At&t Intellectual Property I, LP

Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation

At&t Bls Intellectual Property, Inc

At&t Delaware Intellectual Property Corporation, Inc.

Rakuten, Inc.

David E Massengill

William Scott Taylor

John Hollingsworth

An example involves assigning a first logical circuit identifier to a logical failover circuit prior to a failure of a dedicated logical circuit. The dedicated logical circuit includes first variable communication paths to route data through a first local access and transport area (LATA), second variable communication paths to route the data through a second LATA, and fixed communication paths to route the data between the first LATA, the second LATA, and an inter-exchange carrier. The failure of the dedicated logical circuit is identified based on status information pertinent to the dedicated logical circuit. The logical failover circuit includes an alternate communication path for communicating the data. When the first logical circuit identifier does not match the second logical circuit identifier, the second logical circuit identifier is renamed to match the first logical circuit identifier. The data is rerouted to the logical failover circuit without manual intervention.

Methods and systems for automatically rerouting logical circuit data

An example method involves providing, with a network management module of a network management system, current reroute statistics in a data structure based on the rerouting of the data from a logical circuit that has failed to a logical failover circuit in the network. The current reroute statistics include a committed information rate corresponding to the logical circuit in the network. The logical circuit is identified by a first logical circuit identifier. The logical failover circuit is identified by a second logical circuit identifier. The first and second logical circuit identifiers are renamed until the logical circuit has been restored from failure. Updated reroute statistics are provided, with the network management module, based on a change in a status of the logical circuit resulting from the committed information rate having been exceeded.

Methods and systems for automatically tracking the rerouting of logical circuit data in a data network

An example method involves generating, with a network management module, a data structure to store current reroute statistics based on rerouting of data from a logical circuit that has failed to a logical failover circuit in a network. The current reroute statistics include trap data corresponding to the logical circuit. The trap data includes a committed burst size. The logical circuit is identified by a first logical circuit identifier. The logical failover circuit is identified by a second logical circuit identifier. The first and second logical circuit identifiers are renamed until the logical circuit has been restored from failure. The table is updated with the network management module to store updated reroute statistics. The updated reroute statistics include updated trap data corresponding to the logical circuit. The updated reroute statistics are based on a change in status of the logical circuit resulting from the committed burst size having been exceeded.

An example involves when a first logical circuit identifier of the dedicated logical circuit that is to communicate data only between a host device and a remote device does not match a second logical circuit identifier of a logical failover circuit comprising an alternate communication path for communicating the data, and when the dedicated logical circuit has failed: the second logical circuit identifier is renamed to identify the logical failover circuit using the first logical circuit identifier when the logical failover circuit is a dedicated logical failover circuit to communicate only when the dedicated logical circuit fails, and the dedicated logical circuit is renamed to identify the dedicated logical circuit using the second logical circuit identifier when the logical failover circuit is to communicate regardless of failure of the dedicated logical circuit.

An example method involves generating, without manual intervention, a table to store current reroute statistics based on rerouting of data from a logical circuit that has failed to a logical failover circuit in a network. The current reroute statistics include trap data corresponding to the logical circuit. The trap data includes a committed burst size. The logical circuit is identified by a first logical circuit identifier. The logical failover circuit is identified by a second logical circuit identifier. The first and second logical circuit identifiers are renamed until the logical circuit has been restored from failure. The table is updated, without manual intervention, to store updated reroute statistics. The updated reroute statistics include updated trap data corresponding to the logical circuit. The updated reroute statistics are based on a change in status of the logical circuit corresponding to a dropped frame when the committed burst size has been exceeded.

A customer order is received for routing data for a time period. A logical circuit is provisioned through a first LATA, an IEC, and a second LATA. The logical circuit includes first variable communication paths that automatically reroute from a first set of switches to a second set of switches of the first LATA while maintaining the logical circuit, second variable communication paths to route the data through the second LATA, and fixed communication paths to route the data between the first LATA, the second LATA, and the IEC. The second set of switches forms a route associated with the first variable communication paths that is not predefined and that is dynamically defined at a time of automatic rerouting. The logical circuit is disconnected following the end of the time period.

Methods and systems for provisioning logical circuits for intermittent use in a data network

A disclosed example method involves identifying a logical failover circuit comprising an alternate communication path in a failover network that is separate from a logical circuit comprising variable communication paths in at least one of a first logical telecommunications network or a second logical telecommunications network and a fixed communication path between the first and second logical telecommunications networks. The failed logical connection is between the first and second logical telecommunications networks. The failover network is reserved to provide failover circuits to communicate data rerouted from failed logical circuits, and the logical failover circuit identified by a second logical circuit identifier. The logical circuit identifier of the logical circuit is renamed to the second logical circuit identifier of the logical failover circuit when a logical connection in the logical circuit has failed. The data is rerouted from the logical circuit to the logical failover circuit without manual intervention.

