Network availability monitor

A computer-readable medium having contained therein computer-readable codes for causing a computer system to perform a method of measuring availability of a network having a plurality of nodes, the method comprising steps of:

• a) identifying which of said nodes are leaf nodes and which of said nodes are non-leaf nodes wherein each of said nodes is either a leaf node or a non-leaf node;
• b) monitoring availability of a set of said plurality of nodes consisting solely of leaf nodes over a pre-determined period of time;
• c) generating leaf node availability data for each one of said set of nodes;
• and
• d) generating network availability information for said network as a whole based on said leaf node availability data,
• wherein said step (d) of said method comprises steps of:
• calculating a total number of available minutes for said set of nodes over said pre-determined period of time based on said leaf node availability data;
• calculating a total possible number of available minutes for said set of nodes over said pre-determined period of time
• determining a ratio between said total number of available minutes and said total possible number of available minutes.

A network availability monitor for coupling to and measuring availability of a network that has a plurality of nodes, said network availability monitor comprising:

• logic for identifying which of said nodes are leaf nodes and which of said nodes are non-leaf nodes wherein each of said nodes is either a leaf node or a non-leaf node;
• logic for monitoring availability of a set of said plurality of nodes consisting solely of leaf nodes;
• and
• logic for generating leaf node availability data for each one of said set of nodes and for generating network availability information for said network as a whole based on said leaf node availability data,
• wherein said logic for generating comprises:
• logic for calculating a total number of available minutes for said set of nodes over said pre-determined period of time based on said leaf node availability data;
• logic for calculating a total possible number of available minutes for said set of nodes over said pre-determined period of time logic for determining a ratio between said total number of available minutes and said total possible number of available minutes.

A method of measuring availability of a network that has a plurality of nodes, said method comprising steps of:

• a) identifying which of said nodes are leaf nodes and which of said nodes are non-leaf nodes wherein each of said nodes is either a leaf node or a non-leaf node;
• b) monitoring availability of a set of said plurality of nodes consisting solely of leaf nodes, said set comprising a first leaf node and a second leaf node wherein said first leaf node and said second leaf node belong to a pre-determined availability group;
• c) generating first leaf node availability data for said first leaf node;
• d) generating second leaf node availability data for said second leaf node;
• and
• e) generating network availability information for said availability group based on said first leaf node availability data and said second leaf node availability data,
• wherein said step (d) comprises steps of:
• calculating a total number of available minutes for said set of nodes over said pre-determined period of time based on said leaf node availability data;
• calculating a total possible number of available minutes for said set of nodes over said pre-determined period of time determining a ratio between said total number of available minutes and said total possible number of available minutes.