Patent Application
20100329127
Network management systems typically include fault management processes to identify and isolate faults within networks under management. One mode of fault detection includes contacting devices under management over a network and measuring response time. If a response is not received within a specified timeout period, a fault is declared. However, response times are measured and compared against a single, statically, and manually set timeout period, regardless of the network device or process under management.
Various embodiments include one or more of systems, methods, and software for self-governance of network entity timeout periods in network management. Some embodiments include sending at least one message to a network entity, receiving a response, and measuring a period between the sending and receiving. Some such embodiments further include calculating a timeout period for the network entity as a function of the measured period between the sending and the receiving and storing the calculated timeout period for the network entity. The timeout period for the network entity is a period after the passage of which a network management system declares contact has been lost with the network entity.
Fault management in network management systems, such as the SPECTRUM® system developed by CA, Inc. of Islandia, N.Y., typically have globally set and static timeout periods on Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) and Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP) packet requests. When a request to a network entity, such as a router, server, gateway, firewall, or other networking system, device, or process, is not responded to within that static period from the time the request packet is sent, the network management system concludes that the network entity is not responding. Upon concluding that the network entity is not responding, network management systems typically initiate a process such as a contact loss or a fault isolation process. However, in many instances, the failure to receive a response from the network entity within the static period is not due to a loss of connectivity, but rather is due to one or more of slow network entity processing performance, network latency, and incorrect configuration of the static timeout period. Thus, contact loss and fault isolation process are often initiated when contact has not truly been lost, but instead is just received outside of the statically set timeout period. As a result, processing is performed by the network management system which consumes network bandwidth and network entity processing resources, all of which are commonly unnecessary and needlessly increase system and network latency.
Various embodiments herein include one or more of systems, methods, software, and data structures to dynamically identify and configure timeout periods in network management systems. Some such embodiments include measuring response times when testing connectivity with network entities, determining a timeout period based on the measured response times, and modifying the timeout period for one or more network entities based on the measured response times. These and other embodiments are described with reference to the figures.
In the following detailed description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings that form a part hereof, and in which is shown by way of illustration specific embodiments in which the inventive subject matter may be practiced. These embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice them, and it is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and that structural, logical, and electrical changes may be made without departing from the scope of the inventive subject matter. The following description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limited sense, and the scope of the inventive subject matter is defined by the appended claims.
The functions or algorithms described herein are implemented in hardware, software or a combination of software and hardware in one embodiment. The software comprises computer executable instructions stored on computer readable media such as memory or other type of storage devices. Further, described functions may correspond to modules, which may be software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. Multiple functions are performed in one or more modules as desired, and the embodiments described are merely examples. The software is executed on a digital signal processor, ASIC, microprocessor, or other type of processor operating on a system, such as a personal computer, server, a router, or other device capable of processing data including network interconnection devices. Some embodiments implement the functions in two or more specific interconnected hardware modules or devices with related control and data signals communicated between and through the modules, or as portions of an application-specific integrated circuit. Thus, the exemplary process flow is applicable to software, firmware, and hardware implementations.
The system 100 also includes a network management system 112 that includes or is augmented with a self-governing communication timeout module 114. The self-governing communication timeout module 114 in some embodiments is operable to communicate with the devices1-4 102, 104, 106, 108 to verify that the devices are still contactable over the network 110, to measure response time of the devices1-4 102, 104, 106, 108, and to calculate and set a timeout period for the devices1-4 102, 104, 106, 108. The response time of each device may be measured through sending of SNMP or ICMP packet requests, such as a PING which measure a round-trip period between the sending of the PING by the self-governing communication timeout module 114 to receipt of a response from the target network entity, such as one of the devices1-4 102, 104, 106, 108. The timeout period for a device may be calculated in any number of ways, such as by measuring a response period to a single PING and applying a formula to that period, such as multiply the measured period by 1.25 to add an additional 25 percent to the measured response period and using that period as the timeout period. The timeout period may then be stored, such as in a memory or storage device 116 that is accessed by the network management system 112 when determining when network 110 communication with a network entity, such as one of the devices1-4 102, 104, 106, 108, has been lost.
