WO2018178918A1

WO2018178918A1 - Method and system for determining data flow paths for communicating data packets/bits in communication network

Info

Publication number: WO2018178918A1
Application number: PCT/IB2018/052177
Authority: WO
Inventors: Vinod Kumar MADAIAH; Anuchuru SUDHEER KUMAR
Original assignee: Tejas Networks Limited
Priority date: 2017-03-31
Filing date: 2018-03-29
Publication date: 2018-10-04

Abstract

The present disclosure is related in general to network management providing method and system for determining data flow paths for communicating data packets/bits in a communication network. A network management system determines number of data flow paths required between source and destination network element within the communication network and determine a shortest data flow path between them using predefined data flow path determining techniques. Further, zero weightage is assigned to each edge of the total number of data flow paths excluding each edge of the shortest data flow path to obtain modified graph of the communication network. Using the modified graph, alternative shortest data flow paths are determined. The shortest and the alternative shortest data flow paths are determined without modifying existing nodes i.e. without splitting nodes in data flow path, thereby reducing complexity and time taken in determining the shortest and the alternative shortest data flow paths.

Description

METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR DETERMINING DATA FLOW PATHS FOR COMMUNICATING DATA PACKETS/BITS IN COMMUNICATION

NETWORK

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present subject matter is related in general to network management, and more particularly, but not exclusively to a method and a system for determining data flow paths for communicating data packets/bits in communication network.

BACKGROUND Generally, data flow paths between a set of nodes in a communication network for traversing packets and bits of data are determined by route planning systems prior to traversing the packets and bits of data. As an example, the route planning systems may be Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) / Generalized Multiprotocol Label Switching (GMPLS) based control plane, Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing (DWDM) planning tool and the like. The above-mentioned route planning systems may work on principles of Dijkstra's algorithm, Breadth First Search (BFS) algorithm and the like. As number of data flow paths required to be determined increases, the algorithms become more complex, thereby leading to abundant resource requirements. Also, as the complexity increases, amount of time taken to determine the data flow paths also increases thus causing a delay.

A few of the existing route planning systems work on the principle of Vertex Splitting (VS) method. In the VS method, initially a data flow path may be determined using the BFS algorithm. Upon detecting the first data flow path, the route planning system would split vertices in a graph comprising the nodes to determine the second data flow path and continue the same process subsequently. However, for the communication network comprising minimal nodes, the VS method may be feasible. As the complexity of the communication network increases, splitting the vertices may be a complicated process which may consume additional computation time. SUMMARY

One or more shortcomings of the prior art are overcome and additional advantages are provided through the present disclosure. Additional features and advantages are realized through the techniques of the present disclosure. Other embodiments and aspects of the disclosure are described in detail herein and are considered a part of the claimed disclosure.

Disclosed herein is a method for determining data flow paths for communicating data packets/bits in a communication network. The method comprises determining, by a network management system, number of data flow paths required between a source network element and a destination network element within the communication network. Further, the network management system determines a shortest data flow path among total number of data flow paths between the source network element and the destination network element using one or more predefined data flow path determining techniques. Furthermore, the network management system assigns zero weightage to each of one or more edges of the total number of data flow paths excluding each edge of the shortest data flow path to obtain a modified graph of the communication network. Finally, the network management system determines, using the modified graph, one or more alternative shortest data flow paths between the source network element and the destination network element. Further, the present disclosure comprises a network management system for determining data flow paths for communicating data packets/bits in a communication network. The network management system comprises a processor and a memory communicatively coupled to the processor. The memory stores the processor-executable instructions, which, on execution, causes the processor to determine number of data flow paths required between a source network element and a destination network element within the communication network. Further, the processor determines a shortest data flow path among total number of data flow paths between the source network element and the destination network element using one or more predefined data flow path determining techniques. Furthermore, the processor assigns zero weightage to each of one or more edges of the total number of data flow paths excluding each edge of the shortest data flow path to obtain a modified graph of the communication network. Finally, the processor determines using the modified graph, one or more alternative shortest data flow paths between the source network element and the destination network element.

