Voice-based interactive network monitor

• US 10,381,008 B1
• Filed: 11/18/2017
• Issued: 08/13/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TP Lab, Inc.
• Original Assignee: TP Lab, Inc.
• Inventors: Ho, Chi Fai, Chiong, John
• Primary Examiner(s): Islam, Mohammad K
• Application Number:
  US15/817,209
• Time in Patent Office: 633 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/90332 Natural language query formulation or dialogue systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/183 using context dependencies, e.g. language models
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/22 Procedures used during a speech recognition process, e.g. man-machine dialogue
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/30 Distributed recognition, e.g. in client-server systems, for mobile phones or network applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/04 Processing captured monitoring data, e.g. for logfile generation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0876 Network utilisation, e.g. volume of load or congestion level
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/20 the monitoring system or the monitored elements being virtualised, abstracted or software-defined entities, e.g. SDN or NFV

Abstract

A network monitor system collects log entries from network appliances, each log entry including quantity context, first time context, first name context, and value of the quantity context. The network monitor system receives first audio signals of a spoken question and processes the audio signals to determine an ordering term and a question context. The question context includes second name context, second time context, and quantity entity context. The network monitor system compares the question context with given log entries. For each match, the network monitor system stores quantity context and value of the quantity context as a result entry in a result entries list. The network monitor system orders the result entries on the result entries list according to ordering term and pre-determined number of results and composes a response. The network monitor system converts the response to second audio signals and outputs the second audio signals.

Claims

1. A method for providing a voice-based real-time interactive network monitoring of network appliances in a data network:

(a) collecting, by a network monitor system, a plurality of log entries from a plurality of network appliances in the data network, each log entry comprising a quantity context, a first time context, a first name context, and a value of the quantity context;

(b) receiving, by the network monitor system from an interactive speaker, first audio signals of a spoken question inputting by a user;

(c) processing the audio signals, by the network monitor system, comprising;

(c1) determining an ordering term and a question context comprised in the spoken question, the question context comprising a second name context, a second time context, and a quantity entity context;

(c2) comparing the question context with one or more given log entries; and

(c3) for each given log entry matching the question context, storing the quantity context and the value of the quantity context in the given log entry as a result entry in a result entries list;

(d) ordering, by the network monitor system, the result entries on the result entries list according to the ordering term and a pre-determined number of results;

(e) composing, by the network monitor system, a response according to the ordering result entries;

(f) converting, by the network monitor system, the response to second audio signals; and

(g) outputting, by the network monitor system, the second audio signals to the interactive speaker for playing to the user.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein each log entry provides a snapshot of an activity or resource usage as indicated by the quantity context, at a time indicated by the time context, and by a network appliance of the plurality of network appliances with an identity indicated in the name context, wherein the comparing (c2) comprises:

(c2i) comparing, by the network monitor system, the first name context in a given log entry with the second name context;

(c2ii) comparing, by the network monitor system, the first time context in the given log entry with the second time context; and

(c2iii) comparing, by the network monitor system, the quantity context in the given log entry with the quantity entity context.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the quantity context in each log entry comprises a first system context, a first interface context, a first protocol context, or a first network application context,

wherein the quantity entity context in the question context comprises a second system context, a second interface context, a second protocol context, or a second network application context.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the first system context indicates a source of the activity or the resource usage, the first interface context indicates an interface of the source involved in the activity or the resource usage, the first protocol context indicates a protocol used by the source in the activity or the resource usage, and the first network application context indicates a network application involved in the activity or the resource usage,

wherein the second system context indicates a source of the activity or the resource usage corresponding to the spoken question, the second interface context indicates an interface corresponding to the spoken question, the second protocol context indicates a protocol corresponding to the spoken question, and the second network application context indicates a network application corresponding to the spoken question.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the comparing (c2iii) comprises:

(c2iiiA) when the quantity entity context comprises the second system context, comparing, by the network monitor system, the first system context in the quantity context with the second system context in the quantity entity context;

(c2iiiB) when the quantity entity context comprises the second interface context, comparing, by the network monitor system, the first interface context in the quantity context with the second interface context in the quantity entity context;

