Apparatus and method for measuring and using response to SNMP requests to provide real-time network parameter estimates in a network management zone

• US 20080201468A1
• Filed: 11/16/2007
• Published: 08/21/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Path Solutions Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Path Solutions Incorporated
• Inventors: Titus, Timothy G.
• Granted Patent: US 7,822,849 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0213 Standardised network management protocols, e.g. simple network management protocol [SNMP]
• 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 41/5067 Customer-centric QoS measurements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/00 Arrangements for monitoring or testing data switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/08 Monitoring or testing based on specific metrics, e.g. QoS, energy consumption or environmental parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0817 by checking functioning
• 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 43/10 Active monitoring, e.g. heartbeat, ping or trace-route
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/025 for remote control or remote monitoring of applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

Method creates Real-Time Estimates (RTE) of network parameters for responsive resources of a network management zone (NMZ) by sending requests in a management protocol and uses those real-time estimates to present a resource map of the NMZ, possibly altering a responsive resource, possibly posting a service schedule request. The invention includes implementation mechanisms and installation packages. The RTE of network parameter is a product of the process. Constructing a quality of service measure from RTE of at least two network parameters. Quality of service measure as a product of the process. The quality of service measure may include or be the Mean Opinion Score.

Claims

1. A method for observing a network management zone, comprising the step:

creating a real-time estimate of at least one network parameter for at least one responsive resource in said network management zone; and

wherein each of said responsive resources in said network management zone respond to said management protocol compatible with a version of a Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP);

wherein the step creating said real-time estimate, further comprises the steps;

sending at least one request in a management protocol to said responsive resource at a transmission time;

measuring a response to said request from said responsive resource based upon said transmission time to contribute to said real-time estimate of said network parameter; and

measuring a non-response to said request from said responsive resource after a time-out from said transmission time to further contribute to said real-time estimate of said network parameter.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said version of said SNMP includes at least one member of the group consisting of:

SNMP v1, SNMP v2c, and SNMP v3.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said management protocol is compatible with a national standard in at least one member of the group consisting of:

Mainland China, and India.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said real-time estimate is based upon said requests with said transmission time within the last N minutes.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said responsive resource implements at least one member of the group consisting of:

a server, a router, a bridge, a switch, a firewall, a wireless router, a base station, a wireless hub, a workstation, a cable modem, a Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) modem, a Voice over IO (VoIP) phone, a video conferencing station, a VoIP gateway, an analog telephony attachment, and a Public Branch exchange.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said network management zone further includes a link between a first of said responsive resources as a first responsive resource and a second of said responsive resources as a second responsive resource.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the step creating said real-time estimate of said network parameter for said at least one responsive resource, further comprises the step:

creating said real-time estimate of said network parameter for said second responsive resource via said link to said first responsive resource;

wherein the step sending said request to said responsive resource, further comprises the step;

sending said request in said management protocol to said second responsive resource at a transmission time via said first responsive resource and via said link; and

wherein the step measuring said response from said responsive resource, further comprises the step;

measuring said response to said request from said first responsive resource via said link from said second responsive resource.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein said link employs at least one instance of at least one member of the group consisting of the members:

a wireless physical transport and a wireline physical transport.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said wireless physical transport includes a radio frequency physical transport, a micro-wave frequency physical transport, a light frequency physical transport, an infra-red frequency physical transport, and an ultrasonic physical transport;

wherein said wireline physical transport includes a wire-based physical transport, a waveguide physical transport, and an optical fiber physical transport.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein said network parameter is a member of the network parameter group consisting of the members:

a packet loss including at least one member of the group consisting of

a resource packet loss for said responsive resource;

a link packet loss for said link; and

a message packet loss for a message;

a latency, including at least one member of the group consisting of;

a latency for said responsive resource;

a unidirectional latency to said first responsive resource through said link to said second responsive resources;

a bidirectional latency between said first responsive resource through said link to said second responsive resource; and

a message latency for said message;

a jitter, including at least one member of the group consisting of;

a latency jitter as a variance of said latency;

a unidirectional jitter as said variance of said unidirectional latency;

a bidirectional jitter as said variance of said bidirectional latency; and

a message latency jitter for said variance of said message latency;

a link utilization capacity of said link; and

a resource utilization capacity of said resource.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising at least one member of the group consisting of the steps:

presenting said real-time estimate of said at least one network parameter for said at least one responsive resource to create a resource map of said network management zone;

altering at least one of said responsive resources based upon said real-time estimate of said at least one network parameter; and

creating a service schedule request for said responsive resource based upon at least one of said estimate of said network parameter.

