Routes and paths management

Claim 2

A route and path management (RPM) system for a communication network comprising a plurality of network elements whereby the network elements form multiple sets of paths, each set of paths being associated with a respective route in the communication network, the RPM comprising: a data collector for collecting data from the plurality of network elements whereby the data collected relates to at least one route and an associated set of paths formed in the communication network; a management server connected to the data collector to receive the data collected for monitoring the at least one route and the associated set of paths formed in the communication network; and a user interface connected to the management server for specifying the at least one route to monitor and reporting the routing performance and path changes associated therewith; wherein for monitoring the at least one route and the associated set of paths defined in the communication network, the management server is comprised of: a path trace and logic unit connected to the user interface for receiving the at least one route to monitor and performing historical and real-time monitoring of the path changes of the associated set of paths; and a performance monitor logic unit connected to the user interface for receiving the at least one route to monitor and for monitoring the performance of the at least one route and the associated set of paths historically and in real-time; and wherein for performing historical and real-time monitoring of path changes of the associated set of paths, the path trace and monitor logic unit is comprised of: a trace handler for receiving the at least on route specified from the user interface; a path objects assemble for assembling the set of paths associated with the at least on route specified; and a path change monitor logic unit for monitoring changes in the set of paths associated with the at least on route specified.

Claim 3

A route and path management (RPM) system for a communication network comprising a plurality of network elements whereby the network elements form multiple sets of paths, each set of paths being associated with a respective route in the communication network, the RPM comprising: a data collector for collecting data from the plurality of network elements whereby the data collected relates to at least one route and an associated set of paths formed in the communication network; a management server connected to the data collector to receive the data collected for monitoring the at least one route and the associated set of paths formed in the communication network; and a user interface connected to the management server for specifying the at least one route to monitor and reporting the routing performance and path changes associated therewith; wherein for monitoring the at least one route and the associated set of paths defined in the communication network, the management server is comprised of: a path trace and monitor logic unit connected to the user interface for receiving the at least one route to monitor and performing historical and real-time monitoring of the path changes of the associated set of paths; and a performance monitor logic unit connected to the user interface for receiving the at least one route to monitor and for monitoring the performance of the at least on route and the associated set of paths historically and in real-time; and wherein for historically monitoring of the performance of the at least one route and the associated set of paths, the performance monitor logic unit is comprised of: a monitoring queue for receiving the at least one route specified from the user interface and holding identification and performance data related to the at least one route specified and the associated set of paths; an object performance monitor logic unit connected to the monitoring queue for polling the network elements forming the associated set of paths for new identification and performance data; a path performance monitor logic unit connected to both the monitoring queue and the object performance monitor logic unit for computing the performance associated with each path of the set of paths; a route performance monitor logic unit connected to both the monitoring queue and the path performance monitor logic unit for computing the overall performance of the at least one route specified; and a threshold crossing logic unit connected to the object performance monitor logic unit, the pat performance monitor logic unit and the route performance monitor logic unit for measuring the performance of the at least specified route and the associated set of paths against suitable performance thresholds.

