System and method for modifying connectivity fault management packets

• US 20080049628A1
• Filed: 05/31/2007
• Published: 02/28/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/22/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Embarq Holdings Company LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Embarq Holdings Company LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bugenhagen, Michael K.
• Granted Patent: US 8,576,722 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/244
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0213 Standardised network management protocols, e.g. simple network management protocol [SNMP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0677 Localisation of faults
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/026 using flow identification
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0811 by checking connectivity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0829 Packet loss
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0852 Delays
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/087 Jitter
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/12 Network monitoring probes
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13109 Initializing, personal profile
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13162 Fault indication and localisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13166 Fault prevention
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13345 Intelligent networks, SCP
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13389 LAN, internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0075 Fault management techniques
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition

Abstract

A system and method for modifying connectivity fault management packets. Network performance information is extracted from a communications network using connectivity fault management packets. The connectivity fault management packets are received. The configuration of the connectivity fault management packets is modified to obtain additional network performance information from the communications network.

Claims

1. A method for modifying connectivity fault management (CFM) packets comprising:

extracting network performance information from a communications network using CFM packets;

receiving the CFM packets; and

modifying the configuration of the CFM packets to obtain additional network performance information from the communications network.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the modifying comprises:

changing the frequency at which the CFM packets are passed through the communications network for obtaining more information about a network performance problem.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the modifying comprises:

increasing the amount of network performance information gathered by the CFM packets.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the increasing comprises:

requesting additional types of network performance information.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the C FM packet requests information from a specified access point.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

injecting a command for a specified access point in the CFM packets based on the network performance information.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the command instructs the specified access point to any of reset itself, reboot itself, reconfigure itself, run diagnostic routines, troubleshoot itself, increase buffered data, refresh a routing table, terminate a process, terminate an operation, and modify a process.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the modifying comprises:

rerouting the CFM packets in order to obtain additional information about a portion of the communications network or a problem access point.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the rerouting further comprises:

rerouting the CFM packets to avoid the problem access point.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the modifying further comprises:

changing permissions of the CFM packets in order to grant the CFM packets access to information from components of the communications network.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the modifying further comprises:

limiting the network performance information retrieved by the CFM packets.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

permitting the network performance information to remain in the CFM packets when passing through a network-to-network interface.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

limiting the network performance information in the CFM packets that passes from the communications network to another communications network based on a security policy.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the modifying is made based on historical data from the CFM packets.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the modifying occurs based on an event trigger.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the modifying further comprises:

retrieving the network performance information from an access point that was not previously interrogated.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the modifying is controlled by a secondary communications network in communication with the communications network.

18. A communication system for modifying performance information data packets comprising:

a processing system configured to gather network performance information from a communications networks using performance information data packets and modify the configuration of the CFM packets to obtain additional network performance information from the communications network; and

the communications network composed of access nodes for performing communications functionality.

19. The communication system of claim 18, further comprising:

one or more secondary networks in communication with the communications network that may modify the CFM packets based on specified permissions.

20. A network manager comprising:

a processor configured to execute a set of instructions;

a memory configured to store the set of instructions, wherein the set of instructions extract network performance information from a communications network using CFM packets, and modify the configuration of the CFM packets to obtain additional network performance information from the communications network.

21. The network manager according to claim 20, wherein the set of instructions perform any of change the frequency at which the CFM packets are passed through the communications network for obtaining more information about a network performance problem, increase the amount of network performance information gathered by the CFM packets, inject a command for a specified access point in the CFM packets based on the network performance information, and reroute the CFM packets in order to obtain more information about a portion of the communications network or a problem access point.