Network designing device

Abstract

A network designing device according to one aspect of the present invention designs a network for a subject that can be abstracted into a management structure comprising a plurality of layers. The network designing device is equipped with a resource management unit and an optimal resource selection unit. The resource management unit manages, as associated information between the plurality of layers, construction characteristics at least including the adjustment overhead, the design period, the construction period, the lead time, and the life cycle costs of resources in each of the layers. According to design requirements including a start point and an end point, the optimal resource selection unit designs a network by optimizing a path related to the plurality of layers on the basis of the construction characteristics.

Description

Network design equipment

[0001] One aspect of the present invention relates to a network design device.

[0002] The number of services that use communication networks is expanding every day. In today's network-dependent society, it is important to design networks appropriately to meet user needs. Network requirements vary from service to service, and the granularity of factors that users value (desired resources, location, speed, latency, cost, service period, etc.) is becoming increasingly fine. Designing the optimal network for each user requires consistent judgment based on a combination of various pieces of information.

[0003] Patent No. 6655524 Patent No. 7107158 Patent No. 6837022

[0004] Because networks are hierarchically structured from the physical layer to the highest logical layer, it is difficult to maintain consistency in design policies. Furthermore, with existing technology, multiple people are responsible for designing each layer, and if one person is unable to design a network themselves, they ask other people in charge of other layers to help them with the design step by step. This makes it difficult to grasp the entire network, and when designing a new network for a new service, cross-layer optimization is difficult and requires a long design period. In order to consistently design an optimal network for a service from the lowest to the highest layers, technology is needed that can grasp the entire required network resources from a bird's-eye view and perform optimal design evaluation.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a technique that enables resources to be optimized across multiple layers when designing a network.

[0006] According to an embodiment, a network design device designs a network for a target that can be abstracted into a management structure consisting of multiple layers. The network design device includes a resource management unit and an optimal resource selection unit. The resource management unit manages construction characteristics, including at least the resource adjustment overhead, design period, construction period, lead time, and life cycle cost of each layer, as linkage information between the multiple layers. The optimal resource selection unit designs a network by optimizing routes related to the multiple layers based on the construction characteristics in accordance with design requirements including the start point and the end point.

[0007] According to one aspect of the present invention, a network can be designed by optimizing resources across multiple layers.

[0008] FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram showing an example of a network design device according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of decomposing a target system into multiple resources and layers. FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining an example of implementation of technology according to an embodiment. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a newly constructed network. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a model in which elements of the network shown in FIG. 4 are extracted. FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining conversion of a network into a management model. FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining selection of optimal resources in the management model of FIG. 6. FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining extraction of additional resources in the management model of FIG. 6. FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram showing an example of an optimal network calculated based on the management model of FIG. 6. FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing an example of a processing procedure related to network design according to an embodiment. FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing procedure in step S2 of FIG. 10.

[0009] 1 is a functional block diagram showing an example of a network design device according to an embodiment. The network design device designs a network that can be abstracted into a management structure consisting of multiple layers. The network can be abstracted into multiple layers, including a physical layer and a logical layer, and each layer includes multiple resources.

[0010] In the embodiment, the focus is on operational elements, and the construction characteristics of each layer are managed as linking information between layers as the relationships between layers. Furthermore, even in a newly constructed network, layers are combined by utilizing the fact that they ultimately result in a physical layer (physical devices, geography, etc.), and network design is automated.

[0011] The concepts of resources and layers can be broken down into a hierarchical management structure and are applicable to industries in general as long as they can be combined and evaluated taking into account the relationships between layers, and are not limited to networks.

[0012] 1 includes a display unit 10 that provides an operating environment using a GUI (Graphical User Interface), an optimum resource selection unit 20, a shortage resource design unit 30, and a resource management unit 40. Of these, the resource management unit 40 includes a data format conversion unit 41 that acquires network design information 70 and converts the data format, and a network configuration storage unit 42.

[0013] The network configuration storage unit 42 centrally manages the construction characteristics and resource information for each layer in a database. The construction characteristics include at least the resource adjustment overhead, design period, construction period, lead time, and life cycle cost for each layer.

