Network Failure Severity Assignment via Traffic Impact Assessment

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

In communication networks, operators face challenges in identifying the most critical failed network resources among multiple failure alarms, leading to difficulties in restoring normal operation due to the lack of effective severity assignment methods.

Innovation Solution

A method and system that assign severity scores to failure indications based on parameters such as congestion, latency, and service diversity, using static and dynamic traffic assessments to identify root cause failures and prioritize repairs, with a severity module that computes scores and updates severity levels dynamically based on traffic conditions.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If operators monitor multiple network resources for failures, then network reliability is improved, but the complexity of identifying critical failures increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvenetwork reliabilityVSAvoidfailure identification complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a severity module as an intermediary component that processes failure indications from multiple network resources. This module assigns severity scores based on traffic impact assessments, acting as a mediator between raw failure data and operator decision-making. The severity module translates complex multi-layer failure information into prioritized alerts, reducing the cognitive load on operators while maintaining comprehensive monitoring.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements feedback mechanisms by continuously monitoring traffic conditions and dynamically updating severity scores. When traffic patterns change or new failures occur, the severity assessments are recalculated and fed back to operators. This closed-loop feedback system allows operators to respond to evolving network conditions while maintaining awareness of critical failures without being overwhelmed by static alarm floods.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

2Reliability

If operators respond to all failure alarms, then network service quality is improved, but the time required for restoration increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvenetwork service qualityVSAvoidrestoration time
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by pre-calculating and storing traffic impact assessments for different network resources before failures occur. The system maintains baseline traffic condition data and pre-established severity criteria, allowing immediate severity scoring when failures happen. This pre-prepared information structure enables operators to instantly identify critical failures without performing time-consuming real-time analyses, thus reducing restoration time while maintaining service quality.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system dynamically changes the parameter of severity scores based on actual traffic impact measurements. Instead of using fixed priority levels, the severity module adjusts scores according to real-time traffic conditions, failure location, and affected services. This parameter-based prioritization allows operators to focus on failures with the greatest actual impact, optimizing restoration sequencing to minimize overall service degradation time.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Measurement precision

If severity assignment is based on comprehensive traffic analysis, then accuracy of failure prioritization is improved, but the computational complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefailure prioritization accuracyVSAvoidcomputational complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the complex task of failure prioritization into distinct modular components: traffic data collection, impact assessment calculation, severity scoring, and dynamic updating. Each module handles a specific aspect of the analysis, processing only the data relevant to its function. This segmentation allows comprehensive traffic analysis to be performed through multiple simple, specialized components rather than one complex monolithic system, reducing overall computational complexity while maintaining prioritization accuracy.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentEP3735767B1Method and system for assigning resource failure severity in communication networks
Publication Date: 2024.02.14 CISCO TECHNOLOGY INC
  • EP3735767B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3735767B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3735767B1 patent drawingFigure 3A~3B

AI summary

A method for assigning a severity to failure indications of network resources in a multilayered communication network includes in a processor, receiving one or a plurality of failure indications related to a failure of one or more network resources from a plurality of network resources in a communication network. A severity may be assigned to the one or said plurality of failure indications based on an impact on data, wherein assigning the severity includes at least one of: assigning a static severity based on a single traffic impact assessment in the communication network due to the one or more failed network resources, and assigning a dynamic severity based on continuous or periodic traffic impact assessments in the communication network due to the one or more failed network resources. The severity of the one or said plurality of failure indications may be outpulted on an output device.