SIMPLIFYING QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS OF TIME-BOUNDED RESOURCE CONSUMPTION

• US 20150381454A1
• Filed: 03/04/2015
• Published: 12/31/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ciena Corporation
• Original Assignee: Ciena Corporation
• Inventors: DAVISON, Eric Stewart, HOLTOM, James Alexander Ivens
• Granted Patent: US 10,452,669 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/248 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0894 Packet rate
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/20 the monitoring system or the monitored elements being virtualised, abstracted or software-defined entities, e.g. SDN or NFV

Abstract

A method implemented in a time-bounded resource management system for managing a resource is described. The time-bounded resource management system includes a processor communicatively coupled to a database. The method includes storing each resource consumption event of the resource as a balanced pair of entries in the database, wherein the balanced pair of entries comprise 1) a first entry comprising a start time for the resource consumption event and a positive resource consumption amount and 2) a second entry comprising an end time for the resource consumption event and a negative resource consumption amount with the same magnitude as the positive resource consumption amount; receiving a query related to the resource; performing computations on entries in the database related to the query; and providing a result based on the computations as a response to the query.

Claims

1. A method implemented in a time-bounded resource management system for managing a resource, the time-bounded resource management system comprising a processor communicatively coupled to a database, the method comprising:

storing each resource consumption event of the resource as a balanced pair of entries in the database, wherein the balanced pair of entries comprise

     1) a first entry comprising a start time for the resource consumption event and a positive resource consumption amount and

     2) a second entry comprising an end time for the resource consumption event and a negative resource consumption amount with the same magnitude as the positive resource consumption amount;

receiving a query related to the resource;

performing computations on entries in the database related to the query; and

providing a result based on the computations as a response to the query.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the query is to determine instantaneous consumption of the resource at a certain time, and wherein the computations are a summation of all entries in the database up to the certain time.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the query is to determine a peak consumption value or if additional consumption can be accommodated in a specified time period, wherein the computations are 1) a summation of all entries in the database up to a start time of the specified time period, and 2) iterating all entries in the database between the start time and an end time of the specified period to determine adjustments to a high-water mark, and wherein the high-water mark at the end of iterating all the entries is the peak consumption value.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the database supports Structured Query Language (SQL) and the computations are performed through an SQL function.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein resources are modeled separately for each of a plurality of connections and/or links in a network.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the resources are packet bandwidth.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the storing is performed in addition to maintaining a database order book for each resource.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the method is implemented in a Network Management System (NMS) and utilized to visually present instantaneous consumption on a per link basis.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein coherency in the database is checked by the query having the start time and the end time based on a maximum representation of time permitted with an expected output for consumption of zero.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein each resource consumption event in the database is removed after each associated end time.

11. A time-bounded resource management system, comprising:

a network interface;

a processor;

a database, wherein the network interface, the processor, and the database are communicatively coupled together; and

memory storing instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to

store each resource consumption event of the resource as a balanced pair of entries in the database, wherein the balanced pair of entries comprise

     1) a first entry comprising a start time for the resource consumption event and a positive resource consumption amount and

     2) a second entry comprising an end time for the resource consumption event and a negative resource consumption amount with the same magnitude as the positive resource consumption amount,

receive a query related to the resource, via the network interface,

perform computations on entries in the database related to the query, and

provide a result based on the computations as a response to the query.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the query is to determine instantaneous consumption of the resource up to a certain time, and wherein the computations are a summation of all entries in the database up to the certain time.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the query is to determine a peak consumption value or if additional consumption can be accommodated in a specified time period, wherein the computations are 1) a summation of all entries in the database up to a start time of the specified time period, and 2) iterating all entries in the database between the start time and an end time of the specified period to determine adjustments to a high-water mark, and wherein the high-water mark at the end of iterating all the entries is the peak consumption value.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the database supports Structured Query Language (SQL) and the computations are performed through an SQL function.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein resources are modeled for each of a plurality of connections and/or links in a network.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the resources are packet bandwidth.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein the balanced pair of entries are stored in addition to maintenance of a database order book for each resource.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein the system is a Network Management System (NMS) that visually presents current resource allocation on a per link basis.

19. A management system communicatively coupled to one or more network elements in a network, the management system comprising:

a network interface communicatively coupled to the one or more network elements;

a processor;

a database, wherein the network interface, the processor, and the database are communicatively coupled together; and

memory storing instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to

store each resource consumption event of the resource as a balanced pair of entries in the database, wherein the balanced pair of entries comprise

     1) a first entry comprising a start time for the resource consumption event and a positive resource consumption amount and

     2) a second entry comprising an end time for the resource consumption event and a negative resource consumption amount with the same magnitude as the positive resource consumption amount,

receive a query to determine instantaneous resource utilization on a specific path in the network,

sum all of the events in the database related to the query up to a present time, and

provide the sum as a response to the query.

20. The management system of claim 19, wherein the memory storing instructions that, when executed, further cause the processor to

visually display a representation of the network, and

visually display the instantaneous resource utilization for each link in the network.