System and method for monitoring performance of a network

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a method (500) and a system (120) for monitoring performance of a network The method includes receiving (502), from a UE (116), at least one or more requests via a graphical user interface (GUI) to: (i) select (504) a plurality of vendors from a set of vendors listed on the GUI, wherein the plurality of vendors are associated with a plurality of nodes deployed in the network, (ii) select (506) at least two or more technologies listed on the GUI, wherein the two or more technologies operate the plurality of nodes deployed in the network, and (iii) define (508) a set of key performance indicator (KPI) metrics for the selected plurality of vendors and the selected two or more technologies. The method includes creating (510) a KPI formula using the defined set of KPI metrics and generating (512) a report based on the created KPI formula.

Description

SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MONITORING PERFORMANCE OF A NETWORKRESERVATION OF RIGHTS

[0001] A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material, which is subject to intellectual property rights such as, but are not limited to, copyright, design, trademark, Integrated Circuit (IC) layout design, and / or trade dress protection, belonging to Jio Platforms Limited (JPL) or its affiliates (hereinafter referred as owner). The owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure, as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent files or records, but otherwise reserves all rights whatsoever. All rights to such intellectual property are fully reserved by the owner.FIELD OF INVENTION

[0002] Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to network coverage platforms. In particular, the present disclosure relates to a system and a method for monitoring performance of a network.DEFINITION

[0003] As used in the present disclosure, the following terms are generally intended to have the meaning as set forth below, except to the extent that the context in which they are used to indicate otherwise.

[0004] The term ‘vendors’ as used herein, refers to multiple network equipment providers whose devices and technologies are deployed within a network.

[0005] The term ‘nodes’ as used herein, refers to a various hardware devices and software elements that form the building blocks of the network. These nodes work together to ensure seamless communication and data flow within the network.

[0006] The term ‘KPI’ as used herein, refers to a key performance indicator that is used to measure and assess the performance of networks, particularly in multi-vendor, multi-technology environments. These KPIs may include metrics related to network traffic, user connectivity, throughput, latency, and other relevant performance parameters.

[0007] The term ‘KPI formula’ as used herein, refers to a mathematical function that combines and processes a defined set of KPI metrics to generate meaningful performance indicators for monitoring the network. The KPI formula may include various mathematical operations such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, averaging, or other statistical calculations depending on the specific KPIs being measured and the objectives.BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

[0008] The following description of related art may be intended to provide background information pertaining to the field of the disclosure. This section may include certain aspects of the art that may be related to various features of the present disclosure. However, it should be appreciated that this section be used only to enhance the understanding of the reader with respect to the present disclosure, and not as admissions of prior art.

[0009] Nowadays, 5G and 6G communications technology are being deployed in networks with nodes by different original equipment manufacturers (OEMs). As a result, there is an essential requirement to have a global view of important key performance indicator (KPI) metrics that provide a snapshot of the overall health of the network in any geography where the communications technology has been deployed. For example, in certain scenarios, the business objective is to have a combined view of important KPI metrics which contains combined data of all the vendors and technologies deployed in a particular network area to assess the quality of the network including the traffic carried, connected users, and the like.

[0010] Having knowledge of the KPI metrics may allow technology providers to have access to information such as network traffic, a number of connected users of the network, and throughput, for any geographical territory. Such information allows for determining a quality of service rendered to the users.

[0011] Conventionally, such computations require manual intervention, particularly to obtain vendor and / or domain / technology level data. Such manual intervention may lead to additional workhours, leading to increased costs, andsusceptibility to errors.

[0012] There is, therefore, a requirement in the art for a means to overcome a requirement of manual intervention to combine vendor and / or domain / technology level data in order to accurately compute KPI metrics involving multiple vendors and multiple domains.OBJECTS OF THE DISCLOSURE

[0013] An object of the present disclosure is to provide a system and a method for enabling a user to define KPI metrics for multi-vendors and multitechnology through a graphic user interface (GUI).

[0014] Another object of the present disclosure is to improve accuracy of computation of the KPI metrics of any network in any geography involving nodes from multiple vendors operated with multiple technologies.

[0015] Another object of the present disclosure is to provide the GUI for a user to obtain multi-vendor multi-technology KPIs and to generate multi-vendor and multi-technology reports.

[0016] Another object of the present disclosure is to provide a means to compute on-demand multi-vendor multi-technology KPI definitions.SUMMARY

[0017] In an exemplary embodiment, the disclosure discloses a method for monitoring performance of a network. The method includes receiving, from a user equipment (UE), at least one or more requests via a GUI to (i) select, by a user and via the GUI, a plurality of vendors from a set of vendors listed on the GUI, (ii) select, by the user and via the GUI, at least two or more technologies listed on the GUI, and (iii) define, by the user and via the GUI, a set of key performance indicator (KPI) metrics for the selected plurality of vendors and the selected two or more technologies. The method further includes creating, by a processing engine, a KPI formula using the defined set of KPI metrics and generating, by the processing engine, a report by based on the created KPI formula.

