Network management layer—configuration management

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9363159-B2
Application number	US-201414462778-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 19, 2014
Priority date	Aug 19, 2013
Publication date	Jun 7, 2016
Grant date	Jun 7, 2016

Abstract

Novel tools and techniques are provided for implementing network management layer configuration management. In some embodiments, a system might determine one or more network devices in a network for implementing a service arising from a service request that originates from a client device over the network. The system might further determine network technology utilized by each of the one or more network devices, and might generate flow domain information (in some cases, in the form of a flow domain network (“FDN”) object), using flow domain analysis, based at least in part on the determined network devices and/or the determined network technology. The system might automatically configure at least one of the network devices to enable performance of the service (which might include, without limitation, service activation, service modification, fault isolation, and/or performance monitoring), based at least in part on the generated flow domain information.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method, comprising:
receiving, with a first network device in a network, a service request, the service request originating from a first client device over the network;
determining, with the first network device, one or more second network devices for implementing a service arising from the service request;
determining, with the first network device, network technology utilized by each of the one or more second network devices;
generating, with the first network device, flow domain information, using flow domain analysis, based at least in part on the determined one or more second network devices and based at least in part on the determined network technology utilized by each of the one or more second network devices, wherein the service request comprises a Metro Ethernet Forum (“MEF”) service request, wherein the MEF service request comprises vectors of at least two user network interfaces (“UNIs”) and at least one Ethernet virtual circuit (“EVC”), wherein generating, with the first network device, the flow domain information, using flow domain analysis, comprises:
performing, with the first network device, an edge flow domain analysis;
determining, with the first network device, whether at least one of the one or more second network devices is included in a flow domain comprising an intra-provider edge router system for multi-dwelling units (“intra-MTU-s”), based on the edge flow domain analysis;
based on a determination that at least one of the one or more second network devices is included in a flow domain comprising an intra-MTU-s, determining, with the first network device, one or more edge flow domains;
based on a determination that at least one of the one or more second network devices does not include a flow domain comprising an intra-MTU-s, performing, with the first network device, a ring flow domain analysis;
determining, with the first network device, whether at least one of the one or more second network devices is included in one or more G.8032 ring flow domains, based on the ring flow domain analysis;
based on a determination that at least one of the one or more second network devices is included in one or more G.8032 ring flow domains, determining, with the first network device, the one or more G.8032 flow domains;
based on a determination that at least one of the one or more second network devices is not included in one or more G.8032 ring flow domains, performing, with the first network device, an aggregate flow domain analysis;
determining, with the first network device, whether at least one of the one or more second network devices is included in one or more aggregate flow domains, based on the aggregate flow domain analysis;
based on a determination that at least one of the one or more second network devices is included in one or more aggregate flow domains, determining, with the first network device, the one or more aggregate flow domains;
based on a determination that at least one of the one or more second network devices is not included in one or more aggregate flow domains, performing, with the first network device, a hierarchical virtual private local area network service (“H-VPLS”) flow domain analysis;
determining, with the first network device, whether at least one of the one or more second network devices is included in one or more H-VPLS flow domains, based on the H-VPLS flow domain analysis; and
based on a determination that at least one of the one or more second network devices is included in one or more H-VPLS flow domains, determining, with the first network device, the one or more one or more H-VPLS flow domains; and

automatically configuring, with a third network device in the network, at least one of the one or more second network devices to enable performance of the service arising from the service request, based at least in part on the generated flow domain information.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein generating, with the first network device, flow domain information, using flow domain analysis, based at least in part on the determined one or more second network devices and based at least in part on the determined network technology utilized by each of the one or more second network devices comprises generating, with the first network device, a flow domain network (“FDN”) object, using flow domain analysis, based at least in part on the determined one or more second network devices and based at least in part on the determined network technology utilized by each of the one or more second network devices.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein generating, with the first network device, the FDN object, using flow domain analysis comprises generating, with the first network device, a computed graph of flow domains indicating one or more network paths in the network through the one or more second network devices and indicating relevant connectivity associations of the one or more second network devices.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein generating, with the first network device, the FDN object, using flow domain analysis comprises utilizing an outside-in analysis that first analyzes relevant user network interfaces.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining, with the first network device, network technology utilized by each of the one or more second network devices comprises mapping, with the first network device, MEF services associated with the service request with the network technology utilized by each of the one or more second network devices.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein mapping, with the first network device, MEF services associated with the service request with the network technology utilized by each of the one or more second network devices comprises implementing, with the first network device, an intermediate abstraction between the MEF services and the network technology utilized by each of the one or more second network devices, using a layer network domain.

7. The method of claim 1 , generating, with the first network device, the flow domain information comprises:
determining, with the first network device, a network path connecting each of the at least two UNIs with the at least one EVC; and
generating, with the first network device, the flow domain information, wherein the flow domain information indicates the determined network path connecting each of the at least two UNIs with the at least one EVC and indicates connectivity associations for each of the at least two UNIs with the at least one EVC.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein generating, with the first network device, the flow domain information, using flow domain analysis, further comprises:
based on a determination that at least one of the one or more second network devices is not included in one or more H-VPLS flow domains, performing, with the first network device, a virtual private local area network service (“VPLS”) flow domain analysis;
determining, with the first network device, whether at least one of the one or more second network devices is included in one or more VPLS flow domains, based on the VPLS flow domain analysis;
based on a determination that at least one of the one or more second network devices is included in one or more VPLS flow domains, determining, with the first network device, the one or more VPLS flow domains;
based on a determination that at least one of the one or more second network devices is not included in one or more VPLS flow domains, performing, with the first network device, a flow domain analysis for a provider edge router having routing and switching functionality (“PE_rs flow domain analysis”);
determining, with the first network device, whether at least one of the one or more second network devices is included in a flow domain comprising one or more PE_rs,

Assignees

• Centurylink Ip Llc

Inventors

• Pugaczewski John T

Classifications

• H04L45/02 Primary

  Topology update or discovery · CPC title

• H04L41/0206

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H04L41/022

  Multivendor or multi-standard integration · CPC title

• H04L41/5054 Primary

  Automatic deployment of services triggered by the service manager, e.g. service implementation by automatic configuration of network components · CPC title

• H04L41/052

  using standardised network management architectures, e.g. telecommunication management network [TMN] or unified network management architecture [UNMA] · CPC title