APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR MANAGING A NETWORK

• US 20090319656A1
• Filed: 06/24/2008
• Published: 12/24/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Yang, Chen-Yui, Zuckerman, Daniel A., Luo, Chao-Chun, Srinivasmurthy, Sunil, Beattie, James Gordon
• Application Number:
  US12/145,182
• Publication Number:
  US 20090319656A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/065 involving logical or physical relationship, e.g. grouping and hierarchies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0677 Localisation of faults
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/147 for predicting network behaviour
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5074 Handling of user complaints or trouble tickets

Abstract

A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a server having a controller to perform a first query of a network device by way of a wired connection with the network device, perform a second query of the network device by way of a wireless connection with the network device, detect an undesired condition associated with at least one of the network device and the wired connection with the network device based at least in part on the first and second queries, and discern between the undesired condition being associated with the network device and being associated with the wired connection based at least in part on the first and second queries. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A computer-readable storage medium comprising computer instructions for:

performing a first query of a network device by way of a wired connection with the network device, the first query being transmitted from a first query source;

performing a second query of the network device by way of a wireless connection with the network device;

detecting an undesired condition associated with at least one of the network device and the wired connection with the network device based at least in part on the first and second queries;

associating the undesired condition with the wired connection when a response is received to the second query and no response is received to the first query;

performing a third query of the network device by way of a portion of the wired connection with the network device, the third query being transmitted from a second query source; and

associating the undesired condition with the portion of the wired connection when no response is received to the third query.

2. The storage medium of claim 1, comprising computer instructions for associating the undesired condition with the network device when no response is received to the first query and no response is received to the second query.

3. The storage medium of claim 1, comprising computer instructions for transmitting the first and second queries in temporal proximity with each other.

4. The storage medium of claim 1, comprising computer instructions for transmitting the second query from a third query source that is different from the first query source.

5. The storage medium of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first, second and third queries comprise Internet Control Message Protocol echo request packets.

6. The storage medium of claim 1, comprising computer instructions for:

accessing customer data; and

associating the undesired condition with a type of problem based at least in part on the customer data.

7. The storage medium of claim 6, comprising computer instructions for:

performing a resolution operation on the network device based on the type of problem; and

verifying resolution of the undesired condition.

8. The storage medium of claim 1, wherein the first and second queries request information comprising at least one among a connection confirmation, a round-trip time and a rate of packet loss.

9. A server comprising a controller to:

perform a first query of a network device by way of a wired connection with the network device;

perform a second query of the network device by way of a wireless connection with the network device;

detect an undesired condition associated with at least one of the network device and the wired connection with the network device based at least in part on the first and second queries; and

discern between the undesired condition being associated with the network device and being associated with the wired connection based at least in part on the first and second queries.

10. The server of claim 9, wherein the controller is adapted to:

perform a third query of the network device by way of a portion of the wired connection with the network device, the first query being transmitted from a first query source, the third query being transmitted from a second query source; and

associate the undesired condition with the portion of the wired connection when no response is received to the third query.

11. The server of claim 9, wherein the first and second queries are transmitted in temporal proximity with each other.

12. The server of claim 10, wherein at least one of the first, second and third queries comprise Internet Control Message Protocol echo request packets.

13. The server of claim 9, wherein the controller is adapted to:

associate the undesired condition with a type of problem based at least in part on customer data;

perform a resolution operation on the network device based on the type of problem; and

verify resolution of the undesired condition.

14. A server comprising a controller to:

monitor for first and second telemetry messages from a network device, the first telemetry message being communicated by way of a wired connection with the network device, the second telemetry message being communicated by way of a wireless connection with the network device;

detect an undesired condition associated with at least one of the network device and the wired connection with the network device based at least in part on the monitoring for the first and second telemetry messages; and

discern between the undesired condition being associated with the network device and being associated with the wired connection based at least in part on the monitoring of the first and second telemetry messages.

15. The server of claim 14, wherein the first and second telemetry messages comprise at least one among a connection confirmation, a round-trip time and a rate of packet loss.

16. The server of claim 14, wherein the first and second telemetry messages are transmitted by the network device according to a schedule, and wherein the monitoring for the first and second telemetry messages is based at least in part on the schedule.

17. The server of claim 14, wherein the controller is adapted to:

perform a first query of the network device by way of the wired connection with the network device, the first telemetry message being sent in response to the first query; and

perform a second query of the network device by way of the wireless connection with the network device, the second telemetry message being sent in response to the second query.

18. The server of claim 17, wherein the controller is adapted to:

perform a third query of the network device by way of a portion of the wired connection with the network device, the first query being transmitted from a first query source, the third query being transmitted from a second query source; and

associate the undesired condition with the portion of the wired connection when no response is received to the third query.

19. The server of claim 17, wherein the first and second queries are transmitted in temporal proximity with each other.

20. The server of claim 14, wherein the controller is adapted to:

associate the undesired condition with a type of problem based at least in part on customer data;

perform a resolution operation on the network device based on the type of problem; and

verify resolution of the undesired condition.

21. A network device comprising a controller to:

receive a first query from a server by way of a wired connection with the server;

transmit a first telemetry message to the server based on receipt of the first query;

receive a second query from the server by way of a wireless connection with the server; and

transmit a second telemetry message to the server based on receipt of the second query,

wherein an undesired condition is detected for at least one of the network device and the wired connection with the network device based at least in part on the first and second queries, and wherein the undesired condition is discerned between being associated with the network device and being associated with the wired connection based at least in part on the first and second queries.

22. The network device of claim 21, wherein the first and second telemetry messages comprise at least one among a connection confirmation, a round-trip time and a rate of packet loss.

23. A method of managing a network comprising:

monitoring for first and second telemetry messages from a network device, the first telemetry message being communicated by way of a wired connection with the network device, the second telemetry message being communicated by way of a wireless connection with the network device;

detecting an undesired condition associated with at least one of the network device and the wired connection with the network device based at least in part on the monitoring for the first and second telemetry messages; and

discerning between the undesired condition being associated with the network device and being associated with the wired connection based at least in part on the monitoring of the first and second telemetry messages.

24. The method of claim 23, comprising:

performing a first query of the network device by way of the wired connection with the network device, the first telemetry message being sent in response to the first query; and

performing a second query of the network device by way of the wireless connection with the network device, the second telemetry message being sent in response to the second query.

25. The method of claim 23, comprising:

performing a third query of the network device by way of a portion of the wired connection with the network device, the first query being transmitted from a first query source, the third query being transmitted from a second query source; and

associating the undesired condition with the portion of the wired connection when no response is received to the third query.