[0018] In an embodiment, the plurality of vendors are associated with aplurality of nodes deployed in the network.

[0019] In an embodiment, the two or more technologies operate the plurality of nodes deployed in the network.

[0020] In an embodiment, the generated report includes a combined set of KPI metrics corresponding to the plurality of selected vendors and the two or more technologies deployed in the network.

[0021] In an embodiment, the generated report represents the performance of the network that includes at least one or more metrics selected from a group comprising: a total traffic metrics, a total connected users metrics, and a throughput metrics.

[0022] In an embodiment, the GUI allows a user to edit and define the set of KPI metrics.

[0023] In an embodiment, the GUI allows the user to create a template for generating the report.

[0024] In an embodiment, the GUI allows the user to define a schedule for generating the report.

[0025] In an embodiment, the schedule includes at least one or more parameters selected from a group comprising: a start date and time, an end date and time, and a frequency.

[0026] In an embodiment, the KPI formula is created based on a mathematical function.

[0027] In an embodiment, the disclosure discloses the user equipment (UE) communicatively coupled with a network, the coupling comprises steps of receiving, by the network, a connection request from the UE, sending, by the network, an acknowledgment of the connection request to the UE and transmitting a plurality of signals in response to the connection request, the network is configured for performing a method for monitoring performance of the network.

[0028] In an exemplary embodiment, the disclosure discloses a system for monitoring performance of a network. The system includes a receiving unit configured to receive at least one or more requests from a user equipment (UE) to: (i) select, by a user and via the GUI, a plurality of vendors from a set of vendorslisted on the GUI, (ii) select, by the user and via the GUI, at least two or more technologies listed on the GUI, and (iii) define, by the user and via the GUI, a set of key performance indicator (KPI) metrics for the selected plurality of vendors and the two or more technologies. The system further includes a processing engine in communication with the receiving unit is configured to: (a) receive the selected plurality of vendors and two or more technologies, and (b) create a KPI formula using the defined set of KPI metrics, The system further includes a report generating engine configured to generate a report based on the created KPI formula.

[0029] In an embodiment, the plurality of vendors are associated with a plurality of nodes deployed in the network,

[0030] In an embodiment, the two or more technologies operate the plurality of nodes deployed in the network.

[0031] In an embodiment, the UE is connected to the system via a network.

[0032] In an embodiment, the GUI allows the user to edit and define the set of KPI metrics.

[0033] In an embodiment, the processing engine uses a mathematical function to create the KPI formula.

[0034] In an embodiment, the system includes a database (134) for storing the defined set of KPI metrics and the created KPI formula.

[0035] In an embodiment, the report generating engine fetch the stored KPI formula from the database to generate the report.

[0036] In an embodiment, the generated report comprises a combined set of KPI metrics corresponding to the plurality of selected vendors and the two or more technologies deployed in the network.

[0037] In an embodiment, the GUI allows the user to define a schedule for generating the report, the schedule include at least one or more parameters selected from a group comprising: a start date and time, an end date and time, and a frequency.

[0038] The foregoing general description of the illustrative embodiments and the following detailed description thereof are merely exemplary aspects of the teachings of this disclosure and are not restrictive.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0039] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated herein, and constitute a part of this disclosure, illustrate exemplary embodiments of the disclosed methods and systems in which like reference numerals refer to the same parts throughout the different drawings. Components in the drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present disclosure. Some drawings may indicate the components using block diagrams and may not represent the internal circuitry of each component. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that disclosure of such drawings includes the disclosure of electrical components, electronic components or circuitry commonly used to implement such components.

[0040] FIG. 1A illustrates an exemplary sequence diagram (100 A) representing call flows for creating KPI metrics for multi-vendor multi-technologies in a network, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0041] FIG. IB illustrates an exemplary network architecture representing communication between a user equipment and a system for monitoring performance for multi-vendor multi-technologies in a network, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0042] FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary sequence diagram representing call flows for creating a formula for KPI for multi-vendor multi-technologies in a network, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0043] FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary sequence diagram representing call flows for computing multi-vendor multi-technology KPI, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0044] FIGS. 4 A to 4G illustrate exemplary graphic user interfaces of a network management platform (NMP) to provide multi-vendor multi-technology generation of KPI metrics and reports for a user, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0045] FIG. 5 illustrates a flow diagram of a method for monitoring performance of a network, in accordance with an embodiment of the presentdisclosure.

