Method and apparatus for availability measurement of complex networks

• US 7,069,180 B1
• Filed: 05/11/2004
• Issued: 06/27/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Trucano-Harp, James, Holley, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Hoff, Marc S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): SUAREZ, FELIX E
• Application Number:
  US10/844,268
• Time in Patent Office: 777 Days
• Field of Search: 702/127, 702/132, 702/182, 702/186, 702/188, 702/189, 702/183, 702/198, 370/241, 709/224, 714/37
• US Class Current: 702/182
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0213 Standardised network management protocols, e.g. simple network management protocol [SNMP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0805 by checking availability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/16 Threshold monitoring

Abstract

A method for performing an availability measurement on a networked system comprising: identifying at least one measurement point in the system; defining a measurement model configured to return a pass or fail result corresponding to a threshold sensed at the at least one measurement point; measuring the system using the measurement model; populating a table with results from the measurement, the table including rows corresponding to measurement points and columns corresponding to measurement functions for multiple measurements; and aggregating the measurement criteria row results to formulate a single availability value representing the availability of the system.

Claims

1. A method for performing an availability measurement on a networked system comprising:

identifying at least one measurement point in the system;

defining a measurement model configured to return a pass or fail result corresponding to a threshold sensed at said at least one measurement point;

measuring said system using said measurement model;

populating a table with results from said measurement, said table including rows corresponding to measurement points and columns corresponding to measurement functions for multiple measurements; and

aggregating said measurement criteria row results to formulate a single availability value representing the availability of said system.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said at least one measurement point includes a group of measurement points defined by bounded areas of said system.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein each of said at least one measurement point has a corresponding mathematical availability function configured to return said pass or fail result.

4. The method of claim 3, where said act of measuring said system occurs at a fixed polling interval.

5. An apparatus for performing an availability measurement on a networked system comprising:

a computer coupled to the networked system and configured to;

measure said system using a measurement model, said measurement model configured to return a pass or fail result corresponding to a threshold sensed at least one measurement point;

populate a table with results from said measurement, said table including rows corresponding to measurement points and columns corresponding to measurement functions for multiple measurements; and

aggregate said measurement criteria row results to formulate a single availability value representing the availability of said system.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein said at least one measurement point includes a group of measurement points defined by bounded areas of said system.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein each of said at least one measurement point has a corresponding mathematical availability function configured to return said pass or fail result.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, where said measuring said system occurs at a fixed polling interval.

9. An apparatus for performing an availability measurement on a networked system comprising:

means for measuring said system using a measurement model, said measurement model including means for returning a pass or fail result corresponding to a threshold sensed at least one measurement point;

means for populating a table with results from said measurement, said table including rows corresponding to measurement points and columns corresponding to measurement functions for multiple measurements; and

means for aggregating said measurement criteria row results to formulate a single availability value representing the availability of said system.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein said at least one measurement point includes a group of measurement points defined by bounded areas of said system.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein each of said at least one measurement point has a corresponding mathematical availability function means for returning said pass or fail result.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, where said measuring means include means for measuring said system at fixed polling interval.

13. A program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform a method for performing an availability measurement on a networked system, the method comprising:

identifying at least one measurement point in the system;

defining a measurement model configured to return a pass or fail result corresponding to a threshold sensed at said at least one measurement point;

measuring said system using said measurement model;

populating a table with results from said measurement, said table including rows corresponding to measurement points and columns corresponding to measurement functions for multiple measurements; and

aggregating said measurement criteria row results to formulate a single availability value representing the availability of said system.

14. The device of claim 13, wherein said at least one measurement point includes a group of measurement points defined by bounded areas of said system.

15. The device of claim 14, wherein each of said at least one measurement point has a corresponding mathematical availability function configured to return said pass or fail result.

16. The device of claim 15, where said act of measuring said system occurs at a fixed polling interval.