DESC:FORM 2
THE PATENTS ACT, 1970 (39 OF 1970)
&
THE PATENT RULES, 2003
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION
(See section 10 and rule 13)

SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR IDENTIFYING NETWORK NODES WITH DEGRADED PERFORMANCE IN A COMMUNICATION NETWORK

Jio Platforms Limited, an Indian company, having registered address at Office -101, Saffron, Nr. Centre Point, Panchwati 5 Rasta, Ambawadi, Ahmedabad - 380006, Gujarat, India

The following specification particularly describes the invention and the manner in which it is to be performed.

TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to the field of wireless communication networks and systems. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a system and a method for identifying network nodes with degraded performance in a communication network.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The subject matter disclosed in the background section should not be assumed or construed to be prior art merely because of its mention in the background section. Similarly, any problem statement mentioned in the background section or its association with the subject matter of the background section should not be assumed or construed to have been previously recognized in the prior art.
[0003] In modern mobile communication networks, continuous network connectivity is a critical requirement for users as the users move between different areas. To maintain seamless connectivity, a process known as "handover" is used. During the handover, a mobile device (or User Equipment (UE)) switches its connection from one network node, called a "source network node," to another network node, called a "target network node." The handover is necessary when signal strength from the source network node begins to fade as the user moves away, and signal from a different, closer node becomes stronger.
[0004] A single source network node can have multiple target network nodes, depending on location and movement of the UE. To ensure a high-quality user experience, performance of the handover is monitored using various performance metrics, one of the most important being handover statistics. The handover statistics is an aggregated value of the handover from the source network node to the multiple target network nodes.
[0005] Network operation team routinely analyze the performance metrics to assess behavior of each network node on a daily basis. When the network operation team observe a decline in a handover success rate for any of the source network node, it indicates a potential issue that could disrupt continuity of the network connectivity for the users.
[0006] Heretofore, the analysis of the performance metrics by the network operation team has been sufficient for identifying broader issues within the network. However, it has proven inadequate in pinpointing specific issues related to individual target network nodes. Also, without a granular analysis, the network operation team has often found it challenging to identify the exact target network node responsible for the failures, leading to delayed resolutions and potentially prolonged service disruptions.
[0007] In order to overcome aforementioned challenges and shortcomings, there lies a need for a system and a method that allows the network operation team to accurately identify the network nodes with degraded performance.
SUMMARY
[0008] The following embodiments present a simplified summary to provide a basic understanding of some aspects of the disclosed invention. This summary is not an extensive overview, and it is not intended to identify key/critical elements or to delineate the scope thereof. Its sole purpose is to present some concepts in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description that is presented later.
[0009] According to an aspect of the present disclosure, disclosed herein is a method for identifying network nodes with degraded performance in a communication network. The method includes receiving, by a receiving module, via a User Interface (UI) of a network management device, an input indicative of a selection of at least one source network node from a plurality of source network nodes. The at least one source network node is associated with at least one target network node of a plurality of target network nodes, and a handover of a communication session is performed between the at least one source network node and the at least one target network node. The method further includes fetching, by a retrieval module, via a microservice, a report configuration corresponding to the at least one source network node, from a database based on the input. Further, the method includes retrieving, by the retrieval module based on the report configuration, performance metrics data including at least one Key Performance Indicator (KPI) of the at least one source network node and the at least one target network node. Furthermore, the method includes generating, by a generation module based on the performance metrics data, a performance statistics report including information associated with the handover between the at least one source network node and the at least one target network node.
[0010] In one or more implementations, the method further includes storing, by a storage module, the performance statistics report in a Distributed File System (DFS).
[0011] In one or more implementations, the report configuration is created by the generation module utilizing an input received via a Representational State Transfer (REST) Application Programming Interface (API).
[0012] In one or more implementations, the input comprises one or more of identifiers of the at least one source network node and the at least one target network node, a time duration of the handover, and a geographical location corresponding to the at least one source network node.
[0013] In one or more implementations, the performance metrics data is retrieved from a distributed storage system.
[0014] In one or more implementations, the at least one KPI comprise one or more of a success rate for the handover, a signal strength, a latency, and a throughput.
[0015] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, disclosed is a system for identifying network nodes with degraded performance in a communication network. The system comprises a receiving module, a retrieval module, and a generation module. The receiver module is configured to receive, via a User Interface (UI) of a network management device, an input indicative of a selection of at least one source network node from a plurality of source network nodes. The at least one source network node is associated with at least one target network node of a plurality of target network nodes, and a handover of a communication session is performed between the at least one source network node and the at least one target network node. The retrieval module is configured to fetch, via a microservice, a report configuration corresponding to the at least one source network node, from a database based on the input and retrieve, based on the report configuration, performance metrics data including at least one Key Performances Indicator (KPI) of the at least one source network node and the at least one target network node. Furthermore, the generation module is configured to generate, based on the performance metrics data, a performance statistics report including information associated with the handover between the at least one source network node and the at least one target network node.
[0016] In one or more implementations, the system further comprises a storage module configured to store the performance statistics report in a Distributed File System (DFS).
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0017] Various embodiments disclosed herein will become better understood from the following detailed description when read with the accompanying drawings. The accompanying drawings constitute a part of the present disclosure and illustrate certain non-limiting embodiments of inventive concepts. Further, components and elements shown in the drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present disclosure. For consistency and ease of understanding, similar components and elements are annotated by reference numerals in the exemplary drawings.