[0046] FIG. 6 illustrates an exemplary computer system in which or with which embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0047] The foregoing shall be more apparent from the following more detailed description of the disclosure.LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS100A - Sequence diagram100B - Network Architecture116 - User equipment(s)118 - Communication network120 - System122 - Processor(s)124 - Memory126 - Interface(s)128 - Processing engine130 - Performance management engine132 - Report generating engine134 - Database136 - Other Engine(s)138 - Receiving unit200 - Sequence diagram300 - Sequence diagram400A-400G - Graphic user interface (GUI)600 - A computer system610 - External storage device620 - Bus630 - Main memory640 - Read only memory650 - Mass storage device660 - Communication port(s)670 - ProcessorDETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0048] In the following description, for the purposes of explanation, various specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of embodiments of the present disclosure. It will be apparent, however, that embodiments of the present disclosure may be practiced without these specific details. Several features described hereafter can each be used independently of one another or with any combination of other features. An individual feature may not address all of the problems discussed above or might address only some of the problems discussed above. Some of the problems discussed above might not be fully addressed by any of the features described herein.

[0049] The ensuing description provides exemplary embodiments only, and is not intended to limit the scope, applicability, or configuration of the disclosure. Rather, the ensuing description of the exemplary embodiments will provide those skilled in the art with an enabling description for implementing an exemplary embodiment. It should be understood that various changes may be made in the function and arrangement of elements without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure as set forth.

[0050] Specific details are given in the following description to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments. However, it will be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art that the embodiments may be practiced without these specific details. For example, circuits, systems, networks, processes, and other components may be shown as components in block diagram form in order not to obscure the embodiments in unnecessary detail. In other instances, well-known circuits, processes, algorithms, structures, and techniques may be shown without unnecessary detail in order to avoid obscuring the embodiments.

[0051] Also, it is noted that individual embodiments may be described as a process which is depicted as a flowchart, a flow diagram, a data flow diagram, a structure diagram, or a block diagram. Although a flowchart may describe theoperations as a sequential process, many of the operations can be performed in parallel or concurrently. In addition, the order of the operations may be re-arranged. A process is terminated when its operations are completed but could have additional steps not included in a figure. A process may correspond to a method, a function, a procedure, a subroutine, a subprogram, etc. When a process corresponds to a function, its termination can correspond to a return of the function to the calling function or the main function.

[0052] The word “exemplary” and / or “demonstrative” is used herein to mean serving as an example, instance, or illustration. For the avoidance of doubt, the subject matter disclosed herein is not limited by such examples. In addition, any aspect or design described herein as “exemplary” and / or “demonstrative” is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other aspects or designs, nor is it meant to preclude equivalent exemplary structures and techniques known to those of ordinary skill in the art. Furthermore, to the extent that the terms “includes,” “has,” “contains,” and other similar words are used in either the detailed description or the claims, such terms are intended to be inclusive — in a manner similar to the term “comprising” as an open transition word — without precluding any additional or other elements.

[0053] Reference throughout this specification to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment” or “an instance” or “one instance” means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. Thus, the appearances of the phrases “in one embodiment” or “in an embodiment” in various places throughout this specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment. Furthermore, the particular features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments.

[0054] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the disclosure. As used herein, the singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises” and / or “comprising,” when used in thisspecification, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and / or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or groups thereof. As used herein, the term “and / or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. It should be noted that the terms “multi-technology”, “multi-technologies”, “multiple technologies”, “multidomain”, “multiple domains”, are used interchangeably for the purpose of describing the particular embodiments.

[0055] In certain scenarios, the business objective is to have a unified view of important KPI metrics which includes combined data from all the vendors and technologies deployed in a particular network area to assess the quality of the network including the traffic carried, connected users, throughput, and other metrics.

[0056] In the absence of any multi-vendor multi-domain capable tool, such computations require manual intervention, particularly to obtain vendor and / or domain / technology level data. Such manual intervention leads to additional work hours, increased costs, and susceptibility to errors.

[0057] There is, therefore, a need to overcome the requirement of manual intervention to combine vendor and / or domain / technology level data for computing the KPI metrics accurately involving multiple vendors and multiple domains.

[0058] The various embodiments of the present disclosure will be explained in detail with reference to FIGS. 1-6.

[0059] FIG. 1A illustrates an exemplary sequence diagram (100 A) representing call flows for creating KPI metrics for multi-vendor multi-technologies in a network, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0060] FIG. 1A depicts an application server (102) communicating to a micro service (104) for creating multi-vendor multi-technology KPIs. In an embodiment, at step (108), the application server (102) sends a request to the micro service (104) by using an application programming interface (API) or interface call to create multi-vendor multi technology KPIs. The created KPIs are stored in a database (106). In an embodiment, at step (110) KPI configurations can also bestored in the database (106). In an embodiment, at step (112), the application server (102) sends a request to view the created KPIs to the micro service (104).