12. The method of claim 11,

wherein the step presenting said real-time estimate further comprises at least one member of the group consisting of the steps:

updating a table based upon at least one member of the response group consisting of;

said response and said non-response, both to said request to said responsive resource;

wherein said table contains said real-time estimate of said network parameter for said responsive resource at a time step, for at least one of said responsive resources, for at least one of said network parameters, and for at least two of said time steps

integrating said table based upon an external real-time estimate of said network parameter received from said responsive resource, for at least one of said responsive resources and for at least one of said network parameters;

wherein the step altering said responsive resource, further comprises at least one member of the group consisting of the steps;

sending a link configuration message to said responsive resource to create a link table entry in said responsive resource;

sending a reset message to said responsive resource to reset said responsive resource; and

sending a connectivity test message to said responsive resource to create a connectivity status message sent from said responsive resource to said management node; and

wherein said service schedule request includes at least one member of the service activity group consisting of the members;

replace said responsive resource;

replace a non-volatile storage module included in said responsive resource;

confirm a link for said responsive resource;

create said link for said responsive resource;

create said link table entry for said link in said responsive resource; and

alter said link table entry for said link in said responsive resource.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising the step:

receiving a requested-service-completed message for said service schedule request.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein said network management zone includes each of said responsive resources capable of responding to said request to said responsive resource.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said network management zone, further includes:

at least one management node sending at least one of said requests to at least one of said responsive resources in said network management zone.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein said management node further receives said responses to said requests from said responsive resources.

17. The real-time estimate of the network parameter, as a product of the process of claim 1.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

constructing a quality of service measure based upon said real-time estimate of at least two of said network parameters.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the step constructing said quality of service, further comprises the step:

constructing said quality of service measure based upon said real-time estimate of at least two of said network parameters and based upon a codec.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the step constructing said quality of service, further comprises the step:

constructing said quality of service measure based upon said real-time estimate of a latency, said real-time estimate of a jitter, said real-time estimate of a packet loss and based upon said codec.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein said quality of service measure is a version of a Mean Opinion Score.

22. The quality of service measure as a product of the process of claim 18.

23. The management node implementing the method of claim 16, comprising:

means for creating said real-time estimate of said at least one network parameter for said at least one responsive resource to said management protocol in said network management zone, further comprising;

means for sending said at least one request in said management protocol to said responsive resource at said transmission time;

means for measuring said response to said request from said responsive resource based upon said transmission time to contribute to said real-time estimate of said network parameter; and

means for measuring said non-response to said request from said responsive resource after said TTL to further contribute to said real-time estimate of said network parameter.

24. The management node of claim 23, further comprising:

means for altering at least one of said responsive resources based upon said real-time estimate of said at least one network parameter.

25. The management node of claim 24, wherein said means for altering, further comprises at least one member of the group consisting of:

means for sending a link configuration message to said responsive resource to create a link table entry in said responsive resource;

means for sending a reset message to said responsive resource to reset said responsive resource; and

means for sending a connectivity test message to said responsive resource to create a connectivity status message sent from said responsive resource to said management node.

26. The management node of claim 25, wherein at least one member of the altering message group is compatible with a version of the Internet Control Management Protocol (ICMP);

and

wherein said altering message group consists of the members;

said link configuration message, said reset message, and said connectivity test message.

27. The management node of claim 23, further comprising:

means for presenting said real-time estimate of said at least one network parameter for said at least one responsive resource to create a resource map of said network management zone.

28. The management node of claim 27, wherein the means for presenting, comprising:

a table containing said real-time estimate of said network parameter for said responsive resource at a time step, for each of said responsive resources, for each of said network parameters, and for at least two of said time steps; and

means for updating said table based upon at least one member of the response group consisting of;

said response and said non-response, both to said request to said responsive resource.

29. The management node of claim 28, wherein the means for presenting, further comprises:

means for translating said table to a display template; and

means for transferring said display template to a management screen presented to a network manager;

means for collecting a network command response from said network manager based upon said management screen presenting said display template;

means for directing network activities based upon said network command response.