[0018] FIG. 1 illustrates a block diagram depicting a communication environment, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
[0019] FIG. 2 illustrates a block diagram depicting a communication system for identifying network nodes with degraded performance in a communication network, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0020] FIG. 3 illustrates a line diagram depicting communications between components of the communication system for identifying the network nodes with the degraded performance in the communication network, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0021] FIG. 4 illustrates a flowchart depicting a method for identifying the network nodes with the degraded performance in the communication network, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0022] FIG. 5 illustrates a schematic architecture diagram depicting a computing system for identifying the network nodes with the degraded performance in the communication network, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0023] Inventive concepts of the present disclosure will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which examples of one or more embodiments of inventive concepts are shown. Inventive concepts may, however, be embodied in different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Further, the one or more embodiments disclosed herein are provided to describe the inventive concept thoroughly and completely, and to fully convey the scope of each of the present inventive concepts to those skilled in the art. Furthermore, it should be noted that the embodiments disclosed herein are not mutually exclusive concepts. Accordingly, one or more components from one embodiment may be tacitly assumed to be present or used in any other embodiment.
[0024] The following description presents various embodiments of the present disclosure. The embodiments disclosed herein are presented as teaching examples and are not to be construed as limiting the scope of the present disclosure. The present disclosure should in no way be limited to the illustrative implementations, drawings, and techniques illustrated below, including the exemplary design and implementation illustrated and described herein, but may be modified, omitted, or expanded upon without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.
[0025] The following description contains specific information pertaining to embodiments in the present disclosure. The detailed description uses the phrases “in some embodiments” or “some implementations” which may each refer to one or more or all of the same or different embodiments or implementations. The term “some” as used herein is defined as “one, or more than one, or all.” Accordingly, the terms “one,” “more than one,” “more than one, but not all” or “all” would all fall under the definition of “some.” In view of the same, the terms, for example, “in an embodiment” or “in an implementation” refers to one embodiment or one implementation and the term, for example, “in one or more embodiments” refers to “at least one embodiment, or more than one embodiment, or all embodiments.” Further, the term, for example, “in one or more implementations” refers to “at least one implementation, or more than one implementation, or all implementations.
[0026] The term “comprising,” when utilized, means “including, but not necessarily limited to;” it specifically indicates open-ended inclusion in the so-described one or more listed features, elements in a combination, unless otherwise stated with limiting language. Furthermore, to the extent that the terms “includes,” “has,” “have,” “contains,” and other similar words are used in either the detailed description, such terms are intended to be inclusive in a manner similar to the term “comprising.”
[0027] In the following description, for the purposes of explanation, various specific details are set forth to provide a thorough understanding of embodiments of the present disclosure. It will be apparent, however, that embodiments of the present disclosure may be practiced without these specific details. Several features described hereafter can each be used independently of one another or with any combination of other features.
[0028] The description provided herein discloses exemplary embodiments only and is not intended to limit the scope, applicability, or configuration of the present disclosure. Rather, the foregoing description of the exemplary embodiments will provide those skilled in the art with an enabling description for implementing any of the exemplary embodiments. Specific details are given in the following description to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments. However, it may be understood by one of the ordinary skilled in the art that the embodiments disclosed herein may be practiced without these specific details.
[0029] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the disclosure. As used herein the description, the singular forms "a", "an", and "the" include plural forms unless the context of the invention indicates otherwise.
[0030] The terminology and structure employed herein are for describing, teaching, and illuminating some embodiments and their specific features and elements and do not limit, restrict, or reduce the scope of the present disclosure. Accordingly, unless otherwise defined, all terms, and especially any technical and/or scientific terms, used herein may be taken to have the same meaning as commonly understood by one having ordinary skill in the art.
[0031] An object of the present disclosure is to provide a system and a method for identifying specific target network nodes responsible for handover failures from source network nodes in a communication network.
[0032] Another object of the present disclosure is to provide a system and a method for enabling a network operation team to quickly pinpoint the target network nodes with highest handover failure rates and implement timely corrective actions to improve network reliability.
[0033] Yet another object of the present disclosure is to provide a system and a method that reduces an impact of the handover failures on user experience by ensuring continuous service through optimized handover processes.
[0034] Several key terms used in the description play pivotal roles in facilitating the system functionality. In order to facilitate an understanding of the description, the key terms are defined below.
[0035] A “network node” in the entire disclosure may refer to any logical or physical entity within the communication network that performs specific functions related to data transmission, processing, or control. The network node may include, but is not limited to, a gNodeB (gNB) in 5th Generation (5G) network, and an eNodeB (eNB) in Long Term Evolution (LTE) network. The network node facilitates communication between a User Equipment (UE) and the communication network, execute mobility management functions such as handovers, and contribute to overall network performance monitoring.
[0036] A “source network node” in the entire disclosure may refer to an entity responsible for handling an active connection before initiating a handover. This could be the eNodeB or the gNodeB that is currently serving the UE before transferring a session to a target network node.
[0037] The “target network node” in the entire disclosure may refer to an entity that receives and continues the service after the handover is completed. The target network node can be another eNodeB, the gNodeB, or a different access network node that ensures an uninterrupted connectivity.
[0038] The “handover” in the entire disclosure may refer to a process of transferring an ongoing connection from the source network node to the target network node to maintain service continuity and optimized network performance. The handover may occur between different cells, Radio Access Technologies (RATs), or even different core networks.