[0061] At step (114), in response to receiving the request from the application server (102), the micro service (104) retrieves the KPIs stored in the database (106). In an embodiment, the application server (102) represents a network management platform (NMP) application that allows creating and viewing KPIs via one or more micro services (104). In an embodiment, the stored KPIs of each vendor may include, but not limited to, traffic KPI metrics (e.g., total data traffic, peak data traffic, or average data traffic per user), user experience metrics (e.g., user throughput, latency, packet loss rate, call setup success rate, call drop rate, handover success rate, and connection setup time), quality of service (QoS) metrics (e.g., network availability, service accessibility, and service integrity), capacity metrics (e.g., number of active user, network utilization, and spectrum efficiency) and network health metrics (node availability, hardware / software failure rates, alarm and event counts).

[0062] By way of an example, considering an exemplary scenario of the application server (102) that may send a request to create a KPI formula for summing all the traffic of high-speed network (e.g., 4G, 5G, 6G, or any other higher generation network) based multi-vendor nodes of a network deployed in a geographical area. The created KPI formula along with an identifier (ID) is stored in the database (106). In an embedment, each created KPI formula is associated with a unique ID. In an embodiment, a performance management (PM) engine of the NMP allows only the privileged user(s) (e.g., administrator or user having edit privilege / permission) to define the KPI metrics by performing a selection of vendors from a list of multiple vendors and domains / technologies associated with the vendor’s nodes.

[0063] FIG. IB illustrates an exemplary network architecture (100B) representing communication between a user equipment (UE) (116) and a system (120) for monitoring performance of multi-vendor multi-technologies in a network, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0064] In an embodiment, the UE (116) may include smart devicesoperating in a smart environment, for example, an Internet of Things (loT) system. In such an embodiment, the UE (116) may include, but is not limited to, smart phones, smart watches, smart sensors (e.g., mechanical, thermal, electrical, magnetic, etc.), networked appliances, networked peripheral devices, networked lighting system, communication devices, networked vehicle accessories, networked vehicular devices, smart accessories, tablets, smart television (TV), computers, smart security system, smart home system, other devices for monitoring or interacting with or for the users (116A) and / or entities, or any combination thereof. A person of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the UE (116) may include, but is not limited to, intelligent, multi-sensing, network-connected devices, that can integrate seamlessly with each other and / or with a server or a cloud-computing system or any other device that is network-connected (118).

[0065] In an embodiment, the network (118) may include at least one of a Fifth Generation (5G) network, 6G network, or any other higher generation network. The network (118) may enable the UE to communicate with other devices in the network architecture (100B) and / or with the system (120). The network (118) may include a wireless card or some other transceiver connection to facilitate this communication. In another embodiment, the network (118) may be implemented as, or include any of a variety of different communication technologies such as a wide area network (WAN), a local area network (LAN), a wireless network, a mobile network, a Virtual Private Network (VPN), the Internet, the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), or the like In an exemplary embodiment, the UE (116) may be communicatively coupled with the network (118). The coupling comprises steps of receiving, by the network (118), a connection request from the UE (116), sending, by the network (118), an acknowledgment of the connection request to the UE (116) and transmitting a plurality of signals in response to the connection request. The network (118) is configured for performing a method for monitoring performance of the network (118).

[0066] In an embodiment, the system (120) represents a network management platform (NMP) server (140). In some embodiments, the NMP server (140) may be the application server (AS) (102), that allows creating of the KPImetrics for multi-vendor multi-technologies in the network (118). In an embodiment, the system (120) may include one or more processor(s) (122). The one or more processor(s) (122) may be implemented as one or more microprocessors, microcomputers, microcontrollers, edge or fog microcontrollers, digital signal processors, central processing units, logic circuitries, and / or any devices that process data based on operational instructions. Among other capabilities, one or more processor(s) (122) may be configured to fetch and execute computer-readable instructions stored in a memory (124) of the system (120). The memory (124) may be configured to store one or more computer-readable instructions or routines in a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, which may be fetched and executed to create or share data packets over a network service. The memory (124) may comprise any non-transitory storage device including, for example, volatile memory such as Random-Access Memory (RAM), or non-volatile memory such as Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory (EPROM), flash memory, and the like.

[0067] In an embodiment, the system (120) may include an interface(s) (126). The interface(s) (126) may include a variety of interfaces, for example, interfaces for data input and output devices, referred to as I / O devices, storage devices, and the like. The interface(s) (126) may facilitate communication of the system (120). The interface(s) (126) may also provide a communication pathway for one or more components of the system (120). Examples of such components include, but are not limited to, processing engine (128) and a database (134).

[0068] The processing engine (128) may be implemented as a combination of hardware and programming (for example, programmable instructions) to implement one or more functionalities of the processing engine (128). In examples described herein, such combinations of hardware and programming may be implemented in several different ways. For example, the programming for the processing engine (128) may be processor-executable instructions stored on a non- transitory machine-readable storage medium and the hardware for the processing engine (128) may comprise a processing resource (for example, one or more processors), to execute such instructions. In the present examples, the machine-readable storage medium may store instructions that, when executed by the processing resource, implement the processing engine (128). In such examples, the system (120) may comprise the machine-readable storage medium storing the instructions and the processing resource to execute the instructions, or the machine- readable storage medium may be separate but accessible to the system (120) and the processing resource. In other examples, the processing engine(s) (128) may be implemented by an electronic circuitry.

