Network management system based on passive monitoring and proactive management for formulation behavior state transition models

• US 6,405,250 B1
• Filed: 01/25/1999
• Issued: 06/11/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/25/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: WSOU Investments, LLC (WSOU Holdings, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Netravali, Arun Narayan, Lin, Yow-Jian, Sabnani, Krishan Kumar
• Primary Examiner(s): Geckil, Mehmet B.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Prieto, Beatriz
• Application Number:
  US09/236,508
• Time in Patent Office: 1,233 Days
• Field of Search: 709/223, 709/224, 709/202, 370/216, 370/252, 370/236, 700/29, 700/30
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/046 comprising network management agents or mobile agents therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0609 based on severity or priority
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0654 using network fault recovery ring fault isolation or reconfiguration in loop networks without recovery actions by a network management system H04L12/437
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0893 Assignment of logical groups to network elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/147 for predicting network behaviour
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/065 related to network devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0817 by checking functioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0823 Errors, e.g. transmission errors
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0888 Throughput
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/16 Threshold monitoring

Abstract

A network management system (NMS) and method is arranged for monitoring, controlling and managing a network that includes a set of interconnected network elements (NEs). A management agent in each NE interacts with the NMS on behalf of the NE. The system and method utilizes (a) a behavior transition model based on NE status or “health” indicators for passive monitoring, (b) a status updating mechanism with adjustable or “tunable” parameters based on operating conditions, (c) a derivation procedure for correlating ripple effects, and (d) an early-warning model for proactive management.

Claims

1. A method of managing the operation of a network, said network including a plurality of interconnected network elements (NE'"'"'s) and a network management system (NMS), said method comprising the steps of

defining for each of said NE'"'"'s, an associated set of (a) possible operating states based on a selected set of measurement parameters, and (b) transitions between said states, wherein said state transitions each have associated potential causes for said NE'"'"'s to move from one operating state to another operating state, thereby formulating an element behavior macro model of said NE that (a) defines the operating regions of said NE as a function of combinations of selected parameter values, and (b) describes the causes for transitions among said operating region;

in each of said NE'"'"'s, periodically transmitting a report including a selected set of measurement data, said state information and said transition information to said NMS;

correlating transitions for multiple ones of said NE'"'"'s to derive a combined model of said network;

in said NMS, conducting a trend analysis based upon said combined model and said periodic reports from said NE'"'"'s; and

initiating management corrective actions in response to said transitions in said combined model and said trend analysis.

2. A method for managing a network that includes set of interconnected network elements (NEs) and a network management system (NMS), including the steps of

establishing a management agent in each NE to interact with the NMS on behalf of the NE,

formulating a behavior transition model based on NE status indicators, said model being an element behavior macro model that defines the operating regions of each NE as a function of combinations of selected parameter values and that describes the causes for transitions among said operating regions,

updating the status indicators based on operating conditions,

correlating ripple effects, and

proactively managing said network using an early-warning model for proactive management.

3. The invention defined in claim 2 wherein the NMS and the agents of the NEs collaboratively decide a proper communication strategy in terms of status updating frequency and details.

4. The invention defined in claim 2 wherein communication strategies are adjusted based on macro models of individual NEs as well as of the entire network.

5. The invention defined in claim 2 wherein the management information communicated between the NE and the NMS can be fine-grained or coarse, depending on the status of said NE.

6. The invention defined in claim 2 wherein the frequency of said updating step depends on the status of said NE.

7. The invention defined in claim 2 wherein said updating rules are varied as a function of transitions among operating regions.

8. The invention defined in claim 7 wherein said changes in updating rules can be manually overridden.

9. A method of managing the operation of a network, said network including a plurality of interconnected network elements (NE'"'"'s) and a network management system (NMS), each of said NE'"'"'s having an associated set of possible abnormal operating states and a set of transitions between states, said set of abnormal operating states being based on a selected set of measurement parameters, wherein said state transitions represent potential causes for said NE'"'"'s to move from one operating state to another operating state, and wherein said states and said transitions are used to formulate an element behavior macro model for each of said NE'"'"'s, said method comprising the steps of

in each of said NE'"'"'s, periodically transmitting a report including a selected set of measurement data, to said NMS;

correlating transitions of said NE'"'"'s to derive a combined model of said network;

in said NMS, conducting a trend analysis based upon said combined model and said periodic reports from said NE'"'"'s; and

initiating management corrective actions in response to said transitions in said combined model and said trend analysis.

10. The invention defined in claim 9 wherein said NMS instructs said NEs to alter either the frequency or the degree of details for the reporting performed in step (a).

11. The invention defined in claim 9 wherein said correlating step takes into account the effect of operating state changes in one NE on at least one other NE.

12. The invention defined in claim 9 wherein said management corrective actions includes probing, reconfiguration, recovery, or alarm notification.

13. The invention defined in claim 9 wherein said NEs periodically report a selected set of measurement data to said NMS.

14. The invention defined in claim 9 wherein said NMS instructs said NEs to alter frequency as well as the degree of details for the reporting.

15. The invention defined in claim 9 wherein each NE is modeled as a set of possible abnormal operating states and a set of transitions between said states.

16. The invention defined in claim 15 wherein said set of abnormal operating states is based on a selected set of measurement parameters.

17. The invention defined in claim 9 wherein said transitions represent potential causes for one of said NE'"'"'s to move from one operating state to another operating state.