30. The management node of claim 29, wherein the means for directing network activities, comprises at least one member of the group consisting of:

means for posting a first service request for at least one of said responsive resources;

means for posting a second service request for a link between a first of said responsive resources and a second of said responsive resources; and

means for posting a control message request to a means for altering at least one of said responsive resources.

31. The management node of claim 30, wherein the means for directing network activities, further comprises at least one member of the group consisting of:

means for tracking said first service request for said responsive resource;

means for tracking said second service request for said link between said first responsive resource and said second responsive resource; and

means for tracking said control message request to said means for altering said responsive resource.

32. The management node of claim 27, wherein at least one member of the means group includes at least one instance of at least one member of the group consisting of:

a computer accessibly coupled to a memory and directed by a program system including at least one program step residing in said memory;

a finite state machine; and

an inferential engine;

wherein said computer includes at least one instruction processor and at least one data processor;

wherein each of said data processors are at least partly directed by at least one of said instruction processors;

wherein said means group, consists of;

means for creating, means for sending, means for measuring said response, said means for measuring said non-response, a means for altering said responsive resource, a means for constructing a quality of service measure based upon said real-time estimate of at least two of said network parameters, and said means for presenting.

33. A program system for implementing the method of claim 1, comprising program steps residing in a non-volatile memory component;

wherein said program system, further comprises at least one member of the group consisting of the program steps;

creating said real-time estimate of said at least one network parameter for said at least one responsive resource to said management protocol in said network management zone;

presenting said real-time estimate of said at least one network parameter for said at least one responsive resource to create a resource map of said network management zone;

altering at least one of said responsive resources based upon said real-time estimate of said at least one network parameter; and

creating a service schedule request for said responsive resource based upon at least one of said estimate of said network parameter.

34. The program system of claim 33, wherein said non-volatile memory component includes at least one instance of at least one member of the group consisting of:

a semiconductor non-volatile memory component, a magnetic non-volatile memory component, an optical non-volatile memory component, and a ferroelectric non-volatile memory component.

35. The program system of claim 33, wherein said non-volatile memory component installs the method through communicating with at least one computer to create an installation of said program system in a memory accessibly coupled to said computer.

36. The program system of claim 33, wherein said program steps are compatible with a computer language belonging to at least one member of the computer language group consisting of:

a markup language;

an interpreted language;

a script language; and

a machine language.

37. The program system of claim 36, wherein said markup language, includes:

a version of Hyper Text Markup Language (HTML) and a version of Virtual Reality Markup Language (VRML);

wherein said interpreted language, includes;

a version of Java, a version of Basic, a version of Smalltalk, a version of Prolog, and a version of LISP;

wherein said script language, includes;

a version of PERL and a version of a shell script language; and

wherein said machine language, includes;

a version of a Single Instruction Single Datapath (SISD) machine language, a version of a Single Instruction Multiple Datapath (SIMD) machine language, a version of a Multiple Instruction Single Datapath (MISD) machine language, and a version of a Multiple Instruction Multiple Datapath (MIMD) machine language.

38. The program system of claim 33,

wherein the program step altering said responsive resource, further comprises at least one member of the group consisting of the program steps:

sending a link configuration message to said responsive resource to create a link table entry in said responsive resource;

sending a reset message to said responsive resource to reset said responsive resource; and

sending a connectivity test message to said responsive resource to create a connectivity status message sent from said responsive resource to said management node; and

wherein the service schedule request includes at least one member of the service activity group consisting of the members;

replace said responsive resource;

replace a non-volatile storage module included in said responsive resource;

confirm at least one link for said responsive resource;

create said link for said responsive resource;

create said link table entry for said link in said responsive resource; and

alter said link table entry for said link in said responsive resource.

40. An installation package for communicating the method of claim 1, comprising at least one member of the installation means group consisting of:

means for installing the step creating said real-time estimate of said at least one network parameter for said at least one responsive resource to said management protocol in said network management zone;

means for installing the step presenting said real-time estimate of said at least one network parameter for said at least one responsive resource to create a resource map of said network management zone;

means for installing the step altering at least one of said responsive resources based upon said real-time estimate of said at least one network parameter; and

means for installing the step creating a service schedule request for said responsive resource based upon at least one of said estimate of said network parameter.

41. The installation package of claim 40, wherein a server communicates said installation package to create said management node.

42. The installation package of claim 40, houses in a non-volatile memory component.

39. The program system of claim VV19, further comprising the program step:

receiving a requested-service-completed message for said service schedule request.