[0069] In an embodiment, the system (120) may include a receiving unit (138). In order to assess performance of the network, initially the receiving unit (138) may be configured to receive at least one or more requests from a user equipment (UE) (116). The at least one or more requests may be to select a plurality of vendors from a set of vendors listed on the GUI. The plurality of vendors may be multiple network equipment providers whose devices and technologies are deployed within the network (118). These vendors may include well-known companies in the telecommunications industry that provide hardware and software solutions for network operations. By allowing the selection of multiple vendors, the method (500) ensures monitoring and performance assessment across different equipment and technologies. The plurality of vendors are associated with a plurality of nodes deployed in the network (118). The plurality of nodes may refer to various hardware devices and software elements that form the building blocks of the network (118). These nodes may include, but are not limited to, base stations, antennas, routers, switches, servers, and user equipment (such as, mobile phones, tablets, and laptops) that access the network (118). The plurality of nodes are responsible for handling data traffic, managing connections, and ensuring network reliability and performance.

[0070] Further, the at least one or more requests may be to select at least two or more technologies listed on the GUI. The listed two or more technologies on the GUI may include, but are not limited to, a LTE (Long-Term Evolution) (e.g., a standard for wireless broadband communication, commonly known as 4G, providing high-speed data for mobile phones and data terminals), a 5G (e.g., a fifth generation of mobile networks, offering faster speeds, lower latency, and greatercapacity compared to previous generations), Wi-Fi (e.g., a technology that allows electronic devices to connect to a wireless LAN (WLAN) network, typically used for internet access within a limited area), and other high generation networks. The two or more technologies operate the plurality of nodes deployed in the network (118), enabling them to communicate and function effectively.

[0071] Additionally, the at least one or more requests may be to define a set of KPI metrics for the selected plurality of vendors and the selected two or more technologies. In some embodiments, the KPI metrics may be defined by selecting a predefined list KPIs from all the vendors on the GUI.

[0072] The processing engine (128) may include one or more engines like a performance management (PM) engine (130), a report generating engine (132), and other engine(s) (136). The processing engine (128) in communication with the receiving unit (138) is further configured to receive the multiple vendors and multiple technologies selected by the user (116A) of the UE (116).

[0073] In an embodiment, the PM engine (130) of the system (120) allows only the privileged user(s) (e.g., administrator or user having editing privileges) to define the set of KPI metrics for the selected vendors and the technologies. In an embodiment, the PM engine (130) may use mathematical functions (e.g., summation) to create the KPI formula by using the defined set of KPI metrics. In an embodiment, the PM engine (130) may store the set of KPI metrics and KPI formula in the database (134).

[0074] The report generating engine (132) may be configured to generate a report. In an embodiment, the report generating engine (132) may fetch the stored KPI formula from the database (134) for generating the report. In an embodiment, the generated report may include a combined set of KPI metrics corresponding to the plurality of selected vendors and the two or more technologies deployed in the network (118). The generated report may represent an overall performance of the network in a specific geographical area.

[0075] In a more elaborative way, the generated report provides business teams with a detail global view of important KPI metrics, such as traffic, connected users, and throughput metrics, across the entire geography that includes all vendorsand technologies deployed within that region. This may be crucial for understanding the overall health and efficiency of the network. By consolidating data from various vendors and technologies, the generated report enables business teams to assess not only the revenue but also the quality of service (QoS) rendered to customers. Metrics like traffic and throughput (e.g., rate of data transfer or the amount of data processed within a certain time frame across a network) directly correlate with revenue generation, while connected user metrics help in understanding the customer base and engagement levels. Moreover, QoS indicators such as latency, call drop rates, and throughput provide information of the end-user experience, ensuring that the network meets customer expectations and service level agreements (SLAs).

[0076] FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary sequence diagram (200) representing call flows for creating a formula for KPI for multi-vendor multi-technology in a network, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0077] FIG. 2 depicts a user interface (UI) (202) (e.g. a GUI), a performance management (PM) KPI formula handling middleware (e.g., micro services or interfaces / APIs), specifically a representational state transfer (REST) implementation interface (204), a service implementation interface (206), and a database access object implementation interface (208), along with the database (210). In an embodiment, the REST implementation interface (204) provides a flexible, lightweight way to integrate applications and connect components in micro services architectures. The service implementation interface (206) refers to a class or component that implements a particular service interface such as, converting database objects into text-based notation and vice-versa. The database access object implementation interface (208) allows accessing and manipulating data in the database (210).

