Automated network simulation and optimization system

Claim 1

A method of selecting options for modifying a network architecture performed in a data processing system including a knowledge base of rules used to select modification categories and a database including information on a plurality of equipment and a plurality of tariffs, the method comprising the steps of: receiving a user preference specifying a qualitative factor for optimizing the network architecture; generating a base-line simulation from the network architecture, the base-line simulation including performance data on the network architecture under a predetermined scenario; selecting, using at least one rule in the knowledge base, modification categories based on the user preference; selecting from the database at least one of equipment and tariff information corresponding to at least one of the network modification categories to create modification options for the one of the network modification categories; generating a plurality of new simulations of the network architecture modified in accordance with the modification options; comparing the performance data of the base-line simulation with performance data of the new simulations to specify differences in performance data between the base-line simulation and each new simulation; ordering the modification options, each corresponding to one of the new simulations, using the specified differences in performance data between the base-line simulation and each new simulation, the user preference, and at least one rule of the knowledge base; generating combinations of the modification options; eliminating, using at least one rule in the knowledge base, ones of the combinations of modification options based on the user preference; generating a plurality of new combination simulations of the network architecture as modified by the combinations of modification options; comparing the performance data of the base-line simulation with performance data of the new combination simulations to specify differences in performance data between the base-line simulation and each new combination simulation; and ordering the modification options, each corresponding to one of the new combination simulations, using the specified differences in performance data between the base-line simulation and each new combination simulation, user preference, and at least one rule of the knowledge base.

Claim 2

A method of selecting options for modifying a network architecture performed in a data processing system including a knowledge base of rules used to select modification categories and a database including information on a plurality of equipment and a plurality of tariffs, the method comprising the steps of: receiving a user preference specifying a qualitative factor for optimizing the network architecture; generating a base-line simulation from the network architecture, the base-line simulation including performance data on the network architecture under a predetermined scenario; selecting, using at least one rule in the knowledge base, modification categories based on the user preference; selecting from the database at least one of equipment and tariff information corresponding to at least one of the network modification categories to create modification options for the one of the network modification categories; generating a plurality of new simulations of the network architecture modified in accordance with the modification options; comparing the performance data of the base-line simulation with performance data of the new simulations to specify differences in performance data between the base-line simulation and each new simulation; ordering the modification options, each corresponding to one of the new simulations, using the specified differences in performance data between the base-line simulation and each new simulation, the user preference, and at least one rule of the knowledge base; generating combinations of the modification options; eliminating, using at least one rule in the knowledge base, ones of the combinations of modification options based on the user preference; generating a plurality of new combination simulations of the network architecture as modified by the combinations of modification options; comparing the performance data of the base-line simulation with performance data of the new combination simulations to specify differences in performance data between the base-line simulation and each new combination simulation; and ordering the modification options, each corresponding to one of the new combination simulations, using the specified differences in performance data between the base-line simulation and each new combination simulation, user preference, and at least one rule of the knowledge base.

Claim 6

A method of selecting options for modifying a network architecture performed in a data processing system including a knowledge base of rules used to select modification options, the method comprising the steps of: receiving a user preference specifying a qualitative factor optimizing the network architecture; generating a base-line simulation from the network architecture, the base-line simulation including performance data on the network architecture under a predetermined scenario; generating, using at least one rule in the knowledge base, modification options based on the user preference; generating a plurality of new simulations of the network architecture as modified based on the modification options; ranking the modification options, each corresponding to one of the new simulations, according to differences in performance data between the base-line simulation and each new simulation and according to the user preference; generating combinations of the modification options; eliminating, using at least one rule in the knowledge base, ones of the combinations of modification options based on the user preference; generating a plurality of new combination simulations of the network architecture as modified by the combinations of modification options; and ranking the modification options, each corresponding to one of the new combination simulations, according to differences in performance data between the base-line simulation and each new combination simulation and according to the user preference.

