Method and apparatus for providing availability metrics for measurement and management of ethernet services

Abstract

Maintenance entities may be defined between customer and provider flow points to allow performance management to take place on an Ethernet network. The maintenance entities may be defined for access link, intra-domain, and inter-domain, and may be defined on a link or service basis. Performance parameters, including availability metrics, may be collected for the maintenance entities. The provision of such availability metrics in an Ethernet based solution to facilitate consistency of service management and operations for carriers transitioning to the Ethernet solution.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system of non-transitory processor-readable media collectively storing instructions for execution by a system of processors to determine availability of a maintenance entity defined between flow points of an Ethernet network, the instructions comprising:
 instructions executable to measure frame loss ratio (FLR) for a plurality of FLR measurement time intervals within an availability measurement period comprising the plurality of measurement time intervals;   instructions executable to compare the measured FLR to a FLR threshold to determine an availability metric for the maintenance entity for each of the FLR measurement time intervals; and   instructions executable to determine an availability ratio based on the availability metrics determined for the plurality of FLR measurement time intervals, the availability ratio representing a ratio of a duration of measurement time intervals for which the maintenance entity is deemed to be available to a duration of the availability measurement period.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the instructions executable to compare the measured FLRs to a FLR threshold to determine a respective availability metric for the maintenance entity for each of the plurality of FLR measurement time intervals comprise instructions executable to determine the respective availability metric for each FLR measurement interval based on comparisons to the FLR threshold of FLRs measured for N consecutive FLR measurement time intervals, the N consecutive FLR measurement time intervals including the FLR measurement time interval for which the respective availability metric is determined. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the instructions executable to determine the respective availability metric for each FLR measurement interval based on comparisons to the FLR threshold of FLRs measured for N consecutive FLR measurement time intervals comprise instructions executable to determine an availability metric for a FLR measurement time interval that indicates that the maintenance entity is not available during that FLR measurement time interval when respective FLRs measured for a predetermined set of N consecutive FLR measurement time intervals exceed the FLR threshold, the predetermined set of FLR measurement time intervals including the FLR measurement time interval for which the respective availability metric is determined. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the instructions executable to determine the respective availability metric for each FLR measurement interval based on comparisons to the FLR threshold of FLRs measured for N consecutive FLR measurement time intervals comprise instructions executable to determine an availability metric for a FLR measurement time interval that indicates that the maintenance entity is available during that FLR measurement time interval when respective FLRs measured for a predetermined set of N consecutive FLR measurement time intervals do not exceed the FLR threshold, the predetermined set of N FLR measurement time intervals including the FLR measurement time interval for which the respective availability metric is determined. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the instructions executable to determine the respective availability metric for each FLR measurement interval based on comparisons to the FLR threshold of FLRs measured for N consecutive FLR measurement time intervals comprise instructions executable to determine an availability metric for a FLR measurement time interval that is the same as an availability metric determined for an immediately previous FLR measurement time interval when respective FLRs measured for some but not all of a predetermined set of N consecutive FLR measurement intervals exceed the FLR threshold, the predetermined set of N FLR measurement time intervals including the FLR measurement time interval for which the respective availability metric is determined. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the instructions executable to determine the respective availability metric for each FLR measurement interval based on comparisons to the FLR threshold of FLRs measured for N consecutive FLR measurement time intervals comprise instructions executable to:
 determine an availability metric for a FLR measurement time interval that indicates that the maintenance entity is not available during that FLR measurement time interval when respective FLRs measured for a predetermined set of N consecutive FLR measurement time intervals exceed the FLR threshold, the predetermined set of FLR measurement time intervals including the FLR measurement time interval for which the respective availability metric is determined;   determine an availability metric for the FLR measurement time interval that indicates that the maintenance entity is available during that FLR measurement time interval when respective FLRs measured for the predetermined set of N consecutive FLR measurement time intervals do not exceed the FLR threshold for the predetermined set of N consecutive FLR measurement intervals; and   determine an availability metric for the FLR measurement time interval that is the same as an availability metric determined for an immediately previous FLR measurement time interval when respective FLRs measured for some but not all of a predetermined set of N consecutive FLR measurement intervals exceed the FLR threshold, the predetermined set of N FLR measurement time intervals including the FLR measurement time interval for which the respective availability metric is determined.   
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the instructions executable to determine an availability ratio based on the availability metrics determined for the plurality of FLR measurement intervals, the availability ratio representing a ratio of a duration of measurement time intervals for which the maintenance entity is deemed to be available to a duration of the availability measurement period comprise instructions executable to determine a ratio of a number of FLR measurement intervals within the availability measurement period having respective availability metrics indicating that the maintenance entity was available to a total number of FLR measurement intervals within the availability measurement period. 
     
