METHODS AND APPARATUS TO DETECT AN ERROR CONDITION IN A COMMUNICATION NETWORK

• US 20100153787A1
• Filed: 12/12/2008
• Published: 06/17/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Griesmer, Stephen J., Beattie, James Gordon JR.
• Granted Patent: US 7,954,010 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 714/43
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0681 Configuration of triggering conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5074 Handling of user complaints or trouble tickets

Abstract

Methods and apparatus to detect an error condition in a communication network are disclosed herein. An example method of detecting an error condition in a communication network includes collecting first metric data from a first endpoint device, the first metric data being related to a first connection between the first endpoint device and a communication network; collecting second metric data from a second endpoint device, the second metric data being related to a second connection between the second endpoint device and the communication network; determining if at least one of the first and second metric data are indicative of the error condition; when the at least one of the first and second metric data are indicative of the error condition, identifying a point of correlation between the first and second connections; identifying a network element based on the point of correlation; and performing an evaluation of the network element.

Claims

1. A method of detecting an error condition in a communication network, comprising:

collecting first metric data from a first endpoint device, the first metric data being related to a first connection between the first endpoint device and a communication network;

collecting second metric data from a second endpoint device, the second metric data being related to a second connection between the second endpoint device and the communication network;

determining if at least one of the first and second metric data are indicative of the error condition;

when the at least one of the first and second metric data are indicative of the error condition, identifying a point of correlation between the first and second connections;

identifying a network element based on the point of correlation; and

performing an evaluation of the network element.

2. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising generating a trouble ticket when the evaluation of the network element indicates that the network element is functioning improperly.

3. A method as defined in claim 2, further comprising automatically forwarding the trouble ticket to a workcenter capable of addressing problems associated with the network element.

4. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein determining if the at least one of the first and second metric data are indicative of the error condition comprises comparing the first metric data with a first threshold.

5. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein determining if the at least one of the first and second metric data is indicative of the error condition comprises averaging the first and second metric data and comparing a resulting composite with a first threshold.

6. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein identifying the point of correlation comprises referencing a topology database including information related to a first circuit corresponding to the first endpoint device and a second circuit corresponding to the second endpoint device.

7. An apparatus to detect an error condition in a communication network, comprising:

a data collector to collect first metric data from a first endpoint device and second metric data from a second endpoint device, the first metric data being related to a first connection between the first endpoint device and a communication network and the second metric data being related to a second connection between the second endpoint device and the communication network;

a comparator to determine if at least one of the first metric data and the second metric data are indicative of the error condition;

a network element identifier to identify a point of correlation between the first and second connections; and

an analyzer to evaluate of a network element associated with the point of correlation.

8. An apparatus as defined in claim 7, further comprising a trouble ticket generator to generate a trouble ticket when the analyzer indicates that the network element is functioning improperly.

9. An apparatus as defined in claim 8, wherein the trouble ticket generator automatically forwards the trouble ticket to a workcenter.

10. An apparatus as defined in claim 7, wherein the comparator is to determine if the first metric data is indicative of the error condition by comparing the first metric data with a threshold.

11. An apparatus as defined in claim 7, wherein the comparator determines if the at least one of the first and second metric data is indicative of the error condition by comparing an average of the first and second metric data with a threshold.

12. An apparatus as defined in claim 7, wherein the network element identifier identifies the point of correlation by referencing a topology database including information related to the first connection corresponding to the first endpoint device and the second connection corresponding to the second endpoint device.

13. An apparatus method as defined in claim 7, wherein the communication network comprises a virtual private network.

14. An apparatus as defined in claim 7, wherein the network element comprises at least one of a router, a hub, a switch, or a gateway.

15-22. -22. (canceled)

23. A communication system, comprising:

a service-provider network including a plurality of edge routers configured to implement a virtual private network (VPN);

an application installed on first and second endpoint devices communicatively coupled to the service-provider network, the application to collect metric data related to connections to the VPN associated with the first and second endpoint devices; and

a first server to receive the metric data from the first and second endpoint devices and to analyze the metric data to an detect error condition having a potential to cause service interruptions of the VPN, the first server being configured to automatically identify a point of correlation associated with the first and second endpoint devices in response to detecting the error condition.

24. A communication system as defined in claim 23, further comprising a second server configured to evaluate a network element associated with the point of correlation in response to an indication from the first server that the error condition has been detected.

25. A communication system as defined in claim 24, further comprising a trouble ticket generator to generate a trouble ticket in response to the second server determining that the network element is functioning improperly.

26. A communication system as defined in claim 23, wherein the first server identifies the point of correlation by referencing a topology database including information related to a first circuit corresponding to the first endpoint device and a second circuit corresponding to the second endpoint device.