Claim 7

A method of selecting options for modifying a network architecture performed in a data processing system including a knowledge base of rules used to select modification options, the method comprising the steps of: receiving a user preference specifying a qualitative factor optimizing the network architecture; generating a base-line simulation from the network architecture, the base-line simulation including performance data on the network architecture under a predetermined scenario; generating, using at least one rule in the knowledge base, modification options based on the user preference; generating a plurality of new simulations of the network architecture as modified based on the modification options; ranking the modification options, each corresponding to one of the new simulations, according to differences in performance data between the base-line simulation and each new simulation and according to the user preference; generating combinations of the modification options; eliminating, using at least one rule in the knowledge base, ones of the combinations of modification options based on the user preference; generating a plurality of new combination simulations of the network architecture as modified by the combinations of modification options; and ranking the modification options, each corresponding to one of the new combination simulations, according to differences in performance data between the base-line simulation and each new combination simulation and according to the user preference.

Claim 8

A method of selecting options for modifying a network architecture, the method comprising the steps of: creating a base-line simulation from the network architecture and a scenario specifying at least one transmission in the network architecture, the base-line simulation including performance data on the network architecture under conditions of the scenario; identifying network modifications from the base-line simulation using data from a tariff/hardware database and in accordance with user preferences that specify qualitative factors for altering the input network architecture; creating new simulations for the network architecture as modified by each network modification, the new simulations including performance data on the network architecture as modified by each network modification under conditions of the scenario; combining the network modifications from the new simulations using data from the tariff/hardware database and in accordance with the user preferences; creating combination simulations for the network architecture as modified by each of the combinations of network modifications, the combination simulations including performance data on the network architecture as modified by each of the combinations of network modifications under conditions of the scenario; comparing the base-line simulation with the new simulations for the network architecture as modified by each network modification and the combination simulations for the network architecture as modified by each of the combinations of network modifications to identify differences between the performance data of the base-line simulation and the performance data of each of the new simulations and combination simulations; and ranking the network modifications and the combinations of network modifications in accordance with the differences between the performance data of the base-line simulation and the performance data of each of the new simulations and combination simulations.

Claim 9

A method of selecting options for modifying a network architecture, the method comprising the steps of: creating a base-line simulation from the network architecture and a scenario specifying at least one transmission in the network architecture, the base-line simulation including performance data on the network architecture under conditions of the scenario; identifying network modifications from the base-line simulation using data from a tariff/hardware database and in accordance with user preferences that specify qualitative factors for altering the input network architecture; creating new simulations for the network architecture as modified by each network modification, the new simulations including performance data on the network architecture as modified by each network modification under conditions of the scenario; combining the network modifications from the new simulations using data from the tariff/hardware database and in accordance with the user preferences; creating combination simulations for the network architecture as modified by each of the combinations of network modifications, the combination simulations including performance data on the network architecture as modified by each of the combinations of network modifications under conditions of the scenario; comparing the base-line simulation with the new simulations for the network architecture as modified by each network modification and the combination simulations for the network architecture as modified by each of the combinations of network modifications to identify differences between the performance data of the base-line simulation and the performance data of each of the new simulations and combination simulations; and ranking the network modifications and the combinations of network modifications in accordance with the differences between the performance data of the base-line simulation and the performance data of each of the new simulations and combination simulations.

Claim 14

A system for selecting options for modifying a network architecture using a knowledge base of rules for selecting modification categories and a database including information on a plurality of equipment and a plurality of tariffs, the system comprising: means for receiving a user preference specifying a qualitative factor for optimizing the network architecture; means for generating a base-line simulation from the network architecture, the base-line simulation including performance data on the network architecture under a predetermined scenario; means for selecting, using at least one rule in the knowledge base, modification categories based on the user preference; means for selecting from the database at least one of equipment and tariff information corresponding to at least one of the network modification categories to create modification options for the one of the network modification categories; means for generating a plurality of new simulations of the network architecture as modified by the modification options; means for comparing the performance data of the base-line simulation with performance data of the new simulations to specify differences in performance data between the base-line simulation and each new simulation; means for ranking the modification options, each corresponding to one of the new simulations, using the specified differences in performance data between the base-line simulation and each new simulation, user preference, and at least one rule of the knowledge base; means for generating combinations of the modification options; means for eliminating, using at least one rule in the knowledge base, ones of the combinations of modification options based on the user preference; means for generating a plurality of new combination simulations of the network architecture as modified by the combinations of modification options; means for comparing the performance data of the base-line simulation with performance data of the new combination simulations to specify differences in performance data between the base-line simulation and each new combination simulation; and means for ranking the modification options, each corresponding to one of the new combination simulations, using the specified differences in performance data between the base-line simulation and each new combination simulation, user preference, and at least one rule of the knowledge base.

