Autonomic Manager Orchestrates Network Device Provisioning

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current technologies lack mechanisms to automate human tasks in network management, integrate policies and service requests into autonomic architectures, optimize resource allocation, and enable autonomous operation of network elements, especially in heterogeneous environments with unplanned changes and varying user objectives.

Innovation Solution

A method and system that determine the current state of network devices, retrieve available commands, and create extended finite state machines (EFSMs) to orchestrate autonomous operations, integrating information and data models to manage status, faults, and resource allocations, and optimize resource usage based on policies.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Extent of automation

If human operators manually provision and maintain network elements, then network elements can be installed and configured, but the process is time-consuming and cannot be automated

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveautomation of network element provisioningVSAvoidtime required for manual provisioning

Core Design Contradiction:

Extent of automationVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system pre-defines policies, service requests, and command sequences before actual provisioning occurs. The autonomic manager stores templates and workflows that can be instantly applied to network elements, eliminating the need for manual step-by-step configuration and enabling automated provisioning.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

Network elements operate autonomously by receiving high-level policies and service requests, then automatically executing the appropriate command sequences through the autonomic manager. The system enables network elements to self-provision and self-maintain without requiring continuous human intervention.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

2Extent of automation

If policies and service requests are translated into specific command sequences, then autonomous operation is enabled, but the complexity of translation increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveautonomous operation capabilityVSAvoidcomplexity of policy-to-command translation

Core Design Contradiction:

Extent of automationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The autonomic manager serves as an intermediary layer between high-level policies/service requests and low-level device commands. It receives abstract policies, translates them into device-specific command sequences, and executes them automatically, managing the translation complexity centrally without burdening individual network elements.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The translation process is segmented into distinct phases: policy parsing, command sequence generation, and execution. The system breaks down complex translation tasks into manageable steps, with the autonomic manager handling each phase separately to reduce overall complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

3Adaptability or versatility

If network elements are managed through heterogeneous commands and protocols, then diverse network elements can be controlled, but integration and standardization become difficult

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesupport for heterogeneous network elementsVSAvoidcomplexity of command integration

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The autonomic manager provides a universal interface that can handle multiple network element types through a single standardized policy request mechanism. Regardless of the underlying heterogeneous commands or protocols, the manager translates all policies into device-specific commands uniformly, enabling one-size-fits-all policy management across diverse network elements.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

4Productivity

If resource allocation is optimized based on current state, then efficient resource usage is achieved, but real-time state monitoring and response requirements increase complexity

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveresource allocation efficiencyVSAvoidcomplexity of real-time state management

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system continuously monitors network element states and uses this feedback to dynamically adjust resource allocation. The autonomic manager receives state information, compares it against policies and service requests, and automatically modifies command sequences to optimize resource usage in real-time, ensuring efficient allocation responds to changing conditions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentUS8019838B2Autonomous operation of networking devices

Publication Date: 2011.09.13 MOTOROLA SOLUTIONS INC

AI summary

A system, method, and information processing system for managing a configuration of a network device. A current state associated with at least one network device (104) is determined (206). A set of commands (118) available for the current state of the network device (104) is retrieved (208). A next state associated with a current command is determined (216) for each command in the set of commands (118). A transition from the current state to the next state is created (218, 222) in response to determining a next state associated with a current command. A transition is determined to have been created for each command in the set of commands (118). An extended finite state machine (120) is created that includes at least the current state, the next state, and the transition for each of the commands in the set of commands (118).