Reliable systems and methods for network notifications

• US 9,246,746 B2
• Filed: 07/22/2010
• Issued: 01/26/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/22/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ciena Corporation
• Original Assignee: Ciena Corporation
• Inventors: Hu, Jie, Oye, Darren William, Heath, Joseph, Yang, Qing, Joshi, Madhavi Raghavendra, Asrani, Padma
• Primary Examiner(s): Fan, Hua
• Application Number:
  US12/841,546
• Publication Number:
  US 20120023205A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,014 Days
• Field of Search: 709/220
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0213 Standardised network management protocols, e.g. simple network management protocol [SNMP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/40 for recovering from a failure of a protocol instance or entity, e.g. service redundancy protocols, protocol state redundancy or protocol service redirection management of faults, events, alarms or notifications in data switching networks H04L41/06

Abstract

The present disclosure provides reliable systems and methods for network notifications, i.e. Simple Network Management Protocol version 2 Protocol Data Unit (SNMPv2-Trap-PDU) messages, asynchronous notifications, InformRequest-PDU messages, and the like, between network elements, element managers, and other element managers. In an exemplary embodiment, the present invention includes a network management system and method with a plurality of network elements operating a management agent communicatively coupled to an element manager which in turn is communicatively coupled to another element manager, a network management system (NMS), an operations support system (OSS), or the like. The present invention may utilize SNMPv2 and/or v3, and includes various techniques and processes ensuring reliable notifications between any of the network elements, element managers, or the like in the network management system.

Claims

1. A method of providing reliable network notifications at a first device, comprising:

generating a notification at the first device for a second device;

transmitting the notification to a second device utilizing Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) and an asynchronous InformRequest-Protocol Data Unit (PDU) from the first device to the second device using User Datagram Protocol (UDP);

buffering subsequent notifications for the second device, wherein the subsequent notifications are generated prior to an acknowledgement of receipt of the notification from the second device thereby operating in an asynchronous mode for SNMP;

subsequent to receiving the acknowledgement of receipt of the notification from the second device within a predetermined time period, transmitting a next notification of the buffered subsequent notifications to the second device; and

subsequent to a failure to receive the acknowledgment within the predetermined time period, resending the notification as an asynchronous InformRequest PDU while continuing the buffering of the subsequent notifications,

wherein the notification and the subsequent notifications are received, by the second device, in an order they were generated at the first device, and

wherein each of the first device and the second device utilize Network Configuration Protocol (NETCONF).

2. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the first device and the second device utilize either SNMP version 2 or SNMP version 3.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

waiting a predetermined time period at the first device to receive the acknowledgement of the InformRequest-PDU; and

at the expiry of the predetermined time period, resending the InformRequest-PDU to the second device with the notification.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

detecting a communication failure to the second device;

buffering subsequent notifications for the second device at the first device;

detecting recovery of communication with the second device; and

transmitting the buffered subsequent notifications to the second device.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the transmitting the buffered subsequent notifications to the second device comprises:

transmitting an InformRequest-PDU to the second device with one of the buffered subsequent notification;

buffering subsequent notifications for the second device at the first device;

receiving an acknowledgement of the InformRequest-PDU at the first device from the second device; and

transmitting an InformRequest-PDU to the second device with another one of the buffered subsequent notifications.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the first device comprises a network element with a simple network management protocol agent or is communicatively coupled to the simple network management protocol agent, and the second device comprises an element manager.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein notifications are sent from the first device to the second device in order with delivery receipt guaranteed.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first device comprises an element manager and the second device comprises one of a network management system or an operation support system.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the method is implemented in a network management system comprising a plurality of an operation support system, a network management system, an element manager, and a plurality of managed network elements;

wherein the first device comprises any of the operation support system, the network management system, the element manager, and the plurality of managed network elements; and

wherein the second device comprises any of the operation support system, the network management system, the element manager, and the plurality of managed network elements.

10. A device configured to provide reliable network notifications, comprising:

at least one port communicatively coupled to a switching fabric; and

memory storing software that, when executed, cause a microprocessor to;

generate a notification at the device for a second device;

transmit the notification to the second device over the at least one port utilizing Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) and an asynchronous InformRequest-Protocol Data Unit (PDU) from the first device to the second device using User Datagram Protocol (UDP);

buffer subsequent notifications for the second device in the memory, wherein the subsequent notifications are generated prior to an acknowledgement of receipt of the notification from the second device thereby operating in an asynchronous mode for SNMP

subsequent to receiving the acknowledgement of receipt of the notification from the second device within a predetermined time period, transmit a next notification of the buffered subsequent notifications to the second device; and

subsequent to a failure to receive the acknowledgment within the predetermined time period, resend the notification while the subsequent notifications continue to be buffered, wherein the notification and the subsequent notifications are received, by the second device, in an order they were generated at the device, and

wherein each of the device and the second device utilize Network Configuration Protocol (NETCONF).

11. The device of claim 10, wherein each of the device and the second device utilize either SNMP version 2 or SNMP version 3.

12. The device of claim 10, wherein the memory storing software that, when executed, further cause the microprocessor to:

wait a predetermined time period at the first device to receive the acknowledgement of the InformRequest-PDU; and

at the expiry of the predetermined time period, resend the InformRequest-PDU to the second device with the notification.

13. The device of claim 10, wherein the memory storing software that, when executed, further cause the microprocessor to:

detect a communication failure to the second device;

buffer subsequent notifications for the second device at the device;

detect recovery of communication with the second device; and

transmit the buffered subsequent notifications to the second device.

14. The device of claim 13, wherein the memory storing software that, when executed, further cause the microprocessor to:

transmit an InformRequest-PDU to the second device with one of the buffered subsequent notification;

buffer subsequent notifications for the second device at the device;

receive an acknowledgement of the InformRequest-PDU at the device from the second device; and

transmit an InformRequest-PDU to the second device with another one of the buffered subsequent notifications.

15. The device of claim 10, wherein the device is a network element with a simple network management protocol agent or is communicatively coupled to the simple network management protocol agent, and the second device is an element manager.

16. The device of claim 10, wherein notifications are sent from the device to the second device in order with delivery receipt guaranteed.

17. The device of claim 10, wherein the device is an element manager and the second device is one of a network management system or an operation support system.