[0039] A “microservice” in the entire disclosure may refer to a modular, independent software component that performs a specific function within a Network Management System (NMS). In network management, microservices framework architecture is used to modularize different functions, such as the performance monitoring, handover management, and Key Performance Indicator (KPI) collection.
[0040] A “Distributed File System (DFS)” in the entire disclosure may refer to a system that allows access to files across multiple networked computers, making data retrieval more scalable and reliable. The DFS may be used to store performance statistics and logs across distributed nodes for fault tolerance and redundancy.
[0041] A “Representational State Transfer (REST)” in the entire disclosure may refer to an architectural style used for designing network management functions based on standard HTTP methods. A REST-based interface may facilitate the communication between a network management device and other components, such as a database storing report configurations.
[0042] An “Application Programming Interface (API)” in the entire disclosure may refer to a defined set of protocols that allows different software components to interact with each other. The API in the present disclosure may be utilized to create a report configuration based on an input received via the REST-based interface.
[0043] The “KPI” in the entire disclosure may refer to a measurable metric used to evaluate network node performance. Some critical KPIs include a latency, a throughput, packet loss, and handover success rate, which help assess network node efficiency.
[0044] The “latency” in the entire disclosure may refer to a time delay between sending and receiving data within the communication network. In the present disclosure, the latency may be one of the KPIs included in performance metrics data to assess the efficiency of the source network node or the target network node.
[0045] The “throughput” in the entire disclosure may refer to the actual data transfer rate over the communication network, typically measured in bits per second (bps). In the present disclosure, the throughput may be a part of the performance statistics report generated based on the collected metrics data, reflecting network efficiency.
[0046] The “report configuration” in the entire disclosure may refer to a predefined set of parameters for collecting and processing the performance metrics data. The report configuration may be fetched based on the input indicative of a selection of the source network node.
[0047] The “NMS” in the entire disclosure may refer to a system responsible for overseeing and optimizing the operation of multiple network nodes. The NMS may interact with microservices and APIs to collect and process performance data.
[0048] An “element manager” in the entire disclosure may refer to a management entity responsible for controlling and monitoring specific network elements. The element manager may function as an intermediary between an individual network node and the NMS.
[0049] A “communication session” in the entire disclosure may refer to ongoing data, voice, or signaling exchanges between the UE and the communication network, which are maintained through the network node. The communication session may include, but not limited to, voice calls, video calls, data streaming, web browsing, or any other type of network-based interaction. When the handover of the communication session between the source network nodes and the target network nodes occurs, the communication session remains active while transitioning from one network node to another network node.
[0050] The present invention relates to the system and the method for identifying network nodes with degraded performance in the communication network. In the communication network, maintaining seamless connectivity during user movement is crucial for ensuring service quality. However, certain network nodes in the communication network may exhibit poor performance, particularly in handling the handovers between the source network nodes and the target network nodes. When a handover success rate for a particular node degrades, it's essential to identify the specific target network nodes where failures are most frequent.
[0051] Embodiments of the present disclosure will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 through FIG. 5, discussed below, and the one or more embodiments used to describe the principles of the present disclosure are by way of illustration only and should not be construed in any way to limit the scope of the present disclosure. Those skilled in the art will understand that the principles of the present disclosure may be implemented in any suitably arranged system or device.
[0052] FIG. 1 illustrates a block diagram depicting a communication environment 100, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the communication environment 100 includes a plurality of base stations (BSs) 102-2 to 102-N (hereinafter referred to as BSs 102 or BS 102). It is to be noted that the BSs 102 may also be referred to as “cells”, “gNBs”, “wireless network nodes” or “network nodes” interchangeably throughout this disclosure without departing from the scope of the invention. Further, the BSs 102 may also be referred to as “Access Point (AP)”, “Evolved NodeB (eNodeB) (eNB)”, “Fifth Generation node (5th Generation node)”, “wireless point”, “Transmission/Reception Point (TRP)”, “Radio Access Network (RAN)” or other terms having equivalent technical meanings.
[0053] The BSs 102 serve a plurality of User Equipment (UEs) 104-2 to 104-N (hereinafter referred to as UEs 104 or UE 104) in coverage regions 106-2 to 106-N (hereinafter referred to as coverage region 106). Typically, the term “user equipment” or “UE” can refer to any component such as “mobile station”, “subscriber station”, “remote terminal”, “wireless terminal”, “receive point”, “end user device”, “user device”, or the like.
[0054] Extents of the coverage region 106 are shown as approximately circular or elliptical for the purposes of illustration and explanation only. It should be clearly understood that the coverage region 106 associated with the BSs 102, such as coverage region 106-2, 106-4, may have other shapes, including irregular shapes, depending upon the configuration of the BSs 102, and variations in wireless communication network environment associated with natural and man-made obstructions.
[0055] The coverage region 106 represents geographical areas served by the network nodes including the source network node and the target network node. The coverage region associated with the source network node and the target network node play a critical role in the handover process. In a non-limiting example, the source network node may be the gNB providing service to the UE in the coverage region 106-2, while the target network node could be another gNB in the coverage region 106-4, receiving the handover as the UE moves in the 5G network. Similarly, in the LTE network, the source network node may be an eNB in the coverage region 106-2, handing over the UE connection to a neighboring eNodeB as the UE transitions to the coverage region 106-4. As mobile users move through different coverage regions, the communication network must continuously monitor signal strength and performance metrics to ensure the seamless connectivity. When signal in the source network node's coverage region weakens, the system initiates the handover to the target network node within the neighboring coverage region where the signal is stronger. These coverage regions, therefore, form the boundaries within which the handovers are triggered, and analyzing the handover success and failure between the coverage regions helps identifying the network nodes with the degraded performance.
