NETWORK LOAD ESTIMATION AND PREDICTION FOR CELLULAR NETWORKS

• US 20160212655A1
• Filed: 03/31/2016
• Published: 07/21/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: KO, Bong Jun, KOLAR, Vinay Kumar, LEE, Kang-Won, RAGHAVENDRA, Ramya, VERMA, Dinesh, ZAFER, Murtaza
• Granted Patent: US 9,894,559 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/12 Shortest path evaluation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/127 by using congestion prediction
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/2218 Call detail recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/08 Testing, supervising or monitoring using real traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0284 detecting congestion or overload during communication monitoring arrangements H04L43/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/24 Connectivity information management, e.g. connectivity discovery or connectivity update
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/04 Registration at HLR or HSS [Home Subscriber Server]

Abstract

Various embodiments estimate network load in a wireless communication network. In one embodiment, at least one call detail record associated with a wireless communication network is received. A topology representing the network is analyzed. The topology includes a plurality of nodes each representing a network element within the wireless communication network. The topology also includes a plurality of edges between two or more of the plurality of nodes. Each of the plurality of edges indicates that the two or more plurality of nodes are communicatively coupled to each other within the network. A set of paths is identified between two or more nodes in the plurality of nodes corresponding to a set of call flow information within the at least one call detail record. A state of each network element represented by the two or more nodes in the set of paths is determined based on the call detail record.

Claims

1. A method, by an information processing system, for estimating network load in a wireless communication network, the method comprising:

obtaining at least one call detail record associated with at least one user equipment device in and activity performed by the least one user equipment device in a wireless communication networks;

analyzing a topology representing the wireless communication network, wherein the topology is generated by the information processing system based on at least a set of previously received call detail records;

identifying a set of paths between two or more nodes from a plurality of nodes in the topology, the two or more nodes corresponding to a set of call flow information within the at least one call detail record; and

determining, based on the identifying and the call detail record, a state of each network element represented by the two or more nodes.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the state of each network element comprises:

analyzing the at least one call detail record;

identifying, based on the analyzing, a set of call volume data within the at least one call detail record; and

determining, based on a set of call volume data, a load on each network element represented by the two or more nodes for which the set of paths were identified.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the set of paths comprises:

identifying a first node in the topology corresponding to a call origination point in the wireless communication network based on the at least one call detail record;

identifying at least a second node in the topology corresponding to a call destination endpoint in the wireless communication network based on the at least one call detail record; and

determining a set of shortest paths between the first node and the second node based on one or more shortest path criteria.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

modifying the topology by at least one of adding and removing one or more nodes representing one or more network elements in the wireless communication network; and

determining, based on the modifying and the call detail record, a new state of one or more network elements represented by the two or more nodes for which the set of paths were identified.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

modifying at least one attribute associated with one or more network elements represented by a node in the topology; and

determining, based on the modifying and the call detail record, a new state of one or more network elements represented by the two or more nodes for which the set of paths were identified.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying the set of call flow information from the at least one call detail record;

analyzing a set of network inventory information associated with the wireless communication network;

identifying, based on analyzing the set of network inventory information, a set of network elements within the wireless communication network; and

creating the topology based on the set of call flow information and the set of network elements.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of call flow information identifies at least one of:

a source cell site associated with a call corresponding to the at least one call detail record;

a destination cell site associated with the call; and

one or more support nodes that managed the call within the wireless communication network.

8. An information processing system for estimating network load in a wireless communication network, the information processing system comprising:

a memory;

a processor communicatively coupled to the memory; and

a network monitoring system communicatively coupled to the memory and the processor, wherein the network monitoring system is configured to perform a method comprising;

obtaining at least one call detail record associated with at least one user equipment device in and activity performed by the least one user equipment device in a wireless communication networks;

analyzing a topology representing the wireless communication network, wherein the topology is generated by the information processing system based on at least a set of previously received call detail records;

identifying a set of paths between two or more nodes from a plurality of nodes in the topology, the two or more nodes corresponding to a set of call flow information within the at least one call detail record; and

determining, based on the identifying and the call detail record, a state of each network element represented by the two or more nodes.

