Analysis of network operation

• US 8,873,753 B2
• Filed: 08/27/2012
• Issued: 10/28/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Parker, Benjamin J.
• Primary Examiner(s): HOLDER, BRADLEY W
• Application Number:
  US13/595,339
• Publication Number:
  US 20140059678A1
• Time in Patent Office: 792 Days
• Field of Search: 380/250
• US Class Current: 380/250
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0893 Assignment of logical groups to network elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0894 Policy-based network configuration management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0896 Bandwidth or capacity management, i.e. automatically increasing or decreasing capacities flow or congestion control using dynamic resource allocation, e.g. in-call renegotiation, H04L47/76
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/34 Signalling channels for network management communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1408 by monitoring network traffic monitoring network traffic per se H04L43/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/20 for managing network security; network security policies in general filtering policies H04L63/0227
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/088 using filters or firewalls
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/122 Counter-measures against attacks; Protection against rogue devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/80 Arrangements enabling lawful interception [LI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/04 Arrangements for maintaining operational condition

Abstract

A network device is configured to receive information from a number of different types of data collection devices. The information may relate to operation of devices in a network and communications in the network. The network device is configured to further analyze the information and determine that an issue exists relating to operation of the network. The network device is configured further to send a message to a policy device based on determining that the issue exists relating to the operation of the network. The policy device may generate or change a rule or policy associated with the operation of the network, based on the message, to instruct one or more other network devices to change the operation of the network.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a network device, at least partially implemented in hardware, to;

receive information associated with a plurality of different types of data collection devices,

the information relating to operation of devices associated with a cellular network and communications in the cellular network,

the different types of data collection devices including at least two of;

a first data collection computing device to collect data based on simple network management protocol (SNMP),

a second data collection computing device to collect data based on syslog logging,

a third data collection computing device to collect data based on central processing unit utilization,

a fourth data collection computing device to collect data based on NetFlow data,

a fifth data collection computing device to collect data based on session initiation protocol flow information exchange (SIPFix),

a sixth data collection computing device to collect data based on internet protocol flow information exchange (IPFix),

a seventh data collection computing device to collect data based on subscriber packets, or

an eighth data collection computing device to collect data based on signaling links associated with set-up, management, or tear-down of communications;

analyze the information;

determine, based on a result of analyzing the information, that an issue exists relating to operation of the cellular network;

identify one or more options, of a plurality of options, for addressing the issue by changing one or more operational characteristics associated with the cellular network,

the plurality of options including at least one of;

adjusting a quantity of messages being delivered in the cellular network,

adjusting a quantity of user devices connected to the cellular network,

adjusting an amount of bandwidth associated with the cellular network, or

causing incoming or outgoing messages, associated with the cellular network, to be sent to a particular network device for further analysis;

identify an option, of the one or more options, for addressing the issue;

send a message to one or more computing devices, associated with the cellular network, based on the identified option,

the one or more computing devices causing changes to be made to the one or more operational characteristics, associated with the cellular network, based on the message,

based on the one or more operational characteristics and the identified option, the one or more computing devices instructing one or more other network devices, at least partially implemented in hardware and associated with the cellular network, to;

adjust the quantity of messages,

adjust the quantity of user devices,

adjust the amount of bandwidth, or

cause the incoming or outgoing messages to be sent to the particular network device for further analysis.

2. The system of claim 1, where, when analyzing the information, the network device is further to:

analyze the information to determine that there is greater than a threshold number of incoming messages into the cellular network; and

where, when sending the message to the one or more computing devices, the network device is further to;

send a notification to the one or more computing devices to reduce a quantity of user devices using the cellular network based on determining that there is greater than the threshold number of incoming messages into the cellular network.

3. The system of claim 1, where the information relates to outgoing messages from the cellular network, and where the network device is further to:

determine that the outgoing messages are being sent to an unknown device;

determine, based on determining that the outgoing messages are being sent to the unknown device, that a security threat exists relating to the operation of the cellular network; and

send a message to a user device based on determining that the security threat exists,

the user device notifying a second network device to send the outgoing messages to a third network device for further analysis.

