Identifying network performance alert conditions

• US 8,687,506 B2
• Filed: 12/14/2009
• Issued: 04/01/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Reese, Kevin, Jones, Alfonso, McDonald, Steven
• Primary Examiner(s): SINKANTARAKORN, PAWARIS
• Application Number:
  US12/637,707
• Publication Number:
  US 20110141921A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,569 Days
• Field of Search: 370241-253, 725 95- 97
• US Class Current: 370/245
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0645 by additionally acting on or stimulating the network after receiving notifications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0677 Localisation of faults
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5032 Generating service level reports
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5061 characterised by the interaction between service providers and their network customers, e.g. customer relationship management
• 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 43/08 Monitoring or testing based on specific metrics, e.g. QoS, energy consumption or environmental parameters

Abstract

A computer-implemented method includes receiving diagnostic data from a plurality of network interface devices via a plurality of network connections corresponding to the network interface devices. Each of the plurality of network interface devices includes a diagnostic module to gather diagnostic data pertaining to the network interface device, to gather diagnostic data pertaining to the corresponding network connection, and to gather diagnostic data pertaining to a video device at a user location. The video device is coupled to the network interface device to receive video data via the corresponding network connection. The method also includes analyzing the diagnostic data at the computing device to identify one or more performance alert conditions associated with a service provider network. The method further includes generating an output identifying the one or more performance alert conditions.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

receiving diagnostic data at a computing device from a plurality of network interface devices via a plurality of network connections corresponding to the network interface devices, wherein each of the plurality of network interface devices includes a diagnostic module to gather diagnostic data that pertains to the network interface device, to gather diagnostic data that pertains to the corresponding network connection, and to gather diagnostic data that pertains to a video device at a user location associated with the network interface device, wherein the video device is coupled to the network interface device to receive video data via the corresponding network connection;

analyzing the diagnostic data at the computing device to identify one or more performance alert conditions associated with a service provider network that provides the video data to the plurality of network interface devices via the corresponding network connections, wherein analyzing the diagnostic data includes identifying two or more network interface devices within a service region, wherein the diagnostic data received from the two or more network interface devices indicates a particular alert condition, and identifying at least one common network element that is shared by the network connections corresponding to the two or more network interface devices; and

generating an output identifying the one or more performance alert conditions.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the diagnostic data received from a particular network interface device of the plurality of network interface devices includes one or more of:

data indicating a number of dropped packets at the particular network interface device during a specified time period;

results of loopback testing performed with respect to one or more user devices that are coupled to the particular network interface device;

results of loopback testing performed with respect to the network connection corresponding to the particular network interface device;

signal characteristics of a signal received via the network connection corresponding to the particular network interface device;

line characteristics of a physical link of the network connection corresponding to the particular network interface device; and

bandwidth available to the particular network interface device via the network connection corresponding to the particular network interface device.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein the line characteristics include at least one of resistance of one or more wires of the physical link and time-domain reflectometry results.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying a list of potential causes of the one or more identified performance alert conditions; and

determining a probability of each of the potential causes being an actual cause of the one or more identified performance alert conditions, wherein the output identifying the one or more performance alert conditions comprises the list of potential causes ordered according to the probability of each of the potential causes being the actual cause of the one or more identified performance alert conditions.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the output further includes an approximate location of a source of a potential cause of the one or more identified performance alert conditions.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the diagnostic data is received from a particular network interface device of the plurality of network interface devices in response to a stimulus.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, wherein the stimulus includes a request for the diagnostic data sent from the computing device to the particular network interface device via the network connection corresponding to the particular network interface device.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, wherein the stimulus includes at least one of detection of an event at the particular network interface device and detection of an event at a different network interface device.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein each network interface device, includes:

a first network interface adapted to terminate one or more communication lines;

a second network interface to terminate at least one coaxial line; and

at least one interface connector coupled to a power coupling device and adapted to receive a removable plug-in module, wherein the removable plug-in module includes a video unit operable, when the plug-in module is connected to the at least one interface connector, to receive the video data from a network device via at least one of the one or more communication lines and to process the video data for communication via the at least one coaxial line or a twisted wire pair, and wherein the removable plug-in module includes a power coupling device to receive power via at least one of the one or more communication lines.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the one or more performance alert conditions are identified when a line break is identified.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the diagnostic module of at least one of the plurality of network interface devices further gathers diagnostic data that pertains to a broadband data device at the user location associated with the network interface device, wherein the broadband data device is coupled to the network interface device to receive broadband data via the corresponding network connection.