[0078] From the UI (202), at step (212), options for multi-vendor multitechnology may be selected, and a request for creating a KPI formula is sent through the PM KPI formula handling middleware (204-208). At step (214), the database (210) can then return a KPI definition to the database access object implementation interface (208). At step (216), the database access object implementation interface(208) converts the fetched KPI definition into an object and shares the object with the service implementation interface (206). At step (218), the received object is further converted by the service implementation interface (206), into a standard text-based notation or format to be sent to the UI (202) through the REST implementation interface (204). In an embodiment, the standard text-based notation or format may be a JavaScript object notation (JSON) format. At step (220), REST implementation interface (204) sends the text-based format or JSON format to the UI (202) for rendering so that a user can understand the fetched KPIs and define the KPI formula accordingly.

[0079] In an embodiment, at step (222), the UI (202) may be configured to define the KPI formula using the selected KPIs. At step (224), a request is sent to the REST implementation interface (204) for creating KPI formula details. At step (226), the REST implementation interface (204) may be configured to create a defined KPI information and send it to the service implementation interface (206). At step (228), the service implementation interface (206) may then create an object from the received information and send the object to the database access object interface (208) to be stored in the database (210). Finally, at step (230), the KPI formula is saved in the database (210).

[0080] FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary sequence diagram (300) representing call flows for computing multi-vendor multi-technology KPI, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0081] FIG. 3 depicts a distributed computation task (302), a database (304), a distributed database (306), and a data storage system (308). In an embodiment, at step (310), the distributed computation task (302) may be configured to get all the multi-vendor multi-technology KPIs along with the child KPIs (e.g., KPI’s of individual vendors) and send them to the database (304). Further, at step (312), the distributed computation task (302) may be configured to get daily child KPI values from the respective vendor’s distributed database tables and send them to the distributed database (306).

[0082] In an embodiment, at step (314), the distributed computation task (302) may compute all the multi-vendor KPIs based on the values of child KPIsfetched from respective vendor tables. Furthermore, at steps (316) and (318), the distributed computation task (302) may be configured to store the computed KPI values in the multi-vendor distributed database tables of the distributed database (306) and in the distributed file system (308) respectively. In an embodiment, the distributed file system (308) may be accessed to generate the reports quickly.

[0083] FIGS. 4A to 4G illustrate exemplary graphical user interfaces (GUIs) (400A, 400B, 400C, 400D, 400E, 400F, 400G) of a network management platform (NMP), respectively, for an application to provide multi-vendor multi-technology generation of KPI metrics and report for a user. Using these GUIs, a template may be created to generate on-demand reports of such KPIs for any geography of interest through the report builder. In an embodiment, the GUI also allows the privileged user(s) to select tasks like defining KPIs or building reports.

[0084] FIG. 4A illustrates an exemplary GUI (400A) with initial basic information before selecting multiple vendors and multiple technologies or heterogeneous technologies for creating a KPI formula. In an embodiment, for example, in FIG. 400A, there is a need to look at the packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) traffic of all the LTE and 5G nodes of the vendors in a specific geographical area / region.

[0085] FIG. 4B illustrates an exemplary GUI (400B) of selecting multiple vendors and multiple technologies for creating a KPI formula. In an embodiment, a list of KPIs from all the vendors is available which a user can select to define a multi-vendor, multi-technology KPI. Further, these KPI metrics may be customized as needed (e.g., setting thresholds), and may further be combined to reflect the performance across multiple vendors and technologies.

[0086] FIG. 4C illustrates an exemplary GUI (400C) for creating a formula for the KPIs selected in FIG. 4B. For example, in an embodiment, the GUI (400C) allows creating a mathematical function (e.g., a sum / total / addition function) that adds the total traffic of all the selected vendors and technologies (e.g., 5G, LTE, etc.). The GUI (400C) further allows the user to save the created formula in the database which may be later used in generating a report for monitoring the performance of multi-vendor, multi-technology nodes deployed in the network.

[0087] FIGS. 4D-4E illustrate exemplary GUIs (400D-400E) of a report builder which allows the user to create a multi-vendor, multi-technology report for a specific geographical area.

[0088] FIG. 4F illustrates an exemplary GUI (400F) that allows the user to select specific KPIs from a list displayed on the GUI and upload the selected KPIs for report generation.

[0089] FIG. 4G illustrates an exemplary GUI (400G) of the report builder that allows the selection of date, time, and frequency on which a report needs to be generated, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. In an embodiment, the user can schedule the report generation to see the network performance at a specific moment of time by providing a start date / time, end date / time, and frequency (e.g., daily, weekly, monthly, etc.).

[0090] In an embodiment, the present disclosure allows for selecting multivendor, multi-technology, nodes, aggregation, date and / or duration and frequency interactively by the user.

[0091] In an embodiment, the present disclosure allows for composing a unified PM counter data corresponding to different technologies / domains.

[0092] In an embodiment, the present disclosure allows for computation of on-demand multi-vendor and multi-technology KPI definitions.

[0093] FIG. 5 illustrates a flow diagram of a method (500) for monitoring performance of a network (118), in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0094] The method (500), at step 402 includes receiving, from a UE (116), at least one or more requests via a GUI. The at least one or more requests, at step 504, may include selecting a plurality of vendors from a set of vendors listed on the GUI. The plurality of vendors are associated with a plurality of nodes deployed in the network.

