Facilitating quality of service and security via functional classification of devices in networks

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016105531-A1
Application number	US-201414512029-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 10, 2014
Priority date	Oct 10, 2014
Publication date	Apr 14, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Quality of service and security are facilitated via functional classification of devices within a network. One method includes receiving, by a first device of devices of a network, notification information of a presence of a second device among the devices of the network, wherein the devices are configured to communicate information about events associated with respective operations of the devices; and generating, by the first device, first information indicative of an identity of and a functional classification of a function of the second device. The method also includes initiating, by the first device to a controller within the network, a transmission of second information for association of third information indicative of the functional classification of the function of the second device with data generated by the second device. The functional classification of the function of the second device is associated with potential impact of failure of the second device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method, comprising:
receiving, by a first device of devices of a network, and the first device comprising a processor, notification information of a presence of a second device among the devices of the network, wherein the devices are configured to communicate information about events associated with respective operations of the devices; generating, by the first device, first information indicative of an identity of the second device and a functional classification based on a function of the second device; and initiating, by the first device to a controller device within the network, a transmission of second information for association of third information indicative of the functional classification of the function of the second device with data generated by the second device.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the third information is associated with a level of quality of service for the data generated by the second device.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the level of quality of service for the data comprises a maximum bit error rate for the data.

4 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the data generated by the second device is annotated with the third information by the controller device.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the functional classification is further based on a potential impact of failure of the second device to perform the function of the second device.

6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the potential impact is related to safety in an environment monitored by the second device.

7 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the potential impact is related to safety in a physical environment in which the second device is located.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the functional classification is located on a spectrum of functional classifications that ranges from a non-sensitive designation to a life safety designation, and wherein the non-sensitive designation is provided a lowest level of quality of service and the life safety designation is provided a highest level of quality of service.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the functional classification is located on a spectrum of functional classifications that ranges from a non-sensitive designation to a life safety designation, and wherein the non-sensitive designation is provided a lowest level of security and the life safety designation is provided a highest level of security.

10 . An apparatus, comprising:
a processor; and a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, facilitate performance of operations, comprising:
determining logic information associated with a function of functions of a device of a network, wherein the device is configured to communicate information about events associated with operations of the device;
determining a potential impact of failure of the device to perform the function; and
determining security control information for the device based on the logic information and the potential impact of the failure.

11 . The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the functions comprise a first function for which the potential impact of failure is associated with a first level of criticality and a second function for which the potential impact of failure is associated with a second level of criticality, and wherein the determining of the security control information comprises determining first security control information associated with the first function and determining second security control information associated with the second function.

12 . The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the first security control information is associated with a higher level of security than a level of security for the second security control information.

13 . The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the determining security control information comprises determining a first type of encryption for data generated by the device based on first logic information and a first potential impact of the failure and determining a second type of encryption for the data generated by the device based on second logic information and a second potential impact of the failure.

14 . The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the potential impact of failure comprises a potential loss of property in an environment for which the function is performed by the device.

15 . The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the potential impact comprises potential change in safety in an environment for which the device performs the function.

16 . The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the network comprises a connected car network.

17 . The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the network comprises a medical device.

18 . The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the device is configured to initiate a healthcare treatment.

19 . An apparatus, comprising:
a processor; and a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, facilitate performance of operations, comprising:
receiving notification information indicative of a presence of a device among devices within a network, wherein the devices are configured to communicate information about events associated with respective operations of the devices;
receiving first information indicative of an identity of the device and a functional classification associated with a function of the device; and
initiating, to a controller within the network, a transmission of second information for association of third information indicative of the functional classification of the function of the device with data generated by the device.

20 . The apparatus of claim 19 , wherein the functional classification is associated with a level of criticality of failure of the device to perform the function.

Assignees

• At & T Ip I Lp

Inventors

• Godfrey Jason
• Morovitz Jennifer
• Bearden Toby

Classifications

• G06F11/079

  Root cause analysis, i.e. error or fault diagnosis (in a hardware test environment G06F11/22; in a software test environment G06F11/36) · CPC title

• H04L67/322 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H04L43/0876

  Network utilisation, e.g. volume of load or congestion level · CPC title

• G06F11/0709

  in a distributed system consisting of a plurality of standalone computer nodes, e.g. clusters, client-server systems · CPC title

• H04L41/0853 Primary

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