US 6,681,232 B1 · Operations and provisioning systems for service level management in an extended-area data communications network

Abstract

An automated service level manager (SLM) provides operations support for wide-area data communication services offered via regional IP-Over Ethernet on fiber networks. The SLM comprises a suite of software components and associated hardware running the software, to communicate with agents throughout the networks, to accumulate various network operations data for reports and alarms and to provide instructions to control network operations. The SLM preferably offers a web server type user interface. This interface enables access by technical personnel of the carrier, for example from a network operations center. This interface also offers access to customers having or seeking service through the network.

Claims44

Dependent claims

A service level manager for operations support in an extended-area data communications network, the service level manager comprising:

at least one network database storing network topology information and arranged to receive and store dynamic service-related operations data from agents in the extended-area data communications network;
a persistence layer module arranged to process data from the at least one network database, to provide data representing a dynamic view of the topology and operations of the extended-area data communications network;
a user interface for providing information to and receiving inputs from users;
and
a service level manager application in communication with the persistence layer module and the user interface, for:
(1) monitoring operations of the extended-area data communications network by analyzing semantic transparency or time transparency of data traffic through the network based on the data provided by the persistence layer module,
(2) providing reports to users via the user interface, of the monitored network operations with respect to specific network services, and
(3) interacting with elements of the extended-area data communications network to control service traffic through the extended-area data communications network.

5 more elements

A service level management system, for operations support in an extended-area data communications network, the service level management system comprising:

an agent plane, comprising
a) a plurality of first agents at various points in the extended-area data communications network, the first agents for providing information regarding topology of the extended-area data communications network or topology of services provided through the network;
and
b) a plurality of second agents at various points in the extended-area data communications network, the second agents for providing information regarding performance of the extended-area data communications network;
and
a service level management plane comprising at least one server programmed to automatically implement functions comprising:
1) a topology service for determining a network or a service topology from the information provided by the first agents;
2) a provisioning service for interacting with elements of the extended-area data communications network to control service traffic through the extended-area data communications network based at least in part on the determined topology;
3) a monitoring service for accumulating data from the second agents;
and
4) a measurement service for processing the accumulated data to form one or more reports as to dynamic operations of the extended-area data communications network.

8 more elements

A software product for a service level manager for operations support in an extended-area data communications network, the software product comprising:

at least one machine readable medium;
programming code, carried by the at least one machine readable medium, for execution by a programmable computer, coupled for management communication with elements of the extended-area data communications network and having a user interface, wherein execution of the programming code causes the programmable computer to perform the following steps:
1) determining topology of the extended-area data communications network or topology of services provided through the network, from information provided by agents at various points in the extended-area data communications network;
2) interacting with elements of the extended-area data communications network to control service traffic through the extended-area data communications network based at least in part on the determined topology;
3) accumulating data information regarding performance of the extended-area data communications network from agents at various points in the extended-area data communications network;
and
4) processing the accumulated data to form one or more reports as to dynamic operations of the extended-area data communications network.

4 more elements

A distributed network, for providing data communications services in a plurality of separated regions, comprising:

a plurality of regional networks, each regional network comprising:
(a) a plurality of access ring networks, each access ring network comprising:
i) a plurality of edge-point of presence (E-POP) switches,
ii) data links from the E-POP switches to individual customer locations,
iii) at least one mega-point of presence (M-POP) switch, and
iv) an optical fiber access ring interconnecting the E-POP switches and the at least one M-POP switch;
(b) an optical fiber backbone ring interconnecting the M-POP switches of the access ring networks;
and
(c) at least one giga-point of presence (G-POP) switch coupled to the optical fiber backbone ring, for providing data communication to the Internet and for providing data communication to and from at least one other of the regional networks via the Internet;
and
an operations support system comprising:
a plurality of agents at various points in each of the regional networks for providing information regarding performance of the regional networks;
and
a service level management system comprising:
(1) at least one database, for storing information regarding topology of the distributed network or topology of services provided through the distributed network and for storing the performance information provided by the agents;
and
(2) an application server having access to the database and a user interface, wherein:
i) the application server is for interacting with of a plurality of the POP switches in the regional networks to control service traffic through the distributed network based at least in part on the topology information in the database, and
ii) the application server is for processing the performance information in the database to form one or more reports as to dynamic operations of the extended-area data communications network for output via the user interface.

16 more elements

A distributed network, for providing data communications services in a plurality of separated regions, comprising:

a plurality of regional networks, each regional network comprising:
(a) a plurality of access ring networks, each access ring network comprising
i) a plurality of edge-point of presence (E-POP) switches,
ii) data links from the E-POP switches to individual customer locations,
iii) at least one mega-point of presence (M-POP) switch, and
iv) an optical fiber access ring interconnecting the E-POP switches and the at least one M-POP switch;
(b) an optical fiber backbone ring interconnecting the M-POP switches of the access ring networks;
and
(c) at least one giga-point of presence (G-POP) switch coupled to the optical fiber backbone ring, for providing data communication to the Internet and for providing data communication to and from at least one other of the regional networks via the Internet;
and
an operations support system comprising:
(1) a plurality of operations support agents at various points in each of the regional networks, including agents at the G-POP switches for monitoring and control of the G-POP switches;
(2) an operations and support management system server;
and
(3) an out of band signaling system, comprising:
i) a first router coupled to the operations and support management system server;
ii) a plurality of second routers coupled to the agents at the G-POP switches;
and
iii) a communication network, separate from the regional networks, connected between the routers, for providing data communications between the operations and support management system server and the agents at the G-POP switches.

16 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Operations and provisioning systems for service level management in an extended-area data communications network

Life of this patent

Operations and provisioning systems for service level management in an extended-area data communications network

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims44