Universal alias and dependency models and network analysis

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10693737-B1
Application number	US-201715721250-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Sep 29, 2017
Priority date	Sep 29, 2017
Publication date	Jun 23, 2020
Grant date	Jun 23, 2020

Abstract

Computer processor hardware receives data associated with a set of elements in a network. The computer processor hardware assigns a unique identifier value to each respective element in the network. To produce encoded information representative of the network, the computer processor hardware chooses an attribute list indicating different attributes pertinent to the set of elements. For each unique identifier value indicating a corresponding network element, the computer processor hardware utilizes the received data to produce a corresponding set of encoded information indicating settings for the attributes in the list. The computer processor hardware produces a set of encoded information for each of the unique identifier values (and corresponding network elements) into an analytics data set defining the network. The analytics data set indicates all relationships amongst the network elements allowing complete end-to-end network architectures to be evaluated or focus to be placed on specific sub-segments of the network in order to evaluate processes and function at a micro level. It also allows associating costs to delivery service levels, to timing of deployment, or any wide variety of analysis dependent on the combined operation of network components.

First claim

We claim:

1. A method comprising:
receiving data associated with a set of elements in a network;
assigning a unique identifier value to each respective element in the set;
receiving attribute information indicating different attributes pertinent to the set of elements; and
for each unique identifier value of multiple identifier values, via the received data, producing a corresponding set of encoded information indicating settings for the attributes indicated by the attribute information; the method further comprising:
combining the produced corresponding set of encoded information for each of the unique identifier values into an analytics data set defining the network in which the set of network elements reside; and
in response to receiving a command, deriving a network model from the analytics data set defining the network.

2. The method as in claim 1 further comprising:
receiving supplemental cost data with respect to the analytics data set; and
applying the supplemental cost data to the analytics data set to produce a cost model.

3. The method as in claim 1 , wherein the attributes include a first attribute and a second attribute, the first attribute pertaining to geographical location, the second attribute pertaining to connectivity, the method further comprising:
producing a first set of encoded information for a first network element assigned a first unique identifier value, the first attribute for the first set of encoded information indicating a first geographical location in which the first network element resides, the second attribute for the first set of encoded information indicating connectivity of the first network element to a root network element; and
producing a second set of encoded information for a second network element assigned a second unique identifier value, the first attribute for the second set of encoded information indicating a second geographical location in which the second network element resides, the second attribute for the second set of encoded information indicating connectivity of the second network element to the first network element.

4. A method comprising:
receiving data associated with a set of elements in a network;
assigning a unique identifier value to each respective element in the set;
receiving attribute information indicating different attributes pertinent to the set of elements; and
for each unique identifier value of multiple identifier values, via the received data, producing a corresponding set of encoded information indicating settings for the attributes indicated by the attribute information; and
wherein the network elements are network segments, the corresponding set of encoded information indicating connectivity of the network segments with respect to each other.

5. A method comprising:
receiving data associated with a set of elements in a network;
assigning a unique identifier value to each respective element in the set;
receiving attribute information indicating different attributes pertinent to the set of elements; and
for each unique identifier value of multiple identifier values, via the received data, producing a corresponding set of encoded information indicating settings for the attributes indicated by the attribute information;
wherein the attribute information indicates attributes associated with a specific type of network in which the set of network elements reside; and
wherein the specific type of network is one of:
i) an optical network,
ii) a hybrid fiber coaxial network, and
iii) a coaxial cable network.

6. A method comprising:
receiving data associated with a set of elements in a network;
assigning a unique identifier value to each respective element in the set;
receiving attribute information indicating different attributes pertinent to the set of elements;
for each unique identifier value of multiple identifier values, via the received data, producing a corresponding set of encoded information indicating settings for the attributes indicated by the attribute information;
wherein the network elements include at least a first network element and a second network element, the first network element assigned a first unique identifier value, the second network element assigned a second unique identifier value;
wherein, via the received data, producing the corresponding set of encoded information indicating settings for the attributes in the attribute information includes:
i) producing a first corresponding set of encoded information for the first unique identifier value, the first corresponding set of encoded information indicating connectivity of the first network element to a root network element in the network; and
ii) producing a second corresponding set of encoded information for the second unique identifier value, the second corresponding set of encoded information indicating connectivity of the second network element to the first network element in the network.

7. A method comprising:
receiving data associated with a set of elements in a network;
assigning a unique identifier value to each respective element in the set;
receiving attribute information indicating different attributes pertinent to the set of elements; and
for each unique identifier value of multiple identifier values, via the received data, producing a corresponding set of encoded information indicating settings for the attributes indicated by the attribute information, the method further comprising:
producing each of the corresponding sets of encoded information to include a coefficient matrix; and
utilizing the coefficient matrix to produce settings for a model derived from the network.

8. A method comprising:
receiving data associated with a set of elements in a network;
assigning a unique identifier value to each respective element in the set;
receiving attribute information indicating different attributes pertinent to the set of elements; and
for each unique identifier value of multiple identifier values, via the received data, producing a corresponding set of encoded information indicating settings for the attributes indicated by the attribute information, the method further comprising:
utilizing the corresponding set of encoded information to produce a model to perform a simulation of data traffic transmitted over the network.

9. A computer system comprising:
a repository to store data associated with a set of elements in a network;
computer processor hardware operable to:
retrieve the data;
assign a unique identifier value to each respective element in the set;
receive attribute information indicating different attributes pertinent to the set of elements; and
for each unique identifier value, utilize the received data to produce a corresponding set of encoded information indicating settings for the different attributes in the attribute information;
combine the produced corresponding set of encoded information for each of the unique identifier values into an analytics data set defining the network in which the set of network elements reside.

10. The computer system as in claim 9 , wherein the computer processor hardware is further operable to:
in response to receiving a command, derive a network model from the analytics data set defining the network.

11. A computer system comprising:
a repository to store data associated with a set of elements in a network;
computer processor hardware operable to:
retrieve the data;
assign a unique identifier value to each respective element in the set;
receive attribute information indicating different attributes pertinent to the set of elements; and
for each unique identifier value, utilize the received data to produce a correspond

Assignees

• Charter Communications Operating Llc

Inventors

• Teflian Mark S
• Feldman David G
• Brophy John J
• Holloran Thomas J

Classifications

• H04L41/145 Primary

  involving simulating, designing, planning or modelling of a network · CPC title

• H04L41/0853

  by actively collecting configuration information or by backing up configuration information · CPC title

• H04L43/0811

  by checking connectivity · CPC title

• H04L41/12

  Discovery or management of network topologies · CPC title