[0056] The BSs 102 are connected to a network 110 to provide one or more services to the UEs 104. The network 110 may include a proprietary Internet Protocol (IP) network, Internet, or other data network. In some embodiments, the BSs 102 may communicate with each other and with the UEs 104 using a communication technique, such as a 5G/ New Radio (NR), LTE, Long Term Evolution Advanced (LTE-A), Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX), Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi), or other wireless communication techniques.
[0057] The network 110 may include suitable logic, circuitry, and interfaces that may be configured to provide several network ports and several communication channels for transmission and reception of data related to operations of various entities of the communication environment 100. Each network port may correspond to a virtual address (or a physical machine address) for transmission and reception of the communication data. For example, the virtual address may be an Internet Protocol Version 4 (IPV4) (or an IPV6 address) and the physical address may be a Media Access Control (MAC) address. The network 110 may be associated with an application layer for implementation of communication protocols based on one or more requests from the various entities of the communication environment 100. The communication data may be transmitted or received via the communication protocols. Examples of the communication protocols may include, but are not limited to, Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), File Transfer Protocol (FTP), Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP), Domain Network System (DNS) protocol, Common Management Interface Protocol (CMIP), Transmission Control Protocol and Internet Protocol (TCP/IP), User Datagram Protocol (UDP), Long Term Evolution (LTE) communication protocols, or any combination thereof. In some aspects of the present disclosure, the communication data may be transmitted or received via one communication channel of several communication channels in the network 110. The communication channels may include, but are not limited to, a wireless channel, a wired channel, a combination of wireless and wired channel thereof. The wireless or wired channel may be associated with a data standard. The data standard may be defined by one of a Local Area Network (LAN), a Personal Area Network (PAN), a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN), a Wireless Sensor Network (WSN), Wireless Area Network (WAN), Wireless Wide Area Network (WWAN), a Metropolitan Area Network (MAN), a satellite network, the Internet, an optical fiber network, a coaxial cable network, an infrared (IR) network, a Radio Frequency (RF) network, and a combination thereof. Aspects of the present disclosure are intended to include or otherwise cover any type of communication channel, including known, related art, and/or later developed technologies.
[0058] The communication environment 100 further includes an NMS 120. A collection of data is controlled by the NMS 120 associated with the network 110. The NMS 120 includes the element manager that controls an activation or a deactivation of the collection of the data.
[0059] FIG. 2 illustrates a block diagram depicting a communication system 200 for identifying the network nodes with the degraded performance in the communication network, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. The embodiment of the communication system 200 shown in FIG. 2 is for illustration only. Other embodiments of the communication system 200 may be used without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.
[0060] As shown in FIG. 2, the communication system 200 includes a wireless node 202 such as a gNB, a network 204, a network management device 206, a database 212, a server 214 (may also be referred as “system 214”) and a DFS 224. The wireless node 202 communicates with the server 214 via the network 204.
[0061] The wireless node 202 provides wireless broadband access to the network 204. The wireless node 202 may communicate with the network management device 206 or the server 214 using the wireless communication techniques. In an example implementation, the wireless node 202 may be referred to as “the base station or the BS”.
[0062] The network management device 206 includes a User Interface (UI) 208 and a communication unit 210. The network management device 206 is equipped with the UI 208 through which the user (the “user” hereinafter may correspond to network operation team” or any “person” from the network operation team) may upload the source network nodes for which source-to-target pair handover statistics are required. The communication unit 210 within the network management device 206 is responsible for transmitting the request for the handover statistics to the server 214 over the communication network. The communication unit 210 may include a plurality of antennas, a plurality of Radio Frequency (RF) transceivers, a transmit processing circuitry, and a receive processing circuitry. Additionally, the network management device 206 may further include circuitry, programing, applications, or a combination thereof. For the sake of convenience, the term “network management device” used in this disclosure refers to a remote wireless equipment or the user device that wirelessly accesses the wireless node 202 and the server 214 via the network 204.
[0063] The database 212 may correspond to a centralized database system configured to store and manage structured data, such as network-related data and configurations. The database stores configuration data comprising/including information on source-to-target network node pairs and other parameters required to generate a performance statistics report. When the request is made, the server 214 retrieves relevant configuration from the database 212 via the microservices 228-1, 228-2. The database 212 may be a relational database organizing related data such as in a table, or a non-relational database organizing graphical and time series data.
[0064] The server 214 includes a memory 216, one or more processors 218 (hereinafter also referred to as “processor 218”), one or more processing modules 220 (hereinafter also referred to as “processing modules 220”), a communication interface 222, and a scheduler 226.
[0065] The server 214 acts as a central hub in the communication system 200 and manages entire process of generating the performance statistics report. The server 214 receives the request from the network management device 206, and then triggers the microservices 228-1, 228-2 to retrieve necessary configuration from the database 212. The server 214 generates the performance statistics report and stores the performance statistics report in the DFS 224. The DFS 224 may corresponds to one of a Network Attached Storage (NAS) drive. The performance statistics report is available for the user to download via the UI 208. In one or more implementations, the server 214 may be a network of computers, a software framework, or a combination thereof, that may provide a generalized approach to create a server implementation. Examples of the server may include, but are not limited to, personal computers, laptops, mini-computers, mainframe computers, any non-transient and tangible machine that can execute a machine-readable code, cloud-based servers, distributed server networks, or a network of computer systems. The server 214 may be realized through various web-based technologies, or any web-application framework.