The foregoing summary is illustrative only and is not intended to be in any way limiting. In addition to the illustrative aspects, embodiments, and features described above, further aspects, embodiments, and features will become apparent by reference to the drawings and the following detailed description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCOMPANYING DIAGRAMS The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this disclosure, illustrate exemplary embodiments and, together with the description, serve to explain the disclosed principles. In the figures, the left-most digit(s) of a reference number identifies the figure in which the reference number first appears. The same numbers are used throughout the figures to reference like features and components. Some embodiments of system and/or methods in accordance with embodiments of the present subject matter are now described, by way of example only, and with reference to the accompanying figures, in which:

FIG.l shows an exemplary architecture for determining data flow paths for communicating data packets/bits in a communication network in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG.2A shows a detailed block diagram of a network management system for determining data flow paths for communicating data packets/bits in a communication network in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG.2B - FIG.2F show exemplary graphs of a communication network for determining data flow paths for communicating data packets/bits in a communication network in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure; FIGJ shows a flowchart illustrating a method for determining data flow paths for communicating data packets/bits in a communication network in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure; and

FIG.4 is a block diagram of an exemplary computer system for implementing embodiments consistent with the present disclosure.

It should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that any block diagrams herein represent conceptual views of illustrative systems embodying the principles of the present subject matter. Similarly, it will be appreciated that any flow charts, flow diagrams, state transition diagrams, pseudo code, and the like represent various processes which may be substantially represented in computer readable medium and executed by a computer or processor, whether or not such computer or processor is explicitly shown.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the present document, the word "exemplary" is used herein to mean "serving as an example, instance, or illustration." Any embodiment or implementation of the present subject matter described herein as "exemplary" is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other embodiments.

While the disclosure is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiment thereof has been shown by way of example in the drawings and will be described in detail below. It should be understood, however that it is not intended to limit the disclosure to the particular forms disclosed, but on the contrary, the disclosure is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternative falling within the scope of the disclosure. The terms "comprises", "comprising", or any other variations thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a setup, device or method that comprises a list of components or steps does not include only those components or steps but may include other components or steps not expressly listed or inherent to such setup or device or method. In other words, one or more elements in a system or apparatus proceeded by "comprises... a" does not, without more constraints, preclude the existence of other elements or additional elements in the system or method.

The present disclosure provides a method and a system for determining data flow paths for communicating data packets/bits in a communication network. A network management system configured in one or more network elements in the communication network may determine number of data flow paths required between a source network element and a destination network element within the communication network. The number of data flow paths required may be determined based on one or more network parameters such as bandwidth, amount of data to be communicated, congestion in the communication network and the like. Further, the network management system may determine a shortest data flow path among total number of data flow paths between the source network element and the destination network element using one or more predefined data flow path determining techniques. Upon determining the shortest data flow path, the network management system may assign zero weightage to each of one or more edges of the total number of data flow paths excluding each edge of the shortest data flow path to obtain a modified graph of the communication network. Using the modified graph, the network management system determines one or more alternative shortest data flow paths from the source network element to the destination network element. The shortest data flow path and the one or more alternative shortest data flow paths are determined without modifying existing nodes in a graph of the communication network, i.e. without splitting the nodes in the data flow path. Therefore, the complexity in determining the shortest data flow paths and the one or more alternative shortest data flow paths in the communication network is reduced. Further, since the complexity has been reduced by the present disclosure, in turn time taken to determine the shortest data flow path and the one or more alternative shortest data flow paths decreases substantially.

In the following detailed description of the embodiments of the disclosure, reference is made to the accompanying drawings that form a part hereof, and in which are shown by way of illustration specific embodiments in which the disclosure may be practiced. These embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the disclosure, and it is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and that changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. The following description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense.

FIG.l shows an exemplary architecture for determining data flow paths for communicating data packets/bits in a communication network in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.

