Network management system scheduling for low power and lossy networks

• US 8,612,583 B2
• Filed: 07/29/2011
• Issued: 12/17/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hui, Jonathan W., Tolle, Gilman, Vasseur, Jean-Philippe
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, PHUOC H
• Application Number:
  US13/194,186
• Publication Number:
  US 20130031253A1
• Time in Patent Office: 872 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/217, 709/220, 709/224, 709/225, 709/226
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0811 by checking connectivity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0817 by checking functioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/103 with adaptive polling, i.e. dynamically adapting the polling rate
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/00 Communication routing or communication path finding
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/00 Systems for electrical power generation, transmission, distribution or end-user application management characterised by the use of communication or information technologies, or communication or information technology specific aspects supporting them

Abstract

In one embodiment, a network management system (NMS) determines an intent to initialize a request-response exchange with a plurality of clients in a low power and lossy network (LLN). In response, the NMS adaptively schedules corresponding responses from the clients to distribute the responses across a period of time based on a network state of the LLN. Accordingly, requests may be generated by the NMS with an indication of a corresponding schedule to be used by the clients to respond, and transmitted into the LLN to solicit the responses, which are then received at the NMS according to the indicated schedule.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

determining, by a network management system (NMS), an intent to initialize a request-response exchange with a plurality of clients in a low power and lossy network (LLN);

adaptively scheduling, by the NMS, corresponding responses from the clients to distribute the responses across a period of time based on a network state of the LLN;

generating requests by the NMS with an indication of a corresponding schedule to be used by the clients to respond;

transmitting the requests from the NMS into the LLN; and

receiving the responses at the NMS according to the schedule.

2. The method as in claim 1, wherein adaptively scheduling corresponding responses is based on one or more specified parameters from an application responsible for the request-response exchange.

3. The method as in claim 1, wherein adaptively scheduling comprises determining a time window within which the clients are to randomly respond, and wherein the indication of the corresponding schedule specifies the determined time window.

4. The method as in claim 1, wherein adaptively scheduling comprises determining a random distribution model to be utilized by the clients, and wherein the indication of the corresponding schedule specifies the determined random distribution model.

5. The method as in claim 4, wherein the determined random distribution model is selected from a group consisting of:

a uniform distribution model; and

a geometric distribution model.

6. The method as in claim 1, wherein adaptively scheduling comprises determining a set of one or more filters to suppress responses from one or more correspondingly filtered clients, and wherein the indication of the corresponding schedule specifies the determined set of filters.

7. The method as in claim 6, wherein the set of filters is selected from a group consisting of:

an address list;

a bit-mask to be applied to device addresses;

one or more device properties; and

one or more link properties.

8. The method as in claim 1, further comprising:

determining response acknowledgement parameters for the NMS to acknowledge the responses from the clients; and

indicating the response acknowledgment parameters within the indication of the corresponding schedule.

9. The method as in claim 1, wherein adaptively scheduling corresponding responses is based on one or more resource utilization bounds within the network.

10. The method as in claim 1, further comprising:

adaptively scheduling, by the NMS, the transmitting of the requests based on the network state of the LLN.

11. The method as in claim 1, wherein adaptively scheduling corresponding responses is based on one or more other request-response exchanges operating in the LLN.

12. The method as in claim 1, further comprising:

determining the network state by based on monitoring resource availability in the LLN, and wherein adaptively scheduling corresponding responses is based on preventing surpassing resource availability in the LLN.

13. The method as in claim 12, further comprising:

maintaining long-term network state based on a first rate of data acquisition;

determining the resource availability based on the long-term network state; and

confirming the resource availability prior to adaptively scheduling corresponding responses based on monitoring the LLN for a short-term at an increased rate of data acquisition.

14. An apparatus, comprising:

one or more network interfaces to communicate with a low power and lossy network (LLN);

a processor coupled to the network interfaces and adapted to execute one or more processes; and

a memory configured to store a network management system (NMS) process executable by the processor, the process when executed operable to;

determine an intent to initialize a request-response exchange with a plurality of clients in the LLN;

adaptively schedule corresponding responses from the clients to distribute the responses across a period of time based on a network state of the LLN;

generate requests with an indication of a corresponding schedule to be used by the clients to respond;

transmit the requests into the LLN; and

receive the responses according to the schedule.

15. The apparatus as in claim 14, wherein the process when executed to adaptively schedule corresponding responses is further operable to base the scheduling on one or more specified parameters from an application responsible for the request-response exchange.

16. The apparatus as in claim 14, wherein the process when executed to adaptively schedule corresponding responses is further operable to determine a time window within which the clients are to randomly respond, and wherein the indication of the corresponding schedule specifies the determined time window.

17. The apparatus as in claim 14, wherein the process when executed to adaptively schedule corresponding responses is further operable to determine a random distribution model to be utilized by the clients, and wherein the indication of the corresponding schedule specifies the determined random distribution model.

18. The apparatus as in claim 14, wherein the process when executed to adaptively schedule corresponding responses is further operable to determine a set of one or more filters to suppress responses from one or more correspondingly filtered clients, and wherein the indication of the corresponding schedule specifies the determined set of filters.

19. The apparatus as in claim 14, wherein the process when executed is further operable to:

determine response acknowledgement parameters for the NMS process to acknowledge the responses from the clients; and

indicate the response acknowledgment parameters within the indication of the corresponding schedule.

20. The apparatus as in claim 14, wherein the process when executed to adaptively schedule corresponding responses is further operable to base the scheduling on one or more resource utilization bounds within the network.

21. The apparatus as in claim 14, wherein the process when executed is further operable to:

adaptively schedule the transmitting of the requests based on the network state of the LLN.

22. The apparatus as in claim 14, wherein the process when executed to adaptively schedule corresponding responses is further operable to base the scheduling on one or more other request-response exchanges operating in the LLN.

23. The apparatus as in claim 14, wherein the process when executed is further operable to:

determine the network state by based on monitoring resource availability in the LLN, and wherein adaptively scheduling corresponding responses is based on preventing surpassing resource availability in the LLN.

24. A tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable media having software encoded thereon, the software when executed by a processor operable to:

determine an intent to initialize a request-response exchange from a network management system (NMS) with a plurality of clients in a low power and lossy network (LLN);

adaptively schedule corresponding responses from the clients to distribute the responses across a period of time based on a network state of the LLN;

generate requests with an indication of a corresponding schedule to be used by the clients to respond;

transmit the requests into the LLN; and

receive the responses according to the schedule.