Administering a communication network

• US 8,032,646 B2
• Filed: 07/14/2005
• Issued: 10/04/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Winterspring Digital LLC
• Original Assignee: PROM KS Limited Liability Company
• Inventors: Nag, Siddhartha, Patel, Rakesh, Alam, Naveed, D'Souza, Alfred
• Primary Examiner(s): Swearingen; Jeffrey R
• Assistant Examiner(s): Srivastava; Vivek
• Application Number:
  US11/183,156
• Publication Number:
  US 20060020694A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,273 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 709/230
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0213 Standardised network management protocols, e.g. simple network management protocol [SNMP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0806 for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0896 Bandwidth or capacity management, i.e. automatically increasing or decreasing capacities flow or congestion control using dynamic resource allocation, e.g. in-call renegotiation, H04L47/76
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/145 involving simulating, designing, planning or modelling of a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/147 for predicting network behaviour
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/20 Network management software packages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/34 Signalling channels for network management communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1106 Call signalling protocols; H.323 and related
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0081 Network operation, administration, maintenance, or provisioning

Abstract

Methods and apparatus are provided for administering a communication network. In one embodiment, a first interface screen depicts nodes within a network. The nodes include a pair of media aggregation managers providing multiplexing/demultiplexing of media traffic associated with multiple application sessions between a pair of communities onto a preallocated reservation protocol session between the media aggregation managers. The media aggregation managers are visually distinguishable from other nodes. A second interface screen depicts potential paths through the network. Each potential path is capable of transferring media packets between the media aggregation managers. Via the second user interface screen, a network administrator is capable of initiating (1) path-level configuration of routers that are part of a selected potential path to cause the routers to route media packets exchanged between the pair of communities over the selected path, and (2) establishment of the preallocated reservation protocol session between the media aggregation managers.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

displaying, via a graphical user interface (GUI) on a display, a graphical representation of a plurality of nodes available in a network, wherein the plurality of nodes comprises a first edge node and a second edge node, wherein the plurality of nodes further comprises a plurality of router nodes located between the first edge node and the second edge node;

displaying, via the GUI, a graphical representation of a plurality of paths available on the network between the first edge node and the second edge node on the network, wherein each of the plurality of paths passes through at least a subset of the plurality of router nodes, wherein the plurality of paths are displayed in a prioritized fashion in accordance with a difference in a number of nodes in each path of the plurality of paths through which traffic between the first edge node and the second edge node will pass if selected;

selecting a path from the plurality of paths in response to a first user input received via the GUI, wherein the selected path passes through two or more router nodes of the plurality of router nodes; and

initiating configuration of the two or more router nodes for communication between the first edge node and the second edge node in response to selecting the path.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

initiating establishment of a pre-allocated reservation protocol session between the first edge node and the second edge node, wherein the pre-allocated reservation protocol session is configured to use the selected path.

3. The method of claim 2,

wherein the pre-allocated reservation protocol session is configured to use one or more other paths of the plurality of paths in addition to the selected path.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

initiating establishment of a session between the first edge node and the second edge node using the selected path, wherein the first edge node and the second edge node are configured to communicate to each other using one or more application sessions, wherein each application session is associated with a respective media stream, and wherein the respective media streams for the one or more application sessions are multiplexed into a first multiplexed stream transmitted between the first edge node and the second edge node using the selected path.

5. The method of claim 1,

wherein the first edge node and the second edge node comprise media aggregation managers configured to provide multiplexing/demultiplexing of media traffic between the media aggregation managers.

6. The method of claim 1,

wherein the plurality of nodes further comprises a plurality of community nodes, wherein each edge node is coupled to one or more community nodes;

and

wherein said displaying the plurality of nodes comprises displaying the first edge node and the second edge node such that they are visually distinguishable from the other displayed nodes on the network.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

prior to said initiating configuration of the two or more router nodes, receiving a request to analyze the selected path; and

determining a predicted link utilization schedule for the selected path that uses the two or more router nodes.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

wherein said determining the predicted link utilization schedule comprises calculating and using one or more of;

a predicted increase in bandwidth allocation for each of the two or more router nodes assuming establishing a single reservation protocol session between the first edge node and the second edge node, wherein the pre-allocated reservation protocol is configured to use the selected path;

or

a current bandwidth allocation for each of the two or more router nodes.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

displaying on the display the predicted link utilization schedule for the selected path.

10. A machine-readable medium that stores processor executable program instructions for configuring a network, the program instructions comprising:

instructions to display, via a graphical user interface (GUI) on a display, a graphical representation of a plurality of nodes available in a network, wherein the plurality of nodes comprises a first edge node and a second edge node, wherein the plurality of nodes further comprises a plurality of router nodes located between the first edge node and the second edge node;

instructions to display, via the GUI, a graphical representation of a plurality of paths available on the network between the first edge node and the second edge node on the network, wherein each of the plurality of paths passes through at least a subset of the plurality of router nodes, wherein the plurality of paths are displayed in a prioritized fashion in accordance with a difference in a number of nodes in each path of the plurality of paths through which traffic between the first edge node and the second edge node will pass if selected;

instructions to select a path from the plurality of paths displayed on the display in response to a first user input received via the GUI, wherein the selected path passes through two or more router nodes of the plurality of router nodes; and

instructions to initiate configuration of the two or more router nodes for communication between the first edge node and the second edge node in response to the selecting the path.