The architecture 100 comprises a source network element 103, a network management system 107 and a destination network element 105. As an example, the source network element 103 and the destination network element 105 may be a User Equipment (UE), a router, a server and the like. In some embodiments, the network management system 107 may be configured in any network element such as the UE, the router, a gateway and the like present in a communication network (not shown in the FIG.l). As an example, the communication network may be at least one of a wired communication network and a wireless communication network.

The network management system 107 comprises a processor 109, an Input/Output (I/O) interface 111 and a memory 113. The I/O interface 111 may receive data packets/bits from the source network element 103. Upon receiving the data packets/bits, the processor 109 may determine number of data flow paths required between the source network element 103 and the destination network element 105 within the communication network. In some embodiments, the processor 109 may determine the number of data flow paths required based on one or more network parameters such as bandwidth, amount of data to be communicated, congestion in the communication network and the like. In some embodiments, the number of data flow paths required may be predefined and stored in the memory 113. Further, the processor 109 may determine a shortest data flow path among total number of data flow paths between the source network element 103 and the destination network element 105 using one or more predefined data flow path determining techniques. As an example, the one or more predefined data flow path determining techniques may include, but not limited to, Dijkstra's technique, Breadth First Search (BFS) technique and the vertex splitting technique. In some embodiments, the shortest data flow path may be determined based on weights associated with each of one or more edges of the total number of data flow paths in the communication network. Λ graph of the communication network may be stored in the memory 113. As an example, the graph may be a directed network graph or an undirected network graph. Upon determining the shortest data flow path, the processor 109 may assign zero weightage associated with each of the one or more edges of the total number of data flow paths excluding each edge of the shortest data flow path to obtain a modified graph of the communication network. Further, the processor 109 may determine one or more alternative shortest data flow paths between the source network element 103 and the destination network element 105 using the modified graph. In some embodiments, the one or more alternative shortest data flow paths may be determined based on number of hops between the source network element 103 and the destination network element 105. In some alternative embodiments, the one or more alternative shortest data flow paths may be determined based on, but not limited to, congestion in the data flow paths and cost involved in traversing the data packets/bits via a certain data flow path in the communication network. In some embodiments, the shortest data flow path and the one or more alternative shortest data flow paths are disjoint paths such as link disjoint paths, edge disjoint paths, node disjoint paths or vertex disjoint paths. The processor 109 may determine the one or more alternative shortest data flow paths until the number of data flow paths required between the source network element 103 and the destination network element 105 is achieved. In some embodiments, the processor 109 may assign zero weightage to one or more edges in the modified graph if the required number of the data flow paths are not obtainable between the source network element 103 and the destination network element 105, upon determining the obtainable number of the data flow paths from the modified graph. In some embodiments, the processor 109 may re-assign actual weight to the one or more edges upon determining the data flow paths. FIG.2A shows a detailed block diagram of the network management system for determining data flow paths for communicating data packets/bits in a communication network in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.

In some implementations, the network management system 107 may include data 203 and modules 205. As an example, the data 203 is stored in the memory 113 configured in the network management system 107 as shown in the FIG.2A. In one embodiment, the data 203 may include graph data 207, received data 209, modified graph data 211, path data 213 and other data 219. In the illustrated FIG.2A, modules 205 are described herein in detail.

In some embodiments, the data 203 may be stored in the memory 113 in form of various data structures. Additionally, the data 203 can be organized using data models, such as relational or hierarchical data models. The other data 219 may store data, including temporary data and temporary files, generated by the modules 205 for performing the various functions of the network management system 107.

In some embodiments, the data stored in the memory 113 may be processed by the modules 205 of the network management system 107. The modules 205 may be stored within the memory 113. In an example, the modules 205 communicatively coupled to a processor 109 configured in the network management system 107, may also be present outside the memory 113 as shown in FIG.2A and implemented as hardware. As used herein, the term modules refer to an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), an electronic circuit, a processor (shared, dedicated, or group) and memory that execute one or more software or firmware programs, a combinational logic circuit, and/or other suitable components that provide the described functionality.

