Integration of a centralized network restoration system with a distributed network restoration system

• US 6,556,538 B1
• Filed: 12/31/1996
• Issued: 04/29/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: MCI Communications Corporation (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Croslin, William D.
• Primary Examiner(s): ZIMMERMAN, BRIAN A
• Application Number:
  US08/775,221
• Time in Patent Office: 2,310 Days
• Field of Search: 370/216, 370/220, 370/242, 370/244, 370/250, 370/225, 370/396, 370/398, 340/825.03, 340/825.06, 340/825.16, 379/221.03, 379/221.04, 714/4
• US Class Current: 370/216
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0079 involving restoration of networks, e.g. disaster recovery, self-healing networks

Abstract

A centralized restoration system and a distributed restoration system for restoring a network are integrated. Trunks within the network that have failed are first processed by the distributed restoration system to attempt restoration of the failed trunks. Trunks that cannot be restored by the distributed restoration system and trunks that are designated for restoration by the centralized restoration system are then restored by the centralized restoration system. The centralized restoration system and distributed restoration system communicate to keep each other aware of their respective actions. Mechanisms are utilized to prevent conflict between the two types of restoration systems. The integration of the two types of restoration systems causes high-priority trunks to be quickly restored by the distributed restoration system and lower-priority trunks to be restored by the centralized restoration system to balance the workload of restoration.

Claims

1. In a network having interconnected nodes that communicate with each other, a method comprising the steps of:

providing a centralized restoration system having a computer system for restoring the network from failure;

providing a distributed restoration system having multiple restoration nodes for restoring the network from failure;

upon failure in the network, first attempting to restore the network using the distributed restoration system, wherein the distributed restoration system informs the centralized restoration system of a successful restoration of the network to prevent the centralized restoration system from attempting to restore the network; and

if the distributed restoration system fails to restore the network, restoring the network using the centralized restoration system.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein multiple failures have occurred in the network, wherein the distributed restoration system restores the network from at least one of the failures and the centralized restoration system restores the network from at least one of the failures.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the nodes are connected by trunks and wherein the method further comprises the step of assigning at least one selected trunk for restoration by the distributed restoration system.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the network is a telecommunications network.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the distributed restoration system attempts to restore the network from the failure by attempting to formulate by the restoration nodes a restoral path among the nodes that bypasses the failure.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the distributed restoration system dynamically attempts to formulate the restoral path upon the failure of the network.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the centralized restoration system restores the network from the failure by dynamically determining a restoral path among the nodes for bypassing the failure.

8. In a network having interconnected nodes that communicate with each other via trunks, a method comprising the steps of:

providing a centralized restoration system having a computer system for restoring the network from failure;

providing a distributed restoration system having multiple restoration nodes for restoring the network from failure;

if the distributed restoration system fails to restore the network, restoring the network using the centralized restoration system, wherein one of the trunks is assigned for restoration by the centralized restoration system when the one trunk fails; and

if the failure is on the one trunk, preventing attempted restoration by the distributed restoration system.

9. A method of restoring a network having a plurality of nodes, the method comprising:

detecting a given failure with the network;

setting a timer upon detection of the given failure;

receiving an indication from a distributed restoration system that a centralized restoration system needs to restore the network from the given failure; and

upon expiration of the timer, restoring the network from the given failure by the centralized restoration system.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the indication that the centralized restoration system needs to restore the network from the given failure is an indication the distributed restoration system was unsuccessful in restoring the network from the given failure.

11. The method of claims 9 wherein restoring the network from the given failure comprises determining a restoral route among the nodes for bypassing the failure and implementing the restoral route.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein implementing the restoral route comprises sending commands to at least some of the nodes from the centralized restoration system.

13. A method of restoring a network having a plurality of nodes, the method comprising:

detecting a given failure with the network that includes trunks that interconnect the nodes;

receiving an indication from a distributed restoration system that a centralized restoration system needs to restore the network from the given failure; and

restoring the network from the given failure, wherein the given failure includes failure of multiple trunks, and the centralized restoration prioritizes the trunks that failed and restores the trunks in sequence based on priorities of the trunks.

14. A method of restoring a network having a plurality of nodes, the method comprising:

detecting a given failure with the network;

receiving an indication from a distributed restoration system that a centralized restoration system needs to restore the network from the given failure; and

restoring the network from the given failure, including,

determining a restoral route among the nodes for bypassing the failure and implementing the restoral route, and

if a selected command sent to the nodes is not successful, determining whether the failure of the selected command is due to actions by the distributed restoration system.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein if the failure of the selected command is due to actions by the distributed restoration system, waiting a predetermined period of time before continuing with restoration by the centralized restoration system.

16. In a network having interconnected nodes that communicate with each other, a computer-readable medium holding computer-executable instructions for performing a method comprising the steps of:

providing a centralized restoration system having a computer system for restoring the network from failure;

providing a distributed restoration system having multiple restoration nodes for restoring the network from failure;

upon failure in the network, first attempting to restore the network using the distributed restoration system, wherein the distributed restoration system informs the centralized restoration system of a successful restoration of the network to prevent the centralized restoration system from attempting to restore the network; and

if the distributed restoration system fails to restore the network, restoring the network using the centralized restoration system.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 16 wherein multiple failures have occurred in the network, wherein the distributed restoration system restores the network from at least one of the failures and the centralized restoration system restores the network from at least one of the failures.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 16 wherein the distributed restoration system attempts to restore the network from the failure by attempting to formulate by the restoration nodes a restoral path among the nodes that bypasses the failure.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 18 wherein the distributed restoration system dynamically attempts to formulate the restoral path upon the failure of the network.

20. A method for supporting central and distributed restoration of a network, the method comprising:

upon failure in the network, initiating restoration of the network using a distributed restoration system that selectively informs a centralized restoration system of a successful restoration of the network to prevent the centralized restoration system from initiating restoration of the network; and

if the distributed restoration system fails to restore the network, restoring the network using the centralized restoration system.