Method and apparatus for availability measurement of complex networks

• US 7,321,844 B1
• Filed: 06/26/2006
• Issued: 01/22/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• 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): Ramos-Feliciano; Eliseo
• Assistant Examiner(s): Suarez; Felix
• Application Number:
  US11/426,375
• Time in Patent Office: 575 Days
• Field of Search: 702/104, 702/109, 702/123, 702/155, 702181-183, 702/179, 702/189, 324/426, 455/67.4, 705/2, 703/14, 709/206, 714/724
• 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 and to a measurement function; measuring the system using the measurement model, wherein measuring the system comprises a plurality of measurements; collecting a plurality of pass or fail results from the plurality of measurements, wherein each one of the plurality of pass or fail results corresponds to a measurement point and to a measurement function of one or more measurements; and aggregating the plurality of pass or fail 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 and to a measurement function;

measuring said system using said measurement model, wherein said measuring said system comprises a plurality of measurements;

collecting a plurality of pass or fail results from said plurality of measurements, wherein each one of said plurality of pass or fail results corresponds to a measurement point and to a measurement function of one or more measurements; and

aggregating said plurality of pass or fail 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, wherein 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 comprising a network interface and one or more processors that are 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 a measurement point and to a measurement function, wherein said measure of said system comprises a plurality of measurements;

collect a plurality of pass or fail results from said plurality of measurements, wherein each one of said plurality of pass or fail results corresponds to a measurement point and to a measurement function of one or more measurements; and

aggregate said plurality of pass or fail results to formulate a single availability value representing the availability of said system.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein said 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 measurement points has a corresponding mathematical availability function configured to return said pass or fail result.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein 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 a measurement point and to a measurement function, wherein measuring said system comprises a plurality of measurements;

means for collecting a plurality of pass or fail results from said plurality of measurements, wherein each one of said plurality of pass or fail results corresponds to a measurement point and to a measurement function of one or more measurements; and

means for aggregating said plurality of pass or fail results to formulate a single availability value representing the availability of said system.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein said 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 measurement points has a corresponding mathematical availability function means for returning said pass or fail result.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein 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 and to a measurement function;

measuring said system using said measurement model, wherein said measuring said system comprises a plurality of measurements;

collecting a plurality of pass or fail results from said plurality of measurements, wherein each one of said plurality of pass or fail results corresponds to a measurement point and to a measurement function of one or more measurements; and

aggregating said plurality of pass or fail 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, wherein said act of measuring said system occurs at a fixed polling interval.