Method and apparatus for reactive and deliberative service level management (SLM)

• US 7,730,172 B1
• Filed: 05/23/2000
• Issued: 06/01/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Computer Associates Think Inc. (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Computer Associates Think Inc. (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Lewis, Lundy
• Primary Examiner(s): England; David E
• Application Number:
  US09/577,224
• Time in Patent Office: 3,661 Days
• Field of Search: 709201-203, 709223-226, 345/736, 714/48, 714 1- 4, 714/707, 714/708, 370/395.21, 715733-736, 719/310, 719312-320
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/04 Forecasting or optimisation specially adapted for administrative or management purposes, e.g. linear programming or "cutting stock problem" market predictions or forecasting for commercial activities G06Q30/0202
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0631 Resource planning, allocation, distributing or scheduling for enterprises or organisations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06311 Scheduling, planning or task assignment for a person or group
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06312 Adjustment or analysis of established resource schedule, e.g. resource or task levelling, or dynamic rescheduling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06315 Needs-based resource requirements planning or analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0637 Strategic management or analysis, e.g. setting a goal or target of an organisation; Planning actions based on goals; Analysis or evaluation of effectiveness of goals
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/024 using relational databases for representation of network management data, e.g. managing via structured query language [SQL]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/042 comprising distributed management centres cooperatively managing the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0631 using root cause analysis; using analysis of correlation between notifications, alarms or events based on decision criteria, e.g. hierarchy, tree or time analysis
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/16 using machine learning or artificial intelligence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5003 Managing SLA; Interaction between SLA and QoS
• 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 41/5032 Generating service level reports
• 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 43/0847 Transmission error
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0852 Delays
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0882 : Utilisation of link capacity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0888 : Throughput
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0894 : Packet rate
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/12 : Network monitoring probes

Abstract

Method and apparatus for service level management, wherein business processes are composed of services. A state of the service is defined by one or more service parameters, and the service parameters depend upon performance of network components that support the service, e.g., component parameters. The state of the service may depend, for example, on a collection of service parameter values for availability, reliability, security, integrity and response time. A service level agreement is a contract between a supplier and a customer that identifies services supported by a network, service parameters for the services, and service levels (e.g., acceptable levels) for each service parameter.

Claims

1. A method performed on a computer for reactive and deliberative service level management, comprising:

providing a service over a network having a plurality of network components that support the service, wherein performance of the service depends on performances of the plurality of network components that support the service, and wherein the service has a state that represents whether the performance of the service meets or exceeds a service level identified in a service level agreement;

extracting a plurality of component parameter values from the plurality of network components that support the service across a plurality of domains of the network using a plurality of sensors respectively coupled to the plurality of network components that support the service;

monitoring the plurality of component parameter values extracted from the plurality of network components that support the service using a plurality of monitoring agents, wherein each of the plurality of monitoring agents are configured to monitor a subset of the plurality of extracted component parameter values in a respective one of the plurality of domains of the network, detect one or more intra-domain events in the respective domain as a function of the component parameter values monitored in the respective domain, and generate one or more intra-domain alarms in the respective domain as a function of the intra-domain events detected in the respective domain;

correlating the intra-domain alarms that each of the plurality of monitoring agents generate in each of the respective domains of the network using an alarm correlation agent, wherein the alarm correlation agent is configured to correlate the intra-domain alarms generated in each of the respective domains of the network to generate one or more inter-domain alarms across the plurality of domains of the network; and

analyzing causes of the intra-domain alarms generated in each of the respective domains of the network and the inter-domain alarms generated across the plurality of domains of the network using an enterprise management system, wherein the intra-domain alarms and the inter-domain alarms indicate one or more of a degradation or a potential degradation in the performance of the service relative to the service level identified in the service level agreement.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

mapping the inter-domain alarms generated across the plurality of domains of the network to a service parameter that represents the state of the service, wherein the service parameter has a value that indicates whether the performance of the service meets or exceeds the service level identified in the service level agreement; and

displaying information relating to service, wherein the displayed information includes at least one of availability, faults, configuration, integrity, security, reliability, performance, or the service level associated with the service.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising

determining that the state of the service satisfies the service level agreement in response to the value for the service parameter meeting or exceeding the service level identified in the service level agreement.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising determining that the state of the service does not satisfy the service level agreement in response to the value for the service parameter not meeting or exceeding the service level identified in the service level agreement.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein analyzing the causes of the intra-domain alarms and the inter-domain alarms includes executing one or more data mining algorithms that discover respective relationships between the component parameter values and each of the intra-domain alarms and the inter-domain alarms.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein analyzing the causes of the intra-domain alarms and the inter-domain alarms further includes:

executing the one or more data mining algorithms to discover at least one of the intra-domains alarms that caused one or more of the inter-domain alarms;

executing the one or more data mining algorithms to discover at least one of the intra-domain events that caused the at least one intra-domain alarm; and

executing the one or more data mining algorithms to discover at least one of the component parameter values that caused the at least one intra-domain event.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the one or more data mining algorithms further discover cause and effect relationships among the plurality of network components that support the service to represent the respective relationships between the component parameter values and each of the intra-domain alarms and the inter-domain alarms.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the one or more data mining algorithms further discover one or more of the component parameter values that distinguish whether the performance of the service meets or exceeds the service level identified in service level agreement.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of monitoring agents are further configured to detect the one or more intra-domain events based on one or more policies and rules associated with the service.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein each of the plurality of monitoring agents are further configured to generate the one or more intra-domain alarms based on the one or more policies and rules associated with the service.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the alarm correlation agent is further configured to generate the one or more inter-domain alarms based on the one or more policies and rules associated with the service.

