# US 12,015,546 B2 · Routing destination evaluation apparatus, routing destination evaluating method and program > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,015,546 B2 - Document ID: US12015546B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/555,184 - Filed: 2021-12-17 - Published: 2022-04-14 - Granted: 2024-06-18 - Earliest claimed: 2019-06-21 - Assignees: NTT Communications Corporation - Applicants: NTT Communications Corporation - Inventors: Yoshiko Kisa; Takayuki Kamei - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12015546B2 ## CPC - H04L 45/308: {Route determination based on user's profile, e.g. premium users} - G06F 13/00: Interconnection of, or transfer of information or other signals between, memories, input/output devices or central processing units (interface circuits for specific input/output devices G06F3/00 {; multiprogram control therefor G06F9/46}; multiprocessor systems G06F15/16 ) - H04L 45/123: {Evaluation of link metrics (techniques for monitoring network metrics H04L43/08)} - H04L 45/70: {Routing based on monitoring results} - H04L 47/2416: Real-time traffic - H04L 67/10: in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network (software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46) - H04L 67/1036: Load balancing of requests to servers for services different from user content provisioning, e.g. load balancing across domain name servers - H04L 67/63: Routing a service request depending on the request content or context - H04L 45/124: {using a combination of metrics} - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) ## Abstract According to one embodiment, a routing destination evaluation apparatus includes a metrics acquisition unit and a routing destination evaluation unit. The metrics acquisition unit acquires time-series data of types of metrics associated with a candidate. The candidate is one of candidates of a routing destination to which the routing control apparatus routes a request including the first destination data. The routing destination evaluation unit evaluates the candidates based on the time-series data, and generates routing destination evaluation data. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A routing destination evaluation apparatus comprising: a metrics acquisition unit configured to acquire time-series data of a plurality of types of metrics associated with a candidate, the candidate being one of candidates of a routing destination to which a routing control apparatus routes a request including first destination data, the metrics including an indicator used for evaluation of selectable candidates as a request routing destination, the indicator indicating states of the candidates; a routing destination evaluation unit configured to evaluate the candidates based on the time-series data and a plurality of priorities, and generate routing destination evaluation data including an evaluation value for each candidate, the time-series data indicating the types of metrics associated with the candidate and states of the candidates at a time point, the priorities being assigned to the types of metrics; an update condition determination unit configured to determine whether or not a preset evaluation update condition is satisfied, the preset evaluation update condition including changed values of at least one of the metrics or scores of the metrics; and an update request unit configured to request an update of the routing destination evaluation data when it is determined that the evaluation update condition is satisfied, wherein the priorities are numerical values representing what proportion is assigned to which type of the types of metrics, a proportion, of the evaluation value of a candidate to a total evaluation value of all candidates to be included in a policy, is determined as a weight of each candidate, and the weight of each candidate is used for a weighted round robin scheme. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The routing destination evaluation apparatus according to claim 1, the apparatus further comprising: a priority acquisition unit configured to acquire priorities received from a customer device authorized to set the priorities, wherein the routing destination evaluation unit evaluates the candidates based on the time-series data and the priorities received from the customer device, and generates the routing destination evaluation data. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The routing destination evaluation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the routing destination evaluation unit calculate evaluation values of the candidates by adding values weighted in accordance with the priorities, the values being based on the time-series data of the types of metrics corresponding to the candidate, and generates the routing destination evaluation data by ranking at least a portion of the candidates in descending order of the evaluation values. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The routing destination evaluation apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the routing destination evaluation unit calculate evaluation values of the candidates by adding values weighted in accordance with the priorities, the values being based on the time-series data of the types of metrics corresponding to the candidate, and generates the routing destination evaluation data by ranking at least a portion of the candidates in descending order of the evaluation values. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The routing destination evaluation apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the values based on the time-series data of the types of metrics are normalized so as to fit in a predetermined numerical range. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The routing destination evaluation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the types of metrics associated with a first candidate of the candidates include first metrics relating to a transmission cost of the request when the first candidate is selected as the routing destination, and second metrics relating to transmission quality of the request when the first candidate is selected as the routing destination. ### Claim 7 (depends on 2) The routing destination evaluation apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the types of metrics associated with a first candidate of the candidates include first metrics relating to a transmission cost of the request when the first candidate is selected as the routing destination, and second metrics relating to transmission quality of the request when the first candidate is selected as the routing destination. ### Claim 8 (depends on 3) The routing destination evaluation apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the types of metrics associated with a first candidate of the candidates include first metrics relating to a transmission cost of the request when the first candidate is selected as the routing destination, and second metrics relating to transmission quality of the request when the first candidate is selected as the routing destination. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The routing destination evaluation apparatus according to claim 1, the apparatus further comprising: an evaluation providing unit configured to provide an external device with the routing destination evaluation data. ### Claim 10 (depends on 2) The routing destination evaluation apparatus according to claim 2, the apparatus further comprising: an evaluation providing unit configured to provide an external device with the routing destination evaluation data. ### Claim 11 (depends on 3) The routing destination evaluation apparatus according to claim 3, the apparatus further comprising: an evaluation providing unit configured to provide an external device with the routing destination evaluation data. ### Claim 12 A routing destination evaluating method comprising: acquiring time-series data of a plurality of types of metrics associated with a candidate, the candidate being one of candidates of a routing destination to which a routing control apparatus routes a request including first destination data, the metrics including an indicator used for evaluation of selectable candidates as a request routing destination, the indicator indicating states of the candidates; and evaluating the candidates based on time-series data and a plurality of priorities, and generating routing destination evaluation data including an evaluation value for each candidate, the time-series data indicating the types of metrics associated with the candidate and states of the candidates at a time point, the priorities being assigned to the types of metrics; determining whether or not a preset evaluation update condition is satisfied, the preset evaluation update condition including changed values of at least one of the metrics or scores of the metrics; and requesting an update of the routing destination evaluation data when it is determined that the evaluation update condition is satisfied, wherein the priorities are numerical values representing what proportion is assigned to which type of the types of metrics, a proportion, of the evaluation value of a candidate to a total evaluation value of all candidates to be included in a policy, is determined as a weight of each candidate, and the weight of each candidate is used for a weighted round robin scheme. ### Claim 13 A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a computer program which is executed by a computer to provide the steps of: acquiring time-series data of a plurality of types of metrics associated with a candidate, the candidate being one of candidates of a routing destination to which a routing control apparatus routes a request including first destination data, the metrics including an indicator used for evaluation of selectable candidates as a request routing destination, the indicator indicating states of the candidates; and evaluating the candidates based on time-series data and a plurality of priorities, and generating routing destination evaluation data including an evaluation value for each candidate, the time-series data indicating the types of metrics associated with the candidate and states of the candidates at a time point, the priorities being assigned to the types of metrics; determining whether or not a preset evaluation update condition is satisfied, the preset evaluation update condition including changed values of at least one of the metrics or scores of the metrics; and requesting an update of the routing destination evaluation data when it is determined that the evaluation update condition is satisfied, wherein the priorities are numerical values representing what proportion is assigned to which type of the types of metrics, a proportion, of the evaluation value of a candidate to a total evaluation value of all candidates to be included in a policy, is determined as a weight of each candidate, and the weight of each candidate is used for a weighted round robin scheme.