Systems and methods for jointly optimizing WAN and LAN network communications

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11477108-B2
Application number	US-202016926696-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 11, 2020
Priority date	Jan 12, 2011
Publication date	Oct 18, 2022
Grant date	Oct 18, 2022

Abstract

Described are systems and methods for jointly optimizing Wide Area Network (WAN) and Local Area Network (LAN) network communications. In one embodiment, a management device communicatively interfaced with a WAN and a LAN includes a collection module to collect LAN information from the LAN and WAN information from the WAN; an analysis module to jointly analyze the collected WAN information and the collected LAN information to identify an operational condition; and an implementation nodule to initiate a management event responsive to the operational condition being identified. In one embodiment, the management event includes generating and transmitting a diagnostics report responsive to a fault being identified. The management device may further generate and execute instructions to remedy the diagnosed fault.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A management device, comprising:
a Local Area Network (LAN) interface to communicably interface the management device with a LAN;
a Wide Area Network (WAN) interface to communicably interface the management device with a WAN, wherein the WAN is to provide broadband connectivity to the LAN;
one or more processors; and
a non-transitory computer-readable medium or media storing one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by at least one of the one or more processors, cause the management device to perform operations comprising:
collecting LAN information from one or more communication layers on the LAN; and
identifying one or more operational conditions within the WAN in a different communication layer from the one or more communication layers on the LAN by analyzing at least the collected LAN information.

2. The management device of claim 1 wherein the operations further comprising:
initiating a management event responsive to at least one of the one or more operational conditions being identified.

3. The management device of claim 2 wherein initiating the management event comprises one or more of:
decreasing WAN rate to improve link stability and quality;
increasing one or more Impulse Noise Protection (INP) parameter settings; and
increasing one or more margin parameter settings.

4. The management device of claim 2 wherein initiating the management event comprises performing one or more of the following operations:
generating instructions to change transmit power of WAN elements;
generating instructions to modify one or more parameters affecting WAN forward error correction (FEC), WAN latency, WAN transmit power levels, and WAN data rate; and
generating instructions to modify an active profile or configuration settings based on at least identified network traffic related to the WAN.

5. The management device of claim 1 wherein the one or more communication layers on the LAN and the different communication layer in the WAN are layers of Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) model.

6. The management device of claim 1 wherein the one or more communication layers on the LAN and the different communication layer in the WAN are layers of TCP/IP model.

7. The management device of claim 1 wherein the one or more operational conditions identified within the WAN comprise at least one of:
network congestion within the WAN;
excess power consumption by communication elements within the WAN;
bandwidth utilization of the WAN in excess of a maximum threshold;
bandwidth availability of the WAN below a minimum threshold;
errors on WAN connection;
performance measures on the WAN;
quality of WAN connection; and
failure of WAN connection.

8. A method for communication management comprising:
communicably interfacing, via a Local Area Network (LAN) interface, a management device with a LAN;
communicably interfacing, via a Wide Area Network (WAN) interface, the management device with a WAN, wherein the WAN is to provide broadband connectivity to the LAN;
collecting, at the management device, LAN information from one or more communication layers on the LAN; and
identifying, at the management device, one or more operational conditions within the WAN in a different communication layer from the one or more communication layers on the LAN by analyzing at least the collected LAN information.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising:
initiating a management event responsive to at least one of the one or more operational conditions being identified.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein initiating the management event comprises one or more of:
decreasing WAN rate to improve link stability and quality;
increasing one or more Impulse Noise Protection (INP) parameter settings; and
increasing one or more margin parameter settings.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein initiating the management event comprises performing one or more of the following operations:
generating instructions to change transmit power of WAN elements;
generating instructions to modify one or more parameters affecting WAN forward error correction (FEC), WAN latency, WAN transmit power levels, and WAN data rate; and
generating instructions to modify an active profile or configuration settings based on at least identified network traffic related to the WAN.

12. The method of claim 8 wherein the one or more communication layers on the LAN and the different communication layer in the WAN are layers of Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) model.

13. The method of claim 8 wherein the one or more communication layers on the LAN and the different communication layer in the WAN are layers of TCP/IP model.

14. The method of claim 8 wherein the one or more operational condition within the WAN identified comprise at least one of:
network congestion within the WAN;
excess power consumption by communication elements within the WAN;
bandwidth utilization of the WAN in excess of a maximum threshold;
bandwidth availability of the WAN below a minimum threshold;
errors on WAN connection;
performance measures on the WAN;
quality of WAN connection; and
failure of WAN connection.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium or media comprising one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by at least one processor, causes steps for communication management comprising:
communicably interfacing, via a Local Area Network (LAN) interface, a management device with a LAN;
communicably interfacing, via a Wide Area Network (WAN) interface, the management device with a WAN, wherein the WAN is to provide broadband connectivity to the LAN;
collecting, at the management device, LAN information from one or more communication layers on the LAN; and
identifying, at the management device, one or more operational conditions within the WAN in a different communication layer from the one or more communication layers on the LAN by analyzing at least the collected LAN information.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium or media of claim 15 further comprising one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by at least one processor, causes steps for communication management comprising:
initiating a management event responsive to at least one of the one or more operational conditions being identified.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium or media of claim 16 wherein initiating the management event comprises one or more of:
decreasing WAN rate to improve link stability and quality;
increasing one or more Impulse Noise Protection (INP) parameter settings; and
increasing one or more margin parameter settings.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium or media of claim 16 wherein initiating the management event comprises performing one or more of the following operations:
generating instructions to change transmit power of WAN elements;
generating instructions to modify one or more parameters affecting WAN forward error correction (FEC), WAN latency, WAN transmit power levels, and WAN data rate; and
generating instructions to modify an active profile or configuration settings based on at least identified network traffic related to the WAN.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium or media of claim 15 wherein the one or more communication layers on the LAN and the different communication layer in the WAN are layers of Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) model.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium or media of claim 15 wherein the one

Assignees

• Assia Spe Llc

Inventors

• Chow Peter
• Rhee Wonjong
• Tehrani Ardavan Maleki
• Goldburg Marc

Classifications

• H04L43/0888

  Throughput · CPC title

• Y04S40/00

  Systems for electrical power generation, transmission, distribution or end-user application management characterised by the use of communication or information technologies, or communication or information technology specific aspects supporting them · CPC title

• H04L41/083 Primary

  for increasing network speed · CPC title

• H04L43/0829

  Packet loss · CPC title

• H04L41/26

  using dedicated tools for LAN [Local Area Network] management · CPC title