Service tagging optimization for intent-based networking

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11218381-B2
Application number	US-201916592872-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 4, 2019
Priority date	Oct 4, 2019
Publication date	Jan 4, 2022
Grant date	Jan 4, 2022

Abstract

A method is performed to provide assurance for a service enabled on a network. A definition of the service is received. The definition includes a service type, a service instance, and configuration information used to enable the service. From the service type and the service instance, a service tag that is unique to the service is generated so as to distinguish the service from other services on the network. Based on the definition, the service is decomposed into a subservice dependency graph of subservices and dependencies between the subservices. Based on the subservice dependency graph, the subservices are configured to record and report subservice metrics indicative of health states of the subservices. The subservice metrics are obtained from the subservices. The service tag is applied to the subservice metrics to produce service-tagged subservice metrics. The service-tagged subservice metrics are analyzed to determine a health state of the service.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
at one or more entities configured to provide assurance for a service on a network:
receiving a definition of the service, the definition including a service type, a service instance, and configuration information used to enable the service;
generating from the service type and the service instance a service tag that is unique to the service so as to distinguish the service from other services on the network;
based on the definition, decomposing the service into a subservice dependency graph of subservices and dependencies between the subservices that collectively enable the service;
based on the subservice dependency graph, configuring the subservices to record and report subservice metrics indicative of health states of the subservices by:
generating monitoring objects that include the service tag and subservice identifiers, and define the subservice metrics the subservices are to record and report and
providing the monitoring objects to the subservices to configure the subservices to record and report the subservice metrics;

based on providing the monitoring objects to the subservices, receiving, from the subservices, telemetry objects that include the subservice metrics, the service tag, and the subservice identifiers;
applying the service tag to the subservice metrics to produce service-tagged subservice metrics; and
analyzing the service-tagged subservice metrics to determine a health state of the service.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the analyzing includes:
associating the service-tagged subservice metrics with the service based on the service tag of the service-tagged subservice metrics; and
determining the health state of the service based on the health states of the subservices.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the subservice dependency graph includes a service node at a highest level of the subservice dependency graph, and the service node includes the service tag.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the generating the monitoring objects includes:
generating heuristic packages that (i) specify the subservice metrics that the subservices are to record and report, and (ii) include rules to compute the health state of the subservices based on the subservice metrics; and
generating the monitoring objects based on the heuristic packages.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the analyzing includes:
computing the health states of the subservices from the service-tagged subservice metrics in accordance with the rules in the heuristic packages; and
determining the health state of the service based on the health states of the subservices.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the monitoring objects are configured according to a Yet Another Generation (YANG) model, and the providing the monitoring objects to the subservices includes pushing the monitoring objects to the subservices using a Network Configuration (NETCONF) protocol or a Representational State Transfer (REST) Configuration (RESTCONF) protocol.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein each of the health states respectively indicates either a passing health state or a failing health state.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein each of the health states respectively indicates a health state within a range of health states including a passing health state, a failing health state, and a degraded health state that is not a passing health state or a failing health state.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the subservices include one or more of:
operations performed by network devices in the network;
communication behavior of interfaces of the network devices;
layer 1 (L1) network connectivity configured on the network devices, layer 2 (L2) network connectivity on the network devices, or layer 3 (L3) network connectivity on the network devices;
packet routing protocols on the network devices; and
logical network functions.

10. A system comprising:
one or more network interface units; and
one or more processors coupled to the one or more network interface units and configured to provide assurance for a service on a network by:
receiving a definition of the service, the definition including a service type, a service instance, and configuration information used to enable the service;
generating from the service type and the service instance a service tag that is unique to the service so as to distinguish the service from other services on the network;
based on the definition, decomposing the service into a subservice dependency graph of subservices and dependencies between the subservices that collectively enable the service;
based on the subservice dependency graph, configuring the subservices to record and report subservice metrics indicative of health states of the subservices by:
generating monitoring objects that include the service tag and subservice identifiers, and define the subservice metrics the subservices are to record and report; and
providing the monitoring objects to the subservices to configure the subservices to record and report the subservice metrics;

based on providing the monitoring objects to the subservices, receiving, from the subservices, telemetry objects that include the subservice metrics, the service tag, and the subservice identifiers;
applying the service tag to the subservice metrics to produce service-tagged subservice metrics; and
analyzing the service-tagged subservice metrics to determine a health state of the service.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to perform the analyzing by:
associating the service-tagged subservice metrics with the service based on the service tag of the service-tagged subservice metrics; and
determining the health state of the service based on the health states of the subservices.

12. The system of claim 10 , wherein:
the subservice dependency graph includes a service node at a highest level of the subservice dependency graph, and the service node includes the service tag.

13. The system of claim 10 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to perform the generating the monitoring objects by:
generating heuristic packages that (i) specify the subservice metrics that the subservices are to record and report, and (ii) include rules to compute the health state of the subservices based on the subservice metrics; and
generating the monitoring objects based on the heuristic packages.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to perform the analyzing by:
computing the health states of the subservices from the service-tagged subservice metrics in accordance with the rules in the heuristic packages; and
determining the health state of the service based on the health states of the subservices.

15. The system of claim 10 , wherein the monitoring objects are configured according to a Yet Another Generation (YANG) model, and the providing the monitoring objects to the subservices includes pushing the monitoring objects to the subservices using a Network Configuration (NETCONF) protocol or a Representational State Transfer (REST) Configuration (RESTCONF) protocol.

16. The system of claim 10 , wherein each of the health states respectively indicates either a passing health state or a failing health state.

17. The system of claim 10 , wherein the subservices include one or more of:
operations performed by network devices in the network;
communication behavior of interfaces of the network devices;
layer 1 (L1) network connectivity configured on the network devices, layer 2 (L2) netwo

Assignees

• Cisco Tech Inc

Inventors

• Claise Benoit
• Clarke Joseph M
• Vyncke Eric
• Singh Harjinder
• Jovanovic Mioljub
• Pignataro Carlos M

Classifications

• H04L43/0817

  by checking functioning · CPC title

• H04L43/062

  related to network traffic · CPC title

• H04L41/046

  comprising network management agents or mobile agents therefor · CPC title

• H04L41/5058

  Service discovery by the service manager · CPC title

• H04L41/5009 Primary

  Determining service level performance parameters or violations of service level contracts, e.g. violations of agreed response time or mean time between failures [MTBF] · CPC title