114838A1
• Filed: 11/30/2004
• Published: 06/01/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP (Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Company)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Schleicher, Chris, Menon, Sunil, Gupta, Dipankar, Natarajan, Srikanth, Mandavilli, Swamy J., Kuriakose, Anil A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,572,234 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/254
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/06 Management of faults, events, alarms or notifications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/149 for prediction of maintenance
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0817 by checking functioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/00 Routing or path finding of packets in data switching networks routing or path finding in wireless networks H04W40/00

Abstract

In an exemplary embodiment, a method for managing a network includes monitoring a network using an interior gateway protocol to detect change in the network, and determining effects of the detected network change on Multi Protocol Label Switching paths in the network. For example, the MPLS paths can be the same as IGP best paths. An exemplary embodiment includes managing a Multi Protocol Label Switching network by discovering edge routers in the Multi Protocol Label Switching network, determining possible combinations of Multi Protocol Label Switching path end points based on services provided within the network, selecting discovered edge routers for observation, based on the determined possible combinations, monitoring the selected edge routers, and determining status of Multi Protocol Label Switching paths in the network based on the monitoring.

Claims

1. A method for managing a network, comprising:

monitoring the network using an interior gateway protocol to detect change in the network; and

determining effects of the detected network change on Multi Protocol Label Switching paths in the network.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the interior gateway protocol is Open Shortest Path First.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the interior gateway protocol is Intermediate System to Intermediate System.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the interior gateway protocol is Border Gateway Protocol.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the interior gateway protocol is Enhanced Interior Gateway Routing Protocol.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein a monitoring device monitors the network by listening for interior gateway protocol data.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the monitoring device monitors the network by monitoring simple network management protocol traps.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the monitoring device discovers the network.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the monitoring device monitors the network by monitoring label edge routers in the network.

10. The method of claim 9, comprising the monitoring device generating an alert when a change in the network is detected.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the alert is a Simple Network Management Protocol trap.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the Multi Protocol Label Switching paths are Interior Gateway Protocol best effort paths.

13. A method for managing a Multi Protocol Label Switching network, comprising:

discovering edge routers in the Multi Protocol Label Switching network;

determining possible combinations of Multi Protocol Label Switching path end points based on services provided within the network;

selecting discovered edge routers for observation, based on the determined possible combinations;

monitoring the selected edge routers; and

determining status of Multi Protocol Label Switching paths in the network based on the monitoring.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the selecting comprises receiving selections of edge routers from a user.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the Multi Protocol Label Switching paths are Interior Gateway Protocol best effort paths.

16. A system for managing a Multi Protocol Label Switching network, comprising:

means for discovering edge routers in the Multi Protocol Label Switching network;

means for monitoring the selected edge routers; and

means for determining status of Multi Protocol Label Switching paths in the network based on the monitoring.

17. A machine readable medium comprising a computer program for causing a computer to perform:

monitoring a network using an interior gateway protocol to detect change in the network; and

determining effects of the detected network change on Multi Protocol Label Switching paths in the network.

18. The medium of claim 17, wherein the computer program causes the computer to monitor the network by listening for interior gateway protocol data, and wherein the Multi Protocol Label Switching paths are Interior Gateway Protocol best effort paths.

19. The medium of claim 17, wherein the computer program causes the computer to monitor the network by monitoring simple network management protocol traps.

20. The medium of claim 18 wherein the computer program causes the computer to discover the network.

21. The medium of claim 18 wherein the computer program causes the computer to monitor the network by monitoring label edge routers in the network.

22. The medium of claim 21, wherein the computer program causes the computer to generate an alert when a change in the network is detected.

23. A machine readable medium comprising a computer program for causing a computer to perform:

discovering edge routers in a Multi Protocol Label Switching network;

determining possible combinations of Multi Protocol Label Switching path end points based on services provided within the network;

selecting discovered edge routers for observation, based on the determined possible combinations;

monitoring the selected edge routers; and

determining status of Multi Protocol Label Switching paths in the network based on the monitoring.

24. The machine readable medium of claim 23, wherein the Multi Protocol Label Switching paths are Interior Gateway Protocol best effort paths.