Broadband communications

• US 7,987,228 B2
• Filed: 07/03/2002
• Issued: 07/26/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/03/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Accenture Global Services Limited (Accenture PLC)
• Original Assignee: Accenture Global Services Limited (Accenture PLC)
• Inventors: McKeown, Jean Christophe, Chabrier, Henri
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, THUONG
• Application Number:
  US10/481,933
• Publication Number:
  US 20040261116A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,310 Days
• Field of Search: 709/217, 709/222, 709/224, 709/202, 709/223, 709/229, 714/4, 714/2, 714/703, 714/13, 714/741, 714/28, 714/47, 715/34, 726/15, 726/25, 726/11, 726/12, 379/1.01, 379/26.01
• US Class Current: 709/202
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/46 Multiprogramming arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2801 Broadband local area networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2856 Access arrangements, e.g. Internet access asynchronous transfer mode networks H04L12/5601; broadband local area networks H04L12/2801; optical access or distribution networks H04Q11/0067; access to open networks H04L12/5691; digital subscriber line end-user equipment and bit-level processing of data on a PSTN-based network H04M11/00; home network gateways H04L12/2834; wireless access networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2874 Processing of data for distribution to the subscribers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4641 Virtual LANs, VLANs, e.g. virtual private networks [VPN] LAN interconnection over a bridge based backbone H04L12/462; encapsulation techniques H04L12/4633; routing of packets H04L45/00; packet switches H04L49/00; virtual private networks for security H04L63/0272
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/00 Arrangements for maintenance, administration or management of data switching networks, e.g. of packet switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/046 comprising network management agents or mobile agents therefor
• 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 41/0803 Configuration setting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0843 based on generic templates
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0859 by keeping history of different configuration generations or by rolling back to previous configuration versions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0869 Validating the configuration within one network element
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0889 Techniques to speed-up the configuration process
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/122 of virtualised topologies, e.g. software-defined networks [SDN] or network function virtualisation [NFV]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5003 Managing SLA; Interaction between SLA and QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/00 Arrangements for monitoring or testing data switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/045 for graphical visualisation of monitoring data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/067 using time frame reporting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0811 by checking connectivity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0864 Round trip 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 43/10 : Active monitoring, e.g. heartbeat, ping or trace-route
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/12 : Network monitoring probes
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5014 : using dynamic host configuration protocol [DHCP] or bootstrap protocol [BOOTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0272 : Virtual private networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 : Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/303 : Terminal profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 : in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 : Network security protocols

Abstract

The invention relates to communications, particularly but not exclusively broadband communications. One facet of the present invention relates to provisioning of services in a communications network and finds particular, but not exclusive, application in a broadband network environment or other environment where services are provisioned. The provisioning of services will now be discussed in more detail.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving, from a service provider, a request to activate a software agent for monitoring an assured virtual private network (VPN) service provided over a provisioned connection on a broadband network, wherein the provisioned connection exists between the service provider and an end-user client device;

activating the software agent based on receiving the request;

selecting, by the software agent, a Class-of-Service specific testing scenario for monitoring the assured VPN service from among multiple available testing scenarios, wherein the testing scenario is selected using a round robin scenario;

monitoring, by the software agent, a series of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) associated with the assured VPN service on the provisioned connection by simulating end-user activity on the client device according to the testing scenario;

comparing a result of simulating the end-user activity to Service Level Agreement metrics associated with a Class-of-Service that the user of the end-user client device is entitled to access; and

sending, by the software agent, a result of the comparison to a remote component of the broadband network.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising compiling, by a software fault manager, the result of the testing by the software agent.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein the result includes an alarm.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein the result includes equipment status or identification information.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising accessing, by a network operator using a web interface, the remote component of the broadband network.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, further comprising obtaining, by the network operator, the result of the simulated end-user activity from the remote component of the broadband network.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising providing, by the software agent, a web interface for direct access and creation of the multiple testing scenarios.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the testing scenario tests one of a provider edge (PE) link, a custom edge (CE) link, an Internet Protocol Security (IPSec) tunnel, network security, quality of service (QoS), and performance by class-of-service and central services.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the testing scenario monitors management links and services.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the testing scenario monitors an end-user'"'"'s internet protocol (IP) service on the VPN connection.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising providing, by an operator, the request to activate the software agent.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein the software fault manager provides audit and accounting reports that include the compiled result of the testing by the software agent by one of VPN domain, customer or site.

19. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the software agent is located in a Point-Of-Presence (POP) for the broadband network.

11. A non-transitory computer storage medium encoded with a computer program, the program comprising instructions that when executed by one or more computers cause the one or more computers to perform operations comprising:

receiving, from a service provider, a request to activate a software agent for monitoring an assured virtual private network (VPN) service provided over a provisioned connection on a broadband network, wherein the provisioned connection exists between the service provider and an end-user client device;

activating the software agent based on receiving the request;

selecting, by the software agent, a Class-of-Service specific testing scenario for monitoring the assured VPN service from among multiple available testing scenarios, wherein the testing scenario is selected using a round robin scenario;

monitoring, by the software agent, a series of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) associated with the assured VPN service on the provisioned connection by simulating end-user activity on the client device according to the testing scenario;

comparing a result of simulating the end-user activity to Service Level Agreement metrics associated with a Class-of-Service that the user of the end-user client device is entitled to access; and

sending, by the software agent, a result of the comparison to a remote component of the broadband network.

14. The computer storage medium of claim 11, wherein the operations further comprise compiling, by a software fault manager, the result of the testing by the software agent.

15. The computer storage medium of claim 14, wherein the result includes an alarm.

16. The computer storage medium of claim 14, wherein the result includes equipment status or identification information.

17. The computer storage medium of claim 11, wherein the operations further comprise accessing, by a network operator using a web interface, the remote component of the broadband network.

18. The computer storage medium of claim 17, wherein the operations further comprise obtaining, by the network operator, the result of the simulated end- user activity from the remote component of the broadband network.

20. A system comprising:

one or more computers; and

a non-transitory computer-readable medium coupled to the one or more computers having instructions stored thereon which, when executed by the one or more computers, cause the one or more computers to perform operations comprising;

receiving, from a service provider, a request to activate a software agent for monitoring an assured virtual private network (VPN) service provided over a provisioned connection on a broadband network, wherein the provisioned connection exists between the service provider and an end-user client device,

activating the software agent based on receiving the request;

selecting, by the software agent, a Class-of-Service specific testing scenario for monitoring the assured VPN service from among multiple available testing scenarios, wherein the testing scenario is selected using a round robin scenario;

monitoring, by the software agent, a series of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) associated with the assured VPN service on the provisioned connection by simulating end-user activity on the client device according to the testing scenario,

comparing a result of simulating the end-user activity to Service Level Agreement metrics associated with a Class-of-Service that the user of the end-user client device is entitled to access; and

sending, by the software agent, a result of the comparison to a remote component of the broadband network.