Method and apparatus for automating hub and spoke Internet Protocol Virtual Private Network trouble diagnostics

• US 7,898,971 B2
• Filed: 02/28/2008
• Issued: 03/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Qian, Zhiqiang, Anderson, Thomas, Bajpay, Paritosh, Liu, Jackson, Mohapatra, Sanjeeta, Rowan, John, Zinnikas, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Chi H
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mohebbi, Kouroush
• Application Number:
  US12/039,201
• Publication Number:
  US 20090219823A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,097 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/250
• 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 41/0806 for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0866 Checking the configuration

Abstract

A method and apparatus for automating hub and spoke network trouble diagnostics in a communication network are disclosed. For example, the method retrieves provisioning and configuration data, access interface alarm information, and network facility status data related to the communication network by a diagnostic system, and identifies at least one of: a network configuration error, an access interface error, or a configuration error associated with at least one hub router or at least one spoke router, as the root cause of the problem of the communication network.

Claims

1. A method for determining a root cause of a problem in a communication network, comprising:

retrieving provisioning and configuration data, access interface alarm information, and network facility status data related to the communication network by a diagnostic system, wherein the retrieving comprises;

retrieving first provisioning and configuration data and the network facility status data from a hub router and a spoke router within the communication network, wherein the network facility status data comprises a virtual access interface connectivity status and a link and protocol status from the hub router and the spoke router within the communication network;

retrieving second provisioning and configuration data from an inventory database associated with the communication network; and

retrieving the access interface alarm information from a fault monitoring system associated with the communication network; and

identifying the root cause of the problem of the communication network, based upon the first provisioning and configuration data, the access interface alarm information, and network facility status data retrieved from the hub router and the spoke router, the second provisioning and configuration data retrieved from the inventory database, and the access interface alarm information retrieved from the fault monitoring system.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

notifying a network care center of the root cause of the problem.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the notifying comprises:

notifying the network care center of a configuration error associated with the hub router or the spoke router as the root cause if the first provisioning and configuration data and the second provisioning and configuration data are inconsistent or mismatched;

notifying the network care center of an access interface error as the root cause if an access interface alarm exists;

notifying the network care center of a network configuration error as the root cause if the virtual access interface connectivity status identifies a virtual access interface that is not connected; and

notifying the network care center of a potential problem in a layer of the network if a link and protocol problem is identified.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication network is a hub and spoke internet protocol virtual private network.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the provisioning and configuration data comprise virtual routing and forwarding information associated with the communication network.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifying comprises:

comparing the first provisioning and configuration data retrieved from the hub router and the spoke router with the second provisioning and configuration data retrieved from the inventory database to check if the first provisioning and configuration data matches the second provisioning and configuration data;

checking the first provisioning and configuration data are consistent between the hub router and the spoke router;

checking the network facility status data for detecting if a problem exists; and

checking the access interface alarm information for detecting if an access interface alarm exists.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the consistency between the first provisioning and configuration data retrieved from the hub router and the spoke router is verified by checking whether a spoke export route target value is equal to a hub import route target value and whether a spoke import target value is equal to a hub export route target value.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

performing a ping command network connectivity test using a source internet protocol address of the hub router and a destination internet protocol address of a customer edge router if the root cause of the problem of the communication network is not identified based upon the first provisioning and configuration data, the access interface alarm information, and network facility status data retrieved from the hub router and the spoke router, the second provisioning and configuration data retrieved from the inventory database, and the access interface alarm information retrieved from the fault monitoring system.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the performing further comprises:

closing a trouble ticket associated with the problem of the communication network if the ping command network connectivity test has passed successfully; and

notifying a network care center of a potential problem in a layer of the network if the ping command network connectivity test has failed.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the provisioning and configuration data comprise route target information associated with the communication network.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the provisioning and configuration data comprise virtual access interface information associated with the communication network.

12. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon a plurality of instructions, the plurality of instructions including instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform method for determining a root cause of a problem in a communication network, comprising:

retrieving provisioning and configuration data, access interface alarm information, and network facility status data related to the communication network by a diagnostic system, wherein the retrieving comprises;

retrieving first provisioning and configuration data and the network facility status data from a hub router and a spoke router within said the communication network, wherein the network facility status data comprises a virtual access interface connectivity status and a link and protocol status from the hub router and the spoke router within the communication network;

retrieving second provisioning and configuration data from an inventory database associated with the communication network; and

retrieving said the access interface alarm information from a fault monitoring system associated with the communication network; and

identifying the root cause of said the problem of the communication network, based upon the first provisioning and configuration data, the access interface alarm information, and network facility status data retrieved from the hub router and the spoke router, the second provisioning and configuration data retrieved from the inventory database, and the access interface alarm information retrieved from the fault monitoring system.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, further comprising:

notifying a network care center of the root cause of the problem.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the communication network is a hub and spoke internet protocol virtual private network.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the provisioning and configuration data comprise virtual routing and forwarding information associated with the communication network.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the identifying comprises:

comparing the first provisioning and configuration data retrieved from the hub router and the spoke router with the second provisioning and configuration data retrieved from the inventory database to check if the first provisioning and configuration data matches the second provisioning and configuration data;

checking the first provisioning and configuration data are consistent between the hub router and the spoke router;

checking the network facility status data for detecting if a problem exists; and

checking the access interface alarm information for detecting if an access interface alarm exists.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the consistency between the first provisioning and configuration data retrieved from the hub router and the spoke router is verified by checking whether a spoke export route target value is equal to a hub import route target value and whether a spoke import target value is equal to a hub export route target value.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the provisioning and configuration data comprise route target information associated with the communication network.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the provisioning and configuration data comprise virtual access interface information associated with the communication network.

20. An apparatus for determining a root cause of a problem in a communication network, comprising:

means for retrieving provisioning and configuration data, access interface alarm information, and network facility status data related to the communication network by a diagnostic system, wherein the means for retrieving retrieves first provisioning and configuration data and the network facility status data from a hub router and a spoke router within the communication network, wherein the network facility status data comprises a virtual access interface connectivity status and a link and protocol status from the hub router and the spoke router within the communication network, retrieves second provisioning and configuration data from an inventory database associated with the communication network, and retrieves the access interface alarm information from a fault monitoring system associated with the communication network; and

means for identifying the root cause of the problem of the communication network, based upon the first provisioning and configuration data, the access interface alarm information, and network facility status data retrieved from the hub router and the spoke router, the second provisioning and configuration data retrieved from the inventory database, and the access interface alarm information retrieved from the fault monitoring system.