[0066] The memory 216 stores a set of instructions required by processor 218 of the server 214 for controlling its overall operations. Specifically, the memory 216 stores temporary data and configurations required for processing the requests and generating the performance statistics report. The memory 216 may include microservices framework 228. In one or more embodiments, the microservices framework 228 may be a separate component within the server 214. The microservices framework 228 represents individual services for specific tasks, such as handling the requests and processing the data. The microservices framework 228 within the memory 216 allows the server 214 to break down entire operations of the server 214 into smaller, independent services that may be developed, deployed, and scaled independently. The memory 216 may include non-volatile storage elements. Examples of such non-volatile storage elements may include magnetic hard discs, optical discs, floppy discs, flash memories, or forms of Electrically Programmable Memories (EPROM) or Electrically Erasable and Programmable Memories (EEPROM). In addition, the memory 216 may, in some examples, be considered a non-transitory storage medium. The "non-transitory" storage medium is not embodied in a carrier wave or a propagated signal. However, the term "non-transitory" should not be interpreted as the memory 216 is non-movable. In some examples, the memory 216 may be configured to store larger amounts of information. In certain examples, a non-transitory storage medium may store data that can, over time, change (e.g., in Random Access Memory (RAM) or cache). The memory 216 may be an internal storage unit or an external storage unit of the server 214, cloud storage, or any other type of external storage.
[0067] The processor 218 may include various processing circuitry and communicates with the memory 216 and the communication interface 222. The processor 218 is configured to execute programs and other processes stored in the memory 216. The processor 218 is further configured to move data into or out of the memory 216 as required by an executing process. The processor 218 may further include one or a plurality of processors, including a general-purpose processor, such as, for example, and without limitation, a Central Processing Unit (CPU), an Application Processor (AP), a dedicated processor, or the like, a Graphics-only Processing Unit such as a Graphics Processing Unit (GPU).
[0068] The communication interface 222 may facilitate communication of the communication system 200 with various devices connected to it. The communication interface 222 may also provide a communication pathway for one or more components of the communication system 200. Examples of such components include, but are not limited to, the processing modules 220.
[0069] In an embodiment, the processing modules 220 may be implemented as a combination of hardware and programming (for example, programmable instructions) to implement one or more functionalities of the server 214. In non-limiting examples, described herein, such combinations of hardware and programming may be implemented in several different ways. For example, the programming for the processing modules 220 may be processor-executable instructions stored on a non-transitory machine-readable storage medium and the hardware for the processor 218 may comprise a processing resource (for example, one or more processors), to execute such instructions. In the present examples, the machine-readable storage medium may store instructions that, when executed by the processing resource, implement the processing modules220. In such examples, the communication system 200 may also comprise the machine-readable storage medium storing the instructions and the processing resource to execute the instructions, or the machine-readable storage medium may be separate but accessible to the communication system 200 and the processing resource. In other examples, the processing modules 220 may be implemented using an electronic circuitry.
[0070] In one or more embodiments, the processing modules 220 may include one or more units/modules selected from any of a receiving module 220-1, a retrieval module 220-2, a generation module 220-3, and a storage module 220-4.
[0071] Referring to Fig. 2, the processor 218, using the receiving module 220-1, is configured to receive, via the UI 208 of the network management device 206, an input indicative of a selection of the source network nodes. Each source network node is associated with the target network nodes. The handover of a communication session is performed between the source network node and the target network nodes. The processor 218, using the retrieval module 220-2 is configured to fetch the report configuration via the microservices 228-1, 228-2 corresponding to the source network node, from the database 212. The processor 218, using the retrieval module 220-2, is further configured to retrieve the performance metrics data including KPIs of the source network nodes and the target network nodes from a distributed storage system. Additionally, the processor 218, using the generation module 220-3, is configured to generate, based on the performance metrics data, the performance statistics report. The performance statistics report includes the information associated with the handover between the source network node and the target network node to identify the network nodes with the degraded performance.
[0072] The communication interface 222 includes an electronic circuit specific to a standard that enables wired or wireless communication. The communication interface 222 is configured to communicate internally between internal hardware components. The communication interface 222 may be further configured to communicate with external devices via one or more networks. In an implementation, the communication interface 222 facilitates interaction between the server 214 and other components such as the network management device 206, the database 212, and the DFS 224.
[0073] The DFS 224 may be integrated within the server 214 for storing the performance statistics report generated by the processor 218 and other operational data. The DFS 224 is configured to provide a scalable and fault-tolerant storage system, capable of handling entire operation specific data across distributed clusters of files associated with the server 214.
[0074] The scheduler 226 is configured to periodically initiate an execution of specific tasks, ensuring that the performance statistics report is generated at regular intervals, such as daily or weekly. The scheduler 226 is triggered in accordance with a scheduled time to fetch latest performance metrics from the database 212. thereby ensuring that the data used in the performance statistics report is always up to date, allowing the user to consistently monitor node performance and identify any persistent issues.