[0095] Further, the at least one or more requests, at step 506, may include selecting at least two or more technologies listed on the GUI. The two or more technologies operate the plurality of nodes deployed in the network (118). Additionally, the at least one or more requests, at step 508, may include defining aset of key performance indicator (KPI) metrics for the selected plurality of vendors and the selected two or more technologies. In some embodiments, the GUI allows the user to edit and define the set of KPI metrics.

[0096] The method (500), at step 510 includes creating, by a processing engine (128), a KPI formula using the defined set of KPI metrics. The KPI formula is created based on a mathematical function. The method (400), at step 510 includes generating, by the processing engine (128), a report based on the created KPI formula.

[0097] In an embodiment, the generated report includes a combined set of KPI metrics corresponding to the plurality of selected vendors and the two or more technologies deployed in the network.

[0098] In an embodiment, the generated report represents the performance of the network that includes at least one or more metrics selected from a group comprising: a total traffic metrics, a total connected users metrics, and a throughput metrics.

[0099] In an embodiment, the GUI allows the user to create a template for generating the report.

[0100] In an embodiment, the GUI allows the user to define a schedule for generating the report.

[0101] In an embodiment, the schedule includes at least one or more parameters selected from a group comprising: a start date and time, an end date and time, and a frequency.

[0102] FIG. 6 illustrates an exemplary computer system (600) in which or with which a proposed system for the sequence drawings (100A, 200, 300) may be implemented, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0103] As shown in FIG. 6, the computer system (600) may include an external storage device (610), a bus (620), a main memory (630), a read-only memory (640), a mass storage device (650), a communication port(s) (660), and a processor (670). A person skilled in the art will appreciate that the computer system (600) may include more than one processor and communication ports. The processor (670) may include various modules associated with embodiments of thepresent disclosure. The communication port(s) (660) may be any of an RS-232 port for use with a modem-based dialup connection, a 10 / 100 Ethernet port, a Gigabit or 10 Gigabit port using copper or fiber, a serial port, a parallel port, or other existing or future ports. The communication ports(s) (660) may be chosen depending on a network, such as a Local Area Network (LAN), Wide Area Network (WAN), or any network to which the computer system (600) connects.

[0104] In an embodiment, the main memory (630) may be Random Access Memory (RAM), or any other dynamic storage device commonly known in the art. The read-only memory (640) may be any static storage device(s) e.g., but not limited to, a Programmable Read Only Memory (PROM) chip for storing static information e.g., start-up or basic input / output system (BIOS) instructions for the processor (670). The mass storage device (650) may be any current or future mass storage solution, which may be used to store information and / or instructions. Exemplary mass storage solutions include, but are not limited to, Parallel Advanced Technology Attachment (PATA) or Serial Advanced Technology Attachment (SATA) hard disk drives or solid-state drives (internal or external, e.g., having Universal Serial Bus (USB) and / or Firewire interfaces).

[0105] In an embodiment, the bus (620) may communicatively couple the processor(s) (670) with the other memory, storage, and communication blocks. The bus (620) may be, e.g. a Peripheral Component Interconnect PCI) / PCI Extended (PCI-X) bus, Small Computer System Interface (SCSI), USB, or the like, for connecting expansion cards, drives, and other subsystems as well as other buses, such a front side bus (FSB), which connects the processor (670) to the computer system (600).

[0106] In another embodiment, operator, and administrative interfaces, e.g., a display, keyboard, and cursor control device may also be coupled to the bus (620) to support direct operator interaction with the computer system (600). Other operator and administrative interfaces can be provided through network connections connected through the communication port(s) (660). Components described above are meant only to exemplify various possibilities. In no way should the aforementioned exemplary computer system (600) limit the scope of the presentdisclosure.

[0107] While considerable emphasis has been placed herein on the preferred embodiments, it will be appreciated that many embodiments can be made and that many changes can be made in the preferred embodiments without departing from the principles of the disclosure. These and other changes in the preferred embodiments of the disclosure will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the disclosure herein, whereby it is to be distinctly understood that the foregoing descriptive matter to be implemented merely as illustrative of the disclosure and not as limitation.ADVANTAGES OF THE DISCLOSURE

[0108] The present disclosure provides a means to manage multi-vendor multi-technology functionalities of a network.

[0109] The present disclosure improves the accuracy of computation of KPI metrics of any network in any geography involving multiple vendors, multiple domains, or technologies.

[0110] The present disclosure provides a graphic user interface for a user to define KPIs and generate reports involving multiple vendors, multiple domains, or technologies.

[0111] The present disclosure provides multi-vendor multi-technology KPI reports that allow the business teams to have a global view of important performance metrics like traffic, connected users, and throughput, for an entire geography.

