US 6,857,014 B1Granted

Method and system for designing a network

AssigneeNortel Network Limited

InventorsRobert K. Paterson, Allan I. Sand, Anthony L. Mar

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Abstract

The present invention provides a novel system and method for designing a network. The system is preferably a computer operable to allow a user to input the nodes and links of a network, and to input product information associated with the nodes and links. The computer also stores product-reliability models corresponding to the hardware information. The computer is operable to perform operations that consider the nodes, links, product models to determine a set of reliability performance parameters. The computer can be further operable to vary certain reliability parameters to determine the impact from the perspective of an end-user or other type of network client. One method can include the collection of desired client requirements from the end-user and designing various network configurations to conform with the desired client requirements. Thus, the present invention can be used, and to optimize network designs. Another application is to incorporate the tool in network management product to be used to build or enhance existing networks. This function could be both static as well as dynamic. Thus, the present invention can also be used for other purposes such as modifying, monitoring or optimising existing networks.

Claims31

Dependent claims

A method of designing a network for a network client, comprising the steps of:

receiving desired client reliability parameters associated with a service agreement;
receiving product information on a network, which has a plurality of nodes and links;
providing said product information to a product-integrity model and producing product-integrity parameters for said network;
said product-integrity parameters comprising one or more of service-affecting failure rate, service failure duration, fault detection coverage, unplanned and planned maintenance actions, equipment fault isolation, mean-time-to-repair, percent defective software loads or percent failed software load insertions;
based on said product-integrity parameters, producing network-integrity parameters for said network;
said network-integrity parameters comprising one or more of link and node restoration time, network fault recovery coverage, network failure containment or network fault isolation;
based on said product-integrity and said network-integrity parameters, producing support services-integrity parameters for said network;
said support services-integrity parameters comprising one or more of:
support availability, support responsiveness, fix responsiveness, or fix quality;
based on said product-integrity, network-integrity and support services-integrity parameters, producing actual client-reliability parameters for said network;
and
based on said actual client-reliability parameters, determining whether said service agreement is achieved in said network;
said support services-integrity parameters are selected from the group consisting of support availability, support responsiveness, fix responsiveness, and fix quality.

10 more elements

A method of providing reliability parameters of a network for a network client, comprising:

receiving product information on a network, which includes a plurality of nodes and links;
providing said product information to a product-integrity model and producing product-integrity parameters for said network;
said product-integrity parameters comprising one or more of service-affecting failure rate, service failure duration, fault detection coverage, unplanned and planned maintenance actions, equipment fault isolation, mean-time-to-repair, percent defective software loads or percent failed software load insertions;
based on said product-integrity parameters, producing network-integrity parameters for said network;
said network-integrity parameters comprising one or more of link and node restoration time, network fault recovery coverage, network failure containment or network fault isolation;
based on said product-integrity and said network-integrity parameters, producing support services-integrity parameters for said network;
said support services-integrity parameters comprising one or more of support availability, support responsiveness, fix responsiveness, or fix quality;
and
based on said product-integrity, network-integrity and support services-integrity parameters, producing client-reliability parameters associated with a class of the network client.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 09/469,623Filed 22 Dec 1999
Granted: 15 Feb 2005
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification5 codes

H04L 41/5003
Network service management, e.g. ensuring proper service fulfilment according to agreements: managing SLA; Interaction between SLA and QoS
H04L 41/0659
Using network fault recovery: by isolating or reconfiguring faulty entities
H04L 41/5006
Managing SLA; Interaction between SLA and QoS: creating or negotiating SLA contracts, guarantees or penalties
H04L 41/5009
Managing SLA; Interaction between SLA and QoS: determining service level performance parameters or violations of service level contracts, e.g.…