SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR REACTIVE AND DELIBERATIVE SERVICE LEVEL MANAGEMENT (SLM)

• US 20100218104A1
• Filed: 04/01/2010
• Published: 08/26/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Computer Associates Think Inc. (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Computer Associates Think Inc. (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Lewis, Lundy M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,028,066 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/736
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/04 Forecasting or optimisation specially adapted for administrative or management purposes, e.g. linear programming or "cutting stock problem" market predictions or forecasting for commercial activities G06Q30/0202
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0631 Resource planning, allocation, distributing or scheduling for enterprises or organisations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06311 Scheduling, planning or task assignment for a person or group
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06312 Adjustment or analysis of established resource schedule, e.g. resource or task levelling, or dynamic rescheduling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06315 Needs-based resource requirements planning or analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0637 Strategic management or analysis, e.g. setting a goal or target of an organisation; Planning actions based on goals; Analysis or evaluation of effectiveness of goals
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/024 using relational databases for representation of network management data, e.g. managing via structured query language [SQL]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/042 comprising distributed management centres cooperatively managing the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0631 using root cause analysis; using analysis of correlation between notifications, alarms or events based on decision criteria, e.g. hierarchy, tree or time analysis
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/16 using machine learning or artificial intelligence
• 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 41/5032 Generating service level reports
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/00 Arrangements for monitoring or testing data switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0817 by checking functioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0847 Transmission error
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0852 Delays
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0882 : Utilisation of link capacity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0888 : Throughput
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0894 : Packet rate
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/12 : Network monitoring probes

Abstract

Method and apparatus for service level management, wherein business processes are composed of services. A state of the service is defined by one or more service parameters, and the service parameters depend upon performance of network components that support the service, e.g., component parameters. The state of the service may depend, for example, on a collection of service parameter values for availability, reliability, security, integrity and response time. A service level agreement is a contract between a supplier and a customer that identifies services supported by a network, service parameters for the services, and service levels (e.g., acceptable levels) for each service parameter.

Claims

1. A method of multilevel, multidomain alarm-to-service mapping comprising:

(a) conducting intradomain event correlation at a first level, wherein;

input events are received by a monitor provided for each domain;

instructions provide control for each domain; and

input events are interpreted and correlated for each domain;

(b) conducting intradomain alarm-to-service mapping at a second level, wherein;

input events are received by a monitor provided for each domain;

instructions provide control for each domain; and

input events are interpreted and correlated for each domain; and

(c) conducting interdomain alarm correlation at a third level, wherein;

input events are received by a monitor provided for each domain;

instructions provide control for each domain; and

input events are interpreted and correlated across multiple domains.

2. A multilevel architecture for service level management of a network, the architecture performing a method comprising:

providing a reactive level for monitoring components in the network for providing service level management; and

providing a next higher level of a more deliberative decision-making for providing service level management.

3. The multilevel architecture according to claim 2, further comprising a step of providing a proactive level for monitoring components, wherein the proactive level provides automatic actions in response to monitored component data, the proactive level providing service level management operations for the network.

4. The multilevel architecture according to claim 2, further comprising receiving, by the reactive level, component parameters from the components, and relating the component parameters to one or more services that affect a business process.

5. The multilevel architecture according to claim 4, wherein the component parameters are related by at least one of a group of levels including the reactive level, next higher level, and proactive level.

6. A system for managing a network comprising:

an agent operable to receive operational data from at least one component of the network, the at least one component being related to a service on which a business process depends; and

a correlator operable to determine a state of the business process based upon the operational data, wherein the operational data of the component determines a measured level of service and wherein the level of service affects the operation of the business process.

7. The system according to claim 6, further comprising an interface that is configured to indicate to a user, information regarding at least one of a group including availability, faults, configuration, integrity, security, reliability, performance and accounting of the measured level of service.

8. The system according to claim 6, wherein the correlator monitors service parameters to determine the measured level of service.

9. The system according to claim 8, wherein the operational data are represented by one or more component parameters and wherein the component parameters are mapped into the service parameters.

10. The system according to claim 9, wherein the correlator determines whether service levels are satisfied by comparing service parameters with predetermined service levels.

11. A system for managing a network comprising:

one or more agents operable to receive operational data from at least one component of the network, the at least one component being related to a service on which a business process depends, wherein the agent is configured to determine a state of the business process based upon the operational data, wherein the operational data of the component determines a level of service, and wherein the level of service affects the operation of the business process.

12. The system according to claim 11, further comprising an interface that is configured to indicate to a user, information regarding at least one of a group including availability, faults, configuration, security, accounting, and performance of the measured level of service.

13. The system according to claim 11, wherein the agent monitors service parameters to measure the level of service.

14. The system according to claim 13, wherein the operational data are represented by one or more component parameters and wherein the component parameters are mapped into the service parameters.

15. The system according to claim 14, wherein the agent determines whether service levels are satisfied by comparing service parameters with predetermined service levels.