PATH TESTING AND SWITCHING

• US 20090086643A1
• Filed: 09/27/2007
• Published: 04/02/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Business Network Services, Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.), Verizon Services Organization Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Bencheck, Michael U., Turlington, Matthew W., Del Regno, Christopher N., Schell, Richard C., KOTRLA, Scott R.
• Granted Patent: US 7,907,520 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/248
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/507 Filtering out customers affected by service problems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0852 Delays
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/16 Threshold monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/55 Testing of service level quality, e.g. simulating service usage
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/00 Routing or path finding of packets in data switching networks routing or path finding in wireless networks H04W40/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/02 Topology update or discovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/22 Alternate routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/28 using route fault recovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/50 using label swapping, e.g. multi-protocol label switch [MPLS]

Abstract

A method may include forming a first path from a first node to a second node and transmitting data via the first path. The method also includes measuring a performance parameter associated with transmitting data via the first path and determining whether the measured performance parameter meet a required performance parameter. The method also includes sending a notification to a customer associated with the first path when the measured performance parameter does not meet the required performance parameter, where the notification indicates that the first path is unavailable.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

forming a first path from a first node to a second node;

transmitting data via the first path;

measuring, at a first network device located at a head end of the first path, at least one performance parameter associated with transmitting data via the first path;

determining whether the measured at least one performance parameter meets a required performance parameter; and

sending a notification to a customer associated with the first path when the measured at least one performance parameter does not meet the required performance parameter, the notification indicating that the first path is unavailable.

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

sending a plurality of test packets from the first network device to a second network device located at a tail end of the first path,

receiving, at the first network device, at least some of the plurality of test packets from the second network device,

measuring a round trip time for sending the test packets to the second network device and receiving the returned test packets, and

estimating a latency associated with the first path based on the round trip time.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the measuring further comprises:

determining a packet loss value based on the returned test packets.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

measuring a jitter value based on the returned test packets.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the sending a notification comprises:

sending the notification to the customer when each of the estimated latency, packet loss value and jitter value do not meet requirements associated with latency, packet loss and jitter, respectively.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the measuring comprises:

sending a plurality of test packets from the first network device to a second network device located at a tail end of the first path,

receiving, at the second network device, at least some of the plurality of test packets from the first network device,

measuring a time for sending the test packets from the first network device to the second network device, and

estimating a latency associated with the first path based on the time.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the sending a notification comprises:

sending the notification to the customer when a plurality of measured performance parameters do not meet a plurality of required performance parameters.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

continuing to measure at least one of latency or packet loss associated with transmitting data via the first path; and

allowing the first path to remain in a down state when the first path does not meet the requirement.

9. A first network device, comprising:

logic configured to;

route data via a first path to a second network device,

send first test data via the first path at predetermined intervals,

receive at least a portion of the first test data back from the second network device,

determine, using the received portion of the first test data, whether a latency of the first path meets a threshold, and

send a notification to a customer associated with the first path when the latency of the first path does not meet the threshold, the notification indicating that the first path is unavailable.

10. The first network device of claim 9, wherein when sending a notification, the logic is configured to send the notification via a logical channel connection comprising at least one of a frame relay local management interface connection or an Ethernet local management interface connection to a node associated with the customer.

11. The first network device of claim 9, wherein the logic is further configured to:

detect a recovery in the first path, the recovery indicating that the latency of the first path meets the threshold, and

sending a second notification to the customer indicating that the first path is available.

12. The first network device of claim 9, wherein the logic is further configured to:

determine a packet loss value associated with the first path,

determine whether the packet loss value is less than a threshold packet loss value, and

stop routing data via the first path when the packet loss value is not less than the threshold packet loss value.

13. The first network device of claim 9, wherein the logic is further configured to:

determine a variation in latency associated with the first path,

determine whether the variation in latency is less than a threshold latency variation value, and

stop routing data via the first path when the variation in latency is not less than the threshold latency variation value.

14. The first network device of claim 9, wherein the logic is further configured to:

continue sending test data on the first path, when the first path is being used to route data, to measure latency associated with the first path, and

allowing the first path to remain in a down state when the measured latency of the first path does not meet the threshold.

15. The first network device of claim 9, wherein the first network device comprises a building Ethernet aggregation system configured to aggregate data for a customer.

16. The first network device of claim 9, wherein the first network device comprises an Ethernet demarcation device, a network interconnection device or a managed media converter.

17. The first network device of claim 9, wherein the first path comprises a label switching path.

18. The first network device of claim 9, wherein the logic is configured to:

determine, using the received portion of the first test data, a plurality of performance parameters, and

send a second notification to the customer when at least one of the determined performance parameters does not meet a required performance parameter.

19. A system, comprising:

means for setting up a first path from a first node to a second node, the first path having at least two of a latency, latency variation or packet loss that are in compliance with predetermined requirements;

means for testing the first path at predetermined intervals to determine whether the at least two of latency, latency variation or packet loss of the first path remain in compliance with the predetermined requirements; and

means for notifying a customer associated with the first path when the first path is not in compliance with the predetermined requirements.

20. The system of claim 19, further comprising:

means for detecting a recovery in the first path, the recovery indicating that the first path is in compliance with predetermined requirements; and

means for notifying the customer that the first path is in compliance with predetermined requirements in response to the recovery.