4. The system of claim 1, where the information relates to outgoing messages from the cellular network, and where the network device is further to:

determine that the outgoing messages are being sent during a period of time associated with a threat;

determine, based on determining that the outgoing messages are being sent during a period of time associated with the threat, that a security threat exists relating to the operation of the cellular network; and

send a particular message to a second network device based on determining that the security threat exists relating to the operation of the cellular network,

the particular message notifying the second network device to prevent the outgoing messages from being sent to an external device.

5. The system of claim 4, where, when determining that the outgoing messages are being sent during the period of time associated with the threat, the network device is further to:

analyze the outgoing messages to determine whether the security threat is an anomaly.

6. The system of claim 1, where the information relates to outgoing messages from the cellular network, and where the network device is further to:

analyze the outgoing messages to determine that there is a pattern associated with the outgoing messages,

the pattern indicating whether there is a security threat relating to the operation of the cellular network; and

where the network device, when sending the message to the one or more computing devices, is further to;

send the message based on analyzing the outgoing messages.

7. The system of claim 1, where the network device is further to:

provide information identifying the plurality of options to a management device,

the information identifying the plurality of options being displayed, by the management device on a user interface;

receive, from the management device, information that identifies a selected option of the plurality of options,

the selected option being selected via an interaction with the user interface; and

where, when identifying the option, the network device is further to;

identify the option based on the selected option.

8. A method comprising:

receiving, by a network device at least partially implemented in hardware, information associated with a plurality of different types of data collection devices,

the information relating to operation of devices associated with a cellular network and communications in the cellular network;

the different types of data collection devices including at least two of;

a first data collection computing device to collect data based on simple network management protocol (SNMP),

a second data collection computing device to collect data based on syslog logging,

a third data collection computing device to collect data based on central processing unit utilization,

a fourth data collection computing device to collect data based on NetFlow data,

a fifth data collection computing device to collect data based on session initiation protocol flow information exchange (SIPFix),

a sixth data collection computing device to collect data based on internet protocol flow information exchange (IPFix),

a seventh data collection computing device to collect data based on subscriber packets, or

an eighth data collection computing device to collect data based on signaling links associated with set-up, management, or tear-down of communications;

analyzing, by the network device, the information;

determining, by the network device and based on a result of analyzing the information, that an issue exists relating to operation of the cellular network;

identifying, by the network device, one or more options, of a plurality of options, for addressing the issue,

the plurality of options including at least one of;

adjusting a quantity of messages being delivered in the cellular network,

adjusting a quantity of user devices connected to the cellular network,

adjusting an amount of bandwidth associated with the cellular network, or

causing incoming or outgoing messages, associated with the cellular network, to be sent to a particular network device for further analysis;

identifying an option, of the one or more options, for addressing the issue;

sending, by the network device, a message to one or more computing devices, associated with the cellular network, based on the identified option,

the message causing the one or more computing devices to cause a change to be made to an operational characteristic associated with the cellular network,

based on the operational characteristic and the identified option, the one or more computing devices causing one or more other network devices, at least partially implemented in hardware and associated with the cellular network, to;

adjust the quantity of messages,

adjust the quantity of user devices,

adjust the amount of bandwidth, or

cause the incoming or outgoing messages to be sent to the particular network device for further analysis.

9. The method of claim 8, where analyzing the information further comprises:

analyzing the information to determine that there is a security threat associated with incoming messages to the cellular network; and

sending a notification to a second network device,

the second network device changing a flow rate associated with the incoming messages to reduce the security threat.

10. The method of claim 8, where determining that the issue exists relating to the operation of the cellular network further comprises:

determining that there is not enough bandwidth allocated to a geographic region within the cellular network; and

where sending the message further comprises;

sending a message to cause an increase in the amount of bandwidth allocated to the geographic region.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

sending a notification to a user device, the notification notifying the user device that a change is being made to the operation of the cellular network.

12. The method of claim 8, where analyzing the information further comprises:

analyzing the information to determine that there is a security threat associated with outgoing messages from the cellular network; and

sending a first notification to a second network device,

the second network device sending a second notification, based on the first notification, to a third network device to terminate the security threat.

