METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR INFORMATION PROCESSING AND DISPLAY FOR NETWORK MANAGEMENT

• US 20100177640A1
• Filed: 04/27/2009
• Published: 07/15/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/16/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Computer Associates Think Inc. (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Computer Associates Think Inc. (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Patel, Jaimin D., Booman, Gordon Andrew, Lindberg, Robert Alan, Mulligan, Patricia Anne, Boutotte, John Oliver, Sylor, Mark W., Mali, Florent
• Granted Patent: US 7,962,599 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/242
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/00 Arrangements for maintenance, administration or management of data switching networks, e.g. of packet switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/065 involving logical or physical relationship, e.g. grouping and hierarchies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/507 Filtering out customers affected by service problems

Abstract

Apparatus and methods for automatically processing and displaying information for managing equipment or services in a network. The information is automatically inserted into a hierarchical data structure, which can then presented in a ticker display for viewing by a user. The information concerning the network equipment or services may also be used to determine the users affected by particular network failures.

Claims

1. A method for determining a number of network users affected by a network problem comprising:

for each response source among a plurality of response sources;

determining a response time for the response source connecting to a first response destination via a response path,

determining whether an alarm state exists along the response path based on the determined response time, and

if the alarm state exists, adding the response source to an impacted set;

determining a unique number of response sources in the impacted set; and

determining the number of network users affected by a network problem based on the determined unique number.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein each response source among the plurality of response sources are associated with a threshold value for triggering the alarm state for their respective response paths.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the threshold value is set by each response source among the plurality of response sources, wherein at least two response sources among the plurality of response sources have different threshold values.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining a response time for each of a plurality of response sources is based on an application type, associated with each respective response path, that identifies a method for determining the response time.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the method for determining the response time is actively testing the response time for each respective response path.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the method for determining the response time is passively observing usage activities by each response source among the plurality of response sources connecting to the first response destination.

7. The method of claim 4, further comprising grouping the response paths by their respective application types, wherein the number of affected users is determined based on the grouping.

8. A system for determining a number of network users affected by a network problem comprising:

one or more processors configured to;

for each response source among a plurality of response sources;

determine a response time for the response source connecting to a first response destination via a response path,

determine whether an alarm state exists along the response path based on the determined response time, and

if the alarm state exists, add the response source to an impacted set;

determine a unique number of response sources in the impacted set; and

determine the number of network users affected by a network problem based on the determined unique number.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein each response source among the plurality of response sources are associated with a threshold value for triggering the alarm state for their respective response paths.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the threshold value is set by each response source among the plurality of response sources, wherein at least two response sources among the plurality of response sources have different threshold values.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein determining a response time for each of a plurality of response sources is based on an application type, associated with each respective response path, that identifies a method for determining the response time.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the method for determining the response time is actively testing the response time for each respective response path.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the method for determining the response time is passively observing usage activities by each response source among the plurality of response sources connecting to the first response destination.

14. The system of claim 11, the one or more processors further configured to:

group the response paths by their respective application types, wherein the number of affected users is determined based on the grouping.

15. A computer readable medium having computer executable instructions thereon for determining a number of network users affected by a network problem, the instructions when executed on one or more processors configuring the one or more processors to:

for each response source among a plurality of response sources;

determine a response time for the response source connecting to a first response destination via a response path,

determine whether an alarm state exists along the response path based on the determined response time, and

if the alarm state exists, add the response source to an impacted set;

determine a unique number of response sources in the impacted set; and

determine the number of network users affected by a network problem based on the determined unique number.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein each response source among the plurality of response sources are associated with a threshold value for triggering the alarm state for their respective response paths.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the threshold value is set by each response source among the plurality of response sources, wherein at least two response sources among the plurality of response sources have different threshold values.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein determining a response time for each of a plurality of response sources is based on an application type, associated with each respective response path, that identifies a method for determining the response time.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 18, wherein the method for determining the response time is actively testing the response time for each respective response path.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 18, wherein the method for determining the response time is passively observing usage activities by each response source among the plurality of response sources connecting to the first response destination.

21. The computer readable medium of claim 18, the instructions when executed further configuring the one or more processors to:

group the response paths by their respective application types, wherein the number of affected users is determined based on the grouping.