Network Change Approval Using Criteria and Past Execution Records
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Solution Overview
Problem
In network virtualization environments, especially in mobile networks, changes are difficult to approve due to the large scale and cost of constructing a verification environment, requiring skilled personnel and time, and changes for problem recovery need quick approval.
Innovation Solution
A network management apparatus and method that automatically approves change requests by comparing them to stored determination criteria and past change execution results, using a change history management database to determine if predetermined conditions are met.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a verification environment is constructed to test changes before approval, then the reliability of change approval is improved, but the cost and complexity of the system increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a simplified verification environment that copies only the essential components needed for change validation, rather than replicating the entire commercial network environment. This allows reliability improvement through testing while avoiding the prohibitive cost and complexity of a full-scale verification environment.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the verification process into modular components that can be independently configured and executed. Change requests are broken down into specific verification tasks that target only the affected system portions, reducing the overall complexity requirement while maintaining reliability.
2Measurement precision
If skilled personnel with abundant experience conduct change approval, then the accuracy of approval judgment is improved, but the time and labor required for approval increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements automated approval mechanisms that perform routine change validations without human intervention. The system uses predefined rules, historical data analysis, and automated testing to self-evaluate change requests, eliminating the time-consuming manual review process while maintaining accurate judgment through structured decision criteria.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent incorporates feedback loops that learn from past change outcomes to improve future approval accuracy. Historical approval data and execution results are analyzed to refine approval criteria, enabling the system to rapidly assess new change requests with high accuracy without requiring extensive human expertise for each individual approval.
3Reliability
If manual approval processes are used for each change request, then the reliability of change control is improved, but the productivity of change implementation decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a dynamic approval system that adapts the level of human involvement based on the risk and complexity of each change request. Routine, low-risk changes can be automatically approved through predefined rules, while complex or high-risk changes trigger enhanced review processes. This dynamic approach maintains reliable control for critical changes while enabling rapid approval for routine operations, thereby improving overall productivity without sacrificing control reliability.
Data Source
AI summary
A processor acquires a current change request of a network virtualization environment, and automatically rejects the current change request if a determination criterion that satisfies a value of a comparison item in the current change request is not detected in a determination criterion management database. If the determination criterion that satisfies the value of the comparison item is detected, the processor searches for a past change record that satisfies the determination criterion (execution result of the past change of the same type). If the execution result of the past change is not detected, the processor automatically rejects the current change request. If the execution result of the past change is detected, the processor automatically approves the current change request when a predetermined condition related to the execution result of the past change is satisfied, but automatically rejects the current change request when the predetermined condition is not satisfied.