System and method for remotely controlling network operators

• US 8,307,065 B2
• Filed: 05/31/2007
• Issued: 11/06/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/22/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: McNaughton, James L., Heinz, John M., Bugenhagen, Michael K., Wiley, William L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Haresh N
• Assistant Examiner(s): COSBY, LAWRENCE V
• Application Number:
  US11/809,398
• Publication Number:
  US 20080052393A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,986 Days
• Field of Search: 709/224, 709/228, 709/233
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/5692 Selection among different networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0213 Standardised network management protocols, e.g. simple network management protocol [SNMP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0681 Configuration of triggering conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/147 for predicting network behaviour
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• 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 43/0829 Packet loss
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0852 Delays
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/087 Jitter
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0882 Utilisation of link capacity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/16 Threshold monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/125 by balancing the load, e.g. traffic engineering
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles

Abstract

A system and method for controlling communications networks. Network performance information is gathered from a first communications network using performance information packet data packets. A network operator of the first communications network is controlled from a secondary communications network using the performance information packet data packets. Changes to the network operator are implemented based on instructions included in the performance information packet data packets.

Claims

1. A method for controlling communications networks, comprising:

communicating network performance information from a first communications network to a second communications network using first performance information packet (PIP) data packets;

determining optimal connection paths through the first communications network in response to the network performance information, the connection paths and network segments of the connection paths are rated to determine the optimal connection paths;

compiling global network performance information for a plurality of communications networks;

sharing the global network performance information among the plurality of communications networks;

controlling a network operator of the first communications network in response to instructions received from the second communications network, the instructions included in second PIP data packets;

changing a connection path during a communication to a connection path with a higher rating; and

combining the global network performance information with the network performance information for storage in the first communications network.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the determining is performed for a plurality of communications types and based on service level agreements for a plurality of customers, and wherein the global performance information is stored in a central resource accessible by the plurality of communications networks.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the second communications network controls a connection admission control (CAC) manager managing the network operator of the first communications network.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the CAC manager controls only network components used to route network traffic to the second network.

5. The method according to claim 3, wherein the CAC manager manages network components based on permissions.

6. The method according to claim 3, wherein the CAC manager sends the instructions to configure the network operator.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

changing a level of access the second communications network is provided based on a predefined event.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein changing the level of access is automatically triggered based on a network emergency, wherein the level of access is reduced so that the second communications network is unable to control the first communications network.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein changing further comprises:

expanding the level of access the second communications network is provided.

10. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

gathering the network performance information over time for historic use in controlling the first communications network.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the instructions perform any of throttle bandwidth, block data traffic, reroute data traffic, and reconfigure the network operator.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the modifying is implemented based on whether the data transmitted through the network operator is real-time data or non real-time data.

13. A communication system for managing network communications comprising:

one or more network nodes of a first network, the one or more network nodes to insert network performance information about a first network in first PIP data packets;

a processing system of a second network, the processing system to receive the network performance information about the first communications network from the first PIP data packets, determine optimal connection paths through the first communications network in response to the network performance information, the connection paths and network segments of the connection paths are rated to determine the optimal connection paths, compile global network performance information for a plurality of communications networks, share the global network performance among the plurality of communications networks, change a connection path during a communication to a connection path with a higher rating, and combine the global network performance information with the network performance information for storage in the first communications network, and control a network operator of the first communications network using second PIP data packets, the second PIP data packets including instructions.

14. The communication system of claim 13, further comprising:

a rule-based engine configured to generate the instructions, wherein the optimal connection paths are determined for a plurality of communications types and service level agreements for each of a plurality of customers, wherein the processing system is operable to change a connection path in the first network during a communication to a connection path with a higher rating in response to a service level agreement.

15. The communication system of claim 13, wherein the instructions are sent from the second communications network to the first communications network, and wherein the second communications network controls a connection admission control (CAC) manager managing the one or more network nodes of the first communications network.

16. A network operator comprising:

an input/output unit for sending and receiving communications;

a processor to execute a set of instructions;

a memory to store the set of instructions, the set of instructions are executed to control the network operator of the first communications network in response to instructions received from a second communications network, the instructions being generated in response to PIP data packets received by the second communications network from the first communications network, the set of instructions determine optimal connection paths through the first communications network in response to the network performance information, compile global network performance information for a plurality of communications networks, share the global network performance among the plurality of communications networks, the connection paths and network segments of the connection paths are rated to determine the optimal connection paths, change a connection path during a communication to a connection path with a higher rating, and combine the global network performance information with the network performance information for storage in the first communications network.

17. The network manager of claim 16, wherein the set of instructions are implemented by a control admission control (CAC) manager, wherein the optimal connection paths are determined for a plurality of communications types and service level agreements for each of a plurality of customers, and wherein the set of instructions are operable to change a connection path in the first network during a communication to a connection path with a higher rating in response to a service level agreement.

18. The network manager of claim 16, wherein the set of instructions further change a level of access the second communications network is provided based on a predefined event, gather the network performance information over time for historic use in controlling the first communications network.

19. The network manager of claim 16, wherein the changes are sent from the one or more second communications network to the first communications network, and wherein the secondary communications network controls a CAC manager managing the network operator of the first communications network.

20. The network manager of claim 16, further comprising:

a database in communication with the processor configured to store historical network performance information used to implement the changes.