[0014] The resource management unit 40 manages the construction characteristics as linkage information between multiple layers. The resource management unit 40 also manages unused resources for each layer as managed objects linked to the resources that house the unused resources using the network configuration storage unit 42.

[0015] The optimum resource selection unit 20 includes a data receiving unit 21 that receives input of design requirements (starting point, ending point, location, conditions, etc.) 50 of a network to be designed, an element extraction / model conversion unit 22, an optimum resource selection unit 23, a calculation result storage unit 24, and a data output unit 25. The element extraction / model conversion unit 22 extracts requirements and elements to be designed from the given design requirements 50 and converts them into a management model.

[0016] The optimal resource selection unit 23 optimizes routes related to multiple layers based on the construction characteristics of each layer in accordance with design requirements 50, and designs a new network under the given requirements. The optimal resource selection unit 23 determines and selects an optimal resource configuration from resources combined using the construction characteristics as coefficients, based on a search algorithm such as Dijkstra's algorithm. Information representing the designed network is stored in the calculation result storage unit 24, displayed on the display unit 10, and output from the data output unit 25 as a design result 60.

[0017] The shortage resource design unit 30 includes an optimum resource selection unit 31, a calculation result storage unit 32, and a data output unit 33. The optimum resource selection unit 31 extracts, for each layer, resources that are insufficient in the path optimized by the optimum resource selection unit 23, and designs additional resources based on the results. That is, the shortage resource design unit 30 grasps the available capacity and available resources for each layer based on the resources in use and the unused resources, and designs additional resources based on the results. Information indicating the designed additional resources is stored in the calculation result storage unit 32, and is output by the data output unit 33 as an additional resource design result 80.

[0018] Figure 2 shows an example of how a target system can be decomposed into multiple resources and layers. The system is abstracted hierarchically, with "geographical and topographical resources" as the lowest layer, followed by "logistics and material resources," "human resources," "infrastructure resources," "network resources," and "system resources." The "services" layer, which provides individual services, is then formed at the top.

[0019] 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of implementation of technology according to an embodiment. As shown in FIG. 3, a network formed by cascade-connected switches (SW) is layered into an Ether layer and an upper IP layer. Free ports and used ports in each switch are managed as resources. For example, searching for free ports in the same switch corresponds to searching for resources in the same layer. Meanwhile, searching for resources across layers between the Ether layer and the IP layer is performed based on the capacity (latency and bandwidth) of each layer and construction characteristics (adjustment overhead, design period, construction period, lead time, life cycle cost, etc.).

[0020] 4 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a newly constructed network. For example, suppose a customer is using a partially constructed network to connect multiple factories. Furthermore, if the customer requests the construction of a new network to connect a factory in Hakata (starting point: S) with a factory in Sapporo (ending point: G), it is necessary to determine the additional network to be constructed and the resources that meet the requirements, and then design an optimal network.

[0021] In other words, to automatically design and build the optimal ICT environment that meets customer requirements, it is necessary to determine what kind of network to connect based on the requirements and extract the optimal combination of resources. Below, we will disclose technology that can meet these requirements.

[0022] Fig. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a management model in which elements of the network shown in Fig. 4 are extracted. In Fig. 5, the dashed dotted line indicates, for example, an existing network on an IP network, and the solid line indicates, for example, an existing network on a Layer 2 network.

[0023] Fig. 6 is a diagram for explaining the conversion of a network into a management model. The network in Fig. 5 can be converted into a management model as shown in Fig. 6, which is layered into five layers, from a geographic information layer to a physical layer, an L1 layer, an L2 layer, and an IP layer, using elements extracted from given design requirements.

[0024] When designing a network, the layer to be used is first selected in the management model. Here, it is assumed that the IP layer is selected. For example, when a new service from start S to goal G is opened via communication in the IP layer, resource information and construction characteristics (such as coordination overhead, design period, construction period, lead time, and life cycle cost) of each layer are acquired. Here, the construction characteristics of the geographic information layer, physical layer, L1 layer, L2 layer, and IP layer are represented as construction characteristics (K4), construction characteristics (K3), construction characteristics (K2), construction characteristics (K1), and construction characteristics (K0), respectively. Furthermore, resource information (such as capacity (latency and bandwidth)) of each resource is also acquired.