[0075] Although FIG. 2 illustrates one example of the communication system 200, various changes may be made to FIG. 2. For example, the communication system 200 may include any number of wireless network nodes and any number of network management devices in any suitable arrangement. Further, in another example, the server 214 may include any number of components in addition to the components shown in FIG. 2. Further, various components in FIG. 2 may be combined, further subdivided, or omitted and additional components may be added according to particular needs.
[0076] FIG. 3 illustrates a line diagram 300 depicting communications between components of the communication system 200 for identifying the network nodes with the degraded performance in the communication network, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0077] The line diagram 300 represents a flow of data and operations required to generate handover performance statistics for the network nodes and illustrates the interaction between various components of the communication system 200, including the network management device 206, the processor 218, the microservices 228-1, 228-2, the database 212, and the processing modules 220 to produce and deliver the required performance statistics report. Initially, the user interacts with the UI 208 on the network management device 206 to provide the input. The user selects a list of the source network nodes from a group of source network nodes for which a detailed performance statistics report is required and specifies the performance metrics to be analyzed. For instance, the user may upload a list of source network nodes, such as network node A and network node B, for which the handover statistics (e.g., success and failure rates) are to be evaluated.
[0078] At step 302, the processor 218 receives the input, via the network management device 206 to manage a workflow for generating the performance statistics report based on the input.
[0079] At step 304, the processor 218 receives another input, via the REST) API, to create the report configuration. In an example embodiment, the input may be structured into a predefined format suitable for storage and further processing in order to create the report configuration. The report configuration contains details such as the selected source node and associated target nodes, and the performance metrics to be analyzed. For instance, the report configuration for the network node A may include its interactions with target network nodes X, Y, and Z, along with metrics like handover success rates.
[0080] At step 306, the processor 218 is configured to transmit, via the microservice 228-1, the report configuration to the database 212 for storage. The database 212 stores the report configuration securely. The configuration stored in the database 212 is accessed by the microservice 228-2 to initiate data processing and report generation tasks. The database 212 serves as a repository for the report configurations, ensuring that the report configurations may be retrieved and processed when needed. For instance, the database 212 may store the report configuration that the network node A has a success rate of 80% with the target network node X, 70% with the target network node Y, and 90% with the target network node Z.
[0081] At step 308, the microservice 228-2 retrieves the stored report configuration from the database 212 when the scheduler 226 is triggered at regular intervals. At step 308-1, the processing modules 220 are triggered by the microservice 228-2 to fetch the required KPI data from the distributed storage system. The distributed storage system may refer to a storage architecture that allows the data to be stored in a distributed manner, ensuring redundancy and efficient data retrieval. The distributed storage system may support structured, semi-structured, or unstructured data and may be designed to handle large-scale datasets. The processing modules 220 processes the KPI data to generate the performance statistics report.
[0082] At step 310, after the performance statistics report is generated, the performance statistics report is stored back in the DFS 224, making the performance statistics report accessible for the user.
[0083] At step 312, the processor 218 may display, on the UI 208, a download option for downloading the generated performance statistics report. When the processor 218 receives, an input via the displayed download option, the generated performance statistics report is sent to the user. The performance statistics report includes analysis of the handover success rates and identification of problematic target network nodes. The performance statistics report further enables the users to analyze network node-level behavior, identify the target network nodes where the handover failures are frequent, to take corrective measures. For instance, based on the performance statistics report, the user might optimize resource allocation for the target network node Y or reconfigure its parameters to improve the performance.
[0084] FIG. 4 illustrates a flowchart depicting a method 400 for identifying the network nodes with the degraded performance in the communication network, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. The method 400 comprises a series of operation steps indicated by blocks 402 through 408. The method 400 starts at block 402.
[0085] At block 402, the processor 218, using the receiving module 220-1, may receive, via the UI 208 of the network management device 206, the input indicative of the selection of the source network nodes from multiple source network nodes. The handover of the communication session is performed between the source network node and the target network nodes associated with the source network node. Initially, the UI 208 of the network management device 206 is configured to display the list of the source network nodes to the users for selecting and specifying preferences for the source network nodes for generation of the performance statistic report. The input on the list of the source network nodes is received via the UI 208.
[0086] At block 404, the processor 218, using the retrieval module 220-2,may fetch, via the microservices 228-1, 228-2, the report configuration corresponding to the source network nodes, from the database 212. The report configuration is created based on the selected source network node and is stored in the database 212. The report configuration is created by utilizing an input data received, via the REST API. The input data includes node identifiers of the source network nodes and the target network nodes, a time duration of the handover and geographical locations corresponding to the source network nodes and the target network nodes, and the input data is structured into the predefined format suitable for the storage and further processing. In an implementation, the report configuration comprises the identifiers for the source network nodes and the target network nodes, and the specific KPIs to be monitored to identify the network nodes with the degraded performance. The KPIs may comprise a success rate for the handover, a signal strength, a latency, and a throughput.
[0087] At block 406, the processor 218, using the retrieval module 220-2, may retrieve, based on the report configuration, the performance metrics data including the KPIs of the source network node and the target network node from the distributed storage system.
[0088] At block 408, the processor 218, using the generation module 220-3 may generate, based on the fetched performance metrics data, the performance statistics report. The performance statistics report includes the information associated with the handover between the source network node and the target network node to identity the network nodes with the degraded performance. The information may include the performance metrics such as the handover success rates, the handover failures and their causes, handover latency, the signal strength before and after the handover, packet loss during the handover, the geographical location of the handover, and a handover duration. In a non-limiting example, the performance statistics report may indicate that 95% of handovers from a particular source network node to the target network node were successful, while the remaining 5% failed due to lack of resources or poor signal strength. In another non-limiting example, the performance statistics report may also log the geographical locations of frequent handover failures to aid in network optimization. By collecting and analyzing these performance metrics, the network management system may identify nodes with degraded performance, optimize handover procedures, and enhance overall network reliability. The information is crucial for network operators to make data-driven decisions in managing the handovers efficiently. The generated performance statistics report is stored in the DFS 224 by the storage module 220-4.