Claim 4

A route and path management (RPM) system for a communication network comprising a plurality of network elements whereby the network elements form multiple sets of paths, each set of paths being associated with a respective route in the communication network, the RPM comprising: a data collector for collecting data from the plurality of network elements whereby the data collected relates to at least one route and an associated set of paths formed in the communication network; a management server connected to the data collector to receive the data collected for monitoring the at least one route and the associated set of paths formed in the communication network; and a user interface connected to the management server for specifying the at least one route to monitor and reporting the routing performance and path changes associated therewith; wherein for monitoring the at least one route and the associated set of paths defined in the communication network, the management server is comprised of: a path trace and monitor logic unit connected to the user interface for receiving the at least one route to monitor and performing historical and real-time monitoring of the path changes of the associated set of paths; and a performance monitor logic unit connected to the user interface for receiving the at least one route to monitor and for monitoring the performance of the at least on route and the associated set of paths historically and in real-time; and wherein for historically monitoring of the performance of the at least one route and the associated set of paths, the performance monitor logic unit is comprised of: a monitoring queue for receiving the at least one route specified from the user interface and holding identification and performance data related to the at least one route specified and the associated set of paths; an object performance monitor logic unit connected to the monitoring queue for polling the network elements forming the associated set of paths for new identification and performance data; a path performance monitor logic unit connected to both the monitoring queue and the object performance monitor logic unit for computing the performance associated with each path of the set of paths; a route performance monitor logic unit connected to both the monitoring queue and the path performance monitor logic unit for computing the overall performance of the at least one route specified; and a threshold crossing logic unit connected to the object performance monitor logic unit, the pat performance monitor logic unit and the route performance monitor logic unit for measuring the performance of the at least specified route and the associated set of paths against suitable performance thresholds.

Claim 5

A route and path management (RPM) system for a communication network comprising a plurality of network elements whereby the network elements form multiple sets of paths, each set of paths being associated with a respective route in the communication network, the RPM comprising: a data collector for collecting data from the plurality of network elements whereby the data collected relates to at least one route and an associated set of paths formed in the communication network; a management server connected to the data collector to receive the data collected for monitoring the at least one route and the associated set of paths formed in the communication network; and a user interface connected to the management server for specifying the at least on route to monitor and reporting the routing performance and path changes associated therewith; wherein for monitoring the at least on route and the associated set of paths defined in the communication network, the management server is comprised of: a path trace and logic unit connected to the user interface for receiving the at least one route to monitor and performing historical and real-time monitoring of the path changes of the associated set of paths; and a performance monitor logic unit connected to the user interface for receiving the at least on route to monitor and for monitoring the performance of the at least on route and the associated set of paths historically and in real-time; and wherein for monitoring the performance of the at least one route and the associated set of paths in real-time, the performance monitor logic unit is further comprised of: an object performance logic unit connected to the monitoring queue for polling the network elements forming the associated set of paths for new identification and performance data; a path performance logic unit connected to both the monitoring queue and the object performance logic unit for computing the performance associated with each path of the set of paths; and a route performance logic unit connected to both the monitoring queue and the path performance logic unit for computing the overall performance of the at least one route specified.

Claim 6

A route and path management (RPM) system for a communication network comprising a plurality of network elements whereby the network elements form multiple sets of paths, each set of paths being associated with a respective route in the communication network, the RPM comprising: a data collector for collecting data from the plurality of network elements whereby the data collected relates to at least one route and an associated set of paths formed in the communication network; a management server connected to the data collector to receive the data collected for monitoring the at least one route and the associated set of paths formed in the communication network; and a user interface connected to the management server for specifying the at least on route to monitor and reporting the routing performance and path changes associated therewith; wherein for monitoring the at least on route and the associated set of paths defined in the communication network, the management server is comprised of: a path trace and logic unit connected to the user interface for receiving the at least one route to monitor and performing historical and real-time monitoring of the path changes of the associated set of paths; and a performance monitor logic unit connected to the user interface for receiving the at least on route to monitor and for monitoring the performance of the at least on route and the associated set of paths historically and in real-time; and wherein for monitoring the performance of the at least one route and the associated set of paths in real-time, the performance monitor logic unit is further comprised of: an object performance logic unit connected to the monitoring queue for polling the network elements forming the associated set of paths for new identification and performance data; a path performance logic unit connected to both the monitoring queue and the object performance logic unit for computing the performance associated with each path of the set of paths; and a route performance logic unit connected to both the monitoring queue and the path performance logic unit for computing the overall performance of the at least one route specified.

