System and method for reactive and deliberative service level management (SLM)

• US 8,028,066 B2
• Filed: 04/01/2010
• Issued: 09/27/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Computer Associates Think Inc. (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Computer Associates Think Inc. (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Lewis, Lundy M.
• Primary Examiner(s): England; David
• Application Number:
  US12/752,971
• Publication Number:
  US 20100218104A1
• Time in Patent Office: 544 Days
• Field of Search: None
• 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 for reactive and deliberative service level management, comprising:

providing a service over a network having multiple individual domains, wherein the service has a state that represents whether the service conforms to a service level agreement;

conducting, in a computing device, intra-domain event correlation to manage the service at a first level, wherein conducting the intra-domain event correlation includes;

correlating values that represent performances associated with network components located in the multiple individual domains to detect intra-domain events in the multiple individual domains; and

generating instructions to control the network components located in the multiple individual domains in response to determining that the detected intra-domain events indicate that the state associated with the service does not conform to the service level agreement;

conducting intra-domain alarm-to-service mapping to manage the service at a second level, wherein conducting the intra-domain alarm-to-service mapping includes;

correlating the detected intra-domain events at one or more servers located in the respective individual domains to generate intra-domain alarms in the multiple individual domains; and

generating instructions to control the network components located in the multiple individual domains in response to determining that the detected intra-domain alarms indicate that the state associated with the service does not conform to the service level agreement;

conducting inter-domain alarm correlation to manage the service at a third level, wherein conducting the inter-domain alarm correlation includes;

correlating the generated intra-domain alarms at an alarm correlation agent configured to generate inter-domain alarms across the multiple individual domains; and

generating instructions to control the network components located in the multiple individual domains in response to the alarm correlation agent determining that the detected inter-domain alarms indicate that the state associated with the service does not conform to the service level agreement.

2. A multi-level architecture for reactive and deliberative service level management comprising:

a network having multiple individual domains, wherein a service provided over the network has a state that represents whether the service conforms to a service level agreement;

one or more servers that manage the service at a reactive level, wherein the one or more servers include one or more hardware processors that;

correlate values that represent performances associated with network components located in the multiple individual domains to detect intra-domain events in the multiple individual domains;

correlate the intra-domain events to generate intra-domain alarms in the multiple individual domains; and

generate instructions to control the network components located in the multiple individual domains in response to determining that the intra-domain events or the intra-domain alarms indicate that the state associated with the service does not conform to the service level agreement; and

an alarm correlation agent that manages the service at a deliberative level, wherein the alarm correlation agent correlates the intra-domain alarms to generate inter-domain alarms across the multiple individual domains and generate instructions to control the network components located in the multiple individual domains in response to determining that the inter-domain alarms indicate that the state associated with the service does not conform to the service level agreement.

3. The multi-level architecture according to claim 2, wherein the generated instructions to control the network components located in the multiple individual domains proactively manage the service provided over the network.

4. The multi-level architecture according to claim 2, wherein the generated instructions to control the network components located in the multiple individual domains proactively manage a business process affected by the service provided over the network.

5. The multi-level architecture according to claim 2, wherein the one or more servers have local knowledge and reasoning capabilities to manage the respective individual domains.

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

one or more hardware servers that;

correlate values that represent performances associated with network components located in multiple individual domains within a network to detect intra-domain events in the multiple individual domains;

correlate the intra-domain events to a generate intra-domain alarms in the multiple individual domains; and

generate instructions to control the network components located in the multiple individual domains in response to determining that the intra-domain events or the intra-domain alarms indicate that a service provided over the network does not conform to a service level agreement; and

an alarm correlation agent correlates the intra-domain alarms to generate inter-domain alarms across the multiple individual domains and generate instructions to control the network components located in the multiple individual domains in response to determining that the inter-domain alarms indicate that the service does not conform to the service agreement.

7. The system according to claim 6, further comprising an interface configured to display information relating to availability, faults, configuration, integrity, security, reliability, performance, or accounting associated with the service.

8. The system according to claim 6, wherein the alarm correlation agent maps the inter-domain alarms to one or more service parameters to determine whether the service conforms to the service level agreement.

9. The system according to claim 8, wherein the intra-domain events, the intra-domain alarms, or the inter-domain alarm map the performances associated with the network components located in the multiple individual domains to the one or more service parameters.

10. The system according to claim 9, wherein the alarm correlation agent determines that the service conforms to the service level agreement in response to determining that the one or more service parameters have values that meet or exceed predetermined service levels defined in the service level agreement.

11. A system for reactive and deliberative service level management, the system comprising one or more hardware processors that:

correlate values that represent performances associated with network components located in multiple individual domains within a network to detect intra-domain events in the multiple individual domains;

correlate the intra-domain events to a generate intra-domain alarms in the multiple individual domains;

generate instructions to control the network components located in the multiple individual domains in response to determining that the intra-domain events or the intra-domain alarms indicate that a service provided over the network does not conform to a service level agreement;

correlate the intra-domain alarms to generate inter-domain alarms across the multiple individual domains and generate instructions to control the network components located in the multiple individual domains in response to determining that the inter-domain alarms indicate that the service does not conform to the service level agreement.

12. The system according to claim 11, further comprising an interface configured to display information relating to availability, faults, configuration, integrity, security, reliability, performance, or accounting associated with the service.

13. The system according to claim 11, wherein the one or more processors map the inter-domain alarms to one or more service parameters to determine whether the service conforms to the service level agreement.

14. The system according to claim 13, wherein the intra-domain events, the intra-domain alarms, or the inter-domain alarm map the performances associated with the network components located in the multiple individual domains to the one or more service parameters.

15. The system according to claim 14, wherein the one or more processors determine that the service conforms to the service level agreement in response to determining that the one or more service parameters have values that meet or exceed predetermined service levels defined in the service level agreement.