System and method for initiating diagnostics on a packet network node

• US 9,479,341 B2
• Filed: 05/31/2007
• Issued: 10/25/2016
• 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., Edwards, Stephen K., Wiley, William L., McNaughton, James L., Heinz, John M., Kozisek, Steven E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Parth
• Assistant Examiner(s): HARLEY, JASON A
• Application Number:
  US11/809,912
• Publication Number:
  US 20080052394A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,435 Days
• Field of Search: 370/224, 370/351
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/14 Charging , metering or billing arrangements for data wireline or wireless communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1403 Architecture for metering, charging or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0677 Localisation of faults
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0681 Configuration of triggering conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5003 Managing SLA; Interaction between SLA and QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5051 Service on demand, e.g. definition and deployment of services in real time
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5087 wherein the managed service relates to voice services management of VoIP services H04M7/0081
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/509 wherein the managed service relates to media content delivery, e.g. audio, video or TV
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/08 Monitoring or testing based on specific metrics, e.g. QoS, energy consumption or environmental parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0817 by checking functioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0829 Packet loss
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0894 Packet rate
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/10 Active monitoring, e.g. heartbeat, ping or trace-route
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/12 Network monitoring probes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/16 Threshold monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/00 Routing or path finding of packets in data switching networks routing or path finding in wireless networks H04W40/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/123 Evaluation of link metrics techniques for monitoring network metrics H04L43/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/22 Alternate routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/28 using route fault recovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/11 Identifying congestion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/22 : Traffic shaping
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/16 : Implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0072 : Speech codec negotiation H04L65/1069 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0084 : Network monitoring; Error detection; Error recovery; Network testing
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0062 : Provisions for network management

Abstract

A system and method for diagnosing a problem on a packet network. Network performance information associated with data packet communications over a packet network may be collected. A network performance information parameter may be monitored and a determination that the network performance information parameter crosses a threshold value may be made. In response to determining that the network performance information parameter crossed the threshold value, diagnostics may be initiated to determine a cause of the network performance information parameter crossing the threshold value.

Claims

1. A method for diagnosing a problem on a packet network of a first communications carrier, the method comprising:

collecting network performance information at a network device, the network performance information being associated with data packet communications over the packet network and a second packet network of a second communications carrier;

monitoring a network performance information parameter within the network performance information using the network device;

avoiding sharing of confidential information by limiting result information returned by monitoring the second packet network;

determining whether the network performance information parameter crosses a threshold value;

in response to determining that the network performance information parameter crossed the threshold value, the network device initiating near-real-time diagnostics for implementation by one or more network nodes to determine a cause of the network performance information parameter crossing the threshold value;

determining a route for a voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) call between at least two parties, based on the near-real-time diagnostics, which continues to be performed during the VoIP call; and

re-routing the VoIP call between the at least two parties, based on the near-real-time diagnostics that is performed during the VoIP call.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein initiating includes communicating a command to a network node to cause the network node to execute a diagnostics routine and report results thereof.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein initiating includes initiating a loop-back test.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein initiating includes initiating a trace route.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein monitoring the network performance information parameter includes monitoring a transmission quality parameter, wherein the second packet network in communication with the packet network initiates the collecting, monitoring, determining, and initiating for the packet network.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein monitoring the transmission quality parameter includes monitoring a transmission quality parameter associated with communications of data packets including real-time content.

7. The method according to claim 5, wherein monitoring the transmission quality parameter includes monitoring a transmission quality parameter associated with communications of data packets including non-real-time content, and wherein diagnostics for real-time packet communications and non-real-time packet communications are enabled to be performed independently or jointly.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein monitoring the network performance information parameter includes monitoring transmission bandwidth.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein monitoring transmission bandwidth includes monitoring transmission bandwidth of data packets including real-time content and non-real time content.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein collecting the network performance information includes collecting the network performance information at a central location.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the threshold value includes an upper threshold and a lower threshold.

12. The method according to claim 1, further comprising generating a message to notify an operator of the network performance information parameter crossing the threshold and results of the diagnostics.

13. A system for diagnosing a problem on a packet network, said system comprising:

memory configured to store a database containing network performance information, the network performance information being associated with data packet communications over the packet network and a second packet network of a second communications carrier; and

a processing unit in communication with said memory, said processing unit includes at least one processor that executes instructions to;

monitor a network performance information parameter for one or more network segments between network nodes;

avoid sharing of confidential information by limiting result information returned by monitoring the second packet network;

determine whether the network performance information parameter crosses a threshold value;

in response to determining that the network performance information parameter crossed the threshold value, initiate near-real-time diagnostics to determine a cause of the network performance information parameter crossing the threshold value;

determine a route for a voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) call between at least two parties, based on the near-real-time diagnostics, which continues to be performed during the VoIP call; and

re-routing the VoIP call between the at least two parties, based on the near-real-time diagnostics that is performed during the VoIP call.

14. The system according to claim 13, wherein the diagnostics include communication of a command to a network node to cause the network node to execute a diagnostics routine and report results thereof.

15. The system according to claim 13, wherein the diagnostics include a loop-back test.

16. The system according to claim 15, wherein the diagnostics include a trace route.

17. The system according to claim 13, wherein said at least one processor is further configured to execute instructions to monitor a transmission quality parameter, wherein the second packet network in communication with the packet network initiates the collecting, monitoring, determining, and initiating.

18. The system according to claim 17, wherein said at least one processor is further configured to execute instructions to monitor a transmission quality parameter associated with communications of data packets including real-time content.

19. The system according to claim 17, wherein said at least one processor is further configured to execute instructions to monitor a transmission quality parameter associated with communications of data packets including non-real-time content.

20. The system according to claim 13, wherein said at least one processor is further configured to execute instructions to monitor the network performance information parameter by monitoring transmission bandwidth.

21. The system according to claim 20, wherein said at least one processor is further configured to execute instructions to monitor transmission bandwidth by monitoring transmission bandwidth of data packets including real-time content and non-real time content.

22. The system according to claim 13, wherein said at least one processor is further configured to execute instructions to collect the network performance information at a central location.

23. The system according to claim 13, wherein said at least one processor is further configured to execute instructions to collect the network performance information at a network node, wherein the threshold value includes an upper threshold and a lower threshold, and wherein the diagnostics for the real-time and non-real-time packet communications are enabled to be performed independently or jointly.

24. The system according to claim 13, wherein said at least one processor is further configured to execute instructions to generate a message to notify an operator of the network performance information parameter crossing the threshold and results of the diagnostics.