JP2006129217A - Network congestion monitor system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a network congestion monitor system capable of estimating quality deterioration due to a change in a network configuration in each line service. <P>SOLUTION: This network congestion monitor system has defining parts 11 and 12 for defining network configuration information and line service information, and monitoring parts 13, 14 and 15 for estimating congestion that occurs in the network by using the network configuration information and the line service information. The network configuration information includes connection state information representing physical connection states of a plurality of devices constituting the network, standard traffic information representing standard traffic between two devices connected to each other and a traffic threshold to be used to determine a congestion state between the two devices. The line service information includes terminal device information representing a terminal device, transmission amount information representing an information transmission amount between devices and priority information representing a priority for each line service provided by the network. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a network congestion monitoring system, and more particularly to a network congestion monitoring system for monitoring congestion of an IP network.

  In a conventional network congestion monitoring system, a congestion monitoring device connected to one of a plurality of routers constituting a network periodically collects traffic data about each router via the connected routers to detect congestion. Traffic data of the route that is replaced by the new configuration based on the traffic data of the route that cannot be used in the configuration before the change when the occurrence is detected and the notification of the network configuration change is received from the connected router It is configured to predict whether or not congestion will occur (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

JP 2002-271384 A (summary)

  A conventional network congestion monitoring system can detect a router in which congestion may occur when the network configuration changes.

  However, in the conventional network congestion monitoring system, it is impossible to know how each line service provided by the network is affected by the occurrence of congestion (how much quality degradation is expected). is there.

  Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a network congestion monitoring system capable of estimating a quality degradation due to a change in the network configuration for each line service provided by the network.

  In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a definition means for defining network configuration information and line service information in a network congestion monitoring system for monitoring congestion in a network configured by connecting a plurality of devices, Monitoring means for estimating congestion occurring in the network using the network configuration information and the line service information when there is a change in the network configuration, and the network configuration information includes the plurality of Including connection state information representing a physical connection state of devices, standard traffic information representing standard traffic between two devices connected to each other, and a traffic threshold used to determine a congestion state between the two devices, The line service information is for each line service provided by the network. , And an end device information representative of the end device, a transmission amount information representing the information transmission volume between the end device, characterized in that it comprises a priority information indicating the priority.

  In this network congestion monitoring system, the monitoring device estimates the quality state for each line service using the priority information.

  According to the present invention, the standard traffic information and the traffic threshold value are included in the network configuration information, so that the occurrence of congestion can be estimated based on the status information of the network configuration devices. At that time, by using the line service information, it is possible to estimate the quality degradation for each line service according to the priority.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

  Referring to FIG. 1, the network congestion monitoring system according to the present embodiment includes a monitoring device 10 and a transmission path confirmation device 20 that operate by program control, a storage device 30 connected thereto, and a network to be monitored. And a plurality of network constituent devices (network constituent device group) 40 to be configured.

  The monitoring apparatus 10 includes a first definition unit 11 and a second definition unit 12 as definition means. The first definition unit 11 represents network configuration information indicating a physical connection state between each device in the network configuration device group 40 and information transmission amount (standard traffic) assumed between network configuration devices connected to each other. Standard traffic information and a traffic threshold used for congestion determination are defined in the monitoring apparatus 10. In addition, the second definition unit 12 determines, for each line service (managed transmission unit) provided by the monitoring target network, an end device that uses the line service (transmission information) and a transmission amount to be secured. It is defined in the monitoring device 10.

  The monitoring apparatus 10 includes a first monitoring unit 13, a second monitoring unit 14, and a third monitoring unit 15 as monitoring means. The first monitoring unit 13 functions as a device status information receiving unit, and responds to the device status information issued spontaneously by each device of the network configuration device group 40 and the device status inquiry issued from the second monitoring unit 14. Response information issued from each device of the network configuration device group 40 is received. Then, the first monitoring unit 13 specifies a route that can be used for information transmission on the network based on the network configuration information, the device state information, and / or the response information, and the amount of information that can be transmitted through the route. Calculate (transmissible amount). Whether the first monitoring unit 13 can secure a necessary transmission amount when each line service (managed transmission) defined as the line service information is provided using a transferable route. judge. On the other hand, the second monitoring unit 14 functions as a device information inquiry unit, and issues a device state inquiry for confirming the operation state to the network device group 40 as described above. In addition, the third monitoring unit 15 compares the transmission path information input from the transmission path confirmation device 20 with the network configuration information, and transmits the amount of information that can be transmitted on the path indicated by the transmission path path information (transmissible amount). ) Is calculated.

