Methods, apparatus and articles of manufacture to monitor communication paths in communication systems

• US 8,498,203 B2
• Filed: 06/29/2012
• Issued: 07/30/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2009
• 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: Xu, Zhijian, Ching, Chee, D'Souza, Kevin, Lu, Joseph, Lu, David H., Yang, Chen-Yui, Zhang, Leah Li
• Primary Examiner(s): ROSE, KERRI M
• Application Number:
  US13/538,626
• Publication Number:
  US 20120269073A1
• Time in Patent Office: 396 Days
• Field of Search: 370216-218, 370/225, 370/228, 370/248, 370/252, 370/351, 370/400, 370/401
• US Class Current: 370/225
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0811 by checking connectivity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0817 by checking functioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/50 Testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/00 Routing or path finding of packets in data switching networks routing or path finding in wireless networks H04W40/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/04 Interdomain routing, e.g. hierarchical routing

Abstract

Example methods, apparatus and articles of manufacture to monitor communication paths in communication systems are disclosed. An example method includes identifying links of a communication system, the links communicatively coupling routers, identifying communication paths in the communication system, each of the communication paths being routed via one or more of the links, testing the links during a first interval by testing at least a first portion of the communication paths, testing the links during the second interval by testing at least a second portion of the communication paths, changing the first portion of the communication paths to include at least one of the communication paths from the second portion of the communication paths such that testing the first portion of the communication paths and testing the second portion of the communication paths collectively test each of the links, and identifying a link failure based on the testing.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

identifying a plurality of communication links of a communication system, the communication links communicatively coupling routers in the communication system;

identifying a plurality of communication paths in the communication system, each of the communication paths being routed via one or more of the communication links;

testing the plurality of communication links during a first interval by testing at least a first portion of the communication paths;

testing the plurality of communication links during a second interval by testing at least a second portion of the communication paths different from the first portion of the communication paths;

changing the first portion of the communication paths to include at least one of the communication paths from the second portion of the communication paths such that testing the first portion of the communication paths and testing the second portion of the communication paths collectively test each of the plurality of communication links; and

identifying a communication link failure based on the testing.

2. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the first interval and the second interval occur within a defined amount of time.

3. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising detecting at least one of a new communication link and a new communication path.

4. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising changing the second portion of the communication paths to exclude the at least one of the communication paths included in the first portion of the communication paths.

5. A method, comprising:

identifying a plurality of communication links of a communication system, the communication links communicatively coupling routers in the communication system;

identifying a plurality of communication paths in the communication system, each of the communication paths being routed via one or more of the communication links;

testing the plurality of communication links during a first interval by testing at least a first portion of the communication paths;

testing the plurality of communication links during a second interval by testing at least a second portion of the communication paths different from the first portion of the communication paths;

detecting at least one of a removed communication link or a removed communication path;

changing the first portion of the communication paths to include at least one of the communication paths from the second portion of the communication paths such that testing the first portion of the communication paths and testing the second portion of the communication paths collectively test each of the links remaining in the plurality of communication links; and

identifying a communication link failure based on the testing.

6. A method as defined in claim 5, further comprising detecting at least one of a new communication link and a new communication path.

7. A method as defined in claim 5, further comprising changing the second portion of the communication paths to exclude the at least one of the communication paths included in the first portion of the communication paths.

8. An apparatus, comprising:

a topology analyzer to;

identify a plurality of communication links of a communication system, the communication links communicatively coupling routers in the communication system;

identify a plurality of communication paths in the communication system, each of the communication paths being routed via one or more of the communication links; and

detect at least one of a removed communication link or a removed communication path; and

a collector to;

test the plurality of communication links during a first interval by testing at least a first portion of the communication paths;

test the plurality of communication links during a second interval by testing at least a second portion of the communication paths different from the first portion of the communication paths;

change the first portion of the communication paths to include at least one of the communication paths from the second portion of the communication paths such that testing the first portion of the communication paths and testing the second portion of the communication paths collectively test each of the plurality of communication links; and

identify a communication link failure based on the testing.

9. An apparatus as defined in claim 8, wherein the topology analyzer is to detect at least one of a new communication link and a new communication path, wherein changing the first portion of the communication paths is based on the detection.

10. An apparatus as defined in claim 8, wherein the collector is to change the second portion of the communication paths to exclude the at least one of the communication paths included in the first portion of the communication paths.

11. An apparatus as defined in claim 8, further comprising a subset creator to assign substantially equal numbers of the communication paths to the first and second portions of the communication paths.