9. The information processing system of claim 8, wherein determining the state of each network element comprises:

analyzing the at least one call detail record;

identifying, based on the analyzing, a set of call volume data within the at least one call detail record; and

determining, based on a set of call volume data, a load on each network element represented by the two or more nodes for which the set of paths were identified.

10. The information processing system of claim 8, wherein identifying the set of paths comprises:

identifying a first node in the topology corresponding to a call origination point in the wireless communication network based on the at least one call detail record;

identifying at least a second node in the topology corresponding to a call destination endpoint in the wireless communication network based on the at least one call detail record; and

determining a set of shortest paths between the first node and the second node based on one or more shortest path criteria.

11. The information processing system of claim 8, wherein the method further comprises:

modifying the topology by at least one of adding and removing one or more nodes representing one or more network elements in the wireless communication network; and

determining, based on the modifying and the call detail record, a new state of one or more network elements represented by the two or more nodes for which the set of paths were identified.

12. The information processing system of claim 8, wherein the method further comprises:

modifying at least one attribute associated with one or more network elements represented by a node in the topology; and

determining, based on the modifying and the call detail record, a new state of one or more network elements represented by the two or more nodes for which the set of paths were identified.

13. The information processing system of claim 8, wherein the method further comprises:

identifying the set of call flow information from the at least one call detail record;

analyzing a set of network inventory information associated with the wireless communication network;

identifying, based on analyzing the set of network inventory information, a set of network elements within the wireless communication network; and

creating the topology based on the set of call flow information and the set of network elements.

14. A computer program storage product for estimating network load in a wireless communication network, the computer program storage product comprising a non-transitory storage medium readable by a processing circuit and storing instructions for execution by the processing circuit for performing a method, the method comprising:

obtaining at least one call detail record associated with at least one user equipment device in and activity performed by the least one user equipment device in a wireless communication networks;

analyzing a topology representing the wireless communication network, wherein the topology is generated by the information processing system based on at least a set of previously received call detail records;

identifying a set of paths between two or more nodes from a plurality of nodes in the topology, the two or more nodes corresponding to a set of call flow information within the at least one call detail record; and

determining, based on the identifying and the call detail record, a state of each network element represented by the two or more nodes.

15. The computer program storage product of claim 14, wherein determining the state of each network element comprises:

analyzing the at least one call detail record;

identifying, based on the analyzing, a set of call volume data within the at least one call detail record; and

determining, based on a set of call volume data, a load on each network element represented by the two or more nodes for which the set of paths were identified.

16. The computer program storage product of claim 14, wherein identifying the set of paths comprises:

identifying a first node in the topology corresponding to a call origination point in the wireless communication network based on the at least one call detail record;

identifying at least a second node in the topology corresponding to a call destination endpoint in the wireless communication network based on the at least one call detail record; and

determining a set of shortest paths between the first node and the second node based on one or more shortest path criteria.

17. The computer program storage product of claim 14, wherein the method further comprises:

modifying the topology by at least one of adding and removing one or more nodes representing one or more network elements in the wireless communication network; and

determining, based on the modifying and the call detail record, a new state of one or more network elements represented by the two or more nodes for which the set of paths were identified.

18. The computer program storage product of claim 14, wherein the method further comprises:

modifying at least one attribute associated with one or more network elements represented by a node in the topology; and

determining, based on the modifying and the call detail record, a new state of one or more network elements represented by the two or more nodes for which the set of paths were identified.

19. The computer program storage product of claim 14, wherein the method further comprises:

identifying the set of call flow information from the at least one call detail record;

analyzing a set of network inventory information associated with the wireless communication network;

identifying, based on analyzing the set of network inventory information, a set of network elements within the wireless communication network; and

creating the topology based on the set of call flow information and the set of network elements.

20. The computer program storage product of claim 14, wherein the set of call flow information identifies at least one of:

a source cell site associated with a call corresponding to the at least one call detail record;

a destination cell site associated with the call; and

one or more support nodes that managed the call within the wireless communication network.