  The transmission path confirmation device 20 includes a fourth monitoring unit 21 and a fifth monitoring unit 22. The fourth monitoring unit 21 sends a transmission path confirmation packet to any network constituent device included in the network constituent device group 40. The fifth monitoring unit 22 receives transmission path information that is a response from the network configuration device group 40 to the transmission path confirmation packet sent from the fourth monitoring unit 21. Note that the transmission path information is sent from all network constituent devices existing in a path form between the target network constituent devices from the fourth start unit 21. The fifth monitoring unit 22 also hands over the transmission path information received from the network configuration device group 40 to the third monitoring unit 15.

  A plurality of transmission path confirmation devices 20 may be provided according to the number of devices included in the network configuration device group 40 and the complexity of the connection configuration.

  The storage device 30 holds network configuration information 31 defined by the first definition unit 11 and line service information 32 defined by the second definition unit 12 as storage information.

  The network configuration device group 40 includes one or more devices each connected to the monitoring device 10 and the transmission path confirmation device 20 so as to be able to communicate information. Each network component device has a self-device status information issuing function. In addition, each network component device has a function of responding to a device status inquiry from the second monitoring unit 14, transfers a transmission path confirmation packet from the fourth monitoring unit 21, and transmits transmission path information to the fifth monitoring unit. 22 is provided. However, these network components are monitoring target devices of the network monitoring system according to the present embodiment and are not components of the network monitoring system.

  Next, the operation of the network congestion monitoring system according to the present embodiment will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 2 to 11 in addition to FIG.

  First, the first definition unit 11 defines a physical connection state between devices included in the network configuration device group 40, a standard traffic amount and a traffic threshold value between devices connected to each other, and a management section. Specifically, the first definition unit 11 includes network configuration information 31 including information representing a physical connection state between devices, a standard traffic amount and a traffic threshold between devices connected to each other, and a management section. It is generated and stored in the storage device 30.

  For example, the network configuration device group 40 of FIG. 1 is connected to each other as shown in FIG. 2 and is represented by “a”, “b”, “c”,. Among these 16 network constituent devices, the devices used by the network user as end devices are four devices “I”, “G”, “W” and “T”. . Further, it is assumed that the connection between the end devices is called “management section”, and the position of the management section on the network configuration is as shown in FIG. In this case, the first definition unit 11 generates network configuration information 31 including information as illustrated in FIG. 4 and stores it in the storage device 30.

  The network configuration definition information in FIG. 4 defines whether or not each network component device “I” to “TA” is an end device of the management section (the end device is indicated by ☆), and the definition contents. Including. The definition includes the connection destination of each network component device and the assumed bandwidth value (traffic threshold / standard traffic) in the connection section with the connection destination.

  Next, the second definition unit 12 defines information (line service) transmitted on the monitoring target network. Specifically, for each line service, line service information 32 including information representing an end device located at the end of the management section, a transmission amount of information transmitted in the management section, and a priority is generated. And stored in the storage device 30.

  For example, when the network is configured as shown in FIG. 2 and the management section is as shown in FIG. 3, the line service information is as shown in FIG. The line service information in FIG. 5 defines 13 line services of “A”, “I”, “U”,..., And “SU”, and for each line service, a pair of management section end devices and Defines the amount of transmission to be secured and the priority. The priority represents a line service (information to be preferentially transmitted) that should be preferentially maintained as compared to other line services when congestion occurs. Here, a smaller value means higher priority.

  When the network configuration information 31 and the line service information 32 are stored in the storage device 30, the first monitoring unit 13 combines these pieces of information to connect the configuration of the network to be monitored and each connection section. Of traffic (traffic threshold / standard traffic). The recognition result of the first monitoring unit 13 can be expressed as shown in FIG.

  Further, the first monitoring unit 13 receives the device status information transmitted from the network configuration device group 40 and recognizes whether each device of the network configuration device group 40 is operating normally. Here, each device in the network configuration device group 40 may periodically perform self-diagnosis and send device status information, or may send device status information only when a failure is detected. . Alternatively, each device may send the device status information only when it receives a device status inquiry from the second monitoring unit 14. The first monitoring unit 13 recognizes the occurrence (stop) of the failure of each device from the contents of the device state information or by no response to the device state inquiry from the second monitoring unit 14.

