Scheduling Timer-Based Events in Network Elements
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current network systems lack coordinated and scheduled standards-based intervals for timer-based events across multiple nodes and protocol layers, leading to potential network impacts and service disruptions during peak hours, as these events are unscheduled and uncoordinated, affecting network performance and user experience.
Innovation Solution
A method and system for configuring and scheduling timer-based events across network elements, allowing operators to control the timing and priority of protocol-based actions such as re-optimization, resizing, and reversion events, using a table-based approach that synchronizes timers and staggers events to prevent concurrent occurrences, utilizing existing time synchronization protocols to ensure predictable and controlled execution.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Extent of automation
If timer-based events are allowed to occur independently and concurrently across multiple nodes and protocol layers, then network automation and responsiveness are improved, but network performance and service stability deteriorate due to bulk concurrent events during peak periods
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary scheduling of timer-based events during off-peak periods by configuring maintenance windows and event schedules in advance. The network element schedules re-optimization, resizing, and reversion events to occur during predetermined maintenance windows rather than allowing them to trigger immediately upon timer expiry, thereby preventing bulk concurrent events during peak traffic periods while maintaining automated network engineering capabilities
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts event execution timing by introducing configurable maintenance windows and stagger intervals. Instead of fixed immediate execution upon timer expiry, events are dynamically scheduled within defined time windows, allowing the system to balance automation responsiveness with network performance requirements based on traffic patterns and service priorities
2Speed
If standards-based timers trigger protocol actions immediately upon expiry, then protocol responsiveness and service adaptation are improved, but network traffic and performance impact increase due to uncoordinated bulk events
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary scheduling of protocol actions within configured maintenance windows before timer expiry would trigger immediate execution. Events are pre-scheduled to occur during off-peak periods, allowing the system to maintain protocol responsiveness for critical functions while deferring non-critical re-optimization and resizing actions to reduce network traffic and performance costs
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements periodic execution of timer-based events within configured maintenance windows rather than immediate execution upon timer expiry. This periodic scheduling approach allows protocol actions to be performed at regular intervals during predetermined time windows, reducing bulk concurrent traffic impact while maintaining necessary service adaptation and re-optimization capabilities
3Reliability
If operator control over event timing is implemented through configuration tables and maintenance windows, then service impact from concurrent events is reduced, but system complexity and configuration overhead increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements a universal scheduling mechanism that handles multiple types of timer-based events (re-optimization, resizing, reversion) across different protocol layers through a single configurable maintenance window framework. This multi-functional approach consolidates event management complexity into a unified system rather than requiring separate control mechanisms for each event type
Solution Approach 2:
The system manages complexity through configurable parameters such as maintenance window definitions, event priority levels, and stagger intervals that can be adjusted without changing the underlying system architecture. By parameterizing the scheduling behavior rather than hardcoding complex logic, the system achieves service impact control while keeping configuration overhead manageable through standardized parameters
4Reliability
If timer events are scheduled during off-peak periods within maintenance windows, then network performance and user experience are improved, but event execution delay and service response time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically balances performance and response time by allowing opportunistic immediate execution of critical events while scheduling non-critical events during maintenance windows. The configurable priority levels enable the system to adapt execution timing based on service criticality, ensuring that time-sensitive operations maintain fast response while less urgent re-optimization events are deferred to off-peak periods
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods include, for a plurality of services operating on a plurality of network elements in a network, determining attributes for one or more events that periodically occur; and providing a configuration based on the determined attributes to the plurality of network elements for configuring the associated network elements, wherein the configuration controls and coordinates when actions associated with the one or more events occur, across the plurality of network elements and across one or more protocol layers.