Generic Multi-Layer Provisioning via Spoofed Network Elements
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional network management systems require physical network elements to be present and available, leading to significant downtime and inefficiencies when elements become unavailable, and often consider devices unreachable, limiting the ability to model and provision services effectively.
Innovation Solution
A Generic Multi-Layer Provisioning (GMLP) service management layer that operates on both deployed and spoofed network elements, utilizing a Service Abstraction Layer, Transport/Protocol Abstraction Layer, and Hardware Abstraction Layer, along with a spoofing engine to simulate network elements and provide abstract service modeling, enabling independent service creation and provisioning.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional management systems require physical network elements to be present and available, then service provisioning can be performed on real devices, but significant downtime occurs when elements become unavailable and recovery time is extended
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates virtual copies (spoofed network elements) of physical network devices that replicate their behavior and interface characteristics. These spoofed elements allow the management system to continue operating and provisioning services even when the physical devices are unavailable, thereby eliminating downtime while maintaining service provisioning capabilities.
Solution Approach 2:
The spoofed network elements act as intermediaries between the management system and the physical network devices. The management system interacts with the spoofed elements rather than directly with physical devices, allowing service provisioning to continue uninterrupted even when physical devices are inaccessible, thus resolving the contradiction between reliability and downtime.
2Ease of operation
If management systems consider devices unreachable when physical access is lost, then system simplicity is maintained, but the ability to model and provision services effectively is limited
Solution Approach 1:
By creating spoofed network elements that replicate the characteristics and interfaces of physical devices, the system maintains complete information about network elements even when physical access is lost. The spoofed elements contain all necessary data for service modeling and provisioning, eliminating information loss while enhancing operational capability.
3Productivity
If abstract service modeling is implemented on spoofed network elements, then service turn-up time is reduced and development costs are minimized, but system complexity increases due to multiple abstraction layers
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the network management functionality into distinct abstraction layers (Service Abstraction Layer, Transport/Protocol Abstraction Layer, Hardware Abstraction Layer). Each layer handles specific concerns independently, allowing service modeling to proceed on spoofed elements without requiring complex interactions across the entire system, thus improving productivity while managing complexity through structured decomposition.
Solution Approach 2:
The spoofed network elements serve as intermediaries that simplify service provisioning by providing standardized interfaces across all abstraction layers. This mediation allows services to be modeled and provisioned quickly on virtual elements without immediately requiring complex physical device configurations, reducing turn-up time while the abstraction layers handle the complexity in a structured manner.
Data Source
AI summary
Network planning/provisioning systems and methods with a Generic Multi-Layer Provisioning (GMLP) service management layer that is configured to operate on any of deployed network elements and spoofed network elements to provide abstract service modeling thereon. The GMLP layer may include a spoofing engine configured to simulate network elements and provisioning functions associated therewith. The associated abstraction of the GMLP layer enables layer 0-4 topologies and services to be modeled, planned, and provisioned.