In an embodiment, the modules 205 may include, for example, a receiving module 223, determining module 225, assigning module 227 and other modules 233. The other modules 233 may be used to perform various miscellaneous functionalities of the network management system 107. It will be appreciated that such aforementioned modules 205 may be represented as a single module or a combination of different modules. In some embodiments, the receiving module 223 may receive data packets/bits from a network element in a communication network. In some embodiments, the network element may be at least one of a source network element 103 and a destination network element 105. As an example, the source network element 103 and the destination network element 105 may be a User Equipment (UE), a router, a server and the like. The data packets/bits received by the receiving module 223 may be stored as the received data 209. In some embodiments, the determining module 225 may determine number of data flow paths required between the source network element 103 and the destination network element 105 within the communication network. In some embodiments, the processor 109 may determine the number of data flow paths required based on one or more network parameters such as bandwidth, amount of data to be communicated, congestion in the communication network and the like. In some embodiments, the number of data flow paths required may be predefined and stored in the memory 113.

In some embodiments, the determining module 225 may determine a shortest data flow path among total number of data flow paths between the source network element 103 and the destination network element 105. The shortest data flow path determined by the determining module 225 may be stored as the path data 213. In some embodiments, the determining module 225 may determine the shortest data flow path using one or more predefined data flow path determining techniques. As an example, the one or more predefined data flow path determining techniques may include, but not limited to, Dijkstra's technique, Breadth First Search (BFS) technique and the vertex splitting technique. In some embodiments, the shortest data flow path may be determined based on weights associated with each of one or more edges of the total number of data flow paths in the communication network. A graph of the communication network comprising weights of the one or more edges may be stored as graph data 207.

In some embodiments, the assigning module 227 may assign zero weightage to each of the one or more edges of the total number of data flow paths excluding each edge of the shortest data flow path. In some embodiments, a modified graph of the communication network is obtained upon assigning the zero weightage. The modified graph of the communication network may be stored as the modified graph data 211.

In some embodiments, the determining module 225 may determine one or more alternative shortest data flow paths between the source network element 103 and the destination network element 105 using the modified graph. Each of the one or more alternative shortest data flow paths determined by the determining module 225 is stored as the path data 213. In some embodiments, the one or more alternative shortest data flow paths may be determined based on number of hops between the source network element 103 and the destination network element 105. In some alternative embodiments, the one or more alternative shortest data flow paths may be determined based on, but not limited to, congestion in the data flow paths and cost involved in traversing the data packets/bits via a certain data flow path in the communication network. In some embodiments, the determining module 225 may determine the one or more alternative shortest data flow paths until the number of data flow paths required between the source network element 103 and the destination network element 105 is achieved.

Further, in some embodiments, the assigning module 227 may assign zero weightage to one or more edges in the modified graph if the required number of the data flow paths are not obtainable between the source network element 103 and the destination network element 105, when the obtainable number of the data flow paths are already determined by the determining module 225 from the modified graph. Upon assigning zero weightage to the one or more edges, the determining module 225 may further determine the one or more alternative shortest data flow paths until the number of data flow paths required between the source network element 103 and the destination network element 105 is achieved. In some embodiments, the assigning module 227 may re-assign actual weight to the one or more edges upon determining the data flow paths. Henceforth, the process for determining data flow paths for communicating data packets/bits in a communication network is explained with the help of one or more examples for better understanding of the present disclosure. However, the one or more examples should not be considered as limitation of the present disclosure. Consider a graph of an exemplary communication network comprising weights of the edges from LI -LI 5 as shown in the FIG.2B. Further, consider that the number of data flow paths to be determined between a source network element "A" and a destination network element "Z" is 3. By using the one or more predefined techniques, the determining module 225 may determine the shortest data flow path i.e. a first data flow path based on weights of each of the one or more edges. An exemplary shortest data flow path between the source network element "A" and the destination network element "Z" is from A-B,B-C,C-Z as shown in the FIG.2C. Upon determining the shortest data flow path, the assigning module 227 may assign zero weightage to each of the one or more edges in the graph excluding each edge of the shortest data flow path as shown in the FIG.2D. Further, the determining module 225 may determine an alternative shortest data flow path i.e. a second data flow path between the source network element "A" and the destination network element "Z" i.e. from A-D, D-E, E-Z as shown in the FIG.2E. The second data flow path is determined based on the number of hops between the source network element "A" and the destination network element "Z". Further, the determining module 225 may determine another alternative shortest data flow path i.e. a third data flow path between the source network element "A" and the destination network element "Z" i.e. A-F, F-G, G-Z as shown in the FIG.2F. The third data flow path is also determined based on the number of hops between the source network element "A" and the destination network element "Z". Since, the required number of data flow paths between the source network element "A" and the destination network element "Z" are determined, the process of determining the data flow paths may stop.

