HOME NETWORK OPTIMIZING SYSTEM

• US 20090052338A1
• Filed: 10/04/2007
• Published: 02/26/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/13/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Pure Networks, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Erwin, Jeff, Kelley, Steve, Wilson, Jeremy
• Granted Patent: US 9,026,639 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/250
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0876 Network utilisation, e.g. volume of load or congestion level
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/16 Threshold monitoring

Abstract

A system for optimizing a network having a plurality of network devices. The system includes a network monitoring tool simultaneously executable on at least one of the network devices and configured to diagnose a condition of the network. The network monitoring tool includes an information collection module configured to collect an information set relating to performance of each of the network devices, an action module configured to execute an action in response to the information set, the action relating to a diagnosed condition of the network, and an information transmission module configured to transmit the information set to an electronic device remote from the network. The system further includes a configuring tool executable on a server computing device. The configuring tool includes an information receiving module configured to receive the information set, and a programming module configured to configure the network monitoring tool based on the received collected information.

Claims

1. A system for optimizing a first network having a plurality of network devices, the system comprising:

(a) a first network monitoring tool simultaneously executable on at least one of the network devices and configured to diagnose at least one condition of the first network, the first tool comprising;

an information collection module configured to collect a first information set relating to performance of each of the network devices of the first network,

an action module configured to execute a predetermined action in response to at least a portion of the first information set, the action relating to a diagnosed condition of the first network, and

an information transmission module configured to transmit via a wide-area network at least a portion of the first information set to an electronic device remote from the first network; and

(b) a configuring tool executable on a server computing device and comprising;

an information receiving module configured to receive the first information-set portion, and

a programming module configured to configure via the wide-area network the first network monitoring tool based on the received collected information.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a second network monitoring tool simultaneously executable on at least one network device of a plurality of network devices of a second network and configured to diagnose at least one condition of the second network, the second tool comprising;

an information collection module configured to collect a second information set relating to each of the network devices of the second network, and

an information transmission module configured to transmit at least a portion of the second information set to an electronic device remote from the second network; and

wherein the information receiving module is configured to receive the second information-set portion, and

the programming module is configured to configure the first network monitoring tool based on the second information-set portion.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the programming module is further configured to configure the second network monitoring tool based on the first information-set portion.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the first network monitoring tool further comprises a set of at least one configuration files enabling the programming module to configure the first network monitoring tool.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the first network monitoring tool further comprises a rules engine configured to evaluate the first information-set portion and, based on at least one rule of the configuration-file set, invoke the predetermined action.

6. The system of claim 4 wherein the programming module configures the first network monitoring tool by populating the configuration-file set with a set of at least one rules.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the predetermined action comprises invocation of a diagnostic.

8. The system of claim 4 wherein the programming module configures the first network monitoring tool by populating the configuration-file set with a set of at least one diagnostic descriptions.

9. The system of claim 7 wherein the first information-set portion comprises the invoked diagnostic.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the programming module configures the first network monitoring tool by populating the configuration-file set with a set of at least one rules, at least one of the rules being created in response to receiving the invoked diagnostic.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein the programming module configures the first network monitoring tool in response to receiving a configuration request from the first network.

12. A method of optimizing a first network having a plurality of network devices, the method comprising the steps of:

providing via a wide-area network a first network monitoring tool to the first network, the first network monitoring tool simultaneously executable on at least one of the network devices, the first network monitoring tool configured to diagnose at least one condition of the first network;

automatically collecting from the first network a first information set relating to performance of each of the network devices of the first network; and

automatically configuring via the wide-area network the first network monitoring tool based on the first information set.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising the steps of:

providing via the wide-area network a second network monitoring tool to a second network, the second network monitoring tool simultaneously executable on at least one network device of a plurality of network devices of the second network, the second network monitoring tool configured to diagnose at least one condition of the second network;

automatically collecting from the second network a second information set relating to performance of each of the network devices of the second network; and

automatically configuring via the wide-area network the first network monitoring tool based on the second information set.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising the step of configuring the second network monitoring tool based on the first information-set portion.

15. The method of claim 12 wherein the first network monitoring tool comprises a set of at least one configuration files enabling the automatic configuration of the first network monitoring tool.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the first network monitoring tool further comprises a rules engine configured to evaluate the first information-set portion and, based on at least one rule of the configuration-file set, invoke a predetermined action related to a diagnosed condition of the first network.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein configuring the first network monitoring tool comprises populating the configuration-file set with a set of at least one rules.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein the predetermined action comprises invocation of a diagnostic.

19. The method of claim 15 wherein configuring the first network monitoring tool comprises populating the configuration-file set with a set of at least one diagnostic descriptions.

20. The method of claim 18 wherein the first information-set portion comprises the invoked diagnostic.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein configuring the first network monitoring tool comprises populating the configuration-file set with a set of at least one rules, at least one of the rules being created in response to receiving the invoked diagnostic.

22. The method of claim 12 wherein the first network monitoring tool is configured in response to receiving a configuration request from the first network.

23. The method of claim 12, further comprising the step of using the first information set to provide electronic customer service assistance to a proprietor of the first network.