Network Change Orchestration Using Dependency-Aware Service Windows
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing network change management processes struggle with efficiently coordinating configuration changes across telecommunications networks, leading to potential network outages due to unresolved interdependencies and conflicts, which can disrupt service quality and reliability.
Innovation Solution
A system called DePOSE (Dependency-aware Provisioning, Orchestration, and Service Execution) that includes a DePOSE Manager, Librarian, and Agent functions, which analyze network measurements and configuration rules to determine optimal change windows, resolving dependencies and conflicts to minimize service disruptions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If configuration changes are coordinated across network elements, then service reliability is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a change coordination system that acts as an intermediary between network elements and change management processes. This system receives change requests, analyzes dependencies between network elements, determines optimal change windows, and coordinates implementation across multiple elements. The intermediary resolves interdependencies and conflicts without requiring direct complex interactions between all network elements, thereby improving service reliability while managing system complexity through centralized coordination logic.
2Reliability
If change coordination system analyzes dependencies and optimizes timing, then network outage risk is reduced, but processing time and computational resources increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary analysis of dependencies between network elements and pre-determines optimal change windows before actual configuration changes are implemented. By analyzing the dependency graph and identifying critical paths in advance, the system prepares change coordination plans that minimize network outage risks. This preliminary action allows the system to have change readiness assessments and timing optimization completed before the actual change execution, reducing the time lost during critical change implementation phases.
3Reliability
If comprehensive dependency analysis is performed across all network elements, then change success rate is improved, but computational complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the network element dependency analysis into manageable components. The system divides the overall dependency graph into smaller sub-graphs or modules that can be analyzed independently. By segmenting the analysis, the system can process dependencies in a structured manner, analyzing only relevant portions of the network for each change request rather than performing exhaustive analysis of all network elements. This segmentation maintains comprehensive dependency coverage while reducing computational complexity through divide-and-conquer strategies.
Data Source
AI summary
A system coupled to a telecommunications network is disclosed. The system receives a request to implement a configuration change on a network access node from an Operation Support System (OSS). The system determines a time window in which to implement the change based on availability of the network access node and a data model, which is built based on detected service events of wireless devices and functional dependencies with network access nodes. The time window has a period sufficient to complete the configuration change and is at a time that mitigates disruption to services for wireless devices served by the network access node. The change is orchestrated on the network access node during the time window. The orchestration is dynamically adjustable in real time based on a state of the network access node including the functional dependencies with network access nodes of the telecommunications network.