[0025] Fig. 7 is a diagram for explaining the selection of the optimum resource in the management model of Fig. 6. The resources from the start S to the goal G are evaluated using the construction characteristics and resource information, and the optimum resource is selected by the following optimization procedure.

[0026] (1) Resources are combined from S to G in the direction of location information. (2) If resources cannot be combined in the same layer, resources in a lower layer are used. (3) If a layer other than the desired layer is used, the evaluation takes into account the construction characteristics. If it spans multiple layers, the evaluation takes into account the construction characteristics of all layers.

[0027] As long as only the IP layer is used, resources can be evaluated using only the construction characteristic (K0), but when the L2 layer is used, the construction characteristic (K0+K1) is used for evaluation. Furthermore, when physical layer resources are used in a part of the section, the resources in that section are evaluated using the construction characteristic (K0+K1+K2+K3).

[0028] In Figure 7, the calculated optimal resources are calculated from the IP layer through the L2 layer, and partly through the physical layer. If they cannot be found in the same layer, they are combined with resources from other layers. At that time, the construction characteristics are taken into account when evaluating. When combining resources across multiple layers, the construction characteristics of all related layers are taken into account when evaluating. If there are resources available in a higher layer, they are evaluated with priority because no construction characteristics are added.

[0029] 8 is a diagram for explaining extraction of additional resources in the management model of FIG. 6. After the optimized resources are selected, the shortage resources for the layer to be used are calculated based on the result, and additional design is performed. For example, suppose additional resources (1), (2), (3), and (4) are calculated.

[0030] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram showing an example of an optimal network calculated based on the management model of Figure 6. By adding all of the insufficient resources from the state of Figure 8, it is possible to calculate the optimal network in the layer to be used. In other words, the calculation of the optimal route is completed when all of the additional resources (1) to (4) have been added.

[0031] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of a processing procedure for network design in an embodiment. First, the network design device 1 models the network based on information stored in the network configuration storage unit 42 (step S1). Here, for example, modeling is performed by adding construction characteristics for each layer to management elements for the relationship between the service model and the resource model. As a result, a management model such as that shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 is constructed.

[0032] Next, the network design device 1 combines and searches resources of different layers, taking into account the construction characteristics as evaluation values ​​(step S2). If a missing resource is found as a result of searching from the start point to the end point, the network design device 1 extracts a target that complements the missing resource as an additional resource.

[0033] Furthermore, the network design device 1 complements the missing resources and connects the newly generated network end-to-end, and evaluates whether the route meets the customer's requirements (quality, delivery time, cost, etc.) taking into account the construction characteristics.

[0034] Fig. 11 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing procedure in step S2 of Fig. 10. In Fig. 11, the network design device 1 acquires and understands the layer in which a route should be constructed, the start point and end point of the route, and the construction characteristics of each layer from the network configuration storage unit 42 (step S21). Next, the network design device 1 searches for a route in the target layer based on the acquired information (step S22).

[0035] Next, the network design device 1 determines whether there are any missing resources along the route (step S23), and if there are missing resources, it searches for a route in lower-level resources (step S24). Once the search to the route end point is complete (step S25), the network design device 1 extracts the end point of the route via the lower layer (step S26), and extracts the additional resources by targeting the upper layer referenced by the end point as the additional resource (step S27). Through the above processing procedure, a new network such as that shown in FIG. 9 is newly designed.

[0036] As described above, in the embodiment, the construction characteristics of each layer (such as coordination overhead, design period, construction period, lead time, and life cycle cost) are managed as linking information between layers as relationships between layers. In addition to resources in use, unused resources are added as management targets linked to the original resources. Furthermore, the construction characteristics (K) and resource information (including capacity) for each layer are obtained from the relationship management information.

