Network architecture with event logging

• US 6,779,031 B1
• Filed: 07/28/1999
• Issued: 08/17/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Level 3 Communications LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Level 3 Communications Incorporated (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Picher-Dempsey, Heidi
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, HANH N
• Application Number:
  US09/362,781
• Time in Patent Office: 1,847 Days
• Field of Search: 709/228, 709/229, 709/227, 709/223, 709/224, 370/230, 370/235, 370/400, 370/401, 370/392, 370/389, 370/402, 370/410, 370/353-356, 370/395.21, 370/241, 370/244, 370/248, 370/250, 705/34, 713/166, 713/164, 713/165, 713/200
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2463/121 Timestamp
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0213 Standardised network management protocols, e.g. simple network management protocol [SNMP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5032 Generating service level reports
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5051 Service on demand, e.g. definition and deployment of services in real time
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5054 Automatic deployment of services triggered by the service manager, e.g. service implementation by automatic configuration of network components
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/00 Arrangements for monitoring or testing data switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0817 by checking functioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/10 Active monitoring, e.g. heartbeat, ping or trace-route
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/106 using time related information in packets, e.g. by adding timestamps
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/02 for separating internal from external traffic, e.g. firewalls

Abstract

In a wide area network arrangement composed of a number of secure local networks and an Internet service provider (ISP) back-bone having an ISP quality of service (QoS) module and an Event Server. LAN hosts indirectly access network routers to monitor a communication session. The QoS module and the Event Server work together to identify and collect session startup/teardown events and to collect certain network router state data. The state data is stored as a Management Information Base (MIB) object that can be accessed by the ISP using ordinary Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) messaging.

Claims

1. A system for monitoring a communication session between an originating router and a destination router, comprising:

a means for periodically transmitting a state query Telnet message to the originating router, the state query Telnet message including a request for internal router information data;

a means for receiving, at a node server coupled to the originating router, state information data from the originating router in response to the state query Telnet message;

means for converting and storing the state information data as a Management Information Base (MIB)-like object;

means for monitoring the MIB-like object to detect a change in the state information data where the monitoring means includes;

a means for time-stamping the state information data upon detecting a change in the state information data; and

a means for transmitting the time-stamped state information data and the session event message; and

a means for logging a session event when the monitoring means detects the change in the state information data, wherein the logging means resides in an event server coupled to the node server and wherein the logging means includes;

a means for transmitting a Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) message from the event server to the node server;

a means for receiving state information data in response to the SNMP message; and

a means for storing the time-stamped state information data when the session event message is received.

2. A system according to claim 1, wherein the transmitting means includes;

a means for executing an expect script to generate the state query Telnet message.

3. A method for monitoring a communication session in a communication system, comprising:

periodically transmitting a state query Telnet message to the originating router, the state query Telnet message including a request for internal router information data;

receiving, at a node server coupled to the originating router, state information data from the originating router in response to the state query Telnet message;

converting the state information to a Management Information Base (MIM)-like object;

storing the MIB-like object;

monitoring the MIB-like object to detect a change in the state information data wherein monitoring includes;

time-stamping the state information data; and

transmitting the time-stamped state information data and the session event message upon determining the state information data has changed; and

logging a session event when the monitoring means detects change in the state information data, wherein the originating router is coupled to a node server, and wherein the step of logging includes;

transmitting a Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) message form an event server to the node server;

receiving, at the event server, the state information data in response to the SNMP message; and

storing the time-stamped state information data upon receiving the session event message.

4. A method according to claim 3, wherein the step of transmitting includes:

executing an expect script to generate the state query Telnet.

5. A method according to claim 3, wherein the internal node data includes node routing data and session setup data, and wherein the step of transmitting includes the substep of

requesting the node routing data and the setup data from the originating router with the SNMP message.

6. A method according to claim 3, further including the step of

continually receiving the node routing data and the setup data in response to the SNMP message.