Methods and systems for automatically rerouting logical circuit data in a data network

An example method involves, when a first quality of service parameter for a failed logical circuit is equal to or less than a second quality of service parameter for a logical failover circuit, rerouting data from the failed logical circuit to the logical failover circuit without requiring authorization from a customer to communicate the data at the second quality of service parameter. When the second quality of service parameter for the logical failover circuit is a lower level of quality than the first quality of service parameter for the failed logical circuit: a customer is prompted for an authorization to communicate the data via the logical failover circuit at the second quality of service parameter; when the authorization is received, the data is rerouted from the failed logical circuit to the logical failover circuit; and when the authorization is denied, the data is not rerouted to the logical failover circuit.

Methods and systems to reroute data in a data network

Determining a failure of a logical connection in a logical circuit identified by a logical circuit identifier, the logical circuit comprising variable communication paths in at least one of a first or a second logical telecommunications network and a fixed communication path between the first and second logical telecommunications networks, and the failed logical connection being between the first and second logical telecommunications networks; identifying a logical failover circuit comprising an alternate communication path in a failover network that is separate from the logical circuit, the failover network reserved to provide failover circuits to communicate data rerouted from failed logical circuits, and the logical failover circuit identified by a second logical circuit identifier; renaming the logical circuit identifier of the logical circuit to the second logical circuit identifier of the logical failover circuit; and rerouting the data from the logical circuit to the logical failover circuit without manual intervention.

An example method involves generating a table to store current reroute statistics based on rerouting of data from one or more logical circuits, when they have failed, to one or more logical failover circuits. The current reroute statistics include trap data received for the one or more logical circuits. The trap data includes a committed information rate. Each of the logical circuits and logical failover circuits is identified by a logical circuit identifier that is renamed until the one or more logical circuits have been restored. The table is updated to store updated reroute statistics that include updated trap data received for the one or more logical circuits. Generating the updated reroute statistics comprises detecting a change in a status of the one or more logical circuits by determining if a frame has been dropped. The frame is dropped when the committed information rate has been exceeded.

An example involves identifying a failure of a dedicated logical circuit connecting a host device to a remote device to communicate data that originates and terminates only at the host and remote devices. When a first logical circuit identifier of the dedicated logical circuit does not match a second logical circuit identifier of a logical failover circuit comprising an alternate communication path for communicating the data: the second logical circuit identifier is renamed to identify the logical failover circuit using the first logical circuit identifier when the logical failover circuit is a dedicated logical failover circuit to communicate only when the dedicated logical circuit fails, and the dedicated logical circuit is renamed to identify the dedicated logical circuit using the second logical circuit identifier when the logical failover circuit is to communicate regardless of failure of the dedicated logical circuit.

A disclosed example method to identify a failure in a logical circuit involves receiving non-requested trap data from a plurality of switches forming a logical circuit. The logical circuit spans first, second, and third logical networks. The example method also involves polling first and second switches of the logical circuit exclusive of others of the plurality of switches of the logical circuit. The first switch forms a first network-to-network interface between the first logical network and the second logical network. The second switch forms a second network-to-network interface between the second logical network and the third logical network. The first and second switches are selected for polling based on the trap data indicating a problem at the first and second switches. The example method also involves identifying a failure of the logical circuit without manual intervention based on the polling.

Methods and systems for automatically identifying a logical circuit failure in a data network

A customer order is received for routing data for a time period. A logical circuit is provisioned for routing the data during the time period. The logical circuit is provisioned through a first LATA, an IEC, and a second LATA. The logical circuit includes first variable communication paths that automatically reroute from a first set of switches to a second set of switches of the first LATA while maintaining the logical circuit, second variable communication paths to route the data through the second LATA, and fixed communication paths to route the data between the first LATA, the second LATA, and the IEC. The second set of switches forms a route associated with the first variable communication paths that is not predefined and that is dynamically defined at a time of automatic rerouting. The logical circuit is added to a deletion batch for deletion after the time period.

An example method of rerouting data involves rerouting a logical circuit from a first set of switches to a second set of switches to communicate data between network devices without breaking the logical circuit. The logical circuit comprises variable communication paths. The second set of switches is to form a route associated with the variable communication paths that is not predefined and that is dynamically defined at a time of automatic rerouting. The example method also involves rerouting the data from the logical circuit to a logical failover circuit in the data network when the logical circuit fails based on a committed information rate having been exceeded. The logical failover circuit comprises an alternative communication path to communicate the data.

Methods and systems for automatically rerouting logical circuit data from a logical circuit failure to a dedicated backup circuit in a data network

An example method involves rerouting data from a logical circuit to a logical failover circuit when the logical circuit fails based on an exceeded quality of service parameter. The logical failover circuit is selected based on a committed bit rate, a variable bit rate, or an unspecified bit rate. The example method also involves rerouting data from a first set of switches to a second set of switches in the absence of a failure associated with the logical circuit. The logical circuit comprises variable communication paths, and the second set of switches are to form a route associated with the variable communication paths that is not predefined and that is dynamically defined at a time of automatic rerouting while maintaining the logical circuit through the second set of switches.

Growing community of inventors

Atlanta, GA, United States of America

David E Massengill