System and method for remotely controlling network operators

• US 9,225,609 B2
• Filed: 10/09/2012
• Issued: 12/29/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/22/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bugenhagen, Michael K., Wiley, William L., McNaughton, James L., Heinz, John M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Edwards, Linglan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Cosby, Lawrence
• Application Number:
  US13/648,076
• Publication Number:
  US 20130033984A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,176 Days
• Field of Search: 709/224
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/5692 Selection among different networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0213 Standardised network management protocols, e.g. simple network management protocol [SNMP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0681 Configuration of triggering conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/147 for predicting network behaviour
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5003 Managing SLA; Interaction between SLA and QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5009 Determining service level performance parameters or violations of service level contracts, e.g. violations of agreed response time or mean time between failures [MTBF]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0829 Packet loss
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0852 Delays
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/087 Jitter
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0882 Utilisation of link capacity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/16 Threshold monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/125 by balancing the load, e.g. traffic engineering
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles

Abstract

A system and method for controlling communications networks. Network performance information is gathered from a first communications network using performance information packet data packets. A network operator of the first communications network is controlled from a secondary communications network using the performance information packet data packets. Changes to the network operator are implemented based on instructions included in the performance information packet data packets.

Claims

1. A method for controlling communications networks, comprising:

gathering network performance information from a first communications network using performance information packet (PIP) data packets, the PIP data packets each including a timestamp, the network performance information including (i) status values indicative of operational status or performance of network segments and (ii) specific network performance information of each connection path;

determining optimal connection paths through the first communications network in response to the network performance information, by inspecting the timestamps of PIP data packets transmitted along different connection paths to rate the connection paths and network segments of the connection paths according to at least one of utilization, bandwidth, latency, or jitter of each connection path;

controlling a network operator of the first communications network from a secondary communications network using the PIP data packets;

implementing changes to the network operator based on instructions included in the PIP data packets;

changing a connection path during a communication to a connection path with a higher rating; and

compiling global network performance information for a plurality of communications networks.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the global performance information is stored in a central resource accessible by the plurality of communications networks.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the secondary communications network controls a connection admission control (CAC) manager managing the network operator of the first communications network.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the CAC manager controls only network components used to route network traffic to the secondary network.

5. The method according to claim 3, wherein the CAC manager manages network components based on permissions.

6. The method according to claim 3, wherein the CAC manager sends the instructions to configure the network operator.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

changing a level of access the secondary communications network is provided based on a predefined event.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein changing the level of access is automatically triggered based on a network emergency, wherein the level of access is reduced so that the secondary communications network is unable to control the first communications network.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein changing further comprises:

expanding the level of access the secondary communications network is provided.

10. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

gathering the network performance information over time for historic use in controlling the first communications network.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the instructions perform any of throttle bandwidth, block data traffic, reroute data traffic, and reconfigure the network operator.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the modifying is implemented based on whether the data transmitted through the network operator is real-time data or non real-time data.

13. A communication system for managing network communications comprising:

a processing system configured to;

gather network performance information from a first communications network using PIP data packets, the PIP data packets each including a timestamp, the network performance information including (i) status values indicative of operational status or performance of network segments and (ii) specific network performance information of each connection path;

determine optimal connection paths through the first communications network in response to the network performance information, by inspecting the timestamps of PIP data packets transmitted along different connection paths to rate the connection paths and network segments of the connection paths according to at least one of utilization, bandwidth, latency, or jitter of each connection path;

control a network operator of the first communications network using PIP data packets;

implement changes to the network operator based on instructions included in the PIP data packets;

change a connection path during a communication to a connection path with a higher rating; and

compile global network performance information for a plurality of communications networks; and

the first communications network configured to communicate data with one or more secondary communications networks.

14. The communication system of claim 13, further comprising:

a rule-based engine configured to generate the instructions.

15. The communication system of claim 13, wherein the changes are sent from the one or more secondary communications network to the first communications network, and wherein the secondary communications network controls a connection admission control (CAC) manager managing the network operator of the first communications network.

16. A network manager comprising:

a processor configured to execute a set of instructions;

a memory configured to store the set of instructions, wherein the set of instructions;

gather network performance information from a first communications network using PIP data packets, the PIP data packets each including a timestamp, the network performance information including (i) status values indicative of operational status or performance of network segments and (ii) specific network performance information of each connection path;

determine optimal connection paths through the first communications network in response to the network performance information, by inspecting the timestamps of PIP data packets transmitted along different connection paths to rate the connection paths and network segments of the connection paths according to at least one of utilization, bandwidth, latency, or jitter of each connection path;

control a network operator of the first communications network from a secondary communications network using PIP data packets;

implement changes to the network operator based on instructions included in the PIP data packets;

change a connection path during a communication to a connection path with a higher rating; and

compile global network performance information for a plurality of communications networks.

17. The network manager of claim 16, wherein the set of instructions are implemented by a control admission control (CAC) manager.

18. The network manager of claim 16, wherein the set of instructions further change a level of access the secondary communications network is provided based on a predefined event, gather the network performance information over time for historic use in controlling the first communications network.

19. The network manager of claim 16, wherein the changes are sent from the one or more secondary communications network to the first communications network, and wherein the secondary communications network controls a CAC manager managing the network operator of the first communications network.

20. The network manager of claim 16, further comprising:

a database in communication with the processor configured to store historical network performance information used to implement the changes.