[0112] The present disclosure provides multi-vendor multi-technology KPI reports that allow the business teams to assess not only the revenue but also the quality of service rendered to the customers.

[0113] The present disclosure provides multi-vendor multi-technology KPI reports that allow the business teams to focus on the geographical areas wherever there is a consistent dip in traffic or users to improve the business potential by adopting different promotional schemes.

[0114] The present disclosure provides a means to compute on-demand multi-vendor multi-technology KPIs.

Claims

We Claim:

1. A method (500) for monitoring performance of a network (118), the method (500) comprising: receiving (502), from a user equipment (UE) (116), at least one or more requests via a graphical user interface (GUI) for: selecting (504) a plurality of vendors from a set of vendors listed on the GUI, wherein the plurality of vendors are associated with a plurality of nodes deployed in the network (118); and selecting (506) at least two or more technologies listed on the GUI, wherein the two or more technologies operate the plurality of nodes deployed in the network (118); and defining (508) a set of key performance indicator (KPI) metrics for the selected plurality of vendors and the selected two or more technologies; creating (510), by a processing engine (128), a KPI formula using the defined set of KPI metrics; and generating (512), by the processing engine (128), a report based on the created KPI formula.

2. The method (500) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the generated report comprises a combined set of KPI metrics corresponding to the plurality of selected vendors and the two or more technologies deployed in the network (118).

3. The method (500) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the generated report represents the performance of the network (118) that comprises at least one or more metrics selected from a group comprising: a total traffic metrics, a total connected users metrics, and a throughput metrics.

4. The method (500) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the GUI allows the user to edit and define the set of KPI metrics.

5. The method (500) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the GUI allows the user to create a template for generating the report.

6. The method (500) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the GUI allows the user to define a schedule for generating the report, wherein the schedule comprises at least one or more parameters selected from a group comprising: a start date and time, an end date and time, and a frequency.

7. The method (500) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the KPI formula is created based on a mathematical function.

8. A system (120) for monitoring performance of a network (118), the system (120) comprising: a receiving unit (138) configured to receive at least one or more requests from a user equipment (UE) (116) to: select, via a graphical user interface (GUI), a plurality of vendors from a set of vendors listed on the GUI, wherein the plurality of vendors are associated with a plurality of nodes deployed in the network (118); select, via the GUI, at least two or more technologies listed on the GUI, wherein the two or more technologies operate the plurality of nodes deployed in the network (118); and define, via the GUI, a set of key performance indicator (KPI) metrics for the selected plurality of vendors and the two or more technologies; a processing engine (128) in communication with the receiving unit (138) configured to: receive the selected plurality of vendors and two or more technologies; and create a KPI formula using the defined set of KPI metrics; and a report generating engine (132) configured to generate a report based on the created KPI formula.

9. The system (120) as claimed in claim 8, further comprises a database (134) for storing the defined set of KPI metrics and the created KPI formula.

10. The system (120) as claimed in claim 9, wherein the report generating engine (132) fetch the stored KPI formula from the database (134) to generate the report.

11. The system (120) as claimed in claim 8, wherein the UE (116) is connected to the system (120) via a network (118).

12. The system (120) as claimed in claim 8, wherein the GUI allows the user to edit and define the set of KPI metrics.

13. The system (120) as claimed in claim 8, wherein the processing engine (128) uses a mathematical function to create the KPI formula.

14. The system (120) as claimed in claim 8, wherein the generated report comprises a combined set of KPI metrics corresponding to the plurality of selected vendors and the two or more technologies deployed in the network (118).

15. The system (120) as claimed in claim 8, wherein the GUI allows the user to create a template for generating the report.

16. The system (120) as claimed in claim 8, wherein the GUI allows the user to define a schedule for generating the report, wherein the schedule comprises at least one or more parameters selected from a group comprising: a start date and time, an end date and time, and a frequency.

17. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to execute a method (500) for assessing performance of a network (118), the method (500) comprising:receiving (502), from a user equipment (UE) (116), at least one or more requests via a graphical user interface (GUI) for: selecting (504) a plurality of vendors from a set of vendors listed on the GUI, wherein the plurality of vendors are associated with a plurality of nodes deployed in the network (118); and selecting (506) at least two or more technologies listed on the GUI, wherein the two or more technologies operate the plurality of nodes deployed in the network (118); and defining (508) a set of key performance indicator (KPI) metrics for the selected plurality of vendors and the selected two or more technologies; creating (510), by a processing engine (128), a KPI formula using the defined set of KPI metrics; and generating (512), by the processing engine (128), a report based on the created KPI formula.

18. A user equipment (UE) (116) communicatively coupled with a network (118), the coupling comprises steps of: receiving, by the network (118), a connection request from the UE (116); sending, by the network (118), an acknowledgment of the connection request to the UE (116); and transmitting a plurality of signals in response to the connection request, wherein a performance of the network (118) is monitored by a method as claimed in claim 1.

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