12. A method performed on a computer for reactive and deliberative service level management, comprising:

providing a service over a network having a plurality of network components that support the service, wherein performance of the service depends on performances of the plurality of network components that support the service, and wherein the service has a state expressed as a range of numeric values that represent whether the performance of the service meets or exceeds a service level identified in a service level agreement;

extracting a plurality of component parameter values from the plurality of network components that support the service across a plurality of domains of the network using a plurality of sensors respectively coupled to the plurality of network components that support the service;

monitoring the plurality of component parameter values extracted from the plurality of network components that support the service using a plurality of monitoring agents, wherein each of the plurality of monitoring agents are configured to monitor a subset of the plurality of extracted component parameter values in a respective one of the plurality of domains of the network, detect one or more intra-domain events in the respective domain as a function of the subset of the component parameter values monitored in the respective domain, and generate one or more intra-domain alarms in the respective domain as a function of the intra-domain events detected in the respective domain;

correlating the intra-domain alarms that each of the plurality of monitoring agents generate in each of the respective domains of the network using an alarm correlation agent, wherein the alarm correlation agent is configured to correlate the intra-domain alarms generated in each of the respective domains of the network to generate one or more inter-domain alarms across the plurality of domains of the network;

mapping the inter-domain alarms generated across the plurality of domains of the network to a service parameter that represents the state of the service, wherein the service parameter has a numeric value in the range of numeric values that indicates whether the performance of the service meets or exceeds the service level identified in the service level agreement; and

monitoring the numeric value of the service parameter using an enterprise management system to provide service level management for the service provided over the network.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein providing service level management for the service provided over the network includes determining that the state of the service satisfies the service level agreement in response to the numeric value of the service parameter meeting or exceeding the service level identified in the service level agreement.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein providing

service level management for the service provided over the network includes determining that

the state of the service satisfies the service level agreement in response to the numeric value of the service parameter meeting or exceeding the service level identified in the service level agreement.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

determining that the numeric value of the service parameter indicates one or more of a degradation, a potential degradation, or an imminent degradation in the performance of the service relative to the service level identified in the service level agreement; and

issuing one or more instructions that effect a change to one or more of the component parameter values in response to determining that the numeric value of the service parameter indicates any of the degradation, the potential degradation, or the imminent degradation in the performance of the service relative to the service level identified in the service level agreement, wherein the one or more instructions autonomously cause the numeric value of the service parameter to meet or exceed the service level identified in the service level agreement.

16. A hardware system for reactive and deliberative service level management, comprising:

a network having a plurality of network components that support a service provided over the network, wherein performance of the service depends upon performances of the plurality of network components that support the service, and wherein the service has a state that represents whether the performance of the service meets or exceeds a service level identified in a service level agreement;

a plurality of sensors respectively coupled to the plurality of network components that support the service, wherein the plurality of sensors are configured to extract a plurality of component parameter values from the plurality of network components that support the service across a plurality of domains of the network;

a plurality of monitoring agents communicatively coupled to the plurality of sensors, wherein each of the plurality of monitoring agents are configured to;

monitor a subset of plurality of the extracted component parameter values in a respective one of the plurality of domains of the network;

detect one or more intra-domain events in the respective domain as a function of the component parameter values monitored in the respective domain; and

generate one or more intra-domain alarms in the respective domain as a function of the intra-domain events detected in the respective domain;

an alarm correlation agent configured to correlate the intra-domain alarms that each of the plurality of monitoring agents generate in each of the respective domains of the network to generate one or more inter-domain alarms across the plurality of domains of the network; and

an enterprise management system configured to analyze causes of the intra-domain alarms generated in each of the respective domains of the network and the inter-domain alarms generated across the plurality of domains of the network, wherein the intra-domain alarms and the inter-domain alarms indicate one or more of a degradation or a potential degradation in the performance of the service relative to the service level identified in the service level agreement.

17. A hardware system for reactive and deliberative service level management, comprising:

a network having a plurality of network components that support a service provided over the network, wherein performance of the service depends upon performances of the plurality of network components that support the service, and wherein the service has a state expressed as a range of numeric values that represent whether the performance of the service meets or exceeds a service level identified in a service level agreement;

a plurality of sensors respectively coupled to the plurality of network components that support the service, wherein the plurality of sensors are configured to extract a plurality of component parameter values from the plurality of network components that support the service across a plurality of domains of the network;

a plurality of monitoring agents communicatively coupled to the plurality of sensors, wherein the plurality of monitoring agents are configured to;

monitor a subset of the plurality of extracted component parameter values in a respective one of the plurality of domains of the network;

detect one or more intra-domain events in the respective domain as a function of the subset of the component parameter values monitored in the respective domain; and

generate one or more intra-domain alarms in the respective domain as a function of the intra-domain events detected in the respective domain;

an alarm correlation agent configured to correlate the intra-domain alarms that each of the plurality of monitoring agents generate in each of the respective domains of the network to generate one or more inter-domain alarms across the plurality of domains of the network; and

an enterprise management system configured to;

map the inter-domain alarms generated across the plurality of domains of the network to a service parameter that represents the state of the service, wherein the service parameter has a numeric value in the range of numeric values that indicates whether the performance of the service meets or exceeds the service level identified in the service level agreement; and

monitor the numeric value of the service parameter to provide service level management for the service provided over the network.