Scout functions

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018316591-A1
Application number	US-201715499515-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 27, 2017
Priority date	Apr 27, 2017
Publication date	Nov 1, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

A controller and method for fault detection is provided in network cloud environments is provided. The controller may transmit a request to activate at least two scout functions at deployment locations in the network cloud environment, each scout function operable to execute one or more evaluation operations to collect and report evaluation information relating to its corresponding deployment location. The controller may receive at least one evaluation report comprising an evaluation of computational or communication resource availability at the deployment locations.

First claim

We claim:

1 . A fault detection method executable by a controller is provided for detecting faults in a network cloud environment comprising:
the controller transmitting a request to activate at least two scout functions at deployment locations in the network cloud environment, each scout function operable to execute one or more evaluation operations to collect and report evaluation information relating to its corresponding deployment location; and the controller receiving at least one evaluation report comprising an evaluation of computational or communication resource availability at the deployment locations.

2 . The fault detection method of claim 1 , wherein before the controller activates the at least two scout functions, the method further comprises the controller transmitting a request to instantiate and configure the at least two scout functions at the deployment locations.

3 . The fault detection method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one evaluation report further comprises an evaluation of communication resources between two or more scout functions.

4 . The fault detection method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one evaluation report is received by the controller either accessing a read port of the scout function or receiving a report transmitted by the scout function.

5 . The fault detection method of claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises:
the controller transmitting an initiation request to instantiate and configure a network function at one of the deployment locations.

6 . The fault detection method of claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises deploying a network function in parallel with one of the at least two scout functions.

7 . The fault detection method of claim 6 , wherein the scout function comprises a scout function wrapper and the network function is deployed within a virtual environment provided by the scout function wrapper.

8 . The fault detection method of claim 1 , wherein the evaluation report further comprises an evaluation of communications transmitted by, or received from, a network function.

9 . The fault detection method of claim 1 , wherein after receipt of the at least one evaluation report the method further comprises:
the controller transmitting to the scout function an instruction to execute a further evaluation function.

10 . The fault detection method of claim 1 , wherein the further evaluation function is more demanding of the network cloud environment than one or more evaluation operations.

11 . The fault detection method claim 1 , wherein all of the at least two scout functions comprises a same reproducible generic evaluation function.

12 . The fault detection method of claim 1 , wherein at least one scout function includes at least one adjustable parameter operative to vary a corresponding functionality of that scout function.

13 . The fault detection method of claim 12 , wherein the at least one adjustable parameter is operative to vary one or more of:
a resource measurement value; a communication delay threshold; a communication error rate; a set of one or more peer scout addresses; a computation measurement value; a report mode; and, a scout function duration value.

14 . The fault detection method of any one of claims 1 to 10 and claims 11 to 13 , wherein at least one of the at least two scout functions comprises a customized scout function.

15 . A controller operative to detect faults in a network cloud environment comprising:
a network interface; a processor; a non-transitory memory for storing instructions that when executed by the processor cause the controller to be configured to:
transmit, over the network interface, a request to activate at least two scout functions at deployment locations in the network cloud environment, each scout function operable to execute one or more evaluation operations to collect and report evaluation information relating to its corresponding deployment location; and,
receive, over the network interface, at least one evaluation report comprising an evaluation of computational or communication resource availability at the deployment locations.

16 . The controller of claim 15 , wherein before the controller activates the at least two scout functions, the controller is further operative to transmit a request to instantiate and configure the at least two scout functions at the deployment locations.

17 . The controller of claim 15 , wherein the at least one evaluation report further comprises an evaluation of communication resources between two or more scout functions.

18 . The controller of claim 15 , wherein the controller is further operative to receive the at least one evaluation report either by accessing a read port of the scout function or by receiving a report transmitted by the scout function.

19 . The controller of claim 15 , wherein the controller is further operative to transmit an initiation request to instantiate and configure a network function at one of the deployment locations.

20 . The controller of claim 15 , wherein the controller is further operative to deploy a network function in parallel with one of the at least two scout functions.

21 . The controller of claim 20 , wherein the scout function comprises a scout function wrapper and the network function is deployed within a virtual environment provided by the scout function wrapper.

22 . The controller claim 15 , wherein after receipt of the at least one evaluation report the wherein the controller is further operative to transmit to the scout function an instruction to execute a further evaluation function.

23 . The controller of claim 15 , wherein at least one of the at least two scout functions includes at least one adjustable parameter operative to vary a corresponding functionality of that scout function.

24 . The controller of claim 23 wherein the at least one adjustable parameter is operative to vary one or more of:
a resource measurement value;
a communication delay threshold;
a communication error rate;
a set of one or more peer scout addresses;
a computation measurement value;
a report mode; and,
a scout function duration value.

Assignees

• Ashwood Smith Peter
• Wan Tao
• Akhavain Mohammadi Mehdi Arashmid
• Huawei Tech Co Ltd

Inventors

• Ashwood-Smith Peter
• Wan Tao
• Akhavain Mohammadi Mehdi Arashmid

Classifications

• H04L43/062

  related to network traffic · CPC title

• H04L67/1029

  using data related to the state of servers by a load balancer · CPC title

• H04L69/40

  for recovering from a failure of a protocol instance or entity, e.g. service redundancy protocols, protocol state redundancy or protocol service redirection (management of faults, events, alarms or notifications in data switching networks H04L41/06) · CPC title

• H04L43/14 Primary

  using software, i.e. software packages (network security related monitoring H04L63/1408) · CPC title

• H04L43/065

  related to network devices · CPC title