Network Management Server Capacity Weighting

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional network management systems face congestion issues when multiple network devices attempt to check-in simultaneously, leading to potential false alarms and server overload, due to firewalls restricting communication initiation from management servers.

Innovation Solution

A network management system that employs a management server with logic to determine a weight value for each check-in request, rejecting tasks that would exceed a predefined threshold, ensuring sufficient server capacity by terminating sessions and rescheduling tasks when capacity is reached, and using periodic check-in requests from devices to manage communication through firewalls.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If network devices are allowed to initiate check-in with the management server to bypass firewall restrictions, then communication reliability is improved, but server congestion and overload occur when devices check-in simultaneously

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecommunication reliabilityVSAvoidserver capacity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements dynamic session termination by the management server based on real-time capacity assessment. When the server determines that its capacity is insufficient to handle incoming check-in requests, it dynamically terminates existing communication sessions and reschedules tasks for later execution. This dynamic adjustment allows the server to maintain reliable communication channels while preventing overload, resolving the contradiction between communication reliability and server productivity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

2Productivity

If the management server accepts all check-in requests simultaneously, then task completion speed is improved, but false alarms are generated due to server overload

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetask completion speedVSAvoidalarm accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by having the management server assess its capacity before accepting check-in requests and by rescheduling tasks in advance when capacity is insufficient. Rather than waiting for overload to occur and then handling false alarms, the server proactively manages its capacity, determining whether to accept or terminate sessions based on predicted and actual load conditions. This prevents server overload before it occurs, thereby maintaining both high task completion speed and accurate alarm generation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Stability of the object's composition

If the management server terminates communication sessions to prevent overload, then server stability is improved, but task execution delays occur

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveserver stabilityVSAvoidtask execution time
Core Design Contradiction:
Stability of the object's compositionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements periodic action through the rescheduling mechanism, where tasks that are terminated due to server capacity constraints are scheduled for re-execution at later time intervals. Instead of permanently losing tasks when sessions are terminated, the system periodically retries task execution when server capacity becomes available. This approach maintains server stability by preventing overload while minimizing task execution delays through systematic retry scheduling.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #19Periodic action

Data Source

PatentUS8924547B1Systems and methods for managing network devices based on server capacity
Publication Date: 2014.12.30 ADTRAN INC
  • US8924547B1 patent drawing
  • US8924547B1 patent drawing
  • US8924547B1 patent drawing

AI summary

An exemplary network management system comprises a management server communicating with a plurality of network devices via a network. Each network device initiates a check-in request with the management server that indicates a task to be performed by the server. Upon receiving a check-in request from a network device, the management server is configured to determine a task to be performed that requires communication with the network device, and the management server is configured to determine a weight value indicative of a processing burden for the server in performed such task. The management server is further configured to determine whether to perform the task during the current check-in session based on the weight value.