Automatically upgrading a license to reduce traffic interruptions within a network

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11455698-B2
Application number	US-202016997280-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 19, 2020
Priority date	Jul 7, 2020
Publication date	Sep 27, 2022
Grant date	Sep 27, 2022

Abstract

Systems and methods for automatically upgrading a license in a communication network are provided. In one embodiment, a network device in communication with a license server may be configured with a processing device and a memory device configured to store a computer program having instructions that, when executed, cause the processing device to analyze a communication path between first and second nodes of a communication system and analyze a first license agreement having a first set of constraints regarding communication between the first and second nodes. Responsive to determining that the communication path is not allowable under the first set of constraints of the first license agreement, the instructions may further cause the processing device to upgrade the first license agreement to a second license agreement having a second set of constraints that are less-restrictive than the first set of constraints regarding communication between the first and second nodes.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A network device in communication with a license server, the network device comprising
a processing device, and
a memory device configured to store a computer program having instructions that, when executed, cause the processing device to
analyze a communication path between modems at a first node and a second node of a communication system, wherein the modems support variable reach that is designated into a reach class that defines a maximum allowable transmission distance along the communication path,
analyze a first license agreement having a first set of constraints regarding communication between the first and second nodes, and
responsive to determining that the communication path is not allowable under the first set of constraints of the first license agreement, upgrade the first license agreement to a second license agreement having a second set of constraints that are less-restrictive than the first set of constraints regarding communication between the first and second nodes,
wherein the first and second sets of constraints are related to at least the reach class.

2. The network device of claim 1 , wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the processing device to enable communication along the communication path in response to determining that the communication path is allowable under the second set of constraints of the second license agreement.

3. The network device of claim 1 , wherein, responsive to determining that the communication path is not allowable under the second set of constraints of the second license agreement, the instructions further cause the processing device to upgrade the second license agreement to a third license agreement having a third set of constraints.

4. The network device of claim 1 , wherein the communication path is a restoration path for use when a fault is detected on a primary path between the first and second nodes of the communication system.

5. The network device of claim 4 , wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the processing device to
obtain one or more cost conditions available in the communication system,
estimate an additional cost to switch from the primary path to the restoration path, and
upgrade the first license agreement to the second license agreement when the additional cost meets the one or more cost conditions.

6. The network device of claim 5 , wherein the one or more cost conditions include one or more of a maximum allowable increase in a transmission cost and a maximum allowable increase in a delay cost.

7. The network device of claim 1 , wherein the first node is an originating node and the second node is a terminating node, and wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the processing device to
send a request to a first transponder of the originating node for upgrading from the first license agreement to the second license agreement, and
upon receipt of an acknowledgement that the first transponder has upgraded from the first license agreement to the second license agreement, send a notify message to a second transponder of the terminating node.

8. The network device of claim 1 , further comprising an interface in communication with a database that is configured to store a shared pool of license agreements available for upgrade, wherein the shared pool of license agreements includes at least the first and second license agreements.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable medium configured to store computer logic having instructions that, when executed, cause one or more processing devices to
analyze a communication path between modems at a first node and a second node of a communication system, wherein the modems support variable reach that is designated into a reach class that defines a maximum allowable transmission distance along the communication path,
analyze a first license agreement having a first set of constraints regarding communication between the first and second nodes, and
responsive to determining that the communication path is not allowable under the first set of constraints of the first license agreement, upgrade the first license agreement to a second license agreement having a second set of constraints that are less-restrictive than the first set of constraints regarding communication between the first and second nodes,
wherein the first and second sets of constraints are related to at least the reach class.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the one or more processing devices to enable communication along the communication path in response to determining that the communication path is allowable under the second set of constraints of the second license agreement.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein, responsive to determining that the communication path is not allowable under the second set of constraints of the second license agreement, the instructions further cause the one or more processing devices to upgrade the second license agreement to a third license agreement having a third set of constraints.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the communication path is a restoration path for use when a fault is detected on a primary path between the first and second nodes of the communication system, and wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the one or more processing devices to
obtain one or more cost conditions from a network operator,
estimate an additional cost to switch from the primary path to the restoration path, and
upgrade the first license agreement to the second license agreement when the additional cost meets the one or more cost conditions,
wherein the one or more cost conditions include one or more of a maximum allowable increase in a transmission cost and a maximum allowable increase in a delay cost.

13. A method comprising the steps of
analyzing a communication path between modems at a first node and a second node of a communication system, wherein the modems support variable reach that is designated into a reach class that defines a maximum allowable transmission distance along the communication path,
analyzing a first license agreement having a first set of constraints regarding communication between the first and second nodes, and
responsive to determining that the communication path is not allowable under the first set of constraints of the first license agreement, upgrading the first license agreement to a second license agreement having a second set of constraints that are less-restrictive than the first set of constraints regarding communication between the first and second nodes,
wherein the first and second sets of constraints are related to at least the reach class.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising the step of enabling communication along the communication path in response to determining that the communication path is allowable under the second set of constraints of the second license agreement.

15. The method of claim 13 , further comprising the step of upgrading the second license agreement to a third license agreement having a third set of constraint responsive to determining that the communication path is not allowable under the second set of constraints of the second license agreement.

16. The method of claim 13 , wherein the communication path is a restoration path for use when a fault is detected on a primary path between the first and second nodes of the communication system, wherein the method further comprises the steps

Assignees

• Ciena Corp

Inventors

• Sareen Jatin
• Kumar Vinod

Classifications

• H04L41/5012

  determining service availability, e.g. which services are available at a certain point in time · CPC title

• H04L41/142

  using statistical or mathematical methods · CPC title

• H04L41/0663

  Performing the actions predefined by failover planning, e.g. switching to standby network elements · CPC title

• G06Q50/184 Primary

  Intellectual property management · CPC title

• H04L41/0654

  using network fault recovery (ring fault isolation or reconfiguration in loop networks without recovery actions by a network management system H04L12/437) · CPC title