Quality of Service Management of End User Devices in an End User Network

• US 20100332906A1
• Filed: 06/30/2009
• Published: 12/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Zerfos, Petros, Lee, Kang-won, Branch, Joel, Agrawal, Dakshi
• Granted Patent: US 8,495,428 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 714/37
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0631 using root cause analysis; using analysis of correlation between notifications, alarms or events based on decision criteria, e.g. hierarchy, tree or time analysis
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0806 for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for managing quality of service of computing resources are presented. For example, a method implemented on a processor for managing quality of service of computing resources includes identifying, by the processor, one or more devices of a user on a network of the user; obtaining, by the processor, at least one management module for the identified one or more devices; installing the at least one management module in the processor; monitoring, by the processor, the one or more devices of the user for a problem; and determining, by the processor, a domain in which a root cause of the problem resides and, optionally, the root cause of the problem. The management module comprises information pertaining to a corresponding device. Further, the method may detect quality of service (QoS) problems and determine if the problems reside in a user domain or a service provider domain.

Claims

1. A method, implemented on a processor, for managing quality of service of computing resources, the method comprising the steps of:

identifying, by the processor, one or more devices of a user on a network of the user;

obtaining, by the processor, at least one management module for the identified one or more devices;

installing the at least one management module in the processor;

monitoring, by the processor, the one or more devices of the user for a problem; and

determining, by the processor, at least one of (i) a domain in which a root cause of the problem resides, and (ii) the root cause of the problem;

wherein the at least one management module comprises information pertaining to the one or more devices.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:

disclosing to the user at least one of;

(i) the determined domain, and (ii) the determined root cause.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of identifying the one or more devices comprises determining a signature for each device of the one or more devices, wherein the signature for each device of the one or more devices comprises at least one of:

(i) a unique device identifier, (ii) an identification number, (iii) a brand, (iv) a model, (v) a type of device, (vi) a serial number, (vii) one or more protocols of the each device, and (viii) one or more technologies of the each device, and wherein each of the one or more devices is uniquely identified, at least within the one or more devices of the user, by the signature.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the step of identifying the one or more devices comprises establishing a connection by opening a network port of the one or more devices and obtaining information that is provided upon the establishment of the connection, and wherein at least one of the signatures comprises the obtained information.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of identifying the one or more devices comprises examination of network traffic transmitted by the one or more devices.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the examination of network traffic comprises at least one of:

(i) identifying one or more protocols that are used for the network traffic transmitted by the one or more devices, (ii) identifying one or more remote servers the one or more devices attempt to communicate with once initial connectivity to a network outside of the user network has been established by the one or more devices, and (iii) identifying a portion of one or more signatures for the one or more devices, and wherein each of the one or more signatures comprises at least one of;

(i) a unique device identifier, (ii) an identification number, (iii) a brand, (iv) a model, (v) a type of device, (vi) a serial number, (vii) one or more protocols, and (viii) one or more technologies.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein for a device of the one or more devices, the unique device identifier is determined by transmitting to a remote server at least one of:

(i) a portion of a signature for the device, (ii) a protocol characteristic of the device, and (iii) information obtained by examination of network traffic from the device, and wherein the remote server is adapted to provide device identifiers.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein a gateway of the network of the user comprises the processor.

9. The method of claim 3, wherein the step of identifying the one or more devices identifies a newly coupled device, newly coupled to the network of the user, by comparing a newly determined signature of the newly coupled device to signatures of one or more devices previously known to currently be coupled to the network of the user;

wherein the steps of obtaining and installing obtain and install a management module for the newly coupled device;

wherein the step of installing comprises updating a device registry comprising a list of entries for the one or more devices, each entry comprising at least a portion of the signature for the associated one of the one or more devices; and

wherein the updating of the registry adds an entry for the newly coupled device to the device registry.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising the step of:

removing a management module from the processor;

wherein the step of identifying the one or more devices identifies a previously coupled device, no longer coupled to the network of the user, by comparing current signatures of the currently coupled device to signatures of one or more devices previously known to have been coupled to the network of the user;

wherein the management module for the previously coupled device is removed; and

wherein an entry for the previously coupled device is removed from the device registry.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one management module is obtained and installed for each of the one or more devices, and wherein the at least one management module comprises information for the operation of the one or more devices.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of obtaining the at least one management module comprises the steps of:

obtaining from one or more repositories a list of servers having the at least one management module; and

obtaining the at least one management module from at least one server from the list of servers;

wherein at least one of (i) a remote server coupled to the network of the user, and (ii) the processor comprises one of the one or more repositories.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of monitoring comprises at least one of:

(i) monitoring quality of service of the at least one of the one or more devices, (ii) monitoring the quality of service of the network of the user, and (iii) monitoring using at least one of the at least one management module; and

wherein the problem comprises an aspect of the quality of service being at least one of;

(i) above a high-limit predetermined threshold, and (ii) below a low-limit predetermined threshold.