FIGJ shows a flowchart illustrating a method for determining data flow paths for communicating data packets/bits in a communication network in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. As illustrated in FIG J, the method 300 comprises one or more blocks illustrating method for determining data flow paths for communicating data packets/bits in a communication network. The method 300 may be described in the general context of computer executable instructions. Generally, computer executable instructions can include routines, programs, objects, components, data structures, procedures, modules, and functions, which perform particular functions or implement particular abstract data types.

The order in which the method 300 is described is not intended to be construed as a limitation, and any number of the described method blocks can be combined in any order to implement the method 300. Additionally, individual blocks may be deleted from the method 300 without departing from the spirit and scope of the subject matter described herein. Furthermore, the method 300 can be implemented in any suitable hardware, software, firmware, or combination thereof.

At block 301, the method 300 may include determining, by a processor 109 of a network management system 107, number of data flow paths required between a source network element 103 and a destination network element 105 within the communication network. In some embodiments, the number of data flow paths required may be predefined. In some embodiments, the number of data flow paths required based on one or more network parameters such as bandwidth, amount of data to be communicated, congestion in the communication network and the like.

At block 303, the method 300 may include determining, by the processor 109, a shortest data flow path among total number of data flow paths between the source network element 103 and the destination network element 105 using one or more predefined data flow path determining techniques. In some embodiments, the shortest data flow path may be determined based on weights associated with each of one or more edges of the total number of data flow paths in the communication network.

At block 305, the method 300 may include assigning, by the processor 109, a zero weightage to each of one or more edges of the total number of data flow paths excluding each edge of the shortest data flow path to obtain a modified graph of the communication network. In some embodiments, the modified graph is obtained by assigning the zero weightage to each of the one or more edges excluding each edge of the shortest data flow path in a graph of the communication network. At block 307, the method 300 may include determining using the modified graph, by the processor 109, one or more alternative shortest data flow paths between the source network element 103 and the destination network element 105. In some embodiments, the one or more alternative shortest data flow paths may be determined based on number of hops between the source network element 103 and the destination network element 105. In some alternative embodiments, the one or more alternative shortest data flow paths may be determined based on, but not limited to, congestion in the data flow paths and cost involved in traversing the data packets/bits via a certain data flow path in the communication network.

At block 309, the method 300 may include checking, by the processor 109, if the required number of the data flow paths are obtained. If the required number of the data flow paths are obtained, the method proceeds to block 311 via "Yes". If the required number of the data flow paths are not obtained, the method proceeds to block 313 via "No".

At block 311, the method 300 may stop the process of determining the data flow paths between the source network element 103 and the destination network element 105.

At block 313, the method 300 may include determining, by the processor 109, the alternative shortest data flow paths between the source network element 103 and the destination network element 105. Upon determining obtainable number of the data flow paths from the modified graph, if the required number of the data flow paths are not obtained, the processor 109 may assign zero weightage to one or more edges in the modified graph and determine the alternative shortest data flow paths. In some embodiments, the processor 109 may re-assign actual weight to the one or more edges upon determining the data flow paths. FIG.4 is a block diagram of an exemplary computer system for implementing embodiments consistent with the present disclosure.

