TECHNICAL FIELD

This disclosure relates generally to network management and, more specifically, to resolving diversity issues in network connections. More particularly, the disclosure relates to a network diversity resolution system that includes a diversity assessment tool that identifies representative circuits that do not have a diversity issue. Most particularly, the network diversity system establishes a new path based on the representative circuits factoring at least the path length and number of changes needed to implement the new path.

BACKGROUND

Communication networks have migrated from using specialized networking equipment executing on dedicated hardware, like routers, firewalls, and gateways, to software defined networks (SDNs) executing as virtualized network functions (VNF) in a cloud infrastructure. To provide a service, a set of VNFs may be instantiated on the general purpose hardware. Each VNF may require one or more virtual machines (VMs) to be instantiated. In turn, VMs may require various resources, such as memory, virtual computer processing units (vCPUs), network interfaces or network interface cards (NICs), and servers.

One benefit of cloud computing is the elastic nature of the cloud and the ability to share resources among users and/or spin up virtual resources on demand. Elasticity of resources extends to processing power, storage, bandwidth, virtual functions, and virtual machines. The amount of resources that can be sourced through cloud computing incorporates nearly all facets of computing from raw processing power to storage space. The proliferation of network resources, however, provides a network management problem in the context of maintaining diverse connections for critical services.

These critical services currently include emergency response services operating over the network, such as, 911. Future critical services include dedicated networks for first responders. Such critical services have a complex set of diversity requirements that have to be met to reduce the likelihood that a failure within the network, such as an equipment losing power or a fiber cut does not interrupt the critical service's function.

Presently, there is no systematic way to arrive at a set of paths for circuits that meet these diversity requirements, or resolve diversity violations that arise due to the dynamic nature of the network. While network engineers are able to perform this exercise when the required capacity between end points is small, the task is impossible when required capacity is large. Moreover, as networks continue to grow, the capacity required for the critical services also grows creating a need for a system that efficiently resolves network diversity issues. The disclosure includes examples addressing at least one of these problems.

SUMMARY

The following disclosure generally relates to a network diversity system comprising a diversity assessment tool, the diversity assessment tool including a path finding module and a sampling module that communicate with an input/output device; the path finding module communicates with an enterprise data warehouse; the path finding module configured to search through a network inventory stored in the enterprise data warehouse, the path finding module constructing a representation to identify at least two representative paths between a selected first end point and a second end point; wherein the at least two representative paths meets at least a capacity requirement between the first end point and the second end point; and wherein the sampling module generates at least one circuit reassignment plan based on the at least two representative paths, wherein the sampling module provides a score for each of the at least one circuit reassignment plan, wherein the score is based on at least one of a machine preference, path length, and number of changes to implement the at least one circuit reassignment plan, wherein the at least one circuit reassignment plan incorporates at least one representative path having a highest score.

According to another example, the disclosure relates to a network device comprising: a processor, an input/output device coupled to the processor, and a memory coupled with the processor, the memory comprising executable instructions that when executed by the processor cause the processor to effectuate operations comprising: upon receiving a diversity issue for a path between at least two end points, via the input/output device, obtaining possible path information including at least two representative paths; assigning a score to the at least two representative paths; identifying a solution based on the score.

According to a further example, the disclosure relates to a method comprising: instantiating a diversity assessment tool, the diversity assessment tool including a path finding module virtual network function and a sampling module virtual network function that communicate with an input/output device and a memory; obtaining path information from an electronic data warehouse; the path finding module identifying at least two representative paths between a selected first end point and a second end point, wherein the at least two representative paths meets at least a capacity requirement between the first end point and the second end point; and the sampling module generating at least one circuit reassignment plan based on the at least two representative paths, wherein the generating step includes assigning a score for each of the at least one circuit reassignment plan, wherein the score is based on at least one of a machine preference, path length, and number of changes to implement the at least one circuit reassignment plan, wherein the at least one circuit reassignment plan incorporates at least one representative path having a highest score.