[0089] In one or more implementations, the processor 218 may control the UI 208 of the network management device 206 to display the download option for downloading the generated performance statistics report. The processor 218 may receive, via the UI 208, the input to download the generated performance statistics report.
[0090] FIG. 5 illustrates a schematic architecture diagram depicting a computing system 500 for identifying the network nodes with the degraded performance in the communication network, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. The computing system 500 may be any type of computer, including a server, a web server, a cloud server, etc. The one or more components of the computing system 500 may perform the functions similar to the components of the communication system 200 as disclosed herein with respect to FIG. 2.
[0091] The computing system 500 includes a network 502, a network interface 504, a processor 506, an Input/Output (I/O) interface 508 and a non-transitory computer readable storage medium 510 (hereinafter may also be referred to as the “storage medium 510” or the “storage media 510”).
[0092] The network interface 504 includes wireless network interfaces such as Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX), General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), or Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA) or wired network interfaces such as Ethernet, Universal Serial Bus (USB), or Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers-864 (IEEE-864).
[0093] The processor 506 may include various processing circuitry and communicate with the storage medium 510 and the I/O interface 508. The processor 506 is configured to execute instructions stored in the storage medium 510 and to perform various processes. The processor 506 may include an intelligent hardware device including a general-purpose processor, such as, for example, and without limitation, the CPU, the AP, the dedicated processor, or the like, the graphics-only processing unit such as the GPU, a microcontroller, a Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA), a programmable logic device, a discrete hardware component, or any combination thereof. The processor 506 may be configured to execute computer-readable instructions 510-1 stored in the storage medium 510 to cause the communication system 200 to perform various functions.
[0094] The storage medium 510 stores a set of instructions 510-1 required by the processor 506 for controlling its overall operations. The storage medium 510 may further store the microservices framework 228.
[0095] The storage media 510 may include one or more of an electronic storage medium, a magnetic storage medium, an optical storage medium, a quantum storage medium, or the like. For example, the storage media 510 may include, but are not limited to, hard drives, floppy diskettes, optical disks, ROMs, RAMs, EPROMs, EEPROMs, flash memory, magnetic or optical cards, solid-state memory devices, or other types of physical media suitable for storing electronic instructions. In one or more embodiments, the storage media 510 includes a Compact Disk-Read Only Memory (CD-ROM), a Compact Disk-Read/Write (CD-R/W), and/or a Digital Video Disc (DVD).
[0096] In one or more embodiments, the storage medium 510 stores computer program code configured to cause the computing system 500 to perform at least a portion of the processes and/or methods. Accordingly, in at least one embodiment, the computing system 500 performs the method for identifying the network nodes with the degraded performance in the communication network.
[0097] Embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above with reference to flowchart illustrations of methods and systems according to the embodiments of the disclosure, and/or procedures, algorithms, steps, operations, formulae, or other computational depictions, which may also be implemented as computer program products. In this regard, each block or step of the flowchart, and combinations of blocks (and/or steps) in the flowchart, as well as any procedure, algorithm, step, operation, formula, or computational depiction can be implemented by various means, such as hardware, firmware, and/or software including one or more computer program instructions embodied in computer-readable program code. As will be appreciated, any such computer program instructions may be executed by one or more computer processors, including without limitation a general-purpose computer or special purpose computer, or other programmable processing apparatus to perform a group of operations comprising the operations or blocks described in connection with the disclosed methods.
[0098] Further, these computer program instructions, such as embodied in computer-readable program code, may also be stored in one or more computer-readable memory or memory devices (for example, the memory 216 or the storage medium 510) that can direct a computer processor or other programmable processing apparatus to function in a particular manner, such that the instructions 510-1 stored in the computer-readable memory or memory devices produce an article of manufacture including instruction means which implement the function specified in the block(s) of the flowchart(s).
[0099] It will further be appreciated that the term “computer program instructions” as used herein refer to one or more instructions that can be executed by the processing modules 306 to perform one or more functions as described herein. The instructions 510-1 may also be stored remotely such as on a server, or all or a portion of the instructions can be stored locally and remotely.
[0100] Now, referring to the technical abilities and advantageous effect of the present disclosure, operational advantages that may be provided by one or more embodiments may include providing the system and the method for identifying the target network nodes with the degraded performance based on the source to target handover performance statistics. Also, with a help of the microservices framework, the performance statistics report is generated with minimum latency along with data sanity.
[0101] A further potential advantage of the one or more embodiments disclosed herein may include saving time of the network operations team in manual identification of the target network nodes with the degraded performance and effectively utilizing the time in solving the network issues. Furthermore, the user may upload only the selected source network nodes on the UI of the network management device to fetch the source to target pair level statistics, thereby saving the time, and the user may easily download the performance statistics report via a user-friendly UI.
[0102] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the methodology described herein in the present disclosure may be carried out in other specific ways than those set forth herein in the above disclosed embodiments without departing from essential characteristics and features of the present invention. The above-described embodiments are therefore to be construed in all aspects as illustrative and not restrictive.
