Method and system for alert throttling in media quality monitoring

• US 7,606,149 B2
• Filed: 04/19/2006
• Issued: 10/20/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Systems, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Sivachelvan, Chelliah, Kumar, Rajesh, Biskner, Robert J., Ethier, Randall P. J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Jain; Raj K
• Application Number:
  US11/379,312
• Publication Number:
  US 20070248022A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,280 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/229
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0604 using filtering, e.g. reduction of information by using priority, element types, position or time
• 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: H04L 43/00 Arrangements for monitoring or testing data switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/06 Generation of reports
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0829 Packet loss
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0852 Delays
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/087 Jitter
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/16 Threshold monitoring

Abstract

A method for alert throttling in media quality monitoring, includes monitoring a plurality of active communication sessions. Each active communication session is between at least two endpoints. The method also includes detecting at least one quality-impacted communication session out of the plurality of active communication sessions. The method also includes generating a first alert for each detected quality-impacted communication session out of the plurality of active communication sessions until a first throttling number of quality-impacted communication sessions is detected out of the plurality of active communication sessions. Upon detecting the first throttling number of quality-impacted communication sessions, the method includes generating a second alert for each group of additional second number of quality-impacted communication sessions detected out of the plurality of active communication sessions.

Claims

1. A method for alert throttling in media quality monitoring, comprising:

monitoring at an interface, a plurality of active communication sessions, each active communication session between at least two endpoints;

detecting at an interface, at least one quality-impacted communication session out of the plurality of active communication sessions;

generating by a processor, a first alert for each detected quality-impacted communication session out of the plurality of active communication sessions until a first throttling number of quality-impacted communication sessions is detected out of the plurality of active communication sessions; and

upon detecting the first throttling number of quality-impacted communication sessions generating by the processor, a second alert for each group of additional second number of quality-impacted communication sessions detected out of the plurality of active communication sessions.

2. The method of claim 1:

wherein generating a second alert for each group of additional second number of quality-impacted communication sessions detected comprises generating a second alert for each group of additional second number of quality-impacted communication sessions detected until a second throttling number of quality-impacted communication sessions is detected out of the plurality of active communication sessions; and

further comprising, upon detecting the second throttling number of quality-impacted communication sessions out of the plurality of active communication sessions, generating a third alert for each group of additional third number of quality-impacted communication sessions detected out of the plurality of active communication sessions.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein:

generating a first alert comprises performing a consequent action; and

generating a second alert comprises performing an aggregate consequent action.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein generating a first alert comprises generating a report comprising session-specific details of the at least one quality-impacted communication session.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein generating a second alert comprises generating a report comprising aggregate details of the second number of quality-impacted communication sessions.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising, after generating second alerts for each group of additional second number of quality-impacted communication sessions detected, generating a first alert for each detected quality-impacted communication session out of the plurality of active communication sessions when a number of quality-impacted communication sessions detected out of the plurality of active communication sessions is equal to or less than a hysteresis number, the hysteresis number less than the first throttling number.

7. A system for alert throttling in media quality monitoring, comprising:

an interface operable to;

monitor a plurality of active communication sessions, each active communication session between at least two endpoints; and

detect at least one quality-impacted communication session out of the plurality of active communication sessions; and

a processor coupled to the interface and operable to;

generate a first alert for each detected quality-impacted communication session out of the plurality of communication sessions until a first throttling number of quality-impacted communication sessions is detected out of the plurality of active communication sessions; and

upon detecting the first throttling number of quality-impacted communication sessions, generate a second alert for each group of additional second number of quality-impacted communication sessions detected out of the plurality of active communication sessions.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein:

the processor operable to generate a second alert for each group of additional second number of quality-impacted communication sessions detected comprises a processor operable to generate a second alert for each group of additional second number of quality-impacted communication sessions detected until a second throttling number of quality-impacted communication sessions is detected out of the plurality of active communication sessions; and

the processor is further operable to, upon detecting the second throttling number of quality-impacted communication sessions out of the plurality of active communication sessions, generate a third alert for each group of additional third number of quality-impacted communication sessions detected out of the plurality of active communication sessions.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the processor operable to:

generate a first alert comprises a processor operable to perform a consequent action; and

generate a second alert comprises a processor operable to perform an aggregate consequent action.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the processor operable to generate a first alert comprises a processor operable to generate a report comprising session-specific details of the at least one quality-impacted communication session.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein the processor operable to generate a second alert comprises a processor operable to generate a report comprising aggregate details of the second number of quality-impacted communication sessions.

12. The system of claim 7, wherein the processor is further operable to, after generating second alerts for each group of additional second number of quality-impacted communication sessions detected, generate a first alert for each detected quality-impacted communication session out of the plurality of active communication sessions detected when a number of quality-impacted communication sessions detected out of the plurality of active communication sessions is equal to or less than a hysteresis number, the hysteresis number less than the first throttling number.

13. A computer readable medium encoded with computer software, executed by a processor to perform steps to:

monitor at an interface, a plurality of active communication sessions, each active communication session between at least two endpoints;

detect at an interface, at least one quality-impacted communication session out of the plurality of active communication sessions;

generate by the processor, a first alert for each detected quality-impacted communication session out of the plurality of active communication sessions until a first throttling number of quality-impacted communication sessions is detected out of the plurality of active communication sessions; and

upon detecting the first throttling number of quality-impacted communication sessions, generate by the processor, a second alert for each group of additional second number of quality-impacted communication sessions detected out of the plurality of active communication sessions.

14. The computer software executed by the processor of claim 13, further comprising steps to:

generate a second alert for each group of additional second number of quality-impacted communication sessions detected until a second throttling number of quality-impacted communication sessions is detected out of the plurality of active communication sessions; and

upon detecting the second throttling number of quality-impacted communication sessions out of the plurality of active communication sessions, generate a third alert for each group of additional third number of quality-impacted communication sessions detected out of the plurality of active communication sessions.

15. The computer software executed by the processor of claim 13, further comprising steps to:

generate a first alert to perform a consequent action; and

generate a second alert to perform an aggregate consequent action.

16. The computer software executed by the processor of claim 13, further comprising steps to:

generate a first alert, and to generate a report comprising session-specific details of the at least one quality-impacted communication session.

17. The computer software executed by the processor of claim 13, further comprising steps to:

generate a second alert, and to generate a report comprising aggregate details of the second number of quality-impacted communication sessions.

18. The computer software executed by the processor of claim 13, further comprising steps to:

after generating second alerts for each group of additional second number of quality-impacted communication sessions detected, generate a first alert for each detected quality-impacted communication session out of the plurality of active communication sessions when a number of quality-impacted communication sessions detected out of the plurality of active communication sessions is equal to or less than a hysteresis number, the hysteresis number less than the first throttling number.

19. A system for alert throttling in media quality monitoring, comprising:

means for monitoring a plurality of active communication sessions, each active communication session between at least two endpoints;

means for detecting at least one quality-impacted communication session out of the plurality of active communication sessions;

means for generating a first alert for each detected quality-impacted communication session out of the plurality of active communication sessions until a first throttling number of quality-impacted communication sessions is detected out of the plurality of active communication sessions; and

means for upon detecting the first throttling number of quality-impacted communication sessions, generating a second alert for each group of additional second number of quality-impacted communication sessions detected out of the plurality of active communication sessions.