Supervisory control method and supervisory control device

• US 8,331,237 B2
• Filed: 01/13/2009
• Issued: 12/11/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/17/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Umeda, Kenji
• Primary Examiner(s): RIYAMI, ABDULLAH A
• Application Number:
  US12/353,145
• Publication Number:
  US 20100020705A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,428 Days
• Field of Search: 370/235, 370/230, 370/232, 370/241.1, 370/252, 370/391, 370/392, 370/338, 370/400, 370/401, 370/350, 370/351, 370/352, 370/321, 370/328, 370/447, 370/236, 370/229, 370/234, 370/237, 455/453, 455/452.2, 455/446, 455/436, 455/456.1, 455/456.5, 455/569, 455/561, 709/223, 709/224, 709/227, 709/203, 709/238, 709/230
• US Class Current: 370/236
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0893 Assignment of logical groups to network elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0864 Round trip delays
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/10 Active monitoring, e.g. heartbeat, ping or trace-route
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/16 Threshold monitoring

Abstract

A supervisory control device for a network having a plurality of network elements, includes: a communication interface which is connected to each of a plurality of element groups, wherein the plurality of network elements is grouped into the plurality of element groups; and a controller for controlling supervisory control information in element group units depending on a communication condition change for at least one network element belonging to each element group, wherein the supervisory control is performed according to the supervisory control information.

Claims

1. A device for supervisory control of a network having a plurality of network elements, comprising:

a communication interface which is connected to each of a plurality of element groups, wherein the plurality of network elements is grouped into the plurality of element groups; and

a controller for controlling supervisory control information for each element group depending on a communication condition change, wherein the supervisory control is performed according to the supervisory control information,

and wherein the controller comprises;

a storage for storing the supervisory control information for each of the plurality of element groups, and for storing an optimal transmission interval and an optimal response wait time for each of the plurality of element groups calculated before the communication condition change;

a detector for detecting the communication condition change for each said element group by measuring a response time for each network element of the element group and comparing an average of measured response times to an average of normal response times for the element group; and

an update controller for updating the supervisory control information of the element group when the communication condition change for the element group has been detected, and for recalculating the optimal transmission interval and the optimal response wait time of the element group when the communication condition change for the element group has been detected,

wherein the optimal transmission interval and the optimal response wait time are both part of the supervisory control information, the optimal transmission interval is a transmission interval at which an inquiry signal is transmitted, and the optimal response wait time is a waiting time for which a response signal to the inquiry signal is waited.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the detector comprises:

a measurement section for measuring the response time from transmission of the inquiry signal until receipt of the response signal; and

a decision section for comparing the measured response time with a normal response time to decide whether the communication condition change for the element group has occurred.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein, when the communication condition change for the element group has been detected, the update controller updates the supervisory control information for the element group based on the response time from when the inquiry signal has been transmitted to said each network element belonging to the element group until receipt of the response signal from said each network element.

4. A supervisory control method for a network having a plurality of network elements which is grouped into a plurality of element groups, comprising:

storing an optimal transmission interval and an optimal response wait time for each of the plurality of element groups calculated before a communication condition change, the optimal transmission interval and the optimal response wait time both being part of supervisory control information for each of the plurality of element groups, the optimal transmission interval being a transmission interval at which an inquiry signal is transmitted, and the optimal response wait time being a waiting time for which a response to the inquiry signal is waited;

detecting the communication condition change by measuring a response time for each network element of the element group and comparing an average of measured response times to an average of normal response times for the element group; and

controlling the supervisory control information of the element group when the communication condition change for the element group has been detected by updating the supervisory control information of the element group when the communication condition change for the element group has been detected, wherein the supervisory control is performed according to the supervisory control information, and by recalculating the optimal transmission interval and the optimal response wait time of the element group when the communication condition change for the element group has been detected.

5. The supervisory control method according to claim 4, wherein the communication condition change for the element group is detected by:

measuring the response time from transmission of the inquiry signal until receipt of the response signal; and

comparing the measured response time with a normal response time to decide whether the communication condition change for the element group has occurred.

6. The supervisory control method according to claim 4, wherein, when the communication condition change for the element group has been detected, the supervisory control information for the element group is updated based on the response time from when the inquiry signal has been transmitted to said each network element belonging to the element group until receipt of the response signal from said each network element.

7. A system comprising:

a network having a plurality of network elements; and

a supervisory controller for supervisory control of the network,

wherein the supervisory controller comprises;

a communication interface which is connected to each of a plurality of element groups, wherein the plurality of network elements is grouped into the plurality of element groups; and

a controller for controlling supervisory control information for each element group depending on a communication condition change, wherein the supervisory control is performed according to the supervisory control information,

and wherein the controller comprises;

a storage for storing the supervisory control information for each of the plurality of element groups, and for storing an optimal transmission interval and an optimal response wait time for each of the plurality of element groups calculated before the communication condition change;

a detector for detecting the communication condition change for each said element group by measuring a response time for each network element of the element group and comparing an average of measured response times to an average of normal response times for the element group; and

an update controller for updating the supervisory control information of the element group when the communication condition change for the element group has been detected, and for recalculating the optimal transmission interval and the optimal response wait time of the element group when the communication condition change for the element group has been detected,

wherein the optimal transmission interval and the optimal response wait time are both part of the supervisory control information, the optimal transmission interval is a transmission interval at which an inquiry signal is transmitted, and the optimal response wait time is a waiting time for which a response signal to the inquiry signal is waited.

8. The system according to claim 7, wherein the supervisory controller is connected to each of the plurality of element groups in parallel through a communication line for the supervisory control.

9. The system according to claim 7, wherein the network is a mobile communication network, and wherein each of the plurality of network elements is a base station of the mobile communication network.

10. A non-transitory computer-readable medium on which a computer program is stored, where execution of the computer program by a processor causes a method for supervisory control to be performed, the method for functioning a computer as a supervisory controller for a network having a plurality of network elements which is grouped into a plurality of element groups, the method comprising:

storing an optimal transmission interval and an optimal response wait time for each of the plurality of element groups calculated before a communication condition change, the optimal transmission interval and the optimal response wait time both being part of supervisory control information for each of the plurality of element groups, the optimal transmission interval being a transmission interval at which an inquiry signal is transmitted, and the optimal response wait time being a waiting time for which a response to the inquiry signal is waited;

detecting the communication condition change by measuring a response time for each network element of the element group and comparing an average of measured response times to an average of normal response times for the element group; and

controlling the supervisory control information of the element group when the communication condition change for the element group has been detected by updating the supervisory control information of the element group when the communication condition change for the element group has been detected, wherein the supervisory control is performed according to the supervisory control information, and by recalculating the optimal transmission interval and the optimal response wait time of the element group when the communication condition change for the element group has been detected.