System and method for managing broadband services

• US 20060159106A1
• Filed: 01/18/2005
• Published: 07/20/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/18/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Knowledge Ventures, L.P. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: SBC Knowledge Ventures LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Slyke, John Porter Van, Savoor, Raghvendra G., Jiang, Baofeng, Cioffi, John
• Granted Patent: US 7,453,822 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/395.210
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/5601 Transfer mode dependent, e.g. ATM
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5006 Creating or negotiating SLA contracts, guarantees or penalties
• 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 41/5019 Ensuring fulfilment of SLA
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5029 Service quality level-based billing, e.g. dependent on measured service level customer is charged more or less
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5045 Making service definitions prior to deployment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5054 Automatic deployment of services triggered by the service manager, e.g. service implementation by automatic configuration of network components
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/55 Testing of service level quality, e.g. simulating service usage

Abstract

A system and method are described for selecting a service state using a configurable abstraction layer. A comparison is made between network parameters of a Network Performance Layer and network services of a Service Layer. Once network parameters are within a threshold for providing a given service, a state change can be made in the configuration parameters to suit the provided service.

Claims

1. A method for managing services in a network comprising:

a) specifying an initial service in a network service layer;

b) specifying at least one network performance criterium for the initial service in a network performance layer;

c) determining a network performance measure;

d) comparing the network performance measure and the network performance criterium; and

e) managing the service in the network based on the comparison.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein managing further comprises changing a configurable state in the network service layer to meet the performance criterium.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing the initial service to a network subscriber when the performance criterium is met.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the initial service comprises one from a list of:

i) data transfer, ii) voice transfer, and, iii) streaming data over a network connection.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein specifying the initial service further comprises specifying a configurable state for providing the initial service over a network.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

specifying a secondary service; and

changing a configurable state to accommodate the initial and secondary service.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein comparing further comprises comparing a network performance measure derived from a physical layer with the at least one network performance criterium.

8. A computer readable medium containing instructions that when executed by a computer perform a method for managing network services comprising:

a) specifying an initial service in a network service layer;

b) specifying at least one network performance criterium for the service in a network performance layer;

c) determining a network performance measure;

d) comparing the network performance measure and the network performance criterium; and

e) managing the initial service in the network based on the comparison.

9. The medium of claim 8, wherein managing further comprises changing a configurable state in the network service layer to meet the performance criterium.

10. The medium of claim 8, the method further comprising:

providing the service to a network subscriber when the performance criterium is met.

11. The medium of claim 8, wherein in the method the initial service further comprises one from a list of:

i) data transfer, ii) voice transfer, and, iii) streaming data over a network connection.

12. The medium of claim 8, wherein in the method specifying the initial network service further comprises selecting a configurable state for providing the initial service over a network.

13. The medium of claim 8, the method further comprising:

specifying a secondary service; and

changing the configurable state to accommodate the initial and secondary services.

14. The medium of claim 8, wherein in the method comparing further comprises comparing a network performance measure derived from a physical layer with the at least one network performance criteria.

15. A system for managing services in a network comprising:

a data base for specifying an initial service in a network service layer and at least one network performance criterium in a network performance layer; and

a processor programmed to determine a network performance measure and compare the network performance criterium and the network performance measure to manage the initial service.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the processor is programmed to change a configurable state in the network service layer to meet the performance criteria.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the processor is programmed to provide the initial service to a network subscriber when the performance criterium is met,

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the initial services further comprises one from a list of:

i) data transfer, ii) voice transfer, and, iii) streaming data over a network connection.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein specifying the initial service further comprises specifying a configurable state for providing the service over a network.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the processor is programmed to specify a secondary service and change the configurable state to accommodate the initial and secondary service.

21. The system of claim 15, wherein the processor is programmed to compare the network performance measure derived from a physical layer with the at least one network performance criteria.