Method and apparatus for managing a communication link

• US 20070060186A1
• Filed: 08/22/2005
• Published: 03/15/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/22/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ranganathan, Murali, Borneman, Jeffrey, Kunwer, Moid, Ganesan, Eshwar
• Granted Patent: US 7,596,099 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/522
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0213 Standardised network management protocols, e.g. simple network management protocol [SNMP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/06 Management of faults, events, alarms or notifications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0823 Errors, e.g. transmission errors
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0829 Packet loss
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0847 Transmission error
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/16 Threshold monitoring

Abstract

A method and apparatus of managing a communication link may include monitoring at least one of a plurality of physical links and a plurality of communication links associated with a plurality of data communications, calculating a statistical quantity of a noise element of a selected one or more of at least one of the plurality of physical links and the plurality of communication links at a plurality of first time intervals, measuring the noise element of the selected one or more of at least one of the plurality of physical links and the plurality of communication links at a second time interval, determining whether the noise element measured at the second time interval has exceeded a first noise threshold, and communicating an alert notification when the first noise threshold is exceeded.

Claims

1. A method of managing a communication link, comprising:

monitoring at least one of a plurality of physical links and a plurality of communication links associated with a plurality of data communications, wherein the plurality of communication links correspond to the plurality of physical links;

calculating a statistical quantity of a noise element of a selected one or more of at least one of the plurality of physical links and the plurality of communication links at a plurality of first time intervals;

measuring the noise element of the selected one or more of at least one of the plurality of physical links and the plurality of communication links at a second time interval;

determining whether the noise element measured at the second time interval has exceeded a first noise threshold; and

communicating an alert notification when the first noise threshold is exceeded.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the statistical quantity comprises a standard deviation of the noise element.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the statistical quantity comprises one of an average and a weighted average of each of a standard deviation of the noise element calculated at two or more of the plurality of first time intervals.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first noise threshold comprises a user threshold minus the statistical quantity.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the noise element is selected from a group consisting of:

a time interval associated with one or more of at least one of the plurality of physical links and the plurality of communication links;

an amount of errors associated with one or more of at least one of the plurality of physical links and of the plurality of communication links;

a percentage of errors associated with one or more of at least one of the plurality of physical links and of the plurality of communication links; and

a number of errors associated with one or more of at least one of the plurality of physical links and of the plurality of communication links.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining if the noise element measured at the second time interval has exceeded a second noise threshold; and

if so, removing one or more of the plurality of communication links associated with exceeding the second noise threshold, and communicating a second alert notification.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein if a communication link associated with exceeding the second noise threshold is a last link in a multi-link bundle, it is not removed.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising, restoring the one or more of the plurality of communication links associated with exceeding the second noise threshold when the noise element drops below the second noise threshold and communicating a restoration alert notification.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining if the noise element has dropped below the first noise threshold; and

if so, communicating a stable traffic pattern notification.

10. An apparatus for managing a communication link, comprising:

at least one of a cell site, a base transceiver station and an aggregation node operable to communicate data;

a noise monitoring module included with the at least one cell site, base transceiver station and aggregation node, wherein the noise monitoring module is operable to monitor at least one of a plurality of physical links and a plurality of communication links associated with a plurality of data communications, wherein the plurality of communication links correspond to the plurality of physical links, and execute a link analysis comprising;

calculating a statistical quantity of a noise element of a selected one or more of at least one of the plurality of physical links and the plurality of communication links at a plurality of first time intervals;

measuring the noise element of the selected one or more of at least one of the plurality of physical links and the plurality of communication links at a second time interval;

determining whether the noise element measured at the second time interval has exceeded a first noise threshold; and

communicating an alert notification when the first noise threshold is exceeded.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the statistical quantity comprises a standard deviation of the noise element.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the statistical quantity comprises one of an average and a weighted average of each of a standard deviation of the noise element calculated at two or more of the plurality of first time intervals.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the first noise threshold comprises a user threshold minus the statistical quantity.

14. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the noise element is selected from a group consisting of:

a time interval associated with one or more of at least one of the plurality of physical links and the plurality of communication links;

an amount of errors associated with one or more of at least one of the plurality of physical links and the plurality of communication links;

a percentage of errors associated with one or more of at least one of the plurality of physical links and the plurality of communication links; and

a number of errors associated with one or more of at least one of the plurality of physical links and the plurality of communication links.

15. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the noise monitoring module is operable to determine if the noise element measured at the second time interval has exceeded a second noise threshold, and if so, remove one or more of the plurality of communication links associated with exceeding the second noise threshold, and communicate a second alert notification.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein if a communication link associated with exceeding the second noise threshold is a last link in a multi-link bundle, it is not removed.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the noise monitoring module is operable to restore the one or more of the plurality of communication links associated with exceeding the second noise threshold when the noise element drops below the second noise threshold, and communicate a restoration alert notification.

18. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the noise monitoring module is operable to determine if the noise element has dropped below the first noise threshold, and if so, communicating a stable traffic pattern notification.

19. A computer-readable medium containing computer instructions for instructing a processor to perform a method of managing a communication link, the instructions comprising:

monitoring at least one of a plurality of physical links and a plurality of communication links associated with a plurality of data communications, wherein the plurality of communication links correspond to the plurality of physical links;

calculating a statistical quantity of a noise element of a selected one or more of at least one of the plurality of physical links and the plurality of communication links at a plurality of first time intervals;

measuring the noise element of the selected one or more of at least one of the plurality of physical links and the plurality of communication links at a second time interval;

determining whether the noise element measured at the second time interval has exceeded a first noise threshold; and

communicating an alert notification when the first noise threshold is exceeded.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the statistical quantity comprises one of an average and a weighted average of each of a standard deviation of the noise element calculated at two or more of the plurality of first time intervals.

21. The computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the first noise threshold comprises a user threshold minus the statistical quantity.

22. The computer-readable medium of claim 19, further comprising:

determining if the noise element measured at the second time interval has exceeded a second noise threshold; and

if so, removing one or more of the plurality of communication links associated with exceeding the second noise threshold, and communicating a second alert notification.

23. The computer readable medium of claim 22, wherein if a communication link associated with exceeding the second noise threshold is a last link in a multi-link bundle, it is not removed.

24. The computer-readable medium of claim 22, restoring the one or more of the plurality of communication links associated with exceeding the second noise threshold when the noise element drops below the second noise threshold and communicating a restoration alert notification.

25. The computer-readable medium of claim 19, further comprising:

determining if the noise element has dropped below the first noise threshold; and

if so, communicating a stable traffic pattern notification.