In an embodiment, FIG.4 illustrates a block diagram of an exemplary computer system 400 for implementing embodiments consistent with the present invention. In an embodiment, the computer system 400 can be network management system 107 that is used for determining data flow paths for communicating data packets/bits in a communication network. The computer system 400 may include a central processing unit ("CPU" or "processor") 402. The processor 402 may include at least one data processor for executing program components for executing user or system-generated business processes. A user may include a person, a person using a device such as such as those included in this invention, or such a device itself. The processor 402 may include specialized processing units such as integrated system (bus) controllers, memory management control units, floating point units, graphics processing units, digital signal processing units, etc.

The processor 402 may be disposed in communication with one or more input/output (I/O ) devices (411 and 412) via I/O interface 401. The I/O interface 401 may employ communication protocols/methods such as, without limitation, audio, analog, digital, stereo, IEEE-1394, serial bus, Universal Serial Bus (USB), infrared, PS/2, BNC, coaxial, component, composite, Digital Visual Interface (DV1), high-definition multimedia interface (HDMI), Radio Frequency (RF) antennas, S-Video, Video Graphics Array (VGA), IEEE 802.n /b/g/n/x, Bluetooth, cellular (e.g., Code-Division Multiple Access (CDMA), High-Speed Packet Access (HSPA+), Global System For Mobile Communications (GSM), Long-Term Evolution (LTE), WiMax, or the like), etc.

Using the I/O interface 401, computer system 400 may communicate with one or more I/O devices (411 and 412). In some embodiments, the processor 402 may be disposed in communication with a communication network 409 via a network interface 403. The network interface 403 may communicate with the communication network 409. The network interface 403 may employ connection protocols including, without limitation, direct connect, Ethernet (e.g., twisted pair 10/100/1000 Base T), Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP), token ring, IEEE 802.1 la/b/g/n/x, etc. Using the network interface 403 and the communication network 409, the computer system 400 may communicate with a source network element 410a and a destination network element 410b. The communication network 409 can be implemented as one of the different types of networks, such as intranet or Local Area Network (LAN) and such within the organization. The communication network 409 may either be a dedicated network or a shared network, which represents an association of the different types of networks that use a variety of protocols, for example, Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP), Wireless Application Protocol (WAP), etc., to communicate with each other. Further, the communication network 409 may include a variety of network devices, including routers, bridges, servers, computing devices, storage devices, etc. As an example, the source network element 410a and the destination network element 410b may be a User Equipment (UE), a router, a server and the like. In some embodiments, the processor 402 may be disposed in communication with a memory 405 (e.g., RAM, ROM, etc. not shown in Fig.4) via a storage interface 404. The storage interface 404 may connect to memory 405 including, without limitation, memory drives, removable disc drives, etc., employing connection protocols such as Serial Advanced Technology Attachment (SAT A), Integrated Drive Electronics (IDE), IEEE-1394, Universal Serial Bus (USB), fibre channel, Small Computer Systems Interface (SCSI), etc. The memory drives may further include a drum, magnetic disc drive, magneto-optical drive, optical drive, Redundant Array of Independent Discs (RAID), solid-state memory devices, solid-state drives, etc. The memory 405 may store a collection of program or database components, including, without limitation, a user interface 406, an operating system 407, a web browser 408 etc. In some embodiments, the computer system 400 may store user/application data, such as the data, variables, records, etc. as described in this invention. Such databases may be implemented as fault-tolerant, relational, scalable, secure databases such as Oracle or Sybase.