13. The method of claim 12, where analyzing the information to determine that there is a security threat further comprises:

comparing historical flow rate information for incoming messages to the cellular network and outgoing messages from the cellular network with a flow rate of current incoming messages to the cellular network and current outgoing messages from the cellular network to determine whether there is a security threat.

14. The method of claim 8, where determining that the issue exists relating to the operation of the cellular network further comprises:

determining that there is an above average quantity of user devices connected to the cellular network; and

where sending the message further comprises;

sending a notification to reduce the quantity of user devices connected to the cellular network based on determining that there is an above average quantity of user devices connected to the cellular network.

15. The method of claim 8, where receiving the information associated with the plurality of different types of data collection devices further comprises:

receiving information associated with flow rates of incoming and outgoing messages from a second network device, associated with the cellular network, to a first user device connected to the cellular network; and

receiving information associated with a type of service, being used by a second user device, associated with the incoming and outgoing messages from the second network device to the first user device.

16. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

providing, to a management device, information that identifies the plurality of options,

the information that identifies the plurality of options being displayed, by the management device, on a user interface;

receiving, from the management device, information that identifies a selected option of the plurality of options,

the selected option being selected via an interaction with the user interface; and

where identifying the option further comprises;

identifying the option based on the selected option.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions, the instructions comprising:

one or more instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to;

receive information associated with a plurality of different types of data collection devices,

the information relating to operation of devices associated with a cellular network and communications in the cellular network,

the different types of data collection devices including at least two of;

a first data collection computing device to collect data based on simple network management protocol (SNMP),

a second data collection computing device to collect data based on syslog logging,

a third data collection computing device to collect data based on central processing unit utilization,

a fourth data collection computing device to collect data based on NetFlow data,

a fifth data collection computing device to collect data based on session initiation protocol flow information exchange (SIPFix),

a sixth data collection computing device to collect data based on internet protocol flow information exchange (IPFix),

a seventh data collection computing device to collect data based on subscriber packets, or

an eighth data collection computing device to collect data based on signaling links associated with set-up, management, or tear-down of communications;

analyze the information;

determine, based on a result of analyzing the information, that an issue exists relating to an operation of the cellular network;

identify one or more options, of a plurality of options for addressing the issue,

the plurality of options including at least one of;

adjusting a quantity of messages being delivered in the cellular network,

adjusting a quantity of user devices connected to the cellular network,

adjusting an amount of bandwidth associated with the cellular network, or

causing incoming or outgoing messages, associated with the cellular network, to be sent to a particular network device for further analysis;

identify an option, of the one or more options, for addressing the issue;

send a message to one or more computing devices, associated with the cellular network, based on the identified option,

the one or more computing device causing changes to be made to one or more operational characteristics, associated with the cellular network, based on the message and the identified option,

the one or more computing devices instructing one or more other network devices, at least partially implemented in hardware and associated with the cellular network, to;

adjust the quantity of messages,

adjust the quantity of user devices,

adjust the amount of bandwidth, or

cause the incoming or outgoing messages to be sent to the particular network device for further analysis.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, where the one or more instructions, that cause the one or more processors to receive the information from the plurality of different types of data collection devices, further cause the one or more processors to:

receive a first set of data, regarding incoming messages to a user device, that includes a flow rate of the incoming messages; and

receive a second set of data, regarding outgoing messages from the user device, that includes identification of a server that is receiving the outgoing messages.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, where the one or more instructions, that cause the one or more processors to analyze the information, further cause the one or more processors to:

analyze the information to determine that there is a security threat associated with outgoing messages from the cellular network; and

send a first notification to a second network device,

the second network device sending a second notification, based on the first notification, to a third network device to terminate the security threat.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, where the one or more instructions further cause the one or more processors to:

provide information identifying the plurality of options to a management device,

the information identifying the plurality of options being displayed, by the management device, on a user interface;

receive, from the management device, information that identifies a selected option of the plurality of options,

the selected option being selected via an interaction with the user interface; and

where the one or more instructions, that cause the one or more processors to identify the option, further cause the one or more processors to;

identify the option based on the selected option.