Claim 15

A system for selecting options for modifying a network architecture using a knowledge base of rules for selecting modification categories and a database including information on a plurality of equipment and a plurality of tariffs, the system comprising: means for receiving a user preference specifying a qualitative factor for optimizing the network architecture; means for generating a base-line simulation from the network architecture, the base-line simulation including performance data on the network architecture under a predetermined scenario; means for selecting, using at least one rule in the knowledge base, modification categories based on the user preference; means for selecting from the database at least one of equipment and tariff information corresponding to at least one of the network modification categories to create modification options for the one of the network modification categories; means for generating a plurality of new simulations of the network architecture as modified by the modification options; means for comparing the performance data of the base-line simulation with performance data of the new simulations to specify differences in performance data between the base-line simulation and each new simulation; means for ranking the modification options, each corresponding to one of the new simulations, using the specified differences in performance data between the base-line simulation and each new simulation, user preference, and at least one rule of the knowledge base; means for generating combinations of the modification options; means for eliminating, using at least one rule in the knowledge base, ones of the combinations of modification options based on the user preference; means for generating a plurality of new combination simulations of the network architecture as modified by the combinations of modification options; means for comparing the performance data of the base-line simulation with performance data of the new combination simulations to specify differences in performance data between the base-line simulation and each new combination simulation; and means for ranking the modification options, each corresponding to one of the new combination simulations, using the specified differences in performance data between the base-line simulation and each new combination simulation, user preference, and at least one rule of the knowledge base.

Claim 16

A system for selecting options for modifying a network architecture using a knowledge base of rules used to select modification options, the system comprising: means for receiving a user preference specifying a qualitative factor for optimizing the network architecture; means for generating a base-line simulation from the network architecture, the base-line simulation including performance data on the network architecture under a predetermined scenario; means for generating, using at least one rule in the knowledge base, modification options based on the user preference; means for generating a plurality of new simulations of the network architecture as modified based on the modification options; and means for ranking the modification options, each corresponding to one of the new simulations, according to differences in performance data between the base-line simulation and each new simulation and according to the user preference; means for generating combinations of the modification options; means for eliminating, using at least one rule in the knowledge base, ones of the combinations of modification options based on the user preference; means for generating a plurality of new combination simulations of the network architecture as modified by the combinations of modification options; and means for ranking the modification options, each corresponding to one of the new combination simulations, according to differences in performance data between the base-line simulation and each new combination simulation and according to the user preference.

Claim 17

A system for selecting options for modifying a network architecture using a knowledge base of rules used to select modification options, the system comprising: means for receiving a user preference specifying a qualitative factor for optimizing the network architecture; means for generating a base-line simulation from the network architecture, the base-line simulation including performance data on the network architecture under a predetermined scenario; means for generating, using at least one rule in the knowledge base, modification options based on the user preference; means for generating a plurality of new simulations of the network architecture as modified based on the modification options; and means for ranking the modification options, each corresponding to one of the new simulations, according to differences in performance data between the base-line simulation and each new simulation and according to the user preference; means for generating combinations of the modification options; means for eliminating, using at least one rule in the knowledge base, ones of the combinations of modification options based on the user preference; means for generating a plurality of new combination simulations of the network architecture as modified by the combinations of modification options; and means for ranking the modification options, each corresponding to one of the new combination simulations, according to differences in performance data between the base-line simulation and each new combination simulation and according to the user preference.