12. A network diagnostic device, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory accessible to the processor, the memory including instructions executable by the processor to cause the processor to;

receive diagnostic data from a plurality of network interface devices via a plurality of network connections corresponding to the network interface devices, wherein each of the plurality of network interface devices includes a diagnostic module to gather diagnostic data that pertains to the network interface device, to gather diagnostic data that pertains to the corresponding network connection, and to gather diagnostic data that pertains to a video device at a user location associated with the network interface device, wherein the video device is coupled to the network interface device to receive video data via the corresponding network connection;

analyze the diagnostic data to identify one or more performance alert conditions associated with a service provider network configured to provide the video data to the plurality of network interface devices via the corresponding network connections, wherein analyzing the diagnostic data includes identifying two or more network interface devices within a service region, wherein the diagnostic data received from the two or more network interface devices indicates a particular alert condition, and identifying at least one common network element that is shared by the network connections corresponding to the two or more network interface devices; and

generate an output identifying the one or more performance alert conditions.

13. The network diagnostic device of claim 12, wherein the memory further comprises instructions executable by the processor to determine one or more responsible parties associated with the one or more identified performance alert conditions, wherein the generated output is sent to an output device associated with the one or more responsible parties.

14. The network diagnostic device of claim 13, wherein determining the one or more responsible parties associated with the one or more identified performance alert conditions includes selecting a technician or technician group associated with the one or more identified performance alert conditions based on a type of the one or more identified performance alert conditions.

15. The network diagnostic device of claim 13, wherein the memory further comprises instructions executable by the processor to determine an approximate location of a source of a cause of the one or more identified performance alert conditions, wherein determining the one or more responsible parties associated with the one or more identified performance alert conditions includes selecting a technician or technician group associated with the one or more identified performance alert conditions based on the approximate location.

16. The network diagnostic device of claim 13, wherein the network interface device receives the video data from a central office via a remote terminal.

17. A computer readable storage device comprising instructions that are executable by a processor to cause the processor to:

receive diagnostic data from a plurality of network interface devices via a plurality of network connections corresponding to the network interface devices, wherein each of the plurality of network interface devices includes a diagnostic module to gather diagnostic data that pertains to the network interface device, to gather diagnostic data that pertains to the corresponding network connection, and to gather diagnostic data that pertains to a video device at a user location associated with the network interface device, wherein the video device is coupled to the network interface device to receive video data via the corresponding network connection;

analyze the diagnostic data to identify one or more performance alert conditions associated with a service provider network configured to provide the video data to the plurality of network interface devices via the corresponding network connections, wherein analyzing the diagnostic data includes identifying two or more network interface devices within a service region, wherein the diagnostic data received from the two or more network interface devices indicates a particular alert condition, and identifying at least one common network element that is shared by the network connections corresponding to the two or more network interface devices; and

generate an output identifying the one or more performance alert conditions.

18. The computer readable storage device of claim 17, wherein analyzing the diagnostic data includes comparing values of the diagnostic data to one or more threshold values to determine whether one or more operational criteria are satisfied, wherein the one or more performance alert conditions are identified when the values of the diagnostic data do not satisfy the one or more threshold values.

19. The computer readable storage device of claim 17, wherein analyzing the diagnostic data includes comparing values of the diagnostic data to one or more historical values to identify performance degradation trends, wherein the one or more performance alert conditions are identified when one or more of the performance degradation trends are identified.