DYNAMIC POLICY ENGINE FOR MULTI-LAYER NETWORK MANAGEMENT

• US 20160218948A1
• Filed: 01/26/2015
• Published: 07/28/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ciena Corporation
• Original Assignee: Ciena Corporation
• Inventors: DJUKIC, Petar, MORRIS, Todd, MIEDEMA, David Jeffrey
• Granted Patent: US 9,819,565 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0893 Assignment of logical groups to network elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0894 Policy-based network configuration management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0895 Configuration of virtualised networks or elements, e.g. virtualised network function or OpenFlow elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0876 Network utilisation, e.g. volume of load or congestion level
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/12 Avoiding congestion; Recovering from congestion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/127 by using congestion prediction

Abstract

Dynamic policy systems and methods for implementing network management of a network include pre-calculating management policies for the network, in an off-line manner, based on past observed network load taking into consideration seasonality of network load, forecasts of the network load, and planned events on the network load; selecting a policy from the pre-calculated management policies, to manage the network in an on-line manner, wherein the selecting is either time-based or performance-based; and performing network management functions in the network utilizing the selected policy.

Claims

1. A dynamic policy method for implementing network management of a network, the dynamic policy method comprising:

pre-calculating management policies for the network, in an off-line manner, based on past observed network load taking into consideration seasonality of network load, forecasts of the network load, and planned events on the network load;

selecting a policy from the pre-calculated management policies, to manage the network in an on-line manner, wherein the selecting is either time-based or performance-based; and

performing network management functions in the network utilizing the selected policy.

2. The dynamic policy method of claim 1, wherein the selected policy is reevaluated over time or based on detecting the network load has changed significantly enough to warrant a policy change.

3. The dynamic policy method of claim 1, wherein the pre-calculating is performed before real-time deadlines are needed to be met to perform the network management functions.

4. The dynamic policy method of claim 1, wherein the selected policy is maintained using a longest-hold approach where the selected policy is kept for as long as possible to keep network performance acceptable.

5. The dynamic policy method of claim 1, wherein the management policies comprise one of administrative weight policies, routing and wavelength assignment policies, channel assignment policies, dynamic pricing policies, and zone assignment policies.

6. The dynamic policy method of claim 1, wherein the selecting is determined using a utility function for the management policies, which is determined through one of a formula, optimization technique, and simulation.

7. The dynamic policy method of claim 1, wherein the selecting is first time-based, selecting the selected policy based on a time-based policy look up, and second performance-based, adjusting to a different policy if the selected policy is not acceptable based on the network load.

8. The dynamic policy method of claim 1, wherein the management policies relate to performing Operations, Administration, Maintenance, and Provisioning (OAM&

P) in the network, in an automated manner.

9. The dynamic policy method of claim 1, wherein the network management functions are provided through a Software Defined Networking (SDN) management plane.

10. A management system configured to provide dynamic policy management for implementing network management of a network, the management system comprising:

a processor; and

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

pre-calculate management policies for the network, in an off-line manner, based on past observed network load taking into consideration seasonality of network load, forecasts of the network load, and planned events on the network load,

select a policy of the pre-calculated management policies, to manage the network in an on-line manner, wherein the selecting is either time-based or performance-based, and

perform network management functions in the network utilizing the selected policy.

11. The management system of claim 10, wherein the selected policy is reevaluated over time or based on detecting the network load has changed significantly enough to warrant a policy change.

12. The management system of claim 10, wherein the off-line manner is performed before real-time deadlines are needed to be met to perform the network management functions.

13. The management system of claim 10, wherein the selected policy is maintained using a longest-hold approach where the selected policy is kept for as long as possible to keep network performance acceptable.

14. The management system of claim 10, wherein the management policies comprise one of administrative weight policies, routing and wavelength assignment policies, channel assignment policies, dynamic pricing policies, and zone assignment policies.

15. The management system of claim 10, wherein the selecting is determined using a utility function for the management policies, which is determined through one of a formula, optimization technique, or simulation.

16. The management system of claim 10, wherein the selecting is first time-based, selecting the selected policy based on a time-based policy look up, and second performance-based, adjusting to a different policy if the selected policy is not acceptable based on the network load.

17. The management system of claim 10, wherein the management policies relate to performing Operations, Administration, Maintenance, and Provisioning (OAM&

P) in the network, in an automated manner.

18. The management system of claim 10, wherein the network management functions are provided through a Software Defined Networking (SDN) management plane.

19. A network configured to provide dynamic policy management for implementing network management, the network comprising:

a plurality of nodes that are interconnected; and

a controller communicatively coupled to the plurality of nodes, wherein the controller is configured to

pre-calculate management policies for the network, in an off-line manner, based on past observed network load taking into consideration seasonality of network load, forecasts of the network load, and planned events on the network load,

select a policy of the pre-calculated management policies, to manage the network in an on-line manner, wherein the selecting is either time-based or performance-based, and

perform network management functions in the network utilizing the selected policy.

20. The network of claim 19, wherein the controller is a Software Defined Networking (SDN) controller.