Quantitative management assessments of data communication networks with converged architectures

• US 8,782,216 B2
• Filed: 07/29/2011
• Issued: 07/15/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Raghavendran, Vijayakumar, Pal, Balbir Sanjay, Hasan, Saad, Dhingra, Sandeep
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, PHUOC H
• Application Number:
  US13/194,159
• Publication Number:
  US 20130031242A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,082 Days
• Field of Search: 709/217, 709/223, 709/224
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/6418 Hybrid transport

Abstract

Techniques for quantitative converged network assessment are described. Performance information, associated with network infrastructure elements and application or service elements of a computer network, is received. One or more key performance indicators of a reference network architecture are compared with at least a portion of the performance information. A plurality of first scores is determined based on the comparison of the one or more key performance indicators and at least a portion of the performance information. Based on the plurality of first scores, a single second score is determined that indicates a converged state of the computer network with respect to the reference network architecture.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

using a computing device, receiving performance information associated with performance of one or more network infrastructure elements and one or more application elements or service elements of a computer network;

using the computing device, comparing one or more performance indicators of a reference network architecture with at least a portion of the performance information;

using the computing device, determining a plurality of first scores for the performance information, wherein each score of the first scores is based, at least in part, on the comparing;

using the computing device, determining, based on the plurality of first scores, a single second score that indicates a converged state of the computer network as a whole in readiness to process video, voice and data with respect to the reference network architecture, and that indicates a level of readiness of the computer network as a whole to support the one or more application elements or the service elements of the computer network on the one or more network infrastructure elements in processing the video, voice and data;

wherein the method is performed by one or more computing devices.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

associating a weight value, of one or more weight values, with each of the one or more key performance indicators;

wherein each first score of the plurality of first scores is based, at least in part, on a particular weight value, of the one or more weight values, associated with a particular key performance indicator, of the one or more key performance indicators.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising displaying, in a graphical user interface, at least a portion of the plurality of first scores and at least a portion of the performance information.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the one or more weight values indicate a priority level for an associated key performance indicator, and displaying one or more of the plurality of first scores includes displaying a set of the plurality of first scores corresponding to a particular priority level.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating, based at least in part on one or more of the plurality of first scores and the second score, remediation report data that indicates how the computer network can be modified to match the one or more key performance indicators of the reference network architecture.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the performance information, received for the computer network, includes both application layer performance information, physical infrastructure performance information, and one or more of:

regulatory compliance information and operational cost efficiency information.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the single second score includes classifying, based on the plurality of first scores, the computer network into a particular category of a plurality of graduated categories that indicate an ability of the computer network to support a particular set of network services.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more key performance indicators include one or more application layer network readiness criteria and one or more physical network infrastructure readiness criteria.

9. The method of claim 3, further comprising displaying, in the graphical user interface, at least a portion of the plurality of first scores, at least a portion of the performance information, and the single second score.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving second performance information associated with performance of a second computer network for which a performance assessment is desired;

determining a plurality of second scores for the second performance information, wherein each score of the plurality of second scores is based, at least in part, on comparing the one or more key performance indicators that represent the reference network architecture with at least a portion of the second performance information;

determining, based on the plurality of second scores, a single third score that indicates a state of the second computer network with respect to the reference network architecture;

displaying, in a graphical user interface, one or more of;

the one or more key performance indicators, at least a portion of the plurality of first scores, at least a portion of the plurality of second scores, the single second score, and the single third score.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform:

receiving performance information associated with performance of a network architecture;

determining a plurality of first scores for the performance information, wherein each score of the plurality of first scores is based, at least in part, on comparing one or more key performance indicators that represent a reference network architecture with at least a portion of the performance information;

determining, based on the plurality of first scores, a second score that indicates a converged state of the network architecture as a whole in readiness to process video, voice and data with respect to the reference network architecture, and that indicates a level of readiness of the network architecture as a whole to support one or more application elements or service elements of the network architecture in processing the video voice and data.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, further comprising instructions for carrying out the steps of:

associating a weight value, of one or more weight values, with each of the one or more key performance indicators;

wherein each first score of the plurality of first scores is based, at least in part, on a particular weight value, of the one or more weight values, associated with a particular key performance indicator, of the one or more key performance indicators.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, further comprising instructions for carrying out the steps of:

displaying, in a graphical user interface, at least a portion of the plurality of first scores and at least a portion of the performance information.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the one or more weight values indicate a priority level for an associated key performance indicator, and displaying one or more of the plurality of first scores includes displaying a set of the plurality of first scores corresponding to a particular priority level.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, further comprising instructions for carrying out the steps of:

generating, based at least in part on one or more of the plurality of first scores and the second score, information that indicates how the network architecture can be improved to match the one or more key performance indicators of the reference network architecture.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the performance information, received for the network architecture includes both application layer performance information, physical infrastructure performance information, and one or more of:

regulatory compliance information and operational cost efficiency information.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein determining the second score includes classifying, based on the plurality of first scores, the network architecture into a graduated category of a plurality of graduated categories that indicate an ability of the network architecture to support a particular set of network services.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the one or more key performance indicators include one or more application layer network readiness indicators and one or more physical network infrastructure readiness indicators.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, further comprising instructions for carrying out the steps of:

displaying, in the graphical user interface, at least a portion of the plurality of first scores, at least a portion of the performance information, and the second score.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, further comprising instructions for carrying out the steps of:

receiving a plurality of second performance information associated with performance of a second network architecture;

determining a plurality of second scores for the second performance information, wherein each score of the plurality of second scores is based, at least in part, on comparing the one or more key performance indicators that represent the reference network architecture with at least a portion of the plurality of second performance information;

determining, based on the plurality of second scores, a third score that indicates the state of the second network architecture with respect to the reference network architecture;

displaying, in a graphical user interface, one or more of;

the one or more key performance indicators, at least a portion of the plurality of first scores, at least a portion of the plurality of second scores, the second score, and the third score.