Methods and systems for automatically tracking the rerouting of logical circuit data in a data network

• US 8,565,074 B2
• Filed: 11/30/2012
• Issued: 10/22/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Taylor, William, Massengill, David, Hollingsworth, John
• Primary Examiner(s): Shah, Chirag
• Assistant Examiner(s): SHIVERS, ASHLEY L
• Application Number:
  US13/690,839
• Publication Number:
  US 20130094354A1
• Time in Patent Office: 326 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/225
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2002 where interconnections or communication control functionality are redundant flexible arrangements for bus networks involving redundancy H04L12/40176
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3466 Performance evaluation by tracing or monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0654 using network fault recovery ring fault isolation or reconfiguration in loop networks without recovery actions by a network management system H04L12/437
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0663 Performing the actions predefined by failover planning, e.g. switching to standby network elements
• 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 41/5051 Service on demand, e.g. definition and deployment of services in real time
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/509 wherein the managed service relates to media content delivery, e.g. audio, video or TV
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0811 by checking connectivity
• 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 45/22 Alternate routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/28 using route fault recovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/557 Error correction, e.g. fault recovery or fault tolerance

Abstract

An example method involves rerouting data from a logical circuit to a logical failover circuit when the logical circuit fails based on an exceeded quality of service parameter. The logical failover circuit is selected based on a committed bit rate, a variable bit rate, or an unspecified bit rate. The example method also involves rerouting data from a first set of switches to a second set of switches in the absence of a failure associated with the logical circuit. The logical circuit comprises variable communication paths, and the second set of switches are to form a route associated with the variable communication paths that is not predefined and that is dynamically defined at a time of automatic rerouting while maintaining the logical circuit through the second set of switches.

Claims

1. A method of rerouting data, the method comprising:

rerouting data from a logical circuit to a logical failover circuit when the logical circuit fails based on an exceeded quality of service parameter, the logical failover circuit selected based on a committed bit rate, a variable bit rate, or an unspecified bit rate; and

rerouting data from a first set of switches to a second set of switches in the absence of a failure associated with the logical circuit, the logical circuit comprising variable communication paths, and the second set of switches to form a route associated with the variable communication paths that is not predefined and that is dynamically defined at a time of automatic rerouting while maintaining the logical circuit through the second set of switches.

2. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising updating reroute information in a data structure without manual intervention after the quality of service parameter is exceeded.

3. A method as defined in claim 2, further comprising storing in the data structure second information indicating a duration for which the data was rerouted to the logical failover circuit.

4. A method as defined in claim 2, wherein updating the reroute information comprises receiving trap data generated by switches in substantially real-time, the trap data indicative of the exceeded quality of service parameter.

5. A method as defined in claim 4, wherein the trap data includes a logical identifier for the failed logical circuit and a second logical identifier for the logical failover circuit.

6. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising generating a billing report including reroute information associated with the rerouting of the data.

7. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising renaming a first logical circuit identifier assigned to the failed logical circuit to a second logical circuit identifier assigned to the logical failover circuit until the failed logical circuit is restored.

8. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the quality of service parameter is one of a committed information rate or a committed burst size.

9. A system to reroute data, the system comprising:

a processor; and

a memory storing machine readable instructions that cause the processor to perform a method comprising;

rerouting data from a logical circuit to a logical failover circuit when the logical circuit fails based on an exceeded quality of service parameter, the logical failover circuit selected based on a committed bit rate, a variable bit rate, or an unspecified bit rate; and

rerouting data from a first set of switches to a second set of switches in the absence of a failure associated with the logical circuit, the logical circuit comprising variable communication paths, and the second set of switches to form a route associated with the variable communication paths that is not predefined and that is dynamically defined at a time of automatic rerouting while maintaining the logical circuit through the second set of switches.

10. A system as defined in claim 9, wherein the method further comprises updating reroute information in a data structure without manual intervention after the quality of service parameter is exceeded.

11. A system as defined in claim 10, wherein the method further comprises storing in the data structure second information indicating the duration for which the data was rerouted to the logical failover circuit.

12. A system as defined in claim 10, wherein the method further comprises updating the reroute information based on trap data generated by switches in substantially real-time, the trap data indicative of the exceeded quality of service parameter.

13. A system as defined in claim 12, wherein the trap data includes a first logical identifier for the failed logical circuit and a second logical identifier for the logical failover circuit.

14. A system as defined in claim 9, wherein the method further comprises generating a billing report including reroute information associated with the rerouting of the data.

15. A system as defined in claim 9, wherein the method further comprises renaming a first logical circuit identifier assigned to the failed logical circuit to a second logical circuit identifier assigned to the logical failover circuit until the failed logical circuit is restored.

16. A system as defined in claim 9, wherein the quality of service parameter is one of a committed information rate or a committed burst size.

17. A machine accessible storage device or storage disc comprising instructions that cause a machine to perform a method comprising:

rerouting data from a logical circuit to a logical failover circuit when the logical circuit fails based on an exceeded quality of service parameter, the logical failover circuit selected based on a committed bit rate, a variable bit rate, or an unspecified bit rate; and

rerouting data from a first set of switches to a second set of switches in the absence of a failure associated with the logical circuit, the logical circuit comprising variable communication paths, and the second set of switches to form a route associated with the variable communication paths that is not predefined and that is dynamically defined at a time of automatic rerouting while maintaining the logical circuit through the second set of switches.

18. A machine accessible storage device or storage disc as defined in claim 17, wherein the method further comprises updating reroute information in a data structure without manual intervention after a quality of service parameter is exceeded.

19. A machine accessible storage device or storage disc as defined in claim 18, wherein the method further comprises storing in the data structure second information indicating the duration for which the data was rerouted to the logical failover circuit.

20. A machine accessible storage device or storage disc as defined in claim 18, wherein the method further comprises updating the reroute information based on trap data generated by switches in substantially real-time, the trap data indicative of the exceeded quality of service parameter.

21. A machine accessible storage device or storage disc as defined in claim 20, wherein the trap data includes a first logical identifier for the failed logical circuit and a second logical identifier for the logical failover circuit.

22. A machine accessible storage device or storage disc as defined in claim 17, wherein the method further comprises generating a billing report including reroute information associated with the rerouting of the data.

23. A machine accessible storage device or storage disc as defined in claim 17, wherein the method further comprises renaming a first logical circuit identifier assigned to the failed logical circuit to a second logical circuit identifier assigned to the logical failover circuit until the failed logical circuit is restored.

24. A machine accessible storage device or storage disc as defined in claim 17, wherein the quality of service parameter is one of a committed information rate or a committed burst size.