Method and system for optimizing network performances

• US 9,210,042 B2
• Filed: 09/14/2007
• Issued: 12/08/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Europe Ltd (NEC Corporation)
• Inventors: Nunzi, Giorgio, Brunner, Marcus
• Primary Examiner(s): MILLS, DONALD L
• Application Number:
  US12/677,914
• Publication Number:
  US 20100309799A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,007 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/044 comprising hierarchical management structures
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0833 for reduction of network energy consumption
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0869 Validating the configuration within one network element
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0062 Provisions for network management

Abstract

A method for optimizing network performances, wherein the network includes one or more network nodes (1), performance parameters of the network nodes (1) being controlled by element of dedicated optimization modules (3), wherein each optimization module (3) monitors at least one performance parameter of the network node (1) to which the optimization module (3) is associated and generates a change request for the current value of the performance parameter on the basis of preset rules, is characterized in that the change requests generated by different optimization modules (3) of the network node (1) are forwarded to a shared controlling element (2), wherein the shared controlling element (2) enforces a coordination of the received change requests on the basis of a configurable algorithm. Furthermore, a corresponding system is disclosed.

Claims

1. A method for optimizing network performances, comprising:

providing a network which comprises one or more network nodes, each one of the network nodes including dedicated optimization modules and a controlling element, the controlling element being shared by the dedicated optimization modules at the network node, the dedicated optimization modules and the controlling element each being located locally at the network node, performance parameters of said network nodes being controlled by the dedicated optimization modules;

monitoring with each optimization module at least one performance parameter of the network node to which said optimization module is associated and generating a change request for the current value of said performance parameter on the basis of preset rules; and

forwarding said change requests generated by different optimization modules of said network node to the controlling element at the network node to which the optimization modules are associated, the controlling element shared by the optimization modules enforcing a coordination of the received change requests on the basis of a configurable algorithm,

wherein said controlling element resolves conflicts of change requests received concurrently from different optimization modules of the network node.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein optimization goals that define a trade-off between different optimization modules are passed to said controlling element and are taken into account in a coordination process.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein said controlling element, according to the configurable algorithm, generates an average of the change requests received from the optimization modules.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein said algorithm includes a routine for performing a weighting of the change requests, wherein the average is generated on a basis of the weighted change requests.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein cost functions for the performance parameter under control are passed to said controlling element and are considered in a coordination process.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein change requests received from one or more of said optimization modules are selectively blocked by said controlling element.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein said controlling element outputs a new configuration value for the performance parameter under control.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein said controlling element is located between the optimization modules and the access to the resources of the controlled network node.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the output of said controlling element is used for performing an update of the value of the controlled performance parameter in the resources of said network node.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein said controlling element alters a timing in which changes of a performance parameter are enforced.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein an interaction flow between involved entities is performed by using tuples containing the performance parameter and the configuration value of said performance parameter.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein each change request is associated to the requesting optimization module.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the association of a change request to a respective requesting entity is performed by the name of the requesting optimization module and/or by means of an identifier associated to the requesting optimization module.

14. The method according to claim 1, wherein the performance parameters being controlled include the power of the pilot channel of base stations, the bandwidth of guard channels in the context of handovers and/or a received signal threshold for network induced handovers.

15. A system for optimizing network performances, the system comprising:

one or more network nodes each comprising

dedicated optimization modules configured for controlling performance parameters of the network node, each optimization module being configured to monitor at least one performance parameter of the network node to which said optimization module is associated and to generate change requests for the current value of said performance parameter on the basis of preset rules; and

a controlling element shared by the dedicated optimization modules at the network node to which said change requests generated by different optimization modules of said network node are forwarded, the controlling element being configured to enforce a coordination of the received change requests on the basis of a configurable algorithm,

wherein the dedicated optimization modules and the controlling element are each locally located at the network node, and

the system is configured to optimize network performance according to the following steps;

providing the network which comprises the one or more network nodes, each one of the network nodes including the dedicated optimization modules and the controlling element, the performance parameters of said network nodes being controlled by the dedicated optimization modules;

monitoring with each optimization module the at least one performance parameter of the network node to which said optimization module is associated and generating the change request for the current value of said performance parameter on the basis of the preset rules; and

forwarding said change requests generated by different optimization modules of said network node to the controlling element at the network node to which the optimization modules are associated, the controlling element shared by the optimization modules enforcing the coordination of the received change requests on the basis of the configurable algorithm, and

wherein said controlling element is configured to resolve conflicts of change requests received concurrently from different optimization modules of the network node.

16. The system according to claim 15, wherein said controlling element is configured as to receive cost functions for the performance parameter under control which are considered in the coordination process.

17. The system according to claim 15, wherein said controlling element is enabled to selectively block change requests received from one or more of said optimization modules.

18. The system according to claim 15, wherein said controlling element is enabled to overwrite configuration values received from said optimization modules in the context of change requests.

19. The system according to claim 15, wherein said controlling element outputs a new configuration value for the performance parameter under control.

20. The system according to claim 15, wherein said controlling element is located between the optimization modules and an access to the resources of the controlled network node.

21. The system according to claim 15, wherein a unique point of control of a coordination process performed by said controlling element is provided.