The operating system 407 may facilitate resource management and operation of the computer system 400. Examples of operating systems include, without limitation, Apple Macintosh OS X, UNIX, Unix-like system distributions (e.g., Berkeley Software Distribution (BSD), FreeBSD, NetBSD, OpenBSD, etc.), Linux distributions (e.g., Red Hat, Ubuntu, Kubuntu, etc.), International Business Machines (IBM) OS/2, Microsoft Windows (XP, Vista/7/8, etc.), Apple iOS, Google Android, Blackberry Operating System (OS), or the like. The User interface 406 may facilitate display, execution, interaction, manipulation, or operation of program components through textual or graphical facilities. For example, user interfaces may provide computer interaction interface elements on a display system operatively connected to the computer system 400, such as cursors, icons, check boxes, menus, scrollers, windows, widgets, etc. Graphical User Interfaces (GUIs) may be employed, including, without limitation, Apple Macintosh operating systems' Aqua, IBM OS/2, Microsoft Windows (e.g., Aero, Metro, etc.), Unix X-Windows, web interface libraries (e.g., ActiveX, Java, Javascript, AJAX, HTML, Adobe Flash, etc.), or the like. In some embodiments, the computer system 400 may implement the web browser 408 stored program components. The web browser 408 may be a hypertext viewing application, such as Microsoft Internet Explorer, Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Apple Safari, etc. Secure web browsing may be provided using Secure Hypertext Transport Protocol (HTTPS) secure sockets layer (SSL), Transport Layer Security (TLS), etc. Web browsers may utilize facilities such as AJAX, DHTML, Adobe Flash, JavaScript, Java, Application Programming Interfaces (APIs), etc. In some embodiments, the computer system 400 may implement a mail server stored program component. The mail server may be an Internet mail server such as Microsoft Exchange, or the like. The mail server may utilize facilities such as Active Server Pages (ASP), ActiveX, American National Standards Institute (ANSI) C++/C#, Microsoft .NET, CGI scripts, Java, JavaScript, PERL, PHP, Python, WebObjects, etc. The mail server may utilize communication protocols such as Internet Message Access Protocol (IMAP), Messaging Application Programming Interface (MAPI), Microsoft Exchange, Post Office Protocol (POP), Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP), or the like. In some embodiments, the computer system 400 may implement a mail client stored program component. The mail client may be a mail viewing application, such as Apple Mail, Microsoft Entourage, Microsoft Outlook, Mozilla Thunderbird, etc.

Furthermore, one or more computer-readable storage media may be utilized in implementing embodiments consistent with the present invention. A computer-readable storage medium refers to any type of physical memory on which information or data readable by a processor may be stored. Thus, a computer-readable storage medium may store instructions for execution by one or more processors, including instructions for causing the processors) to perform steps or stages consistent with the embodiments described herein. The term "computer-readable medium" should be understood to include tangible items and exclude carrier waves and transient signals, i.e., non-transitory. Examples include Random Access Memory (RAM), Read-Only Memory (ROM), volatile memory, non-volatile memory, hard drives, Compact Disc (CD) ROMs, Digital Video Disc (DVDs), flash drives, disks, and any other known physical storage media. Advantages of the embodiment of the present disclosure are illustrated herein. In an embodiment, the present disclosure provides a method and a system for determining data flow paths for communicating data packets/bits in a communication network.

The present disclosure provides a feature wherein the shortest data flow paths are determined with the existing nodes in the data flow path i.e. without splitting the nodes in the data flow path, thereby reducing complexity in determining the shortest data flow paths in the communication network.

The present disclosure provides a feature wherein time taken to determine the shortest data flow paths decreases substantially since the complexity is reduced.

A description of an embodiment with several components in communication with each other does not imply that all such components are required. On the contrary a variety of optional components are described to illustrate the wide variety of possible embodiments of the invention.

When a single device or article is described herein, it will be apparent that more than one device/article (whether or not they cooperate) may be used in place of a single device/article. Similarly, where more than one device or article is described herein (whether or not they cooperate), it will be apparent that a single device/article may be used in place of the more than one device or article or a different number of devices/articles may be used instead of the shown number of devices or programs. The functionality and/or the features of a device may be alternatively embodied by one or more other devices which are not explicitly described as having such functionality/features. Thus, other embodiments of the invention need not include the device itself.