The data structure 200 is an example of a data structure that is used to hold timeout period configuration data. Although the data structure is illustrated as a database table, the data structure may be stored in other forms, such as files or data within another file. Further, the held in the data structure may vary depending on the requirements of the specific embodiment. As illustrated in
Although the various embodiments herein are described with regard to setting network entity specific timeout periods, other embodiments may include a single, globally set timeout period that is determined according to the methods described herein. For example, if a particular network management system includes a single, global timeout setting for network entities, or a limited number of timeout settings, such a setting or settings may be dynamically calculated by measuring roundtrip times between the sending and receiving of messages to such one or more network entities, calculating the timeout period, and then storing it.
The method 300 includes sending 302, over a network via a network interface device, at least one message to a network entity and receiving 304, over the network via the network interface device, a response to the at least one message. The method 300 further includes measuring 306 a period between the sending and receiving. The measuring 306 of the period between the sending and receiving may be performed, in various embodiments, through an explicit timing process or may be performed automatically by an SNMP or ICMP method called to send and receive the at least one message. Such a method may include a PING.
The method 300, following the measuring 306, includes calculating 308 a timeout period for the network entity as a function of the measured period between the sending and the receiving and storing 310 the calculated timeout period for the network entity in a data storage device. The timeout period for the network entity in typical embodiments being a period after the passage of which a network management system declares contact has been lost with the network entity.
In some embodiments, sending 302 the at least one message to the network entity includes sending a configurable number messages to the network entity. The configurable number may be a configuration setting stored in a location accessible a network management system, a self-governing communication timeout module, or other process performing the method 300. The configurable number of messages, in some embodiments, is three messages. In other embodiments, the configurable number of messages is one, two, four, five, or other number of messages as configured within a particular system. The number of messages is configured in some embodiments to be a number selected by an administrator or automated configuration process that is a large enough sample size to give an accurate representation of network entity response time to the sent 302 messages. In some embodiments, the number of messages may be sent 302 in a serial manner back to back. In other embodiments, the number of messages may be sent 302 at intervals, such as one every minute, every five minutes, every hour, or other interval.
In some embodiments, the receiving 304 the response to the at least one message includes receiving a response to each of the messages sent 302. Further, measuring 306 the period between the sending 302 and receiving 304 includes measuring 306 a period between the sending 302 and receiving 304 of each of the configurable number of messages sent responses received. Calculating 308 the timeout period for the network entity may include calculating the timeout period as a function of the measured periods of the number of messages sent 302 and received.
In some embodiments, calculating 308 the timeout period as a function of the measured periods includes calculating the timeout period as percentage greater than an average of the measured periods. In another embodiment, the timeout period is calculated based on an average of the measured periods plus an additional period. In further embodiments, the timeout period is calculated based on a largest of the measured periods. In these and other embodiments, the timeout period may be calculated 308 in view of a minimum and maximum timeout periods. For example, if the calculated 308 timeout period is less than the minimum timeout period, the minimum timeout period will be stored 310. Similarly, if the calculated 308 timeout period is greater than the maximum timeout period, the maximum timeout period will be stored 310.
Computer 510 may include or have access to a computing environment that includes input 516, output 518, and a communication connection 520. The computer 510 operates in a networked environment, such as is illustrated in
Computer-readable instructions stored on a computer-readable medium are executable by the one or more processing units 502 of the computer 510. A hard drive, CD-ROM, and RAM are some examples of articles including a computer-readable medium. For example, the network management system program 525 including a self-governing communication timeout module may be included on a CD-ROM, in the memory 504, or other memory or storage device. The computer-readable instructions allow computer 510 to perform one or more of the methods described herein and may include further instructions to cause the computer 510 to provide network management system functionality.
Another embodiment is in the form of a system. The system in such embodiments includes at least one processor, at least one memory device, and a network interface device operatively coupled within the system. The system further includes an instruction set, held in the at least one memory device, defining a self-governing communication timeout module that is executable by the at least one processor. The self-governing communication timeout module in such embodiments is executable by the at least one processor to verify that communication with a network entity is possible via the network interface device and measure communication response time with the network entity. The self-governing communication timeout module is further executable by the at least one processor to calculate and store, on the at least one memory device, a timeout period for the network entity based on the measured communication response time with the network entity.
In the foregoing Detailed Description, various features are grouped together in a single embodiment to streamline the disclosure. This method of disclosure is not to be interpreted as reflecting an intention that the claimed embodiments of the inventive subject matter require more features than are expressly recited in each claim. Rather, as the following claims reflect, inventive subject matter lies in less than all features of a single disclosed embodiment. Thus, the following claims are hereby incorporated into the Detailed Description, with each claim standing on its own as a separate embodiment.