14. The method of claim 3, wherein the step of determining at least one of the domain and the root cause uses at least one of:

(i) at least a portion of the information contained in one or more of the signatures of the one or more devices, and (ii) at least a portion of the information contained in the at least one management module.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the step determining at least one of the domain and the root cause are adapted to provide information to the user, at least partially enabling the user to resolve the problem.

16. A system for managing quality of service of computing resources, the system comprising:

an identification module adapted to identify one or more devices of a user on a network of the user;

a procurement module adapted to obtain at least one management module for at least one of the identified one or more devices;

an installation module adapted to install the at least one management module in a processor;

a monitor module adapted to monitor the one or more devices of the user for a problem; and

a determination module adapted to determine at least one of (i) a domain in which a root cause of the problem resides, and (ii) the root cause of the problem;

wherein the at least one management module comprises information pertaining to the one or more devices.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the identification module is adapted to identify a newly coupled device, newly coupled to the network of the user, by comparing a newly determined signature of the newly coupled device to signatures of one or more devices previously known to currently be coupled to the network of the user;

wherein the procurement and installation modules are adapted to obtain and install a management module for the newly coupled device;

wherein the installation module is adapted to update a device registry comprising a list of entries for the one or more devices, each entry comprising at least a portion of the signature for the associated one of the one or more devices; and

wherein the updating of the registry adds an entry for the newly coupled device to the device registry.

18. The system of claim 17 further comprising:

a removal module adapted to remove a management module from the processor; and

a disclose module adapted to disclose to the user at least one of;

(i) the determined domain, and (ii) the determined root cause;

wherein the identification module is adapted to identify a previously coupled device, no longer coupled to the network of the user, by comparing current signatures of the currently coupled device to signatures of one or more devices previously known to have been coupled to the network of the user;

wherein the management module for the previously coupled device is removed; and

wherein an entry for the previously coupled device is removed from the device registry.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the identification module is adapted to determine a signature for each device of the one or more devices, wherein the signature for each device of the one or more devices comprises at least one of:

(i) a unique device identifier, (ii) an identification number, (iii) a brand, (iv) a model, (v) a type of device, (vi) a serial number, (vii) one or more protocols of the each device, and (viii) one or more technologies of the each device, and wherein each of the one or more devices is uniquely identified, at least within the one or more devices of the user, by the signature.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the identification module is adapted to at least one of:

(i) establish a connection by opening a network port of the one or more devices and obtaining information that is provided upon the establishment of the connection, and wherein at least one of the signatures comprises the obtained information, and (ii) examine network traffic transmitted by the one or more devices.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the examination of network traffic comprises at least one of:

(i) identifying one or more protocols that are used for the network traffic transmitted by the one or more devices, (ii) identifying one or more remote servers the one or more devices attempt to communicate with once initial connectivity to a network outside of the user network has been established by the one or more devices, and (iii) identifying a portion of one or more signatures for the one or more devices.

22. Apparatus for managing quality of service of computing resources, the apparatus comprising:

a memory; and

a processor coupled to the memory, operative to;

identify one or more devices of a user on a network of the user;

obtain at least one management module for at least one of the identified one or more devices;

install the at least one management module in the processor;

monitor the one or more devices of the user for a problem; and

determine at least one of (i) a domain in which a root cause of the problem resides, and (ii) the root cause of the problem;

wherein the at least one management module comprises information pertaining to the one or more devices.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein a gateway of the network of the user comprises the processor.

24. The apparatus of claim 22 further comprising:

a device inventory comprising a list of the one or more devices and at least a portion of a signature for each device of the one or more devices;

wherein the signature for each device comprises at least one of;

(i) a unique device identifier, (ii) an identification number, (iii) a brand, (iv) a model, (v) a type of device, (vi) a serial number, (vii) one or more protocols of the each device, and (viii) one or more technologies of the each device, and wherein each of the one or more devices is uniquely identified, at least within the one or more devices of the user, by the signature.

25. An article of manufacture for managing quality of service of computing resources, wherein the article comprising a computer readable storage medium having one or more programs embodied therewith, wherein the one or more programs, when executed by a computer, perform steps of:

identifying one or more devices of a user on a network of the user;

obtaining at least one management module for at least one of the identified one or more devices;

installing the at least one management module in a processor;

monitoring the one or more devices of the user for a problem; and

determining at least one of (i) a domain in which a root cause of the problem resides, and (ii) the root cause of the problem;

wherein the at least one management module comprises information pertaining to the one or more devices.