Claim 7

A route and path management (RPM) system for a communication network comprising a plurality of network elements whereby the network elements form multiple sets of paths, each set of paths being associated with a respective route in the communication network, the RPM comprising: a data collector for collecting data from the plurality of network elements whereby the data collected relates to at least one route and an associated set of paths formed in the communication network a management server connected to the data collector to receive the data collected for monitoring the at least one route and the associated set of paths formed in the communication network; and a user interface connected to the management server for specifying the at least one route to monitor and reporting the routing performance and path changes associated therewith; wherein for monitoring the at least one route and the associated set of paths defined in the communication network, the management server is comprised of; a path trace and logic unit connected to the user interface for receiving the at least one route to monitor and performing historical and real-time monitoring of the path changes of the associated set of paths; and a performance monitor logic unit connected to the user interface for receiving the at least one route to monitor and for monitoring the performance of the at least on route and the associated set of paths historically and in real-time; and wherein the management server further comprises a historical path and performance broker connected to the user interface for historically analysing the routing performance and the path changes of the at least one route and the associated set of paths, the historical path and performance broker comprising: a trace handler for receiving the at least one route specified from the user interface; a path gatherer for retrieving the set of paths associated with the at least one route specified; an event and performance gatherer for gathering the routing performance data and the path changes of the at least one route and the associated set of paths, and a solution provider for processing the routing performance data and the path changes of the at least one route and the associated set of paths in a form appropriate for analysis.

Claim 8

A route and path management (RPM) system for a communication network comprising a plurality of network elements whereby the network elements form multiple sets of paths, each set of paths being associated with a respective route in the communication network, the RPM comprising: a data collector for collecting data from the plurality of network elements whereby the data collected relates to at least one route and an associated set of paths formed in the communication network a management server connected to the data collector to receive the data collected for monitoring the at least one route and the associated set of paths formed in the communication network; and a user interface connected to the management server for specifying the at least one route to monitor and reporting the routing performance and path changes associated therewith; wherein for monitoring the at least one route and the associated set of paths defined in the communication network, the management server is comprised of; a path trace and logic unit connected to the user interface for receiving the at least one route to monitor and performing historical and real-time monitoring of the path changes of the associated set of paths; and a performance monitor logic unit connected to the user interface for receiving the at least one route to monitor and for monitoring the performance of the at least on route and the associated set of paths historically and in real-time; and wherein the management server further comprises a historical path and performance broker connected to the user interface for historically analysing the routing performance and the path changes of the at least one route and the associated set of paths, the historical path and performance broker comprising: a trace handler for receiving the at least one route specified from the user interface; a path gatherer for retrieving the set of paths associated with the at least one route specified; an event and performance gatherer for gathering the routing performance data and the path changes of the at least one route and the associated set of paths, and a solution provider for processing the routing performance data and the path changes of the at least one route and the associated set of paths in a form appropriate for analysis.

Claim 9

The RPM system of claim 1 wherein the data collector is operable with simple network management protocol (SNMP).

Claim 10

The RPM system of claim 1 wherein the data collector is comprised of a trap gatherer for gathering the generated by network elements of the communication network.

Claim 11

The RPM system of claim 6 wherein the management server further has a trap handler connected to the trap gatherer for handling the traps generated and notifying the user interface of significant events.

Claim 12

The RPM system of claim 1 wherein the RPM system is operable with integrated network management (INM).

Claim 13

The RPM system of claim 1 in combination with a database for storing the routing performance results of the at least one route and the path changes associated therewith.

Claim 14

The RPM system of claim 9 in combination with a management information base (MIB) for providing SNMP access to the at least one route and the associated set of paths monitored.

Claim 17

The method of claim 1 wherein the step of assembling each one of the set of paths comprises the steps of: at each of the source endpoint and subsequent intermediate points located between the source endpoint and the destination endpoint, collecting routing information for assembling the at least one forward path of the set of paths; and at each of the destination endpoint and subsequent intermediate points located between the destination endpoint and the source endpoint, collecting routing information for assembling the at least one backward path of the set of paths.