Sequenced Network Topology Upgrade for Capacity and SLA Compliance

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing network upgrade processes are inefficient and risk service level objective violations due to manual generation of upgrade stages, which do not account for desired performance levels and can lead to capacity issues and operational disruptions.

Innovation Solution

A method and system that simulate and generate a sequence of network topologies, ensuring each stage meets specific capacity and service level objectives by splitting the global optimization problem into smaller, manageable stages, using a scheduling module, design policies, and risk analysis to determine deliverables and tasks for physical and logical topology changes.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If manual generation of upgrade stages is used, then ease of operation is improved, but productivity and reliability deteriorate due to inefficiencies and service level objective violations

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveease of operationVSAvoidproductivity

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs self-service by automatically generating upgrade stages through computerized optimization algorithms rather than manual intervention. The computerized system analyzes network topology, capacity constraints, and service level objectives to autonomously determine optimal upgrade sequences, eliminating manual generation inefficiencies while maintaining operational control.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces the mechanical manual process with an automated computerized system that uses optimization algorithms to generate upgrade stages. This substitution eliminates human computational limitations and heuristic-based approaches, enabling systematic exploration of numerous upgrade paths to find optimal solutions that meet service level objectives.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Ease of operation

If manual generation of upgrade stages is used, then ease of operation is improved, but reliability deteriorates due to service level objective violations

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveease of operationVSAvoidreliability

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system incorporates feedback mechanisms where simulated network performance data is used to validate generated upgrade stages against service level objectives. The optimization algorithm iteratively adjusts upgrade sequences based on simulated capacity constraints and service level requirements, ensuring reliable outcomes that manual methods cannot achieve.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces manual heuristic-based reliability assessment with computerized simulation and optimization systems that systematically evaluate service level objectives. The computerized system can exhaustively search through numerous upgrade paths and validate each against defined service level constraints, ensuring reliable upgrade sequences that maintain network performance.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Reliability

If exhaustive search of all possible upgrade paths is performed, then reliability is improved, but loss of time increases due to computational complexity

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovereliabilityVSAvoidloss of time

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the complex upgrade planning problem into smaller sub-problems by dividing the network upgrade into discrete stages. Each stage represents a specific topology change or capacity addition, allowing the optimization system to handle complexity systematically through staged optimization rather than attempting to solve the entire problem at once.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs preliminary actions by pre-defining service level objectives, capacity constraints, and topology change options before generating upgrade stages. This preliminary configuration allows the optimization algorithm to work with predefined parameters and constraints, reducing the search space and computational time required while maintaining reliable service level compliance.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP4089980B1Sequenced capacity deployment for wan and datacenter networks

Publication Date: 2024.12.25 GOOGLE LLC

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AI summary

Determining an upgrade path from a starting topology to a target topology of a network is computationally intense and does not guarantee a steadily increasing usable capacity of the network at each stage within the upgrade path. The disclosed technology allows for a sequence of stages related to network upgrades to be generated. The technology ensures that networks can be upgraded in a sequential manner, where each step in the sequence does not violate service level objectives related to the network, ensures operational continuity of the network by users of the network, and ensures that the available network resources increase as the sequential upgrades are rolled out. The pathway determined is determined in a computationally efficient manner.