Method and apparatus for detecting fault conditions in a network

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016323163-A1
Application number	US-201415105905-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 18, 2014
Priority date	Dec 19, 2013
Publication date	Nov 3, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method and apparatus are provided for detecting a fault condition in a network, making use of standard parameter data generated by a network termination device of a user of the network, the method comprising, in a training phase, the remote retrieval of selected parameters from a predetermined set of users' network termination devices in order to generate one or more representative models of expected operational status using the retrieved parameters and, in a monitoring phase, determining a measure of operational status for the set of users at some future time and comparing that with a corresponding expected model measure. Parameter retrieval takes place over substantially the same path through the network as used to supply services to a respective network termination device so that the models are generated in respect of communications over those elements of network infrastructure likely to affect operational status of the respective set of users in the event of a fault condition. Any significant variation from model measures may be indicative of a fault condition. Preferred measures of operational status include connectivity status and service status.

First claim

1 . A method for detecting a fault condition in a network, the network having a plurality of network users each having, linked to the network, a network termination device for accessing services over the network, the method comprising the steps:
(i) in a training phase, remotely establishing a connection through the network to a network termination device of each of a predetermined set of users, said connection following substantially the same path through the network as that used by the respective network termination device to access said services over the network, thereby to retrieve parameter data generated by the device comprising values of a first predetermined set of parameters indicative of a measure of connectivity status of the device with respect to the network; (ii) applying one or more types of analysis to the retrieved parameter data thereby to generate one or more models of expected device connectivity for the network termination devices of the set of users; and (iii) in a monitoring phase, remotely retrieving values for said first predetermined set of parameters from a network termination device of a selected user and comparing the measure of connectivity status derived from the retrieved parameter values for the selected user with an expected measure of device connectivity indicated by a corresponding model of device connectivity generated at step (ii) thereby to identify a variation in connectivity status for the selected user's device indicative of a fault condition in the network.

2 . The method according to claim 1 wherein, at step (i), the predetermined set of users comprises users having access to said services over a particular portion of the network or from a particular geographical area.

3 . The method according to claim 2 wherein, at step (iii), the corresponding model is a model generated in respect of a portion of the network or a geographical area associated with the selected user's network termination device.

4 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein said first predetermined set of parameters include a parameter indicative of at least one of: time; date; and a software or firmware version number for the respective network termination device.

5 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein:
at step (i), the parameter data further comprises a second predetermined set of parameters selected as being indicative of a measure of service status for the respective network termination device; at step (ii), said one or more types of analysis are further arranged to generate one or more models of expected service status for the network termination devices of the set of users; and at step (iii), the monitoring phase further comprises remotely retrieving values for said second predetermined set of parameters from a network termination device of a selected user and comparing the measure of service status derived from the retrieved parameter values for the selected user with an expected measure of service status indicated by a corresponding model of service status generated at step (ii) thereby to identify a variation in service status for the selected user's device indicative of a fault condition in the network.

6 . The method according to claim 5 wherein, at step (ii), said one or more types of analysis include the application of principal component analysis to retrieved parameter data for said second set of parameters and wherein step (ii) further comprises generating one or more models characterising service status for the network termination devices of said predetermined set of users in terms of one or more determined regions of acceptable service status in a space defined by the principal components of retrieved parameter data for said second set of parameters.

7 . The method according to claim 6 , wherein step (iii) further comprises projecting the retrieved parameter data for said second set of parameters into the space defined by the principal components calculated at step (ii) and comparing the position of the projected data with the one or more determined regions of acceptable service status thereby to identify a variation indicative of a fault condition in the network.

8 . The method according to claim 5 , wherein the measure of service status is indicative of communications performance over an access network portion of the network and wherein the parameters of said second set of parameters are selected as being indicative of communications performance over that portion of the access network that links to the respective network termination device.

9 . The method according to claim 8 , wherein the access network comprises copper lines linking the network termination devices of said predetermined set of users to the network and wherein said second set of parameters include parameters indicative of communications performance over a respective copper line.

10 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the network is an internet protocol network and wherein said parameter data comprise one or more parameters defined in a standard data model for internet gateway devices.

11 . An apparatus for detecting fault conditions in a network, the network having a plurality of network users each having, linked to the network, a network termination device for accessing services over the network, the apparatus comprising:
a data retrieval module having an interface to the network and arranged to establish a communications link to a user network termination device over substantially the same path through the network as that used by the user network termination device to access services over the network and to retrieve parameter data therefrom comprising values for a first predetermined set of parameters generated by the device and indicative of a measure of connectivity status for the device with respect to the network; an analysis module for processing parameter data retrieved by the data retrieval module from the network termination device of each of a predetermined set of users and for generating one or more models of expected device connectivity with respect to at least a portion of the network accessed by said set of users; and fault detection means for comparing the measure of connectivity status derived from values for the first predetermined set of parameters retrieved by the data retrieval module from the network termination device of a user with a corresponding said model of device connectivity and for recognising a fault condition in the network in the event that the derived measure of connectivity status for the user diverges from an expected device connectivity indicated by the corresponding said model.

12 . The apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein said first predetermined set of parameters includes parameters indicative of at least one of: time; date; and software or firmware version number for a respective network termination device.

13 . The apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein:
the parameter data retrievable by the data retrieval module further comprises a second predetermined set of parameters indicative of a measure of service status of a respective network termination device; the analysis module is arranged to generate one or more models of expected device service status from retrieved values of said second set of parameters with respect to at least a portion of the network accessed by said set of users; and the fault detection means are arranged to compare the measure of service status derived from values for the second predetermined set of parameters retrieved by the data retrieval module from the network termination device of a user with a corresponding said model of service status and for recognising a faul

Assignees

• Bae Systems Plc

Inventors

• Abdulnour Mohamed Fakkar
• Hume Kelly Louise
• Mercer Paul Alan Ronald
• Whittall Philip Trevor

Classifications

• H04L41/145

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

• H04L43/0811 Primary

  by checking connectivity · CPC title

• H04L12/66

  Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways · CPC title

• H04L41/16

  using machine learning or artificial intelligence · CPC title

• H04L43/0817

  by checking functioning · CPC title