  Hereinafter, an operation when the first monitoring unit 13 recognizes that one of the network constituent devices has stopped will be described.

  First, in the network configuration shown in FIG. 6, it is assumed that the network components “B”, “C”, and “F” are stopped. Then, the first monitoring unit 13 confirms that the network configuration devices “B”, “C”, and “K” have been stopped by the device status information from the network configuration device group 40 (or the detection of no response to the device status inquiry). Recognize In this case, the first monitoring unit 13 recognizes the network configuration as shown in FIG.

  In addition, the first monitoring unit 13 communicates with other devices connected to the stopped network configuration devices “B”, “C”, and “K” based on the network configuration information 31 held in the storage device 30. Recognizing that the connection section cannot be transmitted, it is determined whether there is a connection section in which information transmission is impossible in the management section. As a result of the determination, the first monitoring unit 13 recognizes whether or not information transmission is possible in the management section, for example, as shown in FIG.

  Next, the first monitoring unit 13 estimates a traffic change, that is, a congestion state due to the stop of the network constituent devices “B”, “C”, and “F”. This estimation is performed by adding (accumulating) the standard traffic volume set in the connection section where information cannot be transmitted to the standard traffic volume set in the connection section where information transmission is possible. FIG. 9 shows the result of estimating the traffic change.

  Comparing FIG. 7 and FIG. 9, in FIG. 7, the standard traffic volume between the devices “b” and “b” and between the devices “b” and “c” is “50”, respectively. Since the standard traffic volume between the equipment “I” and the equipment “D” is “0”, the total traffic volume between the equipment “I” and the equipment “D” is “100” in FIG. Yes.

  In FIG. 7, the standard traffic between the devices “d” and “b” is “50”, between the devices “d” and “b”, and between the devices “d” and “c”. 9 is “0”, and the standard traffic volume between the devices “d” and “g” is “30”. Therefore, in FIG. 9, the devices “d” and “g” The total traffic volume between and is “80”. Further, in FIG. 7, the standard traffic amounts between the devices “F” and “E” and between the devices “F” and “G” are “20”, respectively. And the device “G” has a total traffic volume of “40”.

  The first monitoring unit 13 that has estimated the traffic change as described above subsequently compares the total traffic amount after the change with the traffic threshold value, and determines that the traffic congestion state is present when the total traffic amount exceeds the traffic threshold value. To do. In this way, the first monitoring unit 13 can infer that there is a possibility that quality degradation may occur in the line service provided by the network.

  In addition, the first monitoring unit 13 refers to the line service information 32 stored in the storage device 30 and, for each connection section, determines the transmission amount defined for each line service in descending order of priority. Cumulative addition is performed and compared with the traffic threshold of the connection section. When the total transmission amount exceeds the traffic threshold, it can be estimated that there is a deterioration in transmission quality for the line service corresponding to the transmission amount added last and the line service having a lower priority than that.

  As described above, the first monitoring unit can estimate the deterioration of the quality of each line service according to the priority based on the assumed route defined as the network configuration information.

  Next, the congestion determination operation by the third monitoring unit 15 using the transmission path confirmation device 20 will be described.

  The fourth monitoring unit 21 of the transmission path confirmation device 20 confirms the transmission path to one of the end devices in the management section defined for the line service to be route confirmed among the line services defined in the circuit service information 32. Transmit packets continuously for a certain period of time. The transmission destination of the transmission path confirmation packet is the other of the end devices of the line service for which the path confirmation is to be performed.

  The transmission route confirmation packet is transferred in the network configuration device group 40 from one end device to the other end device of the management section for which route confirmation is to be performed. Each network component device that has received the transmission path confirmation packet transfers the received packet to the transmission destination and transmits the fact that the transmission path confirmation packet has been received to the fifth monitoring unit 22 as transmission path information. That is, transmission path information is sent to the fifth monitoring unit 22 from all network constituent devices located on the path to be confirmed. Thereby, the fifth monitoring unit 22 can confirm the route of the management section of the line service for which route confirmation is to be performed.

  The fifth monitoring unit 22 notifies the third monitoring unit 15 of the line service that is the target of route confirmation, and hands over the transmission route information received from the network constituent device group 40. Then, the third monitoring unit 15 refers to the line service information 32 and totals the transmission amount in the same management section as the line service notified from the fifth monitoring unit 22. Then, the third monitoring unit 15 refers to the network configuration information 31 and compares the aggregate value of the transmission amount with the traffic threshold value of the connection section on the route. When the total value of the transmission amount exceeds the traffic threshold of any connection section on the route, the third monitoring unit 15 determines that there is a possibility of overcongestion.

