Method and apparatus for collecting network performance data

A system for managing and storing performance data and accounting data that are generated and stored within a computer network, the system comprising:

• one or more collector blades that collect performance data from the network and that are installed into a data collection manager at a time when the data collection manager is executed;
• a polling module configured to poll one or more network elements in the network to obtain the performance data, according to an adaptive polling frequency, wherein the adaptive polling frequency is determined based on one or more rates of change in the performance data, wherein the rates of change are determined based on one or more dependencies among components of the network elements;
• wherein the collector blades comprise information identifying a source of the performance data, frequency of collection from that source, destination to send the performance data when it is collected, and a type of processing to be performed on the performance data;
• a thresholding module that determines whether the performance data satisfies one or more thresholding rules, and if so, generates and sends one or more performance messages;
• a filtering module comprising one or more filters for filtering the performance data;
• an aggregation module configured for aggregating the performance data;
• wherein the aggregation module determines whether information needed to finalize a specified aggregation pattern is missing and, if needed information is missing, initiates polling of one or more network elements in the network to obtain missing information needed to finalize the specified aggregation pattern;
• a correlation module configured for correlating the performance data with other data received from one or more network management subsystems;
• and
• a policy kernel coupled to the collector blades, thresholding module, filtering module, aggregation module, and correlation module, wherein the policy kernel comprises one or more policies that are installed into the data collection manager at a time when the data collection manager is executed, wherein the thresholding rules, filtering, aggregating, and correlating are performed according to the policies;
• wherein the system determines whether at least one of the collector blades is unnecessary, and if so, deactivating that collector blade without disabling the data collection manager.

An apparatus for managing and storing performance data and accounting data that are generated and stored within a computer network, the apparatus comprising:

• means for collecting performance data from the network using one or more collector blades that are installed into a data collection manager at a time when the data collection manager is executed;
• means for polling one or more network elements in the network to obtain the performance data, according to an adaptive polling frequency, wherein the adaptive polling frequency is determined based on one or more rates of change in the performance data, wherein the rates of change are determined based on one or more dependencies among components of the network elements;
• wherein the collector blades comprise information identifying a source of the performance data, frequency of collection from that source, destination to send the performance data when it is collected, and a type of processing to be performed on the performance data;
• means for determining whether the performance data satisfies one or more thresholding rules, and if so, generating and sending one or more performance messages;
• means for filtering the performance data using one or more filters;
• means for aggregating the performance data;
• and
• means for correlating the performance data with other data received from one or more network management subsystems;
• wherein aggregating the performance data comprises determining whether information needed to finalize a specified aggregation pattern is missing and, if needed information is missing, polling one or more network elements in the network to obtain missing information needed to finalize the specified aggregation pattern;
• means for determining whether at least one of the collector blades is unnecessary, and if so, deactivating that collector blade without disabling the data collection manager.

A computer-readable volatile or non-volatile storage medium storing one or more sequences of instructions for managing performance data and accounting data that are generated in a computer network, which instructions, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the steps of:

• collecting performance data from the network using one or more collector blades that are installed into a data collection manager at a time when the data collection manager is executed;
• wherein collecting performance data comprises polling one or more network elements in the network to obtain the performance data, according to an adaptive polling frequency, wherein the adaptive polling frequency is determined based on one or more rates of change in the performance data, wherein the rates of change are determined based on one or more dependencies among components of the network elements;
• wherein the collector blades comprise information identifying a source of the performance data, frequency of collection from that source, destination to send the performance data when it is collected, and a type of processing to be performed on the performance data;
• determining whether the performance data satisfies one or more thresholding rules, and if so, generating and sending one or more performance messages;
• filtering the performance data using one or more filters;
• aggregating the performance data;
• and
• correlating the performance data with other data received from one or more network management subsystems;
• wherein aggregating the performance data comprises determining whether information needed to finalize a specified aggregation pattern is missing and, if needed information is missing, polling one or more network elements in the network to obtain missing information needed to finalize the specified aggregation pattern;
• means for determining whether at least one of the collector blades is unnecessary, and if so, deactivating that collector blade without disabling the data collection manager.