Determining feasibility of a network service using a ring analysis
First Claim
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1. A computer-implemented method for evaluating utilization of a mesh network including a plurality of switching devices, comprising:
- (a) recording, on a computing device and at a plurality of time slices during a plurality of previous time cycles, utilization of bidirectional links connecting the plurality of switching devices, the time cycles representing periodic time intervals having a pattern of repeated utilization and the time slices representing sub-intervals in the periodic time intervals;
(b) for both directions of each of the links and during each of the plurality of time slices, determining, on the computing device, a predicted utilization of the link in the direction based on the recorded utilization of the link during the time slice in the previous time cycles;
for each of a plurality of rings in the mesh network and for each of the time slices;
(c) determining, on the computing device, a clockwise maximum of the predicted utilizations of the links in the ring in the clockwise direction of the ring during the time slice in the previous time cycles;
(d) determining, on the computing device, a counterclockwise maximum of the predicted utilizations of the links in the ring in the counterclockwise direction of the ring during the time slice in the previous time cycles;
(e) determining, on the computing device, a predicted utilization of the ring for the time slice based on the clockwise maximum and the counterclockwise maximum; and
(f) for each of the plurality of rings, determining, on the computing device, an overall predicted utilization of the ring based on the predicted utilizations for the ring determined in (e) for the respective time slices.
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Abstract
A mesh network (such as a mesh Ethernet network) is subdivided into rings. For each ring, a network utilization is assessed in both the clockwise and counter-clockwise directions around the ring. A user requests a particular network service. The network rings that would be utilized by the network service are determined. A maximum utilization of all the network rings utilized by the network service in both clockwise and counter-clockwise directions is determined. The determined maximum utilization is used to determine the feasibility of provisioning the requested network service.
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Citations
17 Claims
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1. A computer-implemented method for evaluating utilization of a mesh network including a plurality of switching devices, comprising:
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(a) recording, on a computing device and at a plurality of time slices during a plurality of previous time cycles, utilization of bidirectional links connecting the plurality of switching devices, the time cycles representing periodic time intervals having a pattern of repeated utilization and the time slices representing sub-intervals in the periodic time intervals; (b) for both directions of each of the links and during each of the plurality of time slices, determining, on the computing device, a predicted utilization of the link in the direction based on the recorded utilization of the link during the time slice in the previous time cycles;
for each of a plurality of rings in the mesh network and for each of the time slices;(c) determining, on the computing device, a clockwise maximum of the predicted utilizations of the links in the ring in the clockwise direction of the ring during the time slice in the previous time cycles; (d) determining, on the computing device, a counterclockwise maximum of the predicted utilizations of the links in the ring in the counterclockwise direction of the ring during the time slice in the previous time cycles; (e) determining, on the computing device, a predicted utilization of the ring for the time slice based on the clockwise maximum and the counterclockwise maximum; and (f) for each of the plurality of rings, determining, on the computing device, an overall predicted utilization of the ring based on the predicted utilizations for the ring determined in (e) for the respective time slices. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A system for evaluating utilization of a mesh network including a plurality of switching devices, comprising:
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a computing device; a monitor module, implemented on the computing device, that records, at a plurality of time slices during a plurality of previous time cycles, the utilization of bidirectional links connecting the plurality of switching devices, the time cycles representing periodic time intervals having a pattern of repeated utilization and the time slices representing sub-intervals in the periodic time intervals; a link predictor module, implemented on the computing device, that, for both directions of each of the links and during each of the plurality of time slices, determines a predicted utilization of the link in the direction based on the recorded utilization of the link during the time slice in the previous time cycles; and a slice evaluator module, implemented on the computing device, that, for each of a plurality of rings in the mesh network and for each of the time slices;
(i) determines a clockwise maximum of the predicted utilizations of the links in the ring in the clockwise direction of the ring during the time slice in previous time cycles, (ii) determines a counterclockwise maximum of the predicted utilizations of the links in the ring in the counterclockwise direction of the ring during the time slice in previous time cycles, and (iii) determines a predicted utilization of the ring for the time slice based on the clockwise maximum and the counterclockwise maximum; anda ring evaluator module, implemented on the computing device, that, for each of a plurality of rings in the mesh network, determines an overall predicted utilization for the ring based on the predicted utilizations for the ring determined by the slice evaluator module for the respective time slices. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A program storage device tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by at least one machine to perform a method for evaluating utilization of a mesh network including a plurality of switching devices, the method comprising:
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(a) recording, on a computing device and at a plurality of time slices during a plurality of previous time cycles, utilization of bidirectional links connecting the plurality of switching devices, the time cycles representing periodic time intervals having a pattern of repeated utilization and the time slices representing sub-intervals in the periodic time intervals; (b) for both directions of each of the links and during each of the plurality of time slices, determining, on the computing device, a predicted utilization of the link in the direction based on the recorded utilization of the link during the time slice in the previous time cycles; for each of a plurality of rings in the mesh network and for each of the time slices; (c) determining, on the computing device, a clockwise maximum of the predicted utilizations of the links in the ring in the clockwise direction of the ring during the time slice in the previous time cycles; (d) determining, on the computing device, a counterclockwise maximum of the predicted utilizations of the links in the ring in the counterclockwise direction of the ring during the time slice in the previous time cycles; (e) determining, on the computing device, a predicted utilization of the ring for the time slice based on the clockwise maximum and the counterclockwise maximum; and (f) for each of the plurality of rings, determining, on the computing device, an overall predicted utilization of the ring based on the predicted utilizations for the ring determined in (e) for the respective time slices. - View Dependent Claims (16)
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17. A computer-implemented method for evaluating utilization of a mesh network including a plurality of switching devices, comprising:
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(a) recording, on a computing device and at a plurality of time slices during a plurality of previous time cycles, utilization of bidirectional links connecting the plurality of switching devices, the time cycles representing periodic time intervals having a pattern of repeated utilization and the time slices representing sub-intervals in the periodic time intervals; (b) for both directions of each of the links and during each of the plurality of time slices, determining, on the computing device, a predicted availability of the link in the direction based on the recorded utilization of the link during the time slice in the previous time cycles; for each of a plurality of rings in the mesh network and for each of the time slices; (c) determining, on the computing device, a clockwise minimum of the predicted availability of the links in the ring in the clockwise direction of the ring during the time slice in previous time cycles; (d) determining, on the computing device, a counterclockwise minimum of the predicted availability of the links in the ring in the counterclockwise direction of the ring during the time slice in previous time cycles; (e) determining, on the computing device, a predicted availability of the ring for the time slice based on the clockwise and counterclockwise minimums; and (f) for each of the plurality of rings, determining, on the computing device, an overall predicted availability of the ring based on the predicted availabilities for the ring determined in (e) for the respective time slices.
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Specification