ATM network management
First Claim
1. A management system for an ATM virtual path network having a plurality of physical connections in which said physical connections are provided by broadband links between ATM switches, and comprising electronic data processing means connectable to individual ATM switches in said ATM virtual path network and for determining current network load in individual broadband links and virtual paths of the network, said electronic data processing means providing first, second and third sets of inter-communicating distributed agents for carrying out management of the ATM switches in the system in response to measured load and management requirements, wherein each agent of said first set is associated with the virtual paths and is adapted to respond to a lack of bandwidth in one of its associated virtual paths to generate a request to an agent of said third set to obtain bandwidth.
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Abstract
A management system for an ATM virtual path network in which the physical connections are provided by broadband links between ATM switches. The management system measuring current network load in individual links and virtual paths, and comprising sets of inter-communicating distributed agents for carrying out management in response to measured load and management requirements.
87 Citations
29 Claims
- 1. A management system for an ATM virtual path network having a plurality of physical connections in which said physical connections are provided by broadband links between ATM switches, and comprising electronic data processing means connectable to individual ATM switches in said ATM virtual path network and for determining current network load in individual broadband links and virtual paths of the network, said electronic data processing means providing first, second and third sets of inter-communicating distributed agents for carrying out management of the ATM switches in the system in response to measured load and management requirements, wherein each agent of said first set is associated with the virtual paths and is adapted to respond to a lack of bandwidth in one of its associated virtual paths to generate a request to an agent of said third set to obtain bandwidth.
- 13. A method of managing an ATM virtual path network having a plurality of physical connections in which said physical connections are provided by broadband links between ATM switches, and comprising electronic data processing means connectable to individual ATM switches in said ATM virtual path network and for determining current network load in individual links and virtual paths of the network, said electronic processing means providing three sets of inter-communicating distributed agents for carrying out management of the ATM switches in the virtual path network in responses to measured load and management requirements, the agents comprising a first set of distributed agents for the virtual paths of the network, a second set of distributed agents responsible for physical links, and a third set of distributed agents for handling performance events, and wherein said each agent of said first set of distributed agents is associated with a plurality of virtual paths and responds to a lack of bandwidth in one of its associated virtual paths to generate a request to an agent of said third set of distributed agents to obtain bandwidth.
- 18. A method of managing an ATM virtual path network in which the physical connections are provided by broadband links between ATM switches, and comprising measuring current network load in individual links and virtual paths, and utilizing sets of inter-communicating distributed agents for carrying out management of the network in response to measured load and management requires, comprising monitoring the links of the ATM network and determining if a bandwidth problem exists over a link, notifying a plurality of virtual path agents associated with virtual paths in the network said virtual paths agents each identifying new routes through the network that both avoid the link having the bandwidth problem and have spare capacity, and creating a new set of virtual path connections over a broadband link or a number of broadband links of the network.
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22. A topology management system for an ATM virtual path network having a plurality of physical connections in which the physical connections are provided by broadband links between ATM switches, and comprising electronic data processing means connectable to individual ATM switches in said ATM network, and providing sets of inter-communicating distributed agents for carrying out management of the ATM switches in the system in response to measured load and management requirements, and wherein said sets of inter-communicating distributed agents comprise a first set of monitor agents, each agent being associated with an individual link and being adapted:
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a) to monitor bandwidth of its associated link so as to identify bandwidth problems in the associated link; and
b) to generate a signal notifying a bandwidth problem, and a second set of virtual path agents each associated with a virtual path each virtual path agent being adapted to receive from monitor agents signals notifying bandwidth problems, and wherein each virtual path agent is adapted on receipt of a notification of a problem from a monitor agent;
c) to create a potential new route;
d) to generate a bid, the bid being based on the bandwidth to be moved to create the new route and the capacity of the new route once the bandwidth has been moved;
e) to compare bids received from other virtual path agents which have been notified of the problems by other monitor agents;
f) to select a best bid; and
g) to generate instructions for the creation of the new route.
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23. A management system for an ATM virtual path network having a plurality of physical connections in which the physical connections are provided by broad band links between ATM switches;
- and comprising electronic data processing means connectable to individual ATM switches in said ATM virtual path network, said electronic data processing means providing sets of inter-communicating distributed agents for carrying out management of the ATM switches in response to load and management requirements; and
wherein there are first, second and third sets of distributed agents provided by said electronic data processing means for carrying out bandwidth management said broadband links of the system; and
wherein;a) each agent of said first set is associated with plurality of virtual paths and is adapted to respond to a lack of bandwidth in one of its associated virtual paths to generate a request to an agent of said third set to obtain bandwidth;
b) each agent of said second set is associated with the physical links of the network;
c) each one of said third set of agents is adapted in response to a request from an agent of said first set to request information regarding the availability of bandwidth on one or more of said physical links from the agents of said second set associated with the physical links, each agent of said second set responding to a request from an agent of said third set by sending to the agent of said third set information defining availability of bandwidth on its associated link; and
d) wherein in response to bandwidth information received from each of the agents of said second set the agent of said third set is adapted to instruct each of the agents of said second set how bandwidth is to be released.
- and comprising electronic data processing means connectable to individual ATM switches in said ATM virtual path network, said electronic data processing means providing sets of inter-communicating distributed agents for carrying out management of the ATM switches in response to load and management requirements; and
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28. In an ATM virtual path network having a plurality of virtual paths, a plurality of ATM switches communicatively coupled to each other via physical connections provided by a plurality of broadband links, a method of managing the virtual path network comprising:
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measuring current network load in individual broadband links and said virtual paths;
utilizing inter-communicating distributed agents for carrying out network management in response to measured network load;
monitoring the plurality of broadband links to identify a select broadband link having a bandwidth problem;
notifying to a plurality of virtual path agents associated with the virtual paths the selected broadband link; and
enabling each of the -virtual path agents to identify and create new routes through the virtual path network over one or more of the broadband links, having spare capacity, bypassing the selected broadband link.
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29. In an ATM virtual path network having a plurality of virtual paths, a plurality of ATM switches communicatively coupled to each other via physical connections provided by a plurality of broadband links, a system for managing the virtual path network, comprising:
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electronic data processing means connectable to individual ATM switches for determining current network load in individual broadband links and virtual paths of the network;
first, second and third sets of inter-communicating distributed agents for carrying out management of the ATM switches in response to measured load and management requirements; and
wherein each agent of said first set of distributed agents is associated with the plurality of virtual paths, said agent of the first set is adapted to respond to a lack of bandwidth in one of its associated virtual paths to generate a request to an agent of said third set of distributed agents to obtain bandwidth.
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Specification