VALIDATION OF THE CONFIGURATION OF A DATA COMMUNICATIONS NETWORK USING A VIRTUAL NETWORK OPERATIONS CENTER

• US 20110040860A1
• Filed: 08/12/2009
• Published: 02/17/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/12/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Osias, Michael J., DeCusatis, Casimer M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,504,660 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0213 Standardised network management protocols, e.g. simple network management protocol [SNMP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0869 Validating the configuration within one network element
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0895 Configuration of virtualised networks or elements, e.g. virtualised network function or OpenFlow elements

Abstract

A virtual network operating center (VNOC) automatically and in real time obtains and validates the configuration of a data communications network, such as a wavelength division multiplexed network. The VNOC acquires network configuration data using SNMP commands and server configuration information from the hardware management console. The VNOC collates this data and validates configuration requirements for working and backup fiber paths, client protocols, data rates, regeneration requirements, and other considerations. Both ends of a network can be automatically provisioned and commissioned from a single location wherein the ends may be separated by 100 kilometers or more.

Claims

1. A method to validate the configuration a data communications network, the data communications network coupled to a server having a virtual network operations center and an interface to receive and transmit optical data on the network, the method comprising the steps of:

extracting network node configuration information of the network equipment at a node of the network;

extracting a desired configuration of the network from the server for each node;

comparing the desired configuration with the network node configuration;

verifying that the network node configuration is the desired configuration; and

creating and displaying a virtual rendition of the validated network configuration in the virtual network operation center.

2. The method to validate a configuration of a network of claim 1 further comprising:

revalidating a network node configuration when network node equipment is reconfigured.

3. The method to validate a configuration of a network of claim 1 wherein the data communications network is a wavelength division multiplexed network.

4. The method to validate a configuration of a network of claim 1 wherein the network node configuration information comprises one or more data channels and the respective data protocols and data rates.

5. The method to validate a configuration of a network of claim 1 wherein the network node configuration information comprises the topology of the network node, protection switching information, regeneration types.

6. The method to validate a configuration of a network of claim 1 wherein the network equipment comprises routers, adapters, clients, amplifiers.

7. The method to validate a configuration of a network of claim 1 wherein the network configuration information is obtained from a management information buffer for each equipment in SNMP protocol with place and put commands enabled.

8. The method to validate a configuration of a network of claim 1 wherein the desired configuration derived from the server comprises the data channels, data protocols, data rates, regeneration types, protection switching.

9. The method to validate a configuration of a network of claim 1 wherein the desired configuration is obtained from a hardware management console in the server.

10. The method to validate a configuration of a network of claim 1 wherein the desired configuration is input manually using an operational interface of the virtual network operation center.

11. The method to validate a configuration of a network of claim 1 further comprising:

encapsulating the validated network configuration into holographic protocol architecture formatted commands so that the virtual network operation center can build and display a virtual rendition of the network.

12. The method to validate a configuration of a network of claim 1 further comprising:

reverifying the configuration of the network when a status changes on any of a plurality of ports on the network equipment.

13. The method to validate a configuration of a network of claim 1 further comprising:

reverifying the configuration of the network when a status changes on any of a plurality of ports on the server.

14. The method to validate a configuration of a network of claim 1 further comprising:

reverifying the configuration of the network periodically.

15. The method to validate a configuration of a network of claim 1 further comprising:

verifying the network in real time.

16. A computer program product for validating the configuration of a wavelength division multiplexed network coupled to a server having a virtual network operation center and a holographic enterprise interface, the computer program product comprising:

a computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therewith, the computer readable program code comprising;

an extraction component that reads network node configuration information of network equipment at a node of the network, and reads a desired configuration for each node of the network from the server;

a comparison component that compares the desired configuration with the network node configuration;

a verification component that verifies the network node configuration is the desired configuration; and

a communication component that transmits the verified configuration to the virtual network operation center for displaying a virtual rendition of the validated network.

17. The computer program product of claim 16 comprising:

a computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therewith, the computer readable program code further revalidating a network node configuration when network node equipment is reconfigured.

18. The computer program product of claim 16 comprising:

a computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therewith, the extraction component further extracts the network node configuration information comprising one or more types of data channels and the respective data protocols and data rates.

19. The computer program product of claim 16 comprising:

a computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therewith, the extraction component further extracts the network node configuration information comprising the topology of the network node, protection switching information, regeneration types.

20. The computer program product of claim 16 comprising:

a computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therewith, the extraction component further extracts the network configuration information from a management information buffer for each equipment in SNMP protocol with place and put commands enabled.

21. The computer program product of claim 16 comprising:

a computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therewith, the extraction component further extracts desired configuration derived from the server comprising one or more types of data channels, data protocols, data rates, regeneration types, protection switching of one or more input/output adapters of the server.

22. The computer program product of claim 21 comprising:

a computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therewith, the extraction component further extracts the desired configuration from a hardware management console in the server.

23. The computer program product of claim 16 comprising:

a computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code further comprising;

an encapsulation component that encapsulates the validated network configuration into holographic protocol architecture formatted commands.

24. The computer program product of claim 16 comprising:

a computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code wherein the verification component reverifies the configuration of the network when a status changes on any of a plurality of ports coupled to the network.

25. The computer program product of claim 16 comprising:

a computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code wherein the verification component reverifies the configuration of the network periodically.