Workflow Locked Loops to Enable Adaptive Networks

• US 20080034069A1
• Filed: 08/31/2006
• Published: 02/07/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RPX Clearinghouse LLC (RPX Corporation)
• Original Assignee: RPX Clearinghouse LLC (RPX Corporation)
• Inventors: Schofield, Bruce, Travostino, Franco
• Granted Patent: US 9,129,253 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/220
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0681 Configuration of triggering conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0893 Assignment of logical groups to network elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0894 Policy-based network configuration management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/026 using flow identification
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

A closed loop system is described for enhanced adaptive network capabilities in support of workflow missions. Multiple workflow-locked loops with different sampling rates are employed. A faster, lower loop is employed to gather data from the field and deal with network level exceptions such as faults, fades, and changing conditions. A slower, upper loop is employed to handle mission level exceptions. The result is a system capable of integrating management of multiple workflow missions, including reallocation of resources in response to changes in mission goal statements and network resource availability.

Claims

1. Apparatus for facilitating adaptation of at least one software-controllable communications network comprising:

a translation module operative to translate at least one mission goal statement to a policy statement;

a controller operative in response to the policy statement to configure the software-controllable network;

a first workflow-locked loop between the translation module and the controller for processing mission level exceptions; and

a second workflow-locked loop between the controller and the software-controllable network for gathering data from the field and processing network level exceptions.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the first workflow-locked loop has a response time which differs from that of the second workflow-locked loop.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the first workflow-locked loop has a response time which is slower than that of the second workflow-locked loop.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein there are a plurality of missions, and for each mission there is a controller that configures the software-controllable network to support a workflow defined for that mission.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein each controller is operative to prompt its software-controllable network to provide information regarding network level exceptions.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein each controller is operative to filter from the information those exceptions which will be adequately remedied by the software-controllable network.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein an indication of the remaining information is provided to other controllers.

8. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein an indication of the remaining information is provided to the translation module.

9. A method for facilitating adaptation of at least one software-controllable communications network comprising the steps of:

translating, with a translation module, at least one mission goal statement to a policy statement;

in response to the policy statement, configuring the software-controllable network with a controller;

processing mission level exceptions via a first workflow-locked loop between the translation module and the controller; and

processing network level exceptions and gathering data from the field via a second workflow-locked loop between the controller and the software-controllable network.

10. The method of claim 9 including the further step of configuring the first workflow-locked loop with a response time which differs from that of the second workflow-locked loop.

11. The method of claim 9 including the further step of configuring the first workflow-locked loop with a response time which is slower than that of the second workflow-locked loop.

12. The method of claim 9 wherein there are a plurality of missions, and including the further step of assigning a controller to each mission to configure the software-controllable network to support a workflow defined for that mission.

13. The method of claim 12 including the further step of prompting, with each controller, its respective software-controllable network to provide information regarding network level exceptions.

14. The method of claim 13 including the further step of each controller filtering from the information those exceptions which will be adequately remedied by the software-controllable network.

15. The method of claim 14 including the further step of providing an indication of the remaining information to other controllers.

16. The method of claim 14 including the further step of providing an indication of the remaining information to the translation module.