End-to-End Service Level Determination in Multi-Domain Networks
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current communication networks face challenges in providing an end-to-end service level assurance across heterogeneous domains, as existing methods lack holistic approaches for monitoring and managing service level agreements (SLAs) in multi-domain networks.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus for determining an end-to-end service level in a communication network by obtaining summarized service level data from multiple network domains, comparing it with performance criteria, and requesting adjustments from over-performing domains to compensate for underperforming ones, thereby maintaining or increasing performance criteria to ensure SLA compliance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If detailed service level data is collected from all network domains to ensure accurate end-to-end service level determination, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity and signaling overhead increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the necessary service level data from each network domain by obtaining summarized data sets that contain essential information for end-to-end service level determination. This selective extraction approach reduces the volume of data to be processed while maintaining measurement precision, thereby resolving the contradiction between accurate measurement and processing complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the service level data collection process into domain-level summaries that are independently obtained from each network domain. These segmented summarized data sets are then aggregated at the end-to-end level, allowing for accurate determination while reducing the complexity of handling individual detailed data records from all domains simultaneously.
2Reliability
If service level data from multiple network domains is aggregated to provide holistic end-to-end monitoring, then reliability is improved, but loss of information and processing overhead increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by obtaining summarized service level data sets from each network domain in advance, before performing the end-to-end service level determination. These pre-summarized data sets contain the essential information needed for reliable monitoring, allowing the system to aggregate data efficiently without losing critical information, thus resolving the contradiction between reliability and information loss.
3Reliability
If continuous monitoring of service level data from all domains is performed to ensure SLA compliance, then reliability is improved, but use of energy and processing resources increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the essential summarized service level data from each network domain rather than continuously processing all detailed data. This selective extraction enables SLA compliance verification while significantly reducing energy consumption and processing resource requirements, thereby resolving the contradiction between reliability and energy usage.
Data Source
AI summary
A method of determining an end-to-end, E2E, service level for a communications network (100) by a network management entity (101). The communications network (100) comprises one or more network domain. The method comprises obtaining (201) a first set of service level data for the one or more network domain. The first set of service level data for said one or more network domain comprises a summarized set of data derived from service level data monitored by said one or more network domain. The method further comprises determining (202) the end-to-end service level based on the obtained first set of service level data from the one or more network domain.