QoS management apparatus

• US 6,690,649 B1
• Filed: 05/20/1999
• Issued: 02/10/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Shimada, Naohiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Olms, Douglas W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, VAN KIM T
• Application Number:
  US09/315,432
• Time in Patent Office: 1,727 Days
• Field of Search: 370/229, 370/230, 370/230.1, 370/231, 370/232, 370/235, 370/235.1, 370/237, 370/395.1, 370/395.2, 370/395.21, 370/395.5, 370/395.51, 370/414, 370/429, 370/468
• US Class Current: 370/238
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5003 Managing SLA; Interaction between SLA and QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5009 Determining service level performance parameters or violations of service level contracts, e.g. violations of agreed response time or mean time between failures [MTBF]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/2227 Quality of service monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/006 Networks other than PSTN/ISDN providing telephone service, e.g. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) , including next generation networks with a packet-switched transport layer H04L65/00 takes precedence; aspects not specific to the type of network H04M3/00; special services in those networks H04M3/42
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 370/903 Osi compliant network
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 370/905 Asynchronous transfer mode, ASN

Abstract

A QoS management apparatus in which the quality of the requested QoS for each path and different values of the state are managed. A QoS monitor, a registered QoS, and an operation determining function are provided for each path, and the QoS is precisely managed.

Claims

1. A QoS management apparatus for managing a QoS of a network including a plurality of paths for which different QoS'"'"'s are requested, comprising:

a registered QoS provided to each of the plurality of paths, the registered QoS storing a QoS value requested for the path to which it is provided;

a QoS monitor for each of the plurality of paths, each QoS monitor monitoring a current value of the QoS of its corresponding path; and

an operation determiner comparing a particular path'"'"'s current monitored QoS value with a registered QoS for the path, and determining a next operation to be performed depending on a result of the comparison.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said operation determiner comprises:

a timer measuring a continuation time of the current monitored QoS value;

a comparator comparing the current monitored QoS value at a predetermined continuation time with a registered QoS value for the path; and

an operation means performing an operation corresponding to the comparison result obtained by said comparator.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said QoS is determined by a BER, said registered QoS is a registered BER, and said QoS monitors are BER monitors.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said QoS is determined by a UAS, said registered QoS is a registered UAS, and said QoS monitors are UAS monitors.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

said QoS is determined by a time delay of data packets;

said registered QoS is a registered time delay of data packets; and

said QoS monitors monitor the time delay of data packets.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

said QoS is determined by a delay variation of data packets;

said registered QoS is a registered delay variation of data packets; and

said QoS monitors monitor the delay variation of data packets.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

said QoS is determined by a loss of data packets;

said registered QoS is a registered loss of data packets; and

said QoS monitors monitor the loss of data packets.

8. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein when a current monitored QoS value does not satisfy a value of a registered QoS, or when it is determined that there is a possibility that the current monitored QoS value does not satisfy the registered QoS, said operation means so notifies a manager, and the manager activates an operation program.

9. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein when a current monitored QoS value of a particular path does not satisfy the registered QoS of the path, or when it is determined that there is a possibility of the current monitored QoS value not satisfying the registered QoS value, said operation means activates an operation program.

10. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said operation program contains a route amendment program that reroutes the path, said route amendment program optimally utilizing network resources, and said route amendment program being executed taking into consideration any deterioration of the QoS caused by rerouting of the path.

11. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said operation program contains a route amendment program that reroutes the path, said route amendment program optimally utilizing network resources, and said route amendment program being executed taking into consideration any deterioration of the QoS caused by rerouting the path.

12. A QoS management apparatus that manages a QoS of a network including a plurality of paths for which different QoS'"'"'s are requested, comprising:

means for dividing said plurality of paths into a plurality of service groups, and a service group comprising a path or a group of paths having a plurality of QoS requests similar to each other;

a registered QoS, provided for each of said plurality of service groups, said registered QoS storing a value of a QoS requested for the service group;

a QoS monitor, provided for each of said plurality of service groups, each QoS monitor monitoring a current value of the QoS of each path belonging to the service group by a time sharing system; and

an operation determiner, provided for each of said plurality of service groups, said determiner comparing the current monitored QoS value of a particular service group with the registered QoS of a particular service group, and determining a next operation to be performed according to a result of the comparison.

13. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein when the current monitored QoS value of a particular path in any of the service groups becomes lower than a registered QoS for the service group, said operation determiner determines that the QoS for the service group is not satisfactory.

14. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein when current monitored QoS values for all paths of the service groups become lower than a registered QoS of the service group, said operation determiner determines that a QoS requested for the service group is not satisfactory.

15. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein when, in the service group, a number of paths whose current values of QoS are lower than a registered QoS of the service group becomes larger than a number of paths whose current monitored QoS values satisfy a QoS registered value of the service group, said operation determiner determines that a QoS requested for the service group is not satisfactory.

16. A QoS management apparatus that manages a QoS comprising:

a common line through which various services for which different QoS'"'"'s are requested are transmitted; and

a manager that manages a QoS corresponding to a particular service depending on a value of the QoS requested for the service.