Network management system with network designing function

• US 6,510,139 B1
• Filed: 08/21/1998
• Issued: 01/21/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/22/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Yoshida, Makiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Chau
• Assistant Examiner(s): LEE, CHI HO A
• Application Number:
  US09/138,181
• Time in Patent Office: 1,614 Days
• Field of Search: 370/235, 370/238, 370/252, 370/389, 370/392, 370/400, 370/254, 370/351, 709/241, 709/220, 709/221, 709/222, 709/223, 709/224, 709/226
• US Class Current: 370/238
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0213 Standardised network management protocols, e.g. simple network management protocol [SNMP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0816 the condition being an adaptation, e.g. in response to network events
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0826 for reduction of network costs H04L41/0833 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/083 for increasing network speed
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/12 Shortest path evaluation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/125 based on throughput or bandwidth

Abstract

A network management method provides optical performance and configuration management to satisfy user demands. Network information of the network is stored for retrieval and, when inputting a plurality of user demands each for a change of performance of the network, a modified design of the network is provided based on the network information to satisfy the user demands.

Claims

1. A method for providing management of a network, comprising the steps of:

a) storing network information of the network for retrieval;

b) inputting a plurality of demands each for a change of performance of the network; and

c) providing a modified design of the network based on the network information to satisfy the demands by

c-1) producing an initially-modified design of the network by determining a minimum-cost route for each of the demands, the minimum cost routes for each of the demands being summed to produce a total cost of the initially-modified design of the network; and

c-1-i) selecting one of the demands in decreasing order of increase in performance bandwidth; and

c-1-ii) producing the initially-modified design of the network by determining a minimum-cost route for a first selected demand, and by

c-2) optimizing the initially-modified design to produce the modified design by changing the minimum-cost route for each of the demands so as to minimize the total cost of the modified design of the network by

c-2-i) selecting one of the demands in decreasing order of amount of cost decrease which would be caused by removing a demand from the initially-modified design; and

c-2-ii) removing a second selected demand from the initially-modified design to produce a temporary design; and

producing the modified design by determining a minimum-cost route for the second selected demand based on the temporary design.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the demands are selected by the steps of selecting a demand for performing steps c-1) and c-2), and selecting another demand for performing steps c-1) and c-2).

3. A method for providing management of a network comprising the steps of:

a) storing network information of the network for retrieval;

b) inputting a plurality of demands each for a change of performance of the network wherein each of the demands specifies two network elements and a required amount of traffic between the two network elements; and

c) providing a modified design of the network based on the network information to satisfy the demands by

c-1) determining a first route between the two network elements for each of the demands to produce a set of first routes in the network, wherein the first route provides minimum cost of changing settings of network elements between the two network elements included; and

c-2) changing the first route to a second route between the two network elements for each of the demands based on the set of first routes so that the second route provides minimum network cost of changing settings of network elements between the two network elements included.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the demands are selected by the steps of

selecting a demand for performing steps c-1) and c-2), and

selecting another demand for performing steps c-1) and c-2).

5. The method according to claim 3, wherein

the step c-1) comprises the steps of:

selecting one of the demands in decreasing order of the required amount of traffic; and

producing the set of first routes by determining a minimum-cost route for a first selected demand, and

the step c-2) comprises the steps of;

selecting one of the demands in decreasing order of amount of cost decrease which would be caused by removing a demand from the set of first routes;

removing a second selected demand from the set of first routes to produce a partially removed set of the first routes; and

producing the modified design by determining a minimum-cost route for the second selected demand based on the partially removed set of the first routes.

6. A system for providing management of a network, comprising:

a storage for storing network information of the network for retrieval;

an input device for inputting a plurality of demands each for a change of performance of the network; and

a network designer for providing a modified design of the network based on the network information to satisfy the demands, wherein each of the demands specifies two network elements and a required amount of traffic between the two network elements,

the network designer determines a first route between the two network elements for each of the demands to produce a set of first routes in the network, and wherein the first route provides minimum cost of changing settings of network elements between the two network elements included, and then changes the first route to a second route between the two network elements for each of the demands based on the set of first routes so that the second route provides minimum network cost of changing settings of network elements between the two network elements included.

7. The system according to claim 6, wherein the network designer produces an initially-modified design of the network by determining a minimum-cost route for each of the demands, the minimum-cost routes for each of the demands being summed to produce a total cost of the initially-modified design of the network, and then optimizes the initially-modified design to produce the modified design by changing the minimum-cost route for each of the demands so as to minimize the total cost of the modified design of the network.

8. The system according to claim 7, wherein the network designer selects one of the demands in decreasing order of increase in demanded bandwidth, produces the initially-modified design of the network by determining a minimum-cost route for a first selected demand, and then the network designer selects one of the demands in decreasing order of amount of cost decrease which would be caused by removing a demand from the initially-modified design, removes a second selected demand from the initially-modified design to produce a temporary design, and produces the modified design by determining a minimum-cost route for the second selected demand based on the temporary design.

9. The system according to claim 6, wherein the network designer selects one of the demands in decreasing order of the required amount of traffic, and produces the set of first routes by determining a minimum-cost route for a first selected demand, and then the network designer selects one of the demands in decreasing order of amount of cost decrease which would be caused by removing a demand from the set of first routes, removes a second selected demand from the set of first routes to produce a partially removed set of the first routes, and produces the modified design by determining a minimum-cost route for the second selected demand based on the partially removed set of the first routes.

10. A method for providing management of a network, comprising the steps of:

a) storing network information of the network for retrieval;

b) inputting a plurality of demands each for a change of performance of the network; and

c) producing an initially-modified design of the network by determining a minimum-cast route for each of the demands;

d) selecting one of the demands in decreasing order of amount of cost decrease which would be caused by removing a demand from the initially-modified design;

e) removing a second selected demand from the initially-modified design to produce a variable network design;

f) producing a modified design by determining a minimum-cost route for the second selected demand based on the variable network design; and

g) repeating the steps d) to f) to minimize total cost of the modified design of the network based on the variable network design.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein each of the demands specifies two network elements and a required amount of traffic between the two network elements.