Systems and methods for inferring services on a network

• US 8,400,941 B2
• Filed: 01/30/2008
• Issued: 03/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Riverbed Technology, LLC (Riverbed Technology Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Riverbed Technology Incorporated
• Inventors: Gray, Eric W., Kannan, Navneeth N.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kizou, Hassan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Shand, Roberta A
• Application Number:
  US12/023,026
• Publication Number:
  US 20080189353A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,875 Days
• Field of Search: 370/254, 370/256, 370/351, 370/389, 370/392, 370/474, 709/224, 709/220
• US Class Current: 370/254
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0213 Standardised network management protocols, e.g. simple network management protocol [SNMP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/145 involving simulating, designing, planning or modelling of a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5003 Managing SLA; Interaction between SLA and QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5058 Service discovery by the service manager
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/50 Testing arrangements

Abstract

Systems and methods are disclosed for managing services on a network. In one exemplary embodiment, the method includes receiving topologically relevant network information concerning nodes, interfaces, connections and/or protocols; resolving conflicts in the received information; determining and storing a network topology from the received and resolved information; and inferring one or more services based on the stored topology.

Claims

1. A method for storing information associated with a network, the method comprising:

receiving and storing first network information at a first time;

monitoring protocol update information communicated between nodes of the network,

detecting a network event at a second time based on the protocol update information;

receiving and storing second network information based on the event;

determining one or more virtual private network services that are affected by the event based on the first network information and the second network information; and

displaying an indication of the one or more virtual private network services that are affected by the event, and at least one of;

performance information and topology information based on at least one of the first network information and the second information.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the first and second network information includes receiving, as the network information, at least one of the following types of information:

performance, event, topology, service, and object.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the first network information includes receiving network information periodically.

4. The method of claim 1, including indicating that a failure is the event.

5. The method of claim 1, including indicating that crossing a performance threshold is the event.

6. The method of claim 1, including detecting a plurality of events.

7. The method of claim 6, including storing a plurality of other network information based on the plurality of events.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein storing the second network information based on the event includes storing the second network information from a time of the event until a time after the event.

9. The method of claim 8, including displaying the second network information based on the time of the event and the time after the event.

10. The method of claim 1, including estimating additional network information at one or more times for which there is no stored network information.

11. The method of claim 10, including displaying the performance information based on the estimated additional network information.

12. The method of claim 10, including determining and displaying other topology information based on the estimated additional network information.

13. The method of claim 1, including structuring a database to represent the network.

14. The method of claim 13, including correlating the first network information with the structured database, such that the correlated first network information is stored in the structured database.

15. The method of claim 13, including displaying information based on the structured database.

16. The method of claim 15, including displaying the information at a pace chosen by a user.

17. The method of claim 15, including replaying the displayed information instantly.

18. The method of claim 1, including compressing the first network information.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the displaying includes concurrently displaying the indication of the one or more virtual private network services that are affected by the event, the performance information, and the topology information.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein monitoring the protocol update information includes configuring a processor to receive routing information by posing as a router.

21. A system for storing information associated with a network, the system comprising:

means for receiving and storing first network information at a first time;

means for monitoring protocol update information communicated between nodes of the network;

means for detecting a network event at a second time based on the protocol update information;

means for receiving second network information based on the event;

means for determining one or more virtual private network services that are affected by the event based on the first network information and the second network information; and

means for displaying an indication of the one or more virtual private network services that are affected by the event, and at least one of;

performance information and topology information based on at least one of the first network information and the second information.

22. The means of claim 21, wherein the means for displaying includes means for concurrently displaying the indication of the one or more virtual private network services that are affected by the event, the performance information, and the topology information.

23. A system for storing information associated with a network, the system including:

a processor, and

a memory,

wherein the processor is configured to;

receive first network information at a first time;

store the first network information in the memory;

monitor protocol update information communicated between nodes of the network;

detect a network event at a second time based on the protocol update information;

receive second network information based on the event;

determine one or more virtual private network services that are affected by the event based on the first network information and the second network information; and

display an indication of the one or more virtual private network services that are affected by the event, and at least one of;

performance information and topology information based on at least one of the first network information and the second information.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the first and second network information includes at least one of performance, event, topology, service, and object.

25. The system of claim 23, wherein the processor is configured to receive the first network information periodically.

26. The system of claim 23, wherein the event includes a failure, and the processor is configured to provide an indication of the failure.

27. The system of claim 23, wherein the event includes crossing a performance threshold, and the processor is configured to provide an indication of the crossing.

28. The system of claim 23, wherein the processor is configured to detect a plurality of events.

29. The system of claim 23, wherein the display includes a concurrent display of the indication of the one or more virtual private network services that are affected by the event, the performance information, and the topology information.

30. The system of claim 23, wherein the processor monitors protocol update information by posing as a router and receiving routing information communicated from the nodes of the network.

31. A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing instructions to configure a data processor to perform a method for storing information associated with a network, including:

receiving and storing first network information at a first time;

monitoring protocol update information communicated between nodes of the network;

detecting a network event at a second time based on the protocol update information;

receiving second network information based on the event;

determining one or more virtual private network services that are affected by the event based on the first network information and the second network information; and

displaying an indication of the one or more virtual private network services that are affected by the event, and at least one of;

performance information and topology information based on at least one of the first network information and the second information.

32. The system of claim 31, wherein the processor is configured to receive and store further network information based on the plurality of events.

33. The computer-readable medium of claim 31, wherein the first and second network information includes at least one of performance, event, topology, service, and object.

34. The computer-readable medium of claim 31, wherein receiving the first network information includes receiving the first network information periodically.

35. The computer-readable medium of claim 31, wherein the method includes indicating that a failure is the event.

36. The computer-readable medium of claim 31, wherein the method includes indicating that crossing a performance threshold is the event.

37. The computer-readable medium of claim 31, wherein the method includes detecting a plurality of events.

38. The computer-readable medium of claim 31, wherein the method includes storing further network information based on the plurality of events.

39. The computer-readable medium of claim 31, wherein the displaying includes concurrently displaying the indication of the one or more virtual private network services that are affected by the event, the performance information, and the topology information.

40. The computer-readable medium of claim 31, wherein monitoring the protocol update information includes configuring a processor to receive routing information by posing as a router.