Method of monitoring network elements supporting virtual private networks

• US 20070019568A1
• Filed: 07/22/2005
• Published: 01/25/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/22/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sbc Knowledge Ventures, L.P.
• Original Assignee: Sbc Knowledge Ventures, L.P.
• Inventors: Velupillai, Manivannan
• Application Number:
  US11/188,179
• Publication Number:
  US 20070019568A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/254
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4641 Virtual LANs, VLANs, e.g. virtual private networks [VPN] LAN interconnection over a bridge based backbone H04L12/462; encapsulation techniques H04L12/4633; routing of packets H04L45/00; packet switches H04L49/00; virtual private networks for security H04L63/0272
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/065 related to network devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0817 by checking functioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/10 Active monitoring, e.g. heartbeat, ping or trace-route
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/20 the monitoring system or the monitored elements being virtualised, abstracted or software-defined entities, e.g. SDN or NFV

Abstract

A method of monitoring network elements configured to support a number of customer virtual private networks (VPNs) provided for a number of customers. The method comprising associating network addresses and extended community numbers (ECNs) with the network elements; associating the ECNs with a number of the customer VPNs; generating a community list for at least a selected one of the customer VPNs, the community list specifying the network addresses for the network elements associated with the ECN of the selected customer VPN; contacting the network elements specified in the community list based on the network addresses associated therewith and extracting VPN interface information for the contacted network elements, the VPN interface information specifying a number of VPN interfaces associated with the network element and the customer associated with the VPN interfaces; and determining an interface status for the interfaces associated with the selected customer.

Claims

1. A method of monitoring network elements configured to support a number of customer virtual private networks (VPNs) provided for a number of customers, the method comprising:

associating network addresses and extended community numbers (ECNs) with the network elements;

associating the ECNs with a number of the customer VPNs;

generating a community list for at least a selected one of the customer VPNs, the community list specifying the network addresses for the network elements associated with the ECN of the selected customer VPN;

contacting the network elements specified in the community list based 11 on the network addresses associated therewith and extracting VPN interface information for the contacted network elements, the VPN interface information specifying a number of VPN interfaces associated with the network element and the customer associated with the VPN interfaces; and

determining an interface status for the interfaces associated with the selected customer.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein determining the interface statuses includes determining an interface address for the interfaces.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising pinging the interface addresses and determining the interface statuses based on a response thereto.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein pinging the interface addresses includes testing connectivity of the interface with other interfaces associated with the selected VPN.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising generating an interface status report for the interfaces associated with the selected customer VPN, the interface status report based on the interface statuses of the selected customer VPN.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising determining interface statuses for multiple customer VPNs and generating a composite interface status report based on the interface statuses of the multiple customer VPNs.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the composite interface status report indicates connectivity for at least one network element used to support different customer VPNs.

8. A computer readable medium for in monitoring network elements configured to support a number of customer virtual private networks (VPNs) provided for a number of customers, the computer readable medium includes instructions for:

associating network addresses and extended community numbers (ECNs) with the network elements;

associating the ECNs with a number of the customer VPNs;

generating a community list for at least a selected one of the customer VPNs, the community list specifying the network addresses for the network elements associated with the ECN of the selected customer VPN; and

determining an interface status for interfaces associated with the network elements identified in the community list.

9. The computer readable medium of claim 8 further comprising instructions for contacting the network elements specified in the community list based on the network addresses associated therewith and extracting VPN interface information for the contacted network elements, the VPN interface information specifying a number of VPN interfaces associated with the network element and the customer associated with the VPN interfaces so to facilitate determining the interface statuses for the selected customer.

10. The computer readable medium of claim 9 further comprising instructions for determining an interface address for the interfaces.

11. The computer readable medium of claim 10 further comprising instructions for pinging the interface addresses and determining the interface statuses based on a response thereto.

12. The computer readable medium of claim 11 further comprising instructions for testing connectivity of the interface with other interfaces associated with the selected VPN.

13. The computer readable medium of claim 9 further comprising instructions for generating an interface status report for the interfaces associated with the selected customer VPN, the interface status report based on the interface statuses of the selected customer VPN.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 13 further comprising instructions for determining interface statuses for multiple customer VPNs and generating a composite interface status report based on the interface statuses of the multiple customer VPNs.

15. The computer readable medium of claim 14 further comprising instructions for including connectivity for at least one network element used to support different customer VPNs in the composite interface status report.

16. An electronic system, the system comprising:

a number of customer virtual private networks (VPNs) provided for a number of customers;

a network monitoring tool configured for;

associating network addresses and extended community numbers (ECNs) with the network elements;

associating the ECNs with a number of the customer VPNs;

generating a community list for at least a selected one of the customer VPNs, the community list specifying the network addresses for the network elements associated with the ECN of the selected customer VPN; and

contacting the network elements specified in the community list based on the network addresses associated therewith and extracting VPN interface information for the contacted network elements, the VPN interface information specifying a number of VPN interfaces associated with the network element and the customer associated with the VPN interfaces.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein the tool is further configured for determining an interface status for the interfaces associated with the selected customer.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein the tool is further configured for determining the interface statuses includes determining an interface address for the interfaces and pinging the interface addresses such that the interface statuses are determined based on a response thereto.

19. The system of claim 16 wherein the tool is further configured for generating an interface status report for the interfaces associated with the selected customer VPN, the interface status report based on the interface statuses of the selected customer VPN.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein the tool is further configured for determining interface statuses for multiple customer VPNs and generating a composite interface status report based on the interface statuses of the multiple customer VPNs.