(c2iiiC) when the quantity entity context comprises the second protocol context, comparing, by the network monitor system, the first protocol context in the quantity context with the second protocol context in the quantity entity context; and

(c2iiiD) when the quantity entity context comprises the second network application context, comparing, by the network monitor system, the first network application context in the quantity context with the second network application context in the quantity entity context.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the storing (c3) comprises:

(c3i) determining that, for the quantity context in the given log entry matching the question context, a result entry with a same quantity context exists in the result entries list; and

(c3ii) combining the value of the quantity context in the given log entry to a value in the existing result entry.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining (c1) comprises:

(c1i) determining one or more words comprised in the spoken question;

(c1ii) comparing the one or more words comprised in the spoken question with a main dictionary and a name dictionary, the main dictionary comprising a plurality of ordering words and a plurality of context words associated with a plurality of contexts, the name dictionary comprising a plurality of identities corresponding to contexts of the plurality of network appliances;

(c1iii) upon finding a match between the one or more words comprised in the spoken question and a given context word of the plurality of context words in the main dictionary, storing the given context word and the context associated with the given context word in the quantity entity context;

(c1iv) upon finding a match between the one or more words comprised in the spoken question with a given ordering word in the main dictionary, identifying the given ordering word as the ordering term; and

(c1iv) upon finding a match between the one or more words comprised in the spoken question with a given identity in the name dictionary, storing the given identity in the second name context.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the comparing (c1ii) and the storing (c1iii) further comprises:

(c1iiA) comparing the one or more words comprised in the spoken question with an auxiliary dictionary, the auxiliary dictionary comprising a plurality of words linked to one or more words in the main dictionary; and

(c1iiiA) upon finding a match between the one or more words comprised in the spoken question and a given word in the auxiliary dictionary, storing the given word in the auxiliary dictionary and the one or more words in the main dictionary linked to the given word in the auxiliary dictionary in the quantity entity context.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the name dictionary further comprises a plurality of group names linked to a plurality of names in the name dictionary, wherein the storing (c1v) comprises:

(c1vA) upon finding a match between the one or more words comprised in the spoken question with a given group name in the name dictionary, storing the given group name and the plurality of names linked to the given group name in the second name context.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the ordering (d) comprises:

(d1) ordering, by the network monitor system, the result entries on the result entries list according to the ordering term until either the pre-determined number of results are generated or a pre-determined time limit is reached.

11. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising computer readable program code embodied therein for providing a voice-based real-time interactive network monitoring of network appliances in a data network, wherein when executed by one or more processors causes the one or more processors to:

(a) collect a plurality of log entries from a plurality of network appliances in the data network, each log entry comprising a quantity context, a first time context, a first name context, and a value of the quantity context;

(b) receive from an interactive speaker first audio signals of a spoken question inputting by a user;

(c) process the audio signals comprising;

(c1) determine an ordering term and a question context comprised in the spoken question, the question context comprising a second name context, a second time context, and a quantity entity context;

(c2) compare the question context with one or more given log entries; and

(c3) for each given log entry matching the question context, store the quantity context and the value of the quantity context in the given log entry as a result entry in a result entries list;

(d) order the result entries on the result entries list according to the ordering term and a pre-determined number of results;

(e) compose a response according to the ordering result entries;

(f) convert the response to second audio signals; and

(g) output the second audio signals to the interactive speaker for playing to the user.

12. The medium of claim 11, wherein each log entry provides a snapshot of an activity or resource usage as indicated by the quantity context, at a time indicated by the time context, and by a network appliance of the plurality of network appliances with an identity indicated in the name context, wherein the compare (c2) comprises:

(c2i) compare the first name context in a given log entry with the second name context;

(c2ii) compare the first time context in the given log entry with the second time context; and

(c2iii) compare the quantity context in the given log entry with the quantity entity context.

13. The medium of claim 12, wherein the quantity context in each log entry comprises a first system context, a first interface context, a first protocol context, or a first network application context,

wherein the quantity entity context in the question context comprises a second system context, a second interface context, a second protocol context, or a second network application context.

