RELIABLE SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR NETWORK NOTIFICATIONS

• US 20120023205A1
• Filed: 07/22/2010
• Published: 01/26/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/22/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ciena Corporation
• Original Assignee: Ciena Corporation
• Inventors: Hu, Jie, Oye, Darren William, Heath, Joseph, Yang, Qing, Joshi, Madhavi Raghavendra, Asrani, Padma
• Granted Patent: US 9,246,746 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/220
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0213 Standardised network management protocols, e.g. simple network management protocol [SNMP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/40 for recovering from a failure of a protocol instance or entity, e.g. service redundancy protocols, protocol state redundancy or protocol service redirection management of faults, events, alarms or notifications in data switching networks H04L41/06

Abstract

The present disclosure provides reliable systems and methods for network notifications, i.e. Simple Network Management Protocol version 2 Protocol Data Unit (SNMPv2-Trap-PDU) messages, asynchronous notifications, InformRequest-PDU messages, and the like, between network elements, element managers, and other element managers. In an exemplary embodiment, the present invention includes a network management system and method with a plurality of network elements operating a management agent communicatively coupled to an element manager which in turn is communicatively coupled to another element manager, a network management system (NMS), an operations support system (OSS), or the like. The present invention may utilize SNMPv2 and/or v3, and includes various techniques and processes ensuring reliable notifications between any of the network elements, element managers, or the like in the network management system.

Claims

1. A method of reliable network notifications, comprising:

at a first device, communicating network management to a second device;

generating a notification at the first device;

transmitting information to the second device with the notification;

buffering subsequent notifications for the second device at the first device;

receiving an acknowledgement of the information at the first device from the second device; and

transmitting any buffered subsequent notifications to the second device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the first device and the second device utilize either simple network management protocol version 2 or simple network management protocol version 3, and wherein the information comprises an InformRequest-Protocol Data Unit (PDU).

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

waiting a predetermined time period at the first device to receive the acknowledgement of the InformRequest-PDU; and

at the expiry of the predetermined time period, resending the InformRequest-PDU protocol data unit to the second device with the notification.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

detecting a communication failure to the second device;

buffering subsequent notifications for the second device at the first device;

detecting recovery of communication with the second device; and

transmitting the buffered subsequent notifications to the second device.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the transmitting the buffered subsequent notifications to the second device comprises:

transmitting an InformRequest-PDU protocol data unit to the second device with one of the buffered subsequent notification;

buffering subsequent notifications for the second device at the first device;

receiving an acknowledgement of the InformRequest-PDU protocol data unit at the first device from the second device; and

transmitting an InformRequest-PDU protocol data unit to the second device with another one of the buffered subsequent notifications.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the first device comprises a network element with a simple network management protocol agent or communicatively coupled to the simple network management protocol agent and the second device comprises an element manager.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein notifications are sent from the first device to the second device in order with delivery receipt guaranteed.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first device comprises an element manager and the second device comprises one of a network management system or an operation support system.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the method is implemented in a network management system comprising a plurality of an operation support system, a network management system, an element manager, and a plurality of managed network elements;

wherein the first device comprises any of the operation support system, the network management system, the element manager, and the plurality of managed network elements; and

wherein the second device comprises any of the operation support system, the network management system, the element manager, and the plurality of managed network elements.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the first device and the second device utilize Network Configuration Protocol (NETCONF).

11. A method of reliable network notifications, comprising:

at a first device, communicating network management to a second device;

generating a notification at the first device;

transmitting the notification from the first device to the second device with a logical identifier within the notification, wherein the logical identifier is utilized to identify any missing notifications from the first device to the second device;

receiving the notification at the second device;

examining the logical identifier;

if no prior notifications are missing, processing the notification at the second device; and

if prior notifications are missing, requesting missing notifications by the second device to the first device.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

detecting a communication failure to the second device;

buffering subsequent notifications for the second device at the first device;

detecting recovery of communication with the second device; and

transmitting the buffered subsequent notifications to the second device.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the logical identifier comprises a sequence number or counter.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the logical identifier comprises a date/time stamp associated with an immediately preceding notification sent from the first device to the second device, and wherein the second device checks notifications in a database against the date/time stamp to determine if prior notifications are missing.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the first device comprises one of an element manager or a network element and the second device comprises one of an element manager, a network management system, or an operation support system.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the method is implemented in a network management system comprising a plurality of an operation support system, a network management system, an element manager, and a plurality of managed network elements;

wherein the first device comprises any of the operation support system, the network management system, the element manager, and the plurality of managed network elements; and

wherein the second device comprises any of the operation support system, the network management system, the element manager, and the plurality of managed network elements.

17. A network management system, comprising:

one or more managed network elements;

an element manager communicatively coupled to the one or more managed network elements; and

a network manager communicatively coupled to the element manager;

a first reliable notification mechanism between the one or more managed network elements and the element manager ensuring delivery of each notification therebetween; and

a second reliable notification mechanism between the element manager and the network manager ensuring delivery of each notification therebetween.

18. The network management system of claim 17, wherein the first reliable notification mechanism comprises utilizing an InformRequest-Protocol Data Unit (PDU) and waiting for an acknowledgement prior to sending further notifications.

19. The network management system of claim 17, wherein the second reliable notification mechanism comprises utilizing a SNMPv2-Trap-PDU with an associated logical identifier for a recipient to determine whether there are missing notifications.

20. The network management system of claim 17, wherein the second reliable notification mechanism comprises utilizing an InformRequest-PDU and waiting for an acknowledgement prior to sending further notifications.