The specification has described a method and a system for determining data flow paths for communicating data packets/bits in a communication network. The illustrated steps are set out to explain the exemplary embodiments shown, and it should be anticipated that ongoing technological development will change the manner in which particular functions are performed. These examples are presented herein for purposes of illustration, and not limitation. Further, the boundaries of the functional building blocks have been arbitrarily defined herein for the convenience of the description. Alternative boundaries can be defined so long as the specified functions and relationships thereof are appropriately performed. Alternatives (including equivalents, extensions, variations, deviations, etc., of those described herein) will be apparent to persons skilled in the relevant art(s) based on the teachings contained herein. Such alternatives fall within the scope and spirit of the disclosed embodiments. Also, the words "comprising," "having," "containing," and "including," and other similar forms are intended to be equivalent in meaning and be open- ended in that an item or items following any one of these words is not meant to be an exhaustive listing of such item or items, or meant to be limited to only the listed item or items. It must also be noted that as used herein and in the appended claims, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" include plural references unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

Finally, the language used in the specification has been principally selected for readability and instructional purposes, and it may not have been selected to delineate or circumscribe the inventive subject matter. It is therefore intended that the scope of the invention be limited not by this detailed description, but rather by any claims that issue on an application based here on. Accordingly, the embodiments of the present invention are intended to be illustrative, but not limiting, of the scope of the invention, which is set forth in the following claims.

Referral numerals

Claims

We claim:

A method for determining data flow paths for communicating data packets/bits in a communication network, the method comprising: determining, by a network management system (107), number of data flow paths required between a source network element (103) and a destination network element (105) within the communication network;

determining, by the network management system (107), a shortest data flow path among total number of data flow paths between the source network element ( 103) and the destination network element (105) using one or more predefined data flow path determining techniques;

assigning, by the network management system (107), zero weightage to each of one or more edges of the total number of data flow paths excluding each edge of the shortest data flow path to obtain a modified graph of the communication network; and

determining, using the modified graph, by the network management system (107), one or more alternative shortest data flow paths between the source network element (103) and the destination network element (105).

The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the alternative shortest data flow paths are determined in the modified graph until the predetermined number of the data flow paths is achieved.

The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the shortest data flow path is determined based on the weights associated with each of the one or more edges.

The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the alternative shortest data flow paths are determined based on number of hops between the source network element (103) and the destination network element (105).

The method as claimed in claim 1 further comprises assigning zero weightage , by the network management system (107), one or more edges in the modified graph if the required number of the data flow paths are not obtainable between the source network element (103) and the destination network element (105), upon determining the obtainable number of the data flow paths.

The method as claimed in claim 1 further comprises assigning, by the network management system (107), actual weight to the one or more edges upon determining the data flow paths, wherein the data flow paths include at least one of the shortest data flow path and the one or more alternative shortest data flow paths.

A network management system (107) for determining data flow paths for communicating data packets/bits in a communication network, the network management system (107) comprising: a processor (109); and a memory (113) communicatively coupled to the processor (109), wherein the memory (113) stores the processor-executable instructions, which, on execution, causes the processor (109) to: determine number of data flow paths required between a source network element (103) and a destination network element (105) within the communication network;

determine a shortest data flow path among total number of data flow paths between the source network element (103) and the destination network element (105) using one or more predefined data flow path determining techniques;

assign zero weightage to each of one or more edges of the total number of data flow paths excluding each edge of the shortest data flow path to obtain a modified graph of the communication network; and

determine using the modified graph, one or more alternative shortest data flow paths between the source network element (103) and the destination network element (105).

8. The network management system (107) as claimed in claim 7, wherein the processor (109) determines the alternative shortest data flow paths in the modified graph until the predetermined number of the data flow paths is achieved.

9. The network management system (107) as claimed in claim 7, wherein the processor (109) determines the shortest data flow path based on the weights associated with each of the one or more edges.

10. The network management system (107) as claimed in claim 7, wherein the processor (109) determines the alternative shortest data flow paths based on number of hops between the source network element (103) and the destination network element (105).

11. The network management system (107) as claimed in claim 7, wherein the processor (109) is further configured to assign zero weightage to one or more edges in the modified graph if the required number of the data flow paths are not obtainable between the source network element (103) and the destination network element (105), upon determining the obtainable number of the data flow paths.

12. The network management system (107) as claimed in claim 7, wherein the processor (109) is further configured to assign actual weight to the one or more edges upon determining the data flow paths, wherein the data flow paths include at least one of the shortest data flow path and the one or more alternative shortest data flow paths.