Multicast Network Event Correlation for Automated Failure Analysis
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Solution Overview
Problem
The complexity of multicast network configurations and the need for automated management and failure analysis pose challenges in ensuring network operation and responsiveness, as manual configuration and physical node failures can lead to partial or complete network failures.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus for modeling multicast protocol entities and their relationships, using a framework that represents components, their interactions, and observable events, allowing for automated discovery, impact analysis, and root-cause analysis of issues within the network.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If manual configuration and management of multicast network components is used, then configuration flexibility and adaptability are maintained, but the complexity of management increases and the risk of configuration errors leading to network failures increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables automated self-configuration and self-management of multicast network components through event correlation and automatic discovery mechanisms. The network components automatically report their state and configuration, eliminating the need for manual configuration while maintaining reliability through automated monitoring and failure detection.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements continuous feedback loops where network components monitor their own operational state and automatically report events to a central management system. This feedback mechanism enables automatic detection of configuration errors and network failures, allowing the system to maintain reliability through automated responses without increasing management complexity.
2Reliability
If physical node failures occur in multicast network, then network robustness is tested, but complete or partial network failures result requiring manual intervention
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by continuously monitoring and correlating events from multiple network components before actual failures occur. The automated discovery and event correlation mechanisms detect potential issues early, enabling preventive maintenance and automatic failover before complete network failures happen, thus improving ease of operation during failure recovery.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary event correlation system that mediates between physical network components and the management interface. This intermediary automatically correlates events from multiple sources, identifies failure patterns, and coordinates recovery actions, eliminating the need for manual intervention during failure recovery while maintaining network responsiveness.
3Productivity
If automated discovery and event correlation systems are implemented, then management efficiency and failure analysis capability improve, but system complexity and resource consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The event correlation system is designed as a universal platform that handles multiple functions including automated discovery, event monitoring, correlation analysis, and failure diagnosis through a single integrated architecture. This multi-functionality improves management efficiency without proportionally increasing system complexity, as the same core mechanisms serve multiple purposes.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the automated discovery and event correlation system into modular components that can be independently deployed and scaled. Each module handles specific aspects of network monitoring and analysis, allowing the system to achieve high management efficiency while keeping individual component complexity manageable through clear separation of concerns.
Data Source
AI summary
A method and apparatus for operating on a system containing a plurality of components in communication using multicast communication protocol is disclosed. The method comprises the steps of representing selected ones of the plurality of components, the relationship among the components and the associated with the communication protocols, determining a mapping between a plurality of events and a plurality of observable events occurring among the components and among the communication protocols, wherein the mapping is represented as a value associating each event with each observable event, and performing the system operation in conjunction with the relationship between the events and observable events. The operations may be selected from the group of monitoring, discovering, managing, analyzing and displaying the components associated with the multicast protocols.