Ciena Corporation

Anne K Winiewicz

Darryl Black

Peter Pothier

The present invention provides a method and apparatus for managing distributed statistical data retrieval in a network device. Periodically, statistical data is gathered by processes on one or more remote cards in a network device and transferred to a central process. The statistical data may comprise, for example, management/historical data including accounting, performance, security and fault logging data (or some portion thereof). In one embodiment, the central process may notify each process as to when gathered statistical data may be reported. This allows the central process to throttle the amount of data sent to the central process in accordance with any existing backlog of data to be processed by the central process.

Throttling distributed statistical data retrieval in a network device

The present invention provides a management system internal to a network device that sends various management data files and corresponding metadata files to a management system external to the network device. The external management system then uses the metadata files to process the management data files. As a result, the external management system dynamically learns how to manage a network device through the metadata files. Moreover, new types of management data files&#x2014;perhaps corresponding to new hardware within the network device&#x2014;may be sent from the internal management system to the external management system along with corresponding new metadata files and the external management system will be able to process the new management files without having to be re-booted or restarted. In addition, multiple network devices coupled with the external management system may send various different types of management data to the external management system and using the metadata files from each network device, the external management system will be able to process the various management data types. In one embodiment, the metadata files are JAVA class files.

Processing network management data in accordance with metadata files

The present invention provides a method and apparatus for internal network device dynamic health monitoring. To increase network device availability, internal network device evaluations of resource attributes are conducted against threshold expressions and network managers are notified of any threshold events to allow them to address issues before failures occur. Flexibility is added by allowing users to select between various predefined threshold expressions, and flexibility is further increased by allowing users to input new threshold expressions. The user provided threshold expressions are dynamically incorporated into the network device's threshold evaluations while the network device is running. Thus, network managers may change threshold expressions at any time in accordance with their needs. The types of threshold expressions that may be used are practically limitless and may include any operand and multiple variables, including the time of day. In addition, multiple threshold expressions may be cascaded together. Network managers may be notified of threshold events in multiple manners as well. Moreover, the types of resource attributes that may be evaluated is extended by assigning unique identifiers to network device resources and allowing threshold evaluations for any identifiable resource and associated attributes.

Internal network device dynamic health monitoring

The present invention provides a method and apparatus for tracking distributed statistical data retrieval in a network device. Periodically, statistical data is gathered by processes on one or more remote cards in a network device and transferred to a central process. The distributed processes register each different type of statistical data to be gathered with the central process allowing the central process to maintain an accurate inventory of distributed processes expected to send particular statistical data. Tracking statistical data gathering processes allows the central process to consistently report data while allowing each process to remain modular. In addition, tracking increases a network device's scalability. For example, new processes may be added to a network device without affecting existing processes. Moreover, tracking increases a network device's availability. For instance, tracking provides fault tolerance, such that if one statistical data gathering process fails the other statistical data gathering processes are not affected and data continues to be reported. Importantly, data not reported by a registered process may be quickly detected and, where necessary, reported to a network management system. Tracking also provides for auto deregistration, for example, when hot swapping of cards out of a network device, tracking deregisters processes as necessary.

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Lexington, MA, United States of America

Anne K Winiewicz