7. A server for monitoring session events in a network communication system, having at least one router, the router comprising:

a node server module configured to periodically transmit a state query Telnet message to the originating router, the state query Telnet message including a request for internal router state data, the node server module including means for presenting a state query Telnet message to the router;

a means for storing the internal router state data received in response to the state query Telnet message as a Management Information Base (MIB)-like object;

a means for continually updating the MIB-like object upon receiving the internal router state data;

a means for time-stamping the updated MIB-like object; and

a means for transmitting the time-stamped MIB-like object and session event message to event server module when a chance occurs in the MIB-like object; and

an event server module configured to log a session event when a state change is detected in the internal router state data, wherein the event server module includes;

a means for transmitting a Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) message to the node server module, the SNMP message including a request for the internal router state data of the originating router;

a means for receiving the time-stamped MIB-like object and the session event message from the node server module in response to the SNMP message; and

a means for storing the time-stamped MIB-like object when the session event message is received.

8. A system for monitoring a communication session between an originating router and a destination router, comprising:

a means for periodically transmitting a state query message to the originating router, the state query message including a request for internal router information data;

a means for receiving, at a node server coupled to the originating router, state information data from the originating router in response to the state query message;

means for converting and storing the state information data as a Management Information Base (MIB)-like object;

a means for monitoring the MIB-like object to detect a change in the state information data; and

a means for logging a session event when the monitoring means detects the change in the state information data, wherein the logging means resides in an event server coupled to the node server and wherein the logging means includes;

a means for transmitting a Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) message form the event server to the node server;

a means for receiving state information data in response to the SNMP message; and

a means for storing the time-stamped state information data when the session event message is received.

9. A system according to claim 8, wherein the monitoring means includes:

a means for time-stamping the state information data upon detecting a change in the state information data; and

a means for transmitting the time-stamped state information data and the session event message.

10. A system according to clam 8, wherein the transmitting means includes a means for executing an expect script to generate the state query message.

11. A system for monitoring a communication session between an originating router and a destination router, comprising:

a means for periodically transmitting a state query Telnet message to the originating router, the state query Telnet message including a request for internal router information data;

a means for receiving, at a node server coupled to the originating router, state information data from the originating router in response to the state query Telnet message;

means for converting and storing the state information data as a Management Information Base (MIB)-like object;

a means for monitoring the MIB-like object to detect a change in the state information data; and

a means for logging a session event when the monitoring means detects the change in the state information data, wherein the logging means resides in an event server coupled to the node server and wherein the logging means includes;

a means for transmitting a Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) message from the event server to the node server;

a means for receiving state information data in response to the SNMP message;

a means for storing the time-stamped state information data when the session event message is received; and

wherein the SNMP message continually requests internal node data of the originating router, wherein the internal router information includes node routing data session setup data, and wherein the means for transmitting includes a means for requesting the node routing data and the setup data with the SNMP message.

12. A system according to claim 11, wherein the monitoring means includes:

a means for time-stamping the state information data upon detecting a change in the state information data; and

a means for transmitting the time-stamped state information data and the session event message.

13. A system according to claim 11, wherein the transmitting means includes:

a means for executing an expect script to generate the state query Telnet message.

14. A method for monitoring a communication session in a communication system, the method comprising:

periodically transmitting a state query Telnet message to the originating router, the state query Telnet message including a request for internal router information data;

receiving at a node server coupled to the originating router, state information data from the originating router in response to the state query Telnet message;

converting the state information to a Management Information Base (MIB)-like object;

storing the MIB-like object;

monitoring the MIB-like object to detect a change in the state information data; and

logging a session event when the monitoring means detects the change in the state information data, wherein the originating router is coupled to a node server, and wherein the step of logging includes;

transmitting a Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) message from an event server to the node server;

receiving, at the event server, the state information data in response to the SNMP message; and

storing the time-stamped state information data upon receiving the session event message.

15. A method according to claim 14, wherein the internal node data includes node routing data and session setup data, and wherein the step of transmitting includes:

requesting the node routing data and the setup data from the originating router with the SNMP message.

16. A method according to claim 15, further includes:

continually receiving the node routing data and the setup data in response to the SNMP message.

17. A method according to claim 14, wherein the transmitting includes:

executing an expect script to generate the state query Telnet.

18. A rod according to claim 14, wherein the monitoring includes:

time-stamping the state information data; and

transmitting the time-stamped state information data and the session event message upon determining the state information data has changed.