11. The machine-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the program instructions further comprise:

instructions to initiate establishment of a pre-allocated reservation protocol session between the first edge node and the second edge node, wherein the pre-allocated reservation protocol session is configured to use the selected path.

12. The machine-readable medium of claim 11,

wherein the pre-allocated reservation protocol session is configured to use a second path of the plurality of paths in addition to the selected path.

13. The machine-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the program instructions further comprise:

instructions to initiate establishment of a session between the first edge node and the second edge node using the selected path, wherein the first edge node and the second edge node are configured to communicate to each other using one or more application sessions, wherein each application session is associated with a respective media stream, and wherein the respective media streams for the one or more application sessions are multiplexed into a first multiplexed stream transmitted between the first edge node and the second edge node using the selected path.

14. The machine-readable medium of claim 10,

wherein the first edge node and the second edge node comprise media aggregation managers configured to provide multiplexing/demultiplexing of media traffic between the media aggregation managers.

15. The machine-readable medium of claim 10,

wherein the plurality of nodes further comprises a plurality of community nodes, wherein each edge node is coupled to one or more community nodes;

and

wherein said instructions to display the plurality of nodes instructions to display the first edge node and the second edge node such that they are visually distinguishable from the other displayed nodes on the network.

16. The machine-readable medium of claim 10,

wherein the plurality of paths are further displayed in a prioritized fashion in accordance with one or more additional factors, wherein the one or more additional factors include one or more of:

available bandwidth for each path of the plurality of paths;

propagation speed for communication between nodes in each path of the plurality of paths;

or

physical length of travel between nodes in the network for each path of the plurality of paths.

17. The machine-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the program instructions further comprise:

instructions to, prior to initiating configuration of the two or more router nodes, receive a request to analyze the selected path; and

instructions to determine a predicted link utilization schedule for the selected path that uses the two or more router nodes.

18. The machine-readable medium of claim 17,

wherein, in determining the predicted link utilization schedule, the program instructions are further executable to calculate and use one or more of:

a predicted increase in bandwidth allocation for each of the two or more router nodes assuming establishing a single reservation protocol session between the first edge node and the second edge node, wherein the pre-allocated reservation protocol is configured to use the selected path;

or

a current bandwidth allocation for each of the two or more router nodes.

19. The machine-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the program instructions further comprise:

instructions to display on the display the predicted link utilization schedule for the selected path.

20. A system for configuring a network, the system comprising:

a display;

a processor;

a machine-readable medium coupled to the processor, wherein the machine-readable medium stores program instructions that are executable by the processor to;

display, via a graphical user interface (GUI), a graphical representation of a plurality of nodes available in a network on the display, wherein the plurality of nodes comprises a first edge node and a second edge node, wherein the plurality of nodes further comprises a plurality of router nodes located between the first edge node and the second edge node;

display, via the GUI, a graphical representation of a plurality of paths available on the network between the first edge node and the second edge node on the network on the display, wherein each of the plurality of paths passes through at least a subset of the plurality of router nodes, wherein the plurality of paths are displayed in a prioritized fashion in accordance with a difference in a number of nodes in each path of the plurality of paths through which traffic between the first edge node and the second edge node will pass if selected;

select a path from the plurality of paths in response to a first user input received via the GUI, wherein the selected path passes through two or more router nodes of the plurality of router nodes; and

initiate configuration of the two or more router nodes for communication between the first edge node and the second edge node in response to selecting the path.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the program instructions are further executable to:

initiate establishment of a pre-allocated reservation protocol session between the first edge node and the second edge node, wherein the pre-allocated reservation protocol session is configured to use the selected path.

22. The system of claim 20, wherein the program instructions are further executable to:

initiate establishment of a session between the first edge node and the second edge node using the selected path, wherein the first edge node and the second edge node are configured to communicate to each other using one or more application sessions, wherein each application session is associated with a respective media stream, and wherein the respective media streams for the one or more application sessions are multiplexed into a first multiplexed stream transmitted between the first edge node and the second edge node using the selected path.

23. A system comprising:

a first one or more hardware components including means for displaying, via a graphical user interface (GUI) on a display, a graphical representation of a plurality of nodes available in a network, wherein the plurality of nodes comprises a first edge node and a second edge node, wherein the plurality of nodes further comprises a plurality of router nodes located between the first edge node and the second edge node;

the first one or more hardware components further including means for displaying, via the GUI, a graphical representation of a plurality of paths available on the network between the first edge node and the second edge node on the network, wherein each of the plurality of paths passes through at least a subset of the plurality of router nodes, wherein the plurality of paths are displayed in a prioritized fashion in accordance with a difference in a number of nodes in each path of the plurality of paths through which traffic between the first edge node and the second edge node will pass if selected;

means for selecting a path from the plurality of paths in response to a first user input received via the GUI, wherein the selected path passes through two or more router nodes of the plurality of router nodes; and

means for initiating configuration of the two or more router nodes for communication between the first edge node and the second edge node in response to the selecting the path.

24. The system of claim 23, further comprising means for initiating establishment of a pre-allocated reservation protocol session between the first edge node and the second edge node, wherein the pre-allocated reservation protocol session is configured to use the selected path.