Orphaned network resource recovery through targeted audit and reconciliation

• US 7,421,493 B1
• Filed: 04/28/2003
• Issued: 09/02/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Adams, Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): Caldwell; Andrew
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ailes; Benjamin A
• Application Number:
  US10/424,626
• Time in Patent Office: 1,954 Days
• Field of Search: 709/223, 709/224, 709/226, 714/4, 714/45, 714/47, 455/435.1, 370/254
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0654 using network fault recovery ring fault isolation or reconfiguration in loop networks without recovery actions by a network management system H04L12/437
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/145 involving simulating, designing, planning or modelling of a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5019 Ensuring fulfilment of SLA
• 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 67/025 for remote control or remote monitoring of applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A method of recovering orphaned network resources in a network service having a network model. An audit state for each resource of the network service that is included in the network model can be identified. The audit states can include confirmed, unconfirmed, and suspect. The confirmed audit state indicates that evidence has been gathered for a resource of the network service that verifies the accuracy of the network model, the suspect audit state indicates that evidence has been gathered for a resource of the network service that challenges the accuracy of the network model, and the unconfirmed audit state indicates that no evidence has yet been gathered to indicate a resource of the network service as confirmed or suspect. The audit state for each resource can be stored and this information can be coupled with other information regarding the resource. The network service can be redesigned using only resources with a confirmed audit state and then reconfigured to correspond with the redesign. Resources with a confirmed audit state that were not used in the reconfigured network service can be made available for reuse. Resources that had a suspect audit state in the network service before the reconfiguration of the network service and that are not used in the reconfigured network service can be identified as orphans. Orphan recovery procedures can be performed on the orphans.

Claims

1. A method of recovering orphaned network resources in a network service having a network model comprising:

identifying an audit state for each resource of the network service that is included in the network model wherein the possible audit states comprise confirmed, unconfirmed, and suspect, wherein the confirmed audit state indicates that evidence has been gathered for a resource of the network service that verifies the accuracy of the network model, the suspect audit state indicates that evidence has been gathered for a resource of the network service that challenges the accuracy of the network model, and the unconfirmed audit state indicates that no evidence has yet been gathered to indicate a resource of the network service as confirmed or suspect;

storing the audit state for each resource and coupling the stored audit state information with information regarding the resource associated with the network model;

in response to the audit state of at least one resource of the network service being identified as suspect, redesigning the network model of the network service using only resources with the confirmed audit state;

reconfiguring the network service to correspond with the redesigned network model;

making available for reuse resources with the confirmed audit state that were not used in the reconfigured network service; and

identifying as orphans resources that had the suspect audit state in the network service before the reconfiguration of the network service and that are not used in the reconfigured network service.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein orphan recovery procedures are performed on the orphans.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein orphan recovery procedures are selected from a group of procedures comprising:

monitoring network traffic through the orphan;

quarantining the orphan;

monitoring alarm patterns related to the orphan; and

checking the loop-back status of the orphan.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the orphan recovery procedure of monitoring alarm patterns related to the orphan further comprises monitoring maintenance and troubleshooting activities related to the orphan.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the orphan recovery procedure of checking the loop-back status of the orphan further comprises checking maintenance and troubleshooting activities related to the orphan.

6. The method of claim 3 wherein orphan recovery procedures include each of a group of procedures comprising:

monitoring network traffic through the orphan;

quarantining the orphan; and

monitoring alarm patterns related to the orphan.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the orphan recovery procedures are automated orphan recovery procedures.

8. The method of claim 2 wherein orphans that automated orphan recovery procedures determine to be inactive are made available for other use.

9. The method of claim 2 wherein orphans that orphan recovery procedures determine to be active are left in service.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

identifying another network service to which an active orphan belongs;

redesigning a network model of the other network service without the orphan;

reconfiguring the other network service to correspond with the redesigned network model of the other network service without the orphan;

performing orphan recovery procedures on the orphan; and

making the orphan available for other use when orphan recovery procedures determine the orphan to be inactive and leaving the orphan in service when orphan recovery procedures determine the orphan to be active.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the method is repeated until the orphan is made available for other use.

12. The method of claim 6 further comprising direct one-to-one intervention to inspect orphans that automated orphan recovery procedures cannot determine to be active or inactive.

13. The method of claim 6 further comprising performing a physical inspection of orphans that orphan recovery procedures cannot determine to be active or inactive.

14. The method of claim 2 further comprising performing a physical inspection of orphans that orphan recovery procedures cannot determine to be active or inactive.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein orphans that physical inspection determines to be inactive are made available for other use and orphans that physical inspection determines to be active are left in service.

16. A method of recovering orphaned network resources in a network having a network model comprising:

identifying an audit state for each resource of network services that are included in the network model, wherein the possible audit states comprise confirmed, unconfirmed, and suspect, wherein the confirmed audit state indicates that evidence has been gathered for a resource of the network service that verifies the accuracy of the network model, the suspect audit state indicates that evidence has been gathered for a resource of the network service that challenges the accuracy of the network model, and the unconfirmed audit state indicates that no evidence has yet been gathered to indicate a resource of the network service as confirmed or suspect;

storing the audit state for each resource and coupling the stored audit state information with information regarding the resource associated with the network model;

identifying at least one of the network services using at least one resource with the suspect audit state;

redesigning a portion of the network model corresponding with the at least one of the network services using only resources with the confirmed audit state;

reconfiguring the at least one of the network services to correspond with the redesigned portion of the network model;

making available for reuse resources with the confirmed audit state that were not used in the at least one reconfigured network service;

identifying as orphans resources that had the suspect audit state in the network service before the reconfiguration of the at least one of the network services and that are not used in the at least one reconfigured network service; and

performing orphan recovery procedures on the orphans.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein orphan recovery procedures are selected from a group of procedures comprising:

monitoring network traffic through the orphan;

quarantining the orphan;

monitoring alarm patterns related to the orphan; and

checking the loop-back status of the orphan.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein the identifying of at least one of the network services using at least one resource with the suspect audit state comprises:

identifying a resource with the suspect audit state being used by a plurality of the network services and identifying all of the plurality of network services using the identified suspect resource;

wherein the redesigning comprises redesigning a first portion of the network model corresponding with a first identified network service of the plurality of network services using only resources with a confirmed audit state; and

wherein the reconfiguring comprises reconfiguring the first identified network service to correspond with the redesigned first portion of the network model.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising individually redesigning and reconfiguring additional identified network services of the plurality of network services that are using the identified suspect resource until the suspect resource is recovered.

20. The method of claim 16 wherein the identifying of at least one of the network services using at least one resource with the suspect audit state comprises:

identifying a resource with the suspect audit state being used by multiple network services and identifying all of the multiple network services using the identified suspect resource;

wherein the redesigning comprises redesigning the portion of the network model corresponding with all of the identified multiple network services using only resources with the confirmed audit state; and

wherein the reconfiguring comprises reconfiguring all of the identified multiple network services to correspond with the redesigned portion of the network model.

21. The method of claim 16 wherein the method is repeated until no network services remain which use a resource with the suspect audit state.

22. The method of claim 16 wherein the method is repeated until an aggregate audit state of the network model is below a predefined threshold.