Communications network management

A communications network management system for managing a network which comprises a plurality of nodes connected by traffic links, wherein prioritized communication services can be provided to customers according to predetermined service parameters by allocating selected links and nodes to said services on a priority basis, the management system comprising:

• a distributed control system which includes co-operating intelligent software agents,
• said software agents individually having control over the configuration of one or more allocated nodes of said plurality of nodes, and thereby having control with respect to communication services provided via said allocated node or nodes,
• wherein at least two of said agents are each provided with:
• a) communication means for communication with other agents;
• b) associated data storage for holding data which is local to the agent, in respect of the network;
• c) updating means for updating data in the data storage;
• d) decision-making algorithms for controlling reconfigurations of the network based on parameters defining possible new services including relating priority of such service;
• e) failure detection means for detecting failure of a neighbouring agent;
• and
• f) means for outputting a bid value,
• the distributed control system being configured such that, on failure of an agent, the failure detection means of one or more neighbouring agents detects said failure and the communication means of at least one neighbouring agent initiates a bidding process determined at least in part by said decision-making algorithms,
• the neighbouring agents outputting bid values based on parameters weighted so as to give, in combination, an estimate of each agent's suitability to take over some or all responsibilities of said failed agent,
• the neighbouring agent outputting a winning bid value thereafter asserting said responsibilities.

A communications network management system for managing a network which comprises a plurality of nodes connected by traffic links, wherein prioritized communication services can be provided to customers according to predetermined service parameters by allocating selected links and nodes to said services on a priority basis, the management system comprising:

• a distributed control system which includes co-operating intelligent software agents,
• said software agents individually having control over the configuration of one or more allocated nodes of said plurality of nodes, and thereby having control with respect to communication services provided via said allocated node or nodes,
• wherein at least two of said agents are each provided with:
• a) communication means for communication with other agents;
• b) associated data storage for holding data which is local to the agent, in respect of the network;
• c) updating means for updating data in the data storage;
• d) decision-making algorithms for controlling reconfigurations of the network based on parameters defining possible new services including relating priority of such service;
• e) failure detection means for detecting failure of a neighbouring agent;
• and
• f) means for outputting a bid value,
• the distributed control system being configured such that, on failure of an agent, the failure detection means of one or more neighbouring agents detects said failure and the communication means of at least one neighbouring agent initiates a bidding process determined at least in part by said decision-making algorithms,
• the neighbouring agents outputting bid values based on parameters weighted so as to give, in combination, an estimate of each agent's suitability to take over some or all responsibilities of said failed agent,
• the neighbouring agent outputting a winning bid value thereafter asserting said responsibilities,
• wherein there is more than one type of software agent, there being provided:
• service management agents which have direct control outputs to one or more of said nodes of the network, and
• customer agents, each of which customer agents is associated with at least one service management agent, but has no direct control output to a node of the network,
• wherein:
• the bid value “F” for a neighbouring agent is calculated according to the function:
• F=w1C+w2R+w3O+w4M
• where C, R, O and M are parameters computed in respect of connectivity, service responsibility, occupancy and management load for that neighbouring agent, and w1, w2, w3 and W4 are weighting factors, w3 and w4 being negative.

A method of configuring a communications network in response to a request for a desired service by means of said network, the network comprising a plurality of configurable nodes connected by links for carrying traffic, and the network being provided with a distributed control system comprising a plurality of software agents, at least one of which agents has control over the configuration of one or more nodes of said network to allocate links to respective services, wherein said software agents are provided with:

• a) communication means for communicating with other agents;
• b data storage for storing data which is local to at least one agent, in respect of the network;
• and for storing service parameters in respect of at least one communication service, including a service priority parameter;
• c) updating means for updating data in the data storage;
• d) at least one algorithm for use in configuring the network based on service parameters;
• and
• e) a control output for outputting control signals to a node or nodes, the method comprising:
• i) receiving a request for a desired service by means of said network;
• ii) negotiating among at least some of said software agents, by means of said communication means, to determine a node or nodes for configuration to provide said desired service, using said at least one algorithm and based on parameters of the desired service including the service priority parameter for said service, and on any stored service parameters including the service priority parameter in respect of a service to which the selected link or links are already allocated;
• and
• iii) outputting a configuration control signal to the node or nodes so determined to allocate links for provision of said desired service.

A method of managing a communications network, said network comprising a plurality of nodes connected by links for carrying communications traffic, and being provided with a management system comprising a community of software agents, individual ones of which control outputs to one or more allocated nodes of the network, at least two of said agents being provided with:

• a) communication means for communicating with other agents;
• b) associated data storage for holding data which is local to the agent, in respect of the network;
• c) updating means for updating data in the data storage;
• d) decision-making algorithms for controlling reconfigurations of the network based on parameters defining possible new services including relating priority of such service
• e) failure detection means for detecting failure of a neighbouring agent;
• and
• f) means for outputting a bid value, which method comprises:
• i) detecting failure of a software agent by means of said failure detection means;
• ii) responding to said failure by initiating a bidding process in said community of software agents, at least one agent outputting a bid value F representing weighted values of parameters relevant to that agent in respect of taking over the responsibility of the failed agent;
• iii) on completion of said bidding process, identifying the agent which has output the most favourable bid value F;
• and
• iv) transferring one or more responsibilities of said failed agent to the identified agent.