[0103] The drawings and the forgoing description give examples of embodiments. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that one or more of the described elements may well be combined into a single functional element. Alternatively, certain elements may be split into multiple functional elements. Elements from one embodiment may be added to another embodiment. For example, orders of processes described herein may be changed and are not limited to the manner described herein. Any combination of the above features and functionalities may be used in accordance with one or more embodiments.
[0104] In the present disclosure, each of the embodiments has been described with reference to numerous specific details which may vary from embodiment to embodiment. The foregoing description of the specific embodiments disclosed herein may reveal the general nature of the embodiments herein that others may, by applying current knowledge, readily modify and/or adapt for various applications such specific embodiments without departing from the generic concept, and, therefore, such adaptations and modifications are intended to be comprehended within the meaning of the disclosed embodiments. It is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and is not limited in scope.
LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS
[0105] The following list is provided for convenience and in support of the drawing figures and as part of the text of the specification, which describe innovations by reference to multiple items. Items not listed here may nonetheless be part of a given embodiment. For better legibility of the text, a given reference number is recited near some, but not all, recitations of the referenced item in the text. The same reference number may be used with reference to different examples or different instances of a given item. The list of reference numerals is:
100 - Communication environment
102-2 to 102-N- Base Station
104-2 to 104-N- User Equipment
106-2 to 106-N- Coverage regions
110/204- Network
120- Network Management System (NMS)
200- Communication system
202- Wireless node (base station)
206- Network management device
208-User Interface (UI)
210- Communication unit
212- Database
214- Server/System
216- Memory
218- Processor
220- Processing modules
220-1- Receiving module
220-2- Retrieval module
220-3- Generation module
220-4- Storage module
222- Communication Interface
224- Distributed File System (DFS)
226- Scheduler
228- Microservices framework
228-1, 228-2- Microservices
300- Line diagram depicting communications between components of the communication system 200
302-312- Steps of line diagram 300
400- Method for identifying the network nodes with the degraded performance
402-412- Steps of method 400
500- Computing system
502- Network
504- Network interface 504
506- Processor
508- Input/Output (I/O) interface
510- non-transitory computer readable storage medium
510-1 Instructions
,CLAIMS:We Claim:
1. A method (400) for identifying network nodes with degraded performance in a communication network, the method (400) comprising:
receiving (402), by a receiving module (220-1), via a User Interface (UI) (208) of a network management device (206), an input indicative of a selection of at least one source network node from a plurality of source network nodes, wherein the at least one source network node is associated with at least one target network node of a plurality of target network nodes, wherein a handover of a communication session is performed between the at least one source network node and the at least one target network node;
fetching (404), by a retrieval module (220-2), via a microservice, a report configuration corresponding to the at least one source network node, from a database (212) based on the input;
retrieving (406), by the retrieval module (220-2) based on the report configuration, performance metrics data including at least one Key Performance Indicator (KPI) of the at least one source network node and the at least one target network node; and
generating (408), by a generation module (220-3) based on the performance metrics data, a performance statistics report including information associated with the handover between the at least one source network node and the at least one target network node.
2. The method (400) as claimed in claim 1, further comprising storing, by a storage module (220-4), the performance statistics report in a Distributed File System (DFS) (224).
3. The method (400) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the report configuration is created by the generation module (220-3) utilizing an input received via a Representational State Transfer (REST) Application Programming Interface (API).
4. The method (400) as claimed in claim 3, wherein the input comprises one or more of identifiers of the at least one source network node and the at least one target network node, a time duration of the handover, and a geographical location corresponding to the at least one source network node.
5. The method (400) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the performance metrics data is retrieved from a distributed storage system.
6. The method (400) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one KPI comprise one or more of a success rate for the handover, a signal strength, a latency, and a throughput.
7. A system (214) for identifying network nodes with degraded performance in a communication network, the system (200) comprising:
a receiving module (220-1) configured to receive, via a User Interface (UI) (208) of a network management device (206), an input indicative of a selection of at least one source network node from a plurality of source network nodes, wherein the at least one source network node is associated with at least one target network node of a plurality of target network nodes, wherein a handover of a communication session is performed between the at least one source network node and the at least one target network node;
a retrieval module (220-2) configured to:
fetch, via a microservice, a report configuration corresponding to the at least one source network node, from a database (212) based on the input;
retrieve, based on the report configuration, performance metrics data including at least one Key Performances Indicator (KPI) of the at least one source network node and the at least one target network node; and
a generation module (220-3) configured to generate, based on the performance metrics data, a performance statistics report including information associated with the handover between the at least one source network node and the at least one target network node.
8. The system (214) as claimed in claim 7, wherein a storage module (220-4) is configured to store the performance statistics report in a Distributed File System (DFS) (224).
9. The system (214) as claimed in claim 7, wherein to create the report configuration, the generation module (220-3) is configured to utilize an input received via a Representational State Transfer (REST) Application Programming Interface (API).
10. The system (214) as claimed in claim 9, wherein the input comprises one or more of identifiers of the at least one source network node and the at least one target network node, a time duration of the handover, and a geographical location corresponding to the at least one source network node.
11. The system (214) as claimed in claim 7, wherein the performance metrics data is retrieved from a distributed storage system.
12. The system (214) as claimed in claim 7, wherein the at least one KPI comprise one or more of a success rate for the handover, a signal strength, a latency, and a throughput.