US 5,881,048 AGranted

Method and apparatus for determining maximum network failure spans forrestoration

AssigneeMCI Communication Corporation

InventorWilliam D. Croslin

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Abstract

A method and apparatus for analyzing a telecommunications network and providing data based on such analysis first receives physical topology data for the network based on nodes and their connections in the network. Thereafter, the method and apparatus identify several inter-node configurations in the network. Preferably, the method and apparatus identify six inter-node configurations: stranded network non-rings, non-ring network spurs, stranded network rings, spur nodes with path diversity, network segments with pass-through nodes, and network segments without pass-through nodes. From these six identified inter-node configurations, the method and apparatus identify failure spans or maximum lengths in a network that can be singularly restored. As a result, the six identified inter-node configurations or failure spans can be employed to reduce the processing time required under network restoration systems, and thus can be used to minimize the time required to isolate a failure and generate a restoral route in the network.

Claims27

Dependent claims

In a telecommunication network having a plurality of nodes interconnected by links, a computer-implemented method for analyzing the network comprising the steps of:

receiving physical network data for each of the plurality of nodes and links intercoupling the nodes;
identifying stranded network non-rings in the network based on the physical network data;
determining a maximum restoration span for failures in any identified stranded network non-rings in the network;
identifying non-ring network spurs in the network based on the physical network data;
determining a maximum restoration span for failures in any identified non-ring network spurs in the network;
identifying stranded network rings in the network based on the physical network data;
determining a maximum restoration span for failures in any identified stranded network rings in the network;
identifying network spur nodes with diversity in the network based on the physical network data, the spur nodes with diversity having a plurality of geographically diverse paths from the spur node to a remainder of the network;
determining a maximum restoration span for failures in any identified network spur nodes with diversity in the network;
identifying network segments with pass-through nodes in the network based on the physical network data;
determining a maximum restoration span for failures in any identified network segments with pass-through nodes in the network;
identifying network segments without pass-through nodes in the network based on the physical network data;
determining a maximum restoration span for failures in any identified network segments without pass-through nodes in the network;
and
outputting data reflecting the maximum restoration spans.

12 more elements

In a network having a plurality of communication paths coupling a plurality of nodes, a computer-implemented method for analyzing the network comprising the steps of:

receiving network data for each of the plurality of nodes and paths intercoupling the nodes;
identifying a plurality of inter-node configurations based on the received network data;
determining a plurality of network spans from the identified inter-node configurations in the network;
and
outputting data of the plurality of network spans, and wherein the network data includes physical network topology data, and wherein the step of identifying a plurality of inter-node configurations includes locating stranded network non-rings, non-ring network spurs, stranded network rings, network spur nodes with diversity, network segments with pass-through nodes and network segments without pass-through nodes in the network from the network data.

2 more elements

In a network having a plurality of communication paths coupling a plurality of nodes, an apparatus for analyzing the network comprising:

means for receiving network data for each of the plurality of nodes and paths inter-coupling the nodes;
means, coupled to the means for receiving, for identifying a plurality of inter-node configurations based on the received network data;
and
means, coupled to the means for identifying, for determining a plurality of network spans from the identified inter-node configurations in the network, and wherein the means for identifying a plurality of inter-node configurations includes means for locating stranded network non-rings, non-ring network spurs, stranded network rings, network spur nodes with diversity, network segments with pass-through nodes and network segments without pass-through nodes in the network from the network data.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 08/758,111Filed 25 Nov 1996
Granted: 9 Mar 1999
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification11 codes

H04Q 3/0079
Fault management techniques: involving restoration of networks, e.g. disaster recovery, self-healing networks
H04Q 2213/13103
Indexing scheme relating to selecting arrangements in general and for multiplex systems: memory
H04Q 2213/13106
Indexing scheme relating to selecting arrangements in general and for multiplex systems: microprocessor, CPU
H04Q 2213/13109
Indexing scheme relating to selecting arrangements in general and for multiplex systems: initializing, personal profile