Network monitoring and disaster detection

Abstract

A method of monitoring a network that includes a number of nodes interconnected by trunks has a step of obtaining processor usage data pertaining to a plurality of node processors, the processor usage data including information representative of a rate of usage of each of the plurality of node processors. The method also includes obtaining memory usage data pertaining to a plurality of memories, each of the plurality of memories associated with a node processor, the memory usage data including information representative of a rate of usage of each of the plurality of memories. The method further includes determining from the memory usage data and the processor usage data whether a network congestion event is occurring.

1 . A method of monitoring a network having a plurality of nodes, comprising:
 obtaining a status update message rate, where said status update message rate represents a rate at which status update messages are generated, where each of said status update messages comprises an information message identifying an update in a status of a network entity; and   determining from said status update message rate whether a network congestion event is occurring.   
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 obtaining processor usage data pertaining to a plurality of node processors, where said processor usage data comprising information representative of a rate of usage of each of said plurality of node processors;   obtaining memory usage data pertaining to a plurality of memories, where each of said plurality of memories is associated with one of said plurality of node processors, where the memory usage data comprising information representative of a level of usage of each of the plurality of memories; and   wherein said determining comprises using said status update message rate and at least one of: said processor usage data or said memory usage data, to determine whether said network congestion event is occurring.   
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 providing a notification responsive to determining that said network congestion event is occurring.   
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 performing a corrective action in the network responsive to determining that said network congestion event is occurring.   
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the network is an asynchronous transfer mode network and said status update messages comprise PNNI Topology State Elements (PTSE) messages. 
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the network is an Internet Protocol network and said status update messages comprise Link State Advertisement (LSA) messages. 
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein said determining whether said network congestion event is occurring comprises:
 generating one or more processor usage alarms based on the processor usage data for each node processor in an event that the processor usage data identifies a usage level for the processor that exceeds at least one of a plurality of processor alarm thresholds; and   determining whether said network congestion event is occurring based at least in part on the one or more generated processor usage alarms.   
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein said determining whether said network congestion event is occurring comprises:
 generating one or more memory usage alarms based on the memory usage data for each memory in an event that the memory usage data identifies a usage level for the memory that exceeds at least one of a plurality of memory alarm thresholds; and   determining whether said network congestion event is occurring based at least in part on the one or more generated memory usage alarms.   
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 obtaining processor usage alarm data pertaining to a plurality of node processors, where the processor usage alarm data comprising information representative of one of a plurality of alarm conditions based on a rate of usage of each of the plurality of node processors;   obtaining memory usage alarm data pertaining to a plurality of memories, where each of said plurality of memories is associated with one of said plurality of node processors, where said memory usage alarm data comprising information representative of one of a plurality of alarm conditions based on a level of usage of each of the plurality of memories; and   wherein said determining comprises using said status update message rate and at least one of: said processor usage alarm data or said memory usage alarm data, to determine whether said network congestion event is occurring.   
   
   
       10 . A system for determining whether a network congestion event is occurring in a network, comprising:
 a processor arrangement comprising one or more connected processors, the processor arrangement operable to:
 obtain status update message rate, where said status update message rate represents a rate at which status update messages are generated, where each of said status update messages comprises an information message identifying an update in a status of a network entity; and 
 determine from said status update message rate whether a network congestion event is occurring. 
   
   
   
       11 . The system of  claim 10 , where the processor arrangement is further operable to:
 obtain at least one of: processor usage data or memory usage data, where said processor usage data comprising information representative of a rate of usage of each of a plurality of node processors, where said memory usage data comprising information representative of a level of usage of each of a plurality of memories, where each of the plurality of memories associated with one of said plurality of node processors, and wherein said determining comprises using said status update message rate and at least one of: said processor usage data or said memory usage data, to determine whether said network congestion event is occurring.   
   
   
       12 . The system of  claim 10 , where the processor arrangement is further operable to:
 change a state of a variable responsive to determining that said network congestion event is occurring.   
   
   
       13 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the processor arrangement comprises a first processor for receiving at least one of: said processor usage data, said memory usage data, or said status update message rate from a remote processing device. 
   
   
       14 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the processor arrangement is operable to determine whether the network congestion event is occurring by:
 generating one or more processor usage alarms based on the processor usage data for each node processor in an event that the processor usage data identifies a usage level for the processor that exceeds at least one of a plurality of processor alarm thresholds; and   determining whether said network congestion event is occurring based at least in part on the one or more generated processor usage alarms.   
   
   
       15 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the processor arrangement is operable to determine whether the network congestion event is occurring by:
 generating one or more memory usage alarms based on the memory usage data for each memory in an event that the memory usage data identifies a usage level for the memory that exceeds at least one of a plurality of memory alarm thresholds; and   determining whether said network congestion event is occurring based at least in part on the one or more generated memory usage alarms.   
   
   
       16 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the processor arrangement comprises at least one node processor. 
   
   
       17 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the processor arrangement comprises a first processor for communicating with a plurality of node processors. 
   
   
       18 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the processor arrangement comprises a plurality of processors interconnected via the network. 
   
   
       19 . A method for use in a network comprising a plurality of nodes, where each node comprising a node processor, where each node comprising an adjacency value defined by a number of trunks connected to the node, comprising:
 turning off at least one non-essential processor task at each node processor of a first set of nodes, wherein said first set of nodes comprise nodes running said at least one non-essential processor task, wherein said non-essential processor task comprises a task that does not prevent the node from transporting data packets;   reducing the adjacency value of a second set of nodes, wherein said second set of nodes comprise nodes having high adjacencies;   removing one or more entities from the network;   restoring the adjacency value of the second set of nodes; and   turning on the at least one non-essential processor task at each node processor of the first set of nodes.   
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein said at least one non-essential processor task comprising a task that determines a more efficient route for data packets.