Method and apparatus for monitoring and maintaining user-perceived quality of service in a communications network
First Claim
1. A method for preventing degraded quality of service at a user computer coupled to a communications network, comprising:
- gathering a plurality of system parameters from a plurality of devices within the communications network, wherein the plurality of system parameters gathered from the plurality of devices within the communications network relate to one or more occurrences of degraded quality of service perceived by a user at the user computer;
identifying one or more system phenomena that occur within the communications network based on the plurality of system parameters gathered from the plurality of devices within the communications network, wherein the identified system phenomena coincide with the one or more occurrences of degraded quality of service previously perceived by the user at the user computer;
monitoring one or more of the plurality of system parameters on one or more of the plurality of devices within the communications network to detect a trend towards an occurrence of the identified system phenomena within the communications network, wherein one or more monitors installed in the communications network perform the monitoring remotely from the user computer;
inferring an impending onset of degraded quality of service at the user computer in response to the one or more monitors detecting the trend towards the occurrence of the identified system phenomena from the monitored system parameters; and
raising an alarm in response to the one or more monitors detecting the trend towards the occurrence of the identified system phenomena from the monitored system parameters, wherein the alarm alerts a network management system of the inferred impending onset of degraded quality of service at the user computer, whereby the network management system can prevent the inferred impending onset of degraded quality of service from occurring at the user computer.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method and apparatus for managing data, voice, application, and video services allows anticipation of poor quality of service from a remote management station, in order to allow correction of the cause before the end user perceives service quality degradation. Specific system phenomena are identified that coincide with user-perceived service degradation in a particular network. The network is then monitored for the occurrence of those phenomena. Incipient or existing user-perceived quality of service degradation is inferred from the occurrence of one or more of those phenomena and action is taken to avoid and/or correct the degraded service quality condition. In a preferred embodiment, as many of the steps as possible are performed automatically by a network management system. In one embodiment, a close correlation is assumed between application data buffer over-extension and poor quality of service from a user'"'"'s point of view. In this embodiment, a monitor is placed on the application data buffer that raises an alarm for a network management system whenever the buffer is close to over-extension or an algorithm identifies a trend towards over-extension.
61 Citations
28 Claims
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1. A method for preventing degraded quality of service at a user computer coupled to a communications network, comprising:
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gathering a plurality of system parameters from a plurality of devices within the communications network, wherein the plurality of system parameters gathered from the plurality of devices within the communications network relate to one or more occurrences of degraded quality of service perceived by a user at the user computer; identifying one or more system phenomena that occur within the communications network based on the plurality of system parameters gathered from the plurality of devices within the communications network, wherein the identified system phenomena coincide with the one or more occurrences of degraded quality of service previously perceived by the user at the user computer; monitoring one or more of the plurality of system parameters on one or more of the plurality of devices within the communications network to detect a trend towards an occurrence of the identified system phenomena within the communications network, wherein one or more monitors installed in the communications network perform the monitoring remotely from the user computer; inferring an impending onset of degraded quality of service at the user computer in response to the one or more monitors detecting the trend towards the occurrence of the identified system phenomena from the monitored system parameters; and raising an alarm in response to the one or more monitors detecting the trend towards the occurrence of the identified system phenomena from the monitored system parameters, wherein the alarm alerts a network management system of the inferred impending onset of degraded quality of service at the user computer, whereby the network management system can prevent the inferred impending onset of degraded quality of service from occurring at the user computer. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 13, 14, 17, 20, 23, 26)
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5. A method for preventing degraded quality of service at a user computer coupled to a communications network, comprising:
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gathering a plurality of system parameters from a plurality of devices within the communications network, wherein the plurality of system parameters gathered from the plurality of devices within the communications network relate to one or more occurences of degraded quality of service perceived by a user at the user computer; monitoring one or more of the plurality of system parameters on one or more of the plurality of devices within the communications network to detect a trend towards an occurrence of at least one application data buffer re-flush within the communications network, wherein one or more monitors installed in the communications network perform the monitoring remotely from the user computer, and wherein the application data buffer re-flush coincides with the one or more occurrences of degraded quality of service previously perceived by the user at the user computer based on the gathered data; inferring an impending onset of degraded quality of service at the user computer in response to the one or more monitors detecting the trend towards the occurrence of the application data buffer re-flush from the monitored system parameters; and raising an alarm in response to the one or more monitors detecting the trend towards the occurrence of the application data buffer re-flush from the monitored system parameters, wherein the alarm alerts a network management system of the inferred impending onset of degraded quality of service at the user computer, whereby the network management system can prevent the inferred impending onset of degraded quality of service from occurring at the user computer. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 15, 16, 18, 21, 24, 27)
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9. An apparatus for preventing degraded quality of service at a user computer coupled to a communcations network, comprising:
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at least one monitor that monitors one or more system parameters on one or more devices within the communications network to detect a trend towards an occurrence of one or more system phenomena within the communications network, wherein the at least one monitor is installed within the communications network remotely from the user computer; and a network management system in communication with the at least one monitor, wherein the network management system comprises at least one processor configured to; gather a plurality of system parameters that include at least the one or more monitored system parameters from a plurality of devices that include at least the one or more devices within the communications network, wherein the plurality of system parameters gathered from the plurality of devices within the communications network relate to one or more occurences of degraded quality of service perceived by a user at the user computer; identify the one or more system phenomena that occur within the communications network based on the plurality of system parameters gathered from the plurality of devices within the communications network wherein the identified system phenomena coincide with the one or more occurrences of degraded quality of service previously perceived by the user at the user computer; infer an impending onset of degraded quality of service at the user computer in response to the at least monitor detecting the trend towards the occurrence of the identified system phenomena from the monitored system parameters; and raise an alarm in response to the at least one monitor detecting the trend towards the occurrence of the identified system phenomena from the monitored system parameters, wherein the alarm alerts the network management system of the inferred impending onset of degraded quality of service at the user computer, whereby the network management system can prevent the inferred impending onset of degraded quality of service from occurring at the user computer. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 19, 22, 25, 28)
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Specification