Network Fault Isolation via Triangulation and Feedback
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional network monitoring systems are manual and lack proactive measures to continuously monitor and correct network failures, leading to increased bottlenecks, traffic congestion, and failures as networks grow, with existing tools often failing to identify the root cause of issues effectively.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus for monitoring network devices using diagnostic applications that transmit and receive feedback messages to determine performance thresholds, employing SIP and ICMP messages for fault isolation, and automatically determining the state of network sites through triangulation, enabling proactive corrective actions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If manual monitoring tools are used to diagnose network devices, then network administrators can identify performance metrics, but the monitoring stops after a fixed duration and requires manual intervention, reducing productivity and increasing loss of time
Solution Approach 1:
The monitoring system performs self-service by automatically continuing to monitor network devices beyond initial diagnostic completion, autonomously collecting performance metrics and maintaining surveillance without requiring administrator intervention to restart or extend monitoring sessions
Solution Approach 2:
The system ensures continuity of useful action by designing monitoring tools that operate continuously or for extended durations rather than stopping after fixed periods, maintaining uninterrupted surveillance of network performance metrics to detect issues promptly
2Reliability
If diagnostic tools monitor network devices for extended periods, then continuous performance data is collected, but the tools lack automated corrective measures and require manual analysis, increasing loss of time and reducing productivity
Solution Approach 1:
The monitoring system implements feedback mechanisms that automatically analyze collected performance data, compare metrics against thresholds, and trigger corrective actions or alerts based on detected anomalies, transforming raw data into actionable insights without manual intervention
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary action by pre-configuring response protocols and corrective measures that are automatically executed when specific performance thresholds are breached, enabling proactive fault resolution before manual intervention is required
3Speed
If alarms are configured to sound quickly for network failures, then rapid notification is achieved, but multiple successive alarms provide no guidance on root cause or failure location, increasing difficulty of detecting and measuring the actual problem
Solution Approach 1:
The alarm system applies segmentation by dividing the network into monitored segments and providing granular feedback about which specific segment or device is experiencing failures, transforming undifferentiated alarm signals into localized, actionable information about problem locations
Solution Approach 2:
The system introduces an intermediary analysis layer that processes raw alarm signals and translates them into meaningful diagnostic information, acting as a mediator between failure detection and root cause identification to provide guided troubleshooting
Data Source
AI summary
Network site testing of other sites in a communication network environment may be performed with the assistance of all sites participating to identify and confirm failures. One example method of operation may include transmitting a test message from a test site to a network site, the test message solicits a feedback response from the network site, determining whether a feedback response message was received from the network site, and determining whether the network site is in an up state or a down state based on the feedback response message being received or not being received. Other sites and triangulation may be used to confirm a sub-network status.