14. The medium of claim 13, wherein the first system context indicates a source of the activity or the resource usage, the first interface context indicates an interface of the source involved in the activity or the resource usage, the first protocol context indicates a protocol used by the source in the activity or the resource usage, and the first network application context indicates a network application involved in the activity or the resource usage,

wherein the second system context indicates a source of the activity or the resource usage corresponding to the spoken question, the second interface context indicates an interface corresponding to the spoken question, the second protocol context indicates a protocol corresponding to the spoken question, and the second network application context indicates a network application corresponding to the spoken question.

15. The medium of claim 14, wherein the compare (c2iii) comprises:

(c2iiiA) when the quantity entity context comprises the second system context, compare the first system context in the quantity context with the second system context in the quantity entity context;

(c2iiiB) when the quantity entity context comprises the second interface context, compare the first interface context in the quantity context with the second interface context in the quantity entity context;

(c2iiiC) when the quantity entity context comprises the second protocol context, compare the first protocol context in the quantity context with the second protocol context in the quantity entity context; and

(c2iiiD) when the quantity entity context comprises the second network application context, compare the first network application context in the quantity context with the second network application context in the quantity entity context.

16. The medium of claim 11, wherein the store (c3) comprises:

(c3i) determine that, for the quantity context in the given log entry matching the question context, a result entry with a same quantity context exists in the result entries list; and

(c3ii) combine the value of the quantity context in the given log entry to a value in the existing result entry.

17. The medium of claim 11, wherein the determine (c1) comprises:

(c1i) determine one or more words comprised in the spoken question;

(c1ii) compare the one or more words comprised in the spoken question with a main dictionary and a name dictionary, the main dictionary comprising a plurality of ordering words and a plurality of context words associated with a plurality of contexts, the name dictionary comprising a plurality of identities corresponding to contexts of the plurality of network appliances;

(c1iii) upon fining a match between the one or more words comprised in the spoken question and a given context word of the plurality of context words in the main dictionary, store the given context word and the context associated with the given context word in the quantity entity context;

(c1iv) upon finding a match between the one or more words comprised in the spoken question with a given ordering word in the main dictionary, identify the given ordering word as the ordering term; and

(c1iv) upon finding a match between the one or more words comprised in the spoken question with a given identity in the name dictionary, store the given identity in the second name context.

18. The medium of claim 17, wherein the compare (c1ii) and the store (c1iii) further comprises:

(c1iiA) compare the one or more words comprised in the spoken question with an auxiliary dictionary, the auxiliary dictionary comprising a plurality of words linked to one or more words in the main dictionary; and

(c1iiiA) upon finding a match between the one or more words comprised in the spoken question and a given word in the auxiliary dictionary, store the given word in the auxiliary dictionary and the one or more words in the main dictionary linked to the given word in the auxiliary dictionary in the quantity entity context.

19. The medium of claim 17, wherein the name dictionary further comprises a plurality of group names linked to a plurality of names in the name dictionary, wherein the store (c1v) comprises:

(c1vA) upon finding a match between the one or more words comprised in the spoken question with a given group name in the name dictionary, store the given group name and the plurality of names linked to the given group name in the second name context.

20. The medium of claim 11, wherein the order (d) comprises:

(d1) order the result entries on the result entries list according to the ordering term until either the pre-determined number of results are generated or a pre-determined time limit is reached.

21. A system, comprising:

one or more processors; and

a non-transitory computer readable medium comprising computer readable program code embodied therein for providing a voice-based real-time interactive network monitoring of network appliances in a data network, wherein when executed by the one or more processors causes the one or more processors to;

(a) collect a plurality of log entries from a plurality of network appliances in the data network, each log entry comprising a quantity context, a first time context, a first name context, and a value of the quantity context;

(b) receive from an interactive speaker first audio signals of a spoken question inputting by a user;

(c) process the audio signals comprising;

(c1) determine an ordering term and a question context comprised in the spoken question, the question context comprising a second name context, a second time context, and a quantity entity context;

(c2) compare the question context with one or more given log entries; and

(c3) for each given log entry matching the question context, store the quantity context and the value of the quantity context in the given log entry as a result entry in a result entries list;

