Exfo Inc.

Exfo Solutions Sas

Sylvain Nadeau

Justin Whatley

Dominic Lapierre

Maha Mdini

Anwer Al-Dulaimi

Bruno Giguere

Stéphane Lagain

Gilles Buteau

Sébastien Prieur

Kevin Corre

Jonathan Plante

Hai Hong Phan Vu

Brigitte Jaumard

Tristan Glatard

Sebastien Prieur

Systems and methods for managing 5G networks are provided. A method for injecting analytics into a Network Repository Function (NRF) for managing a 5G slice, according to one implementation, includes a first step of obtaining parameters associated with User Plane (UP) traffic and Control Plane (CP) traffic from a Service-Based Architecture (SBA) of a 5G network. The method also includes the step of performing analytics on the obtained parameters to monitor Network Functions (NFs) associated with the 5G network. In addition, the method includes the step of providing results of the analytics to an NRF to control NFs stored in a repository associated with the NRF.

Injecting analytics into network repository function (NRF) for automated management of 5G core

An embodiment involves obtaining a tabular data set with columns that characterize items relating to behavior of components of a communication network; constructing a frequent-pattern tree, each node being associated with: (i) an item-name for representing an item, (ii) a count of transactions from a root node of the tree to the respective node, and (iii) node-links that refer to other nodes in the tree that represent items having the same item-name; traversing the tree to identify a set of nodes with counts greater than a predefined support threshold; generating, from the nodes, association-rules that are based on antecedent items associated with a target item; reducing the association-rules by (i) removing the association-rules in which the antecedent items thereof are a superset or subset of the antecedent items of a further association-rule, or (ii) combining the association-rules that have antecedent items that are at least partially disjoint and conditionally dependent.

Identification of clusters of elements causing network performance degradation or outage

The present disclosure includes adjusting the QoE measurement obtained from a testing Content Delivery Network (CDN) entity to reflect accurately the QoE that would have been obtained from a reference video source from a content provider. A method includes performing a Quality of Experience, QoE, measurement from a first content source and adjusting the QoE measurement to reflect an estimate of a QoE measurement to a second content source. In this manner, it is possible to perform QoE measurements for an Over-the-Top, OTT, content provider without violating user policies that prohibit repeated requests.

Automated calibration of QoE assessment between content delivery network (CDN) entities

Example embodiments are disclosed of systems and methods for predicting failure probabilities of future product tests of a testing sequence based on outcomes of prior tests. Predictions are made by a machine-learning-based model (MLM) trained with a set of test-result sequence records (TRSRs) including test values and pass/fail indicators (PRIs) of completed tests. Within training epochs over the set, iterations are carried out over each TRSR. Each iteration involves sub-iterations carried out successively over test results of the TRSR. Each sub-iteration involves (i) inputting to the MLM values of a given test and those of tests earlier in the sequence while masking those later in the sequence, (ii) computing probabilities of test failures for the masked tests found later in the sequence than the given test, and (iii) applying the PFIs of test results later in the sequence than the given test as ground-truths to update parameters of the MLM.

Early detection of quality control test failures for manufacturing end-to-end testing optimization

A method for Over-The-Top (OTT) media service monitoring and testing including deploying multiple test agents throughout the network and orchestrating them together to create a single OTT media service delivery path with coherent measurement points. The method includes selecting and configuring all test agents forming an OTT media service delivery path in a network, wherein the test agents are deployed on devices in the network with pairs of agents in a client-server relationship; for each selected test agent, simulating a Hyper Text Transport Protocol (HTTP) Adaptive Streaming (HAS) media playback using a pair test agent as a HAS server; for each selected test agent, monitoring the HAS media playback via a Quality of Experience (QoE) model to collect metrics, influence factors, and QoE scores; and reporting collected metrics, influence factors and QoE scores, wherein the QoE scores are compared to isolate any performance degradation.

Over-the-top media service testing and QoE issues isolation

An embodiment may involve obtaining a set of data records including features characterizing operational aspects of a communication network. Each data record may include a feature vector and performance metrics of the communication network. Each feature vector may include a multiple elements corresponding to feature-value pairs. A first statistical analysis may be applied to the set of data records and their performance metrics to identify major contributors to degraded network performance. A second statistical analysis may be applied to identify elements that negatively influence the major contributors, and to discriminate between additive effects and incompatibilities as the source of negative influence. For each major contributor, a hierarchical dependency tree may be constructed with the major contributor as the root node and influencer elements as other nodes. Redundant dependencies may be removed, mutually dependent influencer elements grouped, and only the longest edges retained, in order to create dependency graph.

Automatic root cause diagnosis in networks based on hypothesis testing

A telecommunications network and service QoE assessment method and system comprising calculating a service score; calculating a network score; calculating a global score by combining the service score and the network score, the global score being for a quality of experience of a user on the network.

Telecommunications network and services QOE assessment

A test system and a related method, the system comprising a test processing agent and local test device(s). The test processing agent processes test measurements related to a network-under-test into test results. The test processing agent is decoupled from the network-under-test, e.g., by being reachable through a network communication link distinct from the network-under-test. The local test device comprises a firmware module and a network interface (NI) module. The firmware module depends on external instructions for initiating a test sequence on the network-under-test. The NI module comprises at least one physical port connectable to the network-under-test. The physical port is used for initiating the test sequence. The test processing agent receives the test measurements following the initiation of the test sequence by the local test device and allows access to the test results.

Network test system

Method and test device for performing testing in a network conveying a plurality of traffic flows. At the test device, receiving traffic flows through a first interface of the test device on a first segment and forwarding the received plurality of traffic flows towards a second segment of the network through a second interface. At the test device, receiving a test request directed to an address of a test module and, in response to the test request, causing a sequence of proprietary traffic to be injected on the second segment. A reprogrammable test device comprising a networked test module at least in part on a reprogrammable partition of a programmable logic device and a reprogramming module, on a static partition of the programmable logic device, for reprogramming at least a portion of the reprogrammable partition implementing the test module in accordance with reprogramming data received at the test device.

Growing community of inventors

Vaudreuil-Dorion, Canada

Sylvain Nadeau