  The route confirmation using the transmission route confirmation packet described above can be simultaneously performed for a plurality of line services. For example, in the network configuration of FIG. 2, the transmission path from the device “I” to the device “G” and the transmission path from the device “A” to the device “W” overlap as shown in FIG. Therefore, when the line service information is as shown in FIG. 5, not only the line services “a” to “ki” having the same management section but also the transmission amounts of the line services “ku” to “ko” are considered. Otherwise, it cannot be determined whether overcongestion occurs. In such a case, the fourth monitoring unit 21 sends a transmission path confirmation packet whose destination is the device “G” and two transmission path confirmation packets whose destination is the device “W” to the device “A”. Just send it.

  When the transmission paths “A” to “KO” in FIG. 5 are specified as shown in FIG. 10, the relationship between the traffic threshold of each connection section and the total transmission amount of the line service in that section is shown in FIG. As shown.

  In FIG. 11, in the connection section between the devices “d” and “g”, the total transmission amount of the line services “a” to “ko” exceeds the traffic threshold, and the third monitoring unit Therefore, it can be determined that there is a possibility of overcongestion in this section. In this case, if there is no line service “ki” having the lowest priority, the total transmission amount is equal to or less than the traffic threshold value. Therefore, it can be estimated that this line service “ki” will cause the deterioration of the transmission quality. .

  As described above, the third monitoring unit 15 can perform congestion determination on an actual transmission path (not an assumed path) by using the transmission path check device 20.

It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the network congestion monitoring system which concerns on one embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the connection state of a network component apparatus group. It is a figure which shows a management area. It is a figure which shows an example of network configuration information. It is a figure which shows an example of line | wire service information. It is a figure which shows the result which a 1st monitoring part recognizes based on network configuration information and circuit service information. It is a figure which shows the result which the 1st monitoring part recognized the stop of an apparatus. It is a figure which shows the propriety of the information transmission in a management area. It is a figure which shows the result of having estimated the change of the traffic by the stop of an apparatus. It is a figure which shows the transmission path | route from apparatus "I" to apparatus "G", and the transmission path from apparatus "I" to apparatus "W". It is a figure which shows the transmission amount sum total and traffic threshold value of line service "A"-"KO" in the transmission path | route from apparatus "I" to apparatus "Wa".

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Monitoring apparatus 11 1st definition part 12 2nd definition part 13 1st monitoring part 14 2nd monitoring part 15 3rd monitoring part 20 Transmission path confirmation apparatus 21 4th monitoring part 22 5th monitoring part 30 Storage Device 31 Network Configuration Information 32 Line Service Information 40 Network Configuration Device Group

Claims (6)

In a network congestion monitoring system for monitoring network congestion configured by connecting multiple devices,
Defining means for defining network configuration information and line service information;
Monitoring means for estimating congestion occurring in the network using the network configuration information and the line service information when there is a change in the network configuration;
The network configuration information includes connection state information indicating physical connection states of the plurality of devices, standard traffic information indicating standard traffic between two devices connected to each other, and determination of a congestion state between the two devices. Traffic thresholds used for
The line service information includes, for each line service provided by the network, end device information representing end devices, transmission amount information representing information transmission amounts between end devices, and priority information representing priorities. ,
A network congestion monitoring system characterized by that. In the network congestion monitoring system according to claim 1,
The network congestion monitoring system, wherein the monitoring means estimates the quality state for each line service using the priority information. In the network congestion monitoring system according to claim 1 or 2,
A network congestion monitoring system comprising a storage device for storing the network configuration information and the line service information. In the network congestion monitoring system according to claim 1, 2, or 3,
A network congestion monitoring system, wherein the monitoring means includes device status information receiving means for receiving device status information from the plurality of devices in order to recognize a change in the configuration of the network. In the network congestion monitoring system according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
The network congestion monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein the monitoring unit includes a state inquiry unit that inquires the operation state of the plurality of devices in order to detect a change in the configuration of the network. In the network congestion monitoring system according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
A transmission path confirmation device for sending a transmission path confirmation packet for an arbitrary transmission path to the network and receiving a response thereof;
The monitoring means is configured to perform congestion determination of the arbitrary transmission path independently of estimation of congestion occurring in the network based on transmission path information from the transmission path confirmation device. Network congestion monitoring system.

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