(d) order the result entries on the result entries list according to the ordering term and a pre-determined number of results;

(e) compose a response according to the ordering result entries;

(f) convert the response to second audio signals; and

(g) output the second audio signals to the interactive speaker for playing to the user.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein each log entry provides a snapshot of an activity or resource usage as indicated by the quantity context, at a time indicated by the time context, and by a network appliance of the plurality of network appliances with an identity indicated in the name context, wherein the compare (c2) comprises:

(c2i) compare the first name context in a given log entry with the second name context;

(c2ii) compare the first time context in the given log entry with the second time context; and

(c2iii) compare the quantity context in the given log entry with the quantity entity context.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the quantity context in each log entry comprises a first system context, a first interface context, a first protocol context, or a first network application context,

wherein the quantity entity context in the question context comprises a second system context, a second interface context, a second protocol context, or a second network application context.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the first system context indicates a source of the activity or the resource usage, the first interface context indicates an interface of the source involved in the activity or the resource usage, the first protocol context indicates a protocol used by the source in the activity or the resource usage, and the first network application context indicates a network application involved in the activity or the resource usage,

wherein the second system context indicates a source of the activity or the resource usage corresponding to the spoken question, the second interface context indicates an interface corresponding to the spoken question, the second protocol context indicates a protocol corresponding to the spoken question, and the second network application context indicates a network application corresponding to the spoken question.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the compare (c2iii) comprises:

(c2iiiA) when the quantity entity context comprises the second system context, compare the first system context in the quantity context with the second system context in the quantity entity context;

(c2iiiB) when the quantity entity context comprises the second interface context, compare the first interface context in the quantity context with the second interface context in the quantity entity context;

(c2iiiC) when the quantity entity context comprises the second protocol context, compare the first protocol context in the quantity context with the second protocol context in the quantity entity context; and

(c2iiiD) when the quantity entity context comprises the second network application context, compare the first network application context in the quantity context with the second network application context in the quantity entity context.

26. The system of claim 21, wherein the store (c3) comprises:

(c3i) determine that, for the quantity context in the given log entry matching the question context, a result entry with a same quantity context exists in the result entries list; and

(c3ii) combine the value of the quantity context in the given log entry to a value in the existing result entry.

27. The system of claim 21, wherein the determine (c1) comprises:

(c1i) determine one or more words comprised in the spoken question;

(c1ii) compare the one or more words comprised in the spoken question with a main dictionary and a name dictionary, the main dictionary comprising a plurality of ordering words and a plurality of context words associated with a plurality of contexts, the name dictionary comprising a plurality of identities corresponding to contexts of the plurality of network appliances;

(c1iii) upon finding a match between the one or more words comprised in the spoken question and a given context word of the plurality of context words in the main dictionary, store the given context word and the context associated with the given context word in the quantity entity context;

(c1iv) upon finding a match between the one or more words comprised in the spoken question with a given ordering word in the main dictionary, identify the given ordering word as the ordering term; and

(c1iv) upon finding a match between the one or more words comprised in the spoken question with a given identity in the name dictionary, store the given identity in the second name context.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein the compare (c1ii) and the store (c1iii) further comprises:

(c1iiA) compare the one or more words comprised in the spoken question with an auxiliary dictionary, the auxiliary dictionary comprising a plurality of words linked to one or more words in the main dictionary; and

(c1iiiA) upon finding a match between the one or more words comprised in the spoken question and a given word in the auxiliary dictionary, store the given word in the auxiliary dictionary and the one or more words in the main dictionary linked to the given word in the auxiliary dictionary in the quantity entity context.

29. The system of claim 27, wherein the name dictionary further comprises a plurality of group names linked to a plurality of names in the name dictionary, wherein the store (c1v) comprises:

(c1vA) upon finding a match between the one or more words comprised in the spoken question with a given group name in the name dictionary, store the given group name and the plurality of names linked to the given group name in the second name context.

30. The system of claim 21, wherein the order (d) comprises:

(d1) order the result entries on the result entries list according to the ordering term until either the pre-determined number of results are generated or a pre-determined time limit is reached.