[0037] If the network to be designed cannot be designed in the same layer, resources in lower layers are used, taking into account the construction characteristics. When combining resources across multiple layers, the construction characteristics of all related layers are taken into account. The combined resources are then evaluated using the construction characteristics as coefficients to determine the optimal resource configuration using an optimal path search algorithm (such as Dijkstra's algorithm). Furthermore, after determining the optimal resource configuration, the system extracts the resources that are lacking in the layer to be used, and designs additional resources.

[0038] This configuration enables optimal resource design across multiple layers, facilitating optimal network design when designing new networks and preventing design time from being prolonged.

[0039] With existing technology, only resources in use are subject to link management, and there is no link for unused resources. This means that when designing a new network, it is necessary to evaluate the design for each individual layer in a chain. This creates the challenge of not being able to determine whether unused resources can be used when designing and building a new network, lengthening the design process. Furthermore, because unused resources are managed by layer and there is no linking information, it takes time for other people to finish their design, which can lead to a long delivery time. Furthermore, because management is siloed, it is not possible to consistently evaluate the network, making it difficult to achieve an optimal network design. In other words, when designing and building a new network, it is not possible to determine information other than the layer you are responsible for, making it impossible to use unified standards when designing a network across layers, making it difficult to achieve an optimal, consistent design across layers.

[0040] In contrast, according to the embodiment, by aggregating the network to be designed into a general-purpose data model, it becomes possible to grasp the relationships between layers. Furthermore, by centrally managing resources along with the construction characteristics between layers and consistently determining whether resources across layers can be used, it is possible to reduce the time required for design decisions.

[0041] Furthermore, consistent evaluation across multiple layers enables optimal resource design. Furthermore, when designing and building a new network, information can be judged across the entire network, so evaluation using unified standards when designing a network across layers enables optimal resource design that is consistent across layers.

[0042] As a result, according to the embodiment, it is possible to provide a network design device that can optimize resources across multiple layers when designing a network, thereby facilitating optimal network design when designing a new network and preventing the design process from taking too long.

[0043] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made in the implementation stage without departing from the spirit of the invention. Furthermore, the embodiments may be implemented in appropriate combinations, in which case the combined effects can be obtained. Furthermore, the above-described embodiments include various inventions, and various inventions can be extracted by combining selected elements from the disclosed elements. For example, if the problem can be solved and the desired effect can be obtained even if some elements are deleted from all elements shown in the embodiments, the configuration from which these elements are deleted can be extracted as an invention.

[0044] Furthermore, in the implementation stage, the components of this invention can be modified and embodied without departing from the spirit of the invention. Furthermore, various inventions can be formed by appropriately combining multiple components disclosed in the above embodiments. For example, some components may be omitted from all the components shown in the embodiments. Furthermore, components from different embodiments may be appropriately combined.

[0045] 1...Network design device 10...Display unit 20...Optimal resource selection unit 21...Data receiving unit 22...Element extraction / model conversion unit 23...Optimal resource selection unit 24...Calculation result storage unit 25...Data output unit 30...Insufficient resource design unit 31...Optimal resource selection unit 32...Calculation result storage unit 33...Data output unit 40...Resource management unit 41...Data format conversion unit 42...Network configuration storage unit 50...Design requirements 60...Design results 70...Network design information 80...Additional resource design results.

Claims

1. A network design device that designs a network for an object that can be abstracted into a management structure consisting of multiple layers, comprising: a resource management unit that manages construction characteristics including at least the resource adjustment overhead, design period, construction period, lead time, and life cycle cost in each layer as linking information between the multiple layers; and an optimal resource selection unit that designs the network by optimizing routes related to the multiple layers based on the construction characteristics in accordance with design requirements including starting points and ending points.

2. The network design device according to claim 1, wherein the optimum resource selection unit selects an optimum resource configuration based on a search algorithm from resources combined using construction characteristics as coefficients.

3. The network design device according to claim 1, further comprising a shortage resource design unit that extracts shortage resources for each layer in the optimized route and designs additional resources.

4. The network design device according to claim 3, wherein the resource management unit manages unused resources as managed objects linked to the resources that house the unused resources, and the shortage resource design unit grasps available capacity and free resources for each layer based on the resources in use and the unused resources, and designs additional resources based on the results.

Images