     
         8 . A method of determining availability of a maintenance entity defined between flow points on an Ethernet network, the method comprising:
 measuring frame loss ratio (FLR) for a plurality of FLR measurement time intervals within an availability measurement period comprising the plurality of measurement time intervals;   comparing the measured FLR to a FLR threshold to determine an availability metric for the maintenance entity for each of the plurality of FLR measurement time intervals; and   determining an availability ratio based on the availability metrics determined for the plurality of FLR measurement intervals, the availability ratio representing a ratio of a duration of measurement time intervals for which the maintenance entity is deemed to be available to a duration of the availability measurement period.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein comparing the measured FLRs to a FLR threshold to determine a respective availability metric for the maintenance entity for each of the plurality of FLR measurement time intervals comprises determining the respective availability metric for each FLR measurement interval based on comparisons to the FLR threshold of FLRs measured for N consecutive FLR measurement time intervals, the N consecutive FLR measurement time intervals including the FLR measurement time interval for which the respective availability metric is determined. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein determining the respective availability metric for each FLR measurement interval based on comparisons to the FLR threshold of FLRs measured for N consecutive FLR measurement time intervals comprises determining an availability metric for a FLR measurement time interval that indicates that the maintenance entity is not available during that FLR measurement time interval when respective FLRs measured for a predetermined set of N consecutive FLR measurement time intervals exceed the FLR threshold, the predetermined set of FLR measurement time intervals including the FLR measurement time interval for which the respective availability metric is determined. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein determining the respective availability metric for each FLR measurement interval based on comparisons to the FLR threshold of FLRs measured for N consecutive FLR measurement time intervals comprises determining an availability metric for a FLR measurement time interval that indicates that the maintenance entity is available during that FLR measurement time interval when respective FLRs measured for a predetermined set of N consecutive FLR measurement time intervals do not exceed the FLR threshold, the predetermined set of N FLR measurement time intervals including the FLR measurement time interval for which the respective availability metric is determined. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein determining the respective availability metric for each FLR measurement interval based on comparisons to the FLR threshold of FLRs measured for N consecutive FLR measurement time intervals comprises determining an availability metric for a FLR measurement time interval that is the same as an availability metric determined for an immediately previous FLR measurement time interval when respective FLRs measured for some but not all of a predetermined set of N consecutive FLR measurement intervals exceed the FLR threshold, the predetermined set of N FLR measurement time intervals including the FLR measurement time interval for which the respective availability metric is determined. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein determining the respective availability metric for each FLR measurement interval based on comparisons to the FLR threshold of FLRs measured for N consecutive FLR measurement time intervals comprises:
 determining an availability metric for a FLR measurement time interval that indicates that the maintenance entity is not available during that FLR measurement time interval when respective FLRs measured for a predetermined set of N consecutive FLR measurement time intervals exceed the FLR threshold, the predetermined set of FLR measurement time intervals including the FLR measurement time interval for which the respective availability metric is determined;   determining an availability metric for the FLR measurement time interval that indicates that the maintenance entity is available during that FLR measurement time interval when respective FLRs measured for the predetermined set of N consecutive FLR measurement time intervals do not exceed the FLR threshold for the predetermined set of N consecutive FLR measurement intervals; and   determining an availability metric for the FLR measurement time interval that is the same as an availability metric determined for an immediately previous FLR measurement time interval when respective FLRs measured for some but not all of a predetermined set of N consecutive FLR measurement intervals exceed the FLR threshold, the predetermined set of N FLR measurement time intervals including the FLR measurement time interval for which the respective availability metric is determined.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein determining an availability ratio based on the availability metrics determined for the plurality of FLR measurement intervals, the availability ratio representing a ratio of a duration of measurement time intervals for which the maintenance entity is deemed to be available to a duration of the availability measurement period comprises determining a ratio of a number of FLR measurement intervals within the availability measurement period having respective availability metrics indicating that the maintenance entity was available to a total number of FLR measurement intervals within the availability measurement period. 
     
     
         15 . A system for determining availability of a maintenance entity defined between flow points on an Ethernet network, the system comprising a plurality of interconnected Ethernet network nodes and at least one network management element coupled to the network nodes, the system being configured to:
 measure frame loss ratio (FLR) for a plurality of FLR measurement time intervals within an availability measurement period comprising the plurality of measurement time intervals;   compare the measured FLR to a FLR threshold to determine an availability metric for the maintenance entity for each of the plurality of FLR measurement time intervals; and   determine an availability ratio based on the availability metrics determined for the plurality of FLR measurement intervals, the availability ratio representing a ratio of a duration of measurement time intervals for which the maintenance entity is deemed to be available to a duration of the availability measurement period.   
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the system is configured to compare the measured FLRs to a FLR threshold to determine a respective availability metric for the maintenance entity for each of the plurality of FLR measurement time intervals by determining the respective availability metric for each FLR measurement interval based on comparisons to the FLR threshold of FLRs measured for N consecutive FLR measurement time intervals, the N consecutive FLR measurement time intervals including the FLR measurement time interval for which the respective availability metric is determined. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the system is adapted to determine the respective availability metric for each FLR measurement interval based on comparisons to the FLR threshold of FLRs measured for N consecutive FLR measurement time intervals by determining an availability metric for a FLR measurement time interval that indicates that the maintenance entity is not available during that FLR measurement time interval when respective FLRs measured for a predetermined set of N consecutive FLR measurement time intervals exceed the FLR threshold, the predetermined set of FLR measurement time intervals including the FLR measurement time interval for which the respective availability metric is determined. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the system is configured to determine the respective availability metric for each FLR measurement interval based on comparisons to the FLR threshold of FLRs measured for N consecutive FLR measurement time intervals by determining an availability metric for a FLR measurement time interval that indicates that the maintenance entity is available during that FLR measurement time interval when respective FLRs measured for a predetermined set of N consecutive FLR measurement time intervals do not exceed the FLR threshold, the predetermined set of N FLR measurement time intervals including the FLR measurement time interval for which the respective availability metric is determined. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the system is configured to determine the respective availability metric for each FLR measurement interval based on comparisons to the FLR threshold of FLRs measured for N consecutive FLR measurement time intervals by determining an availability metric for a FLR measurement time interval that is the same as an availability metric determined for an immediately previous FLR measurement time interval when respective FLRs measured for some but not all of a predetermined set of N consecutive FLR measurement intervals exceed the FLR threshold, the predetermined set of N FLR measurement time intervals including the FLR measurement time interval for which the respective availability metric is determined. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the system is configured to determine the respective availability metric for each FLR measurement interval based on comparisons to the FLR threshold of FLRs measured for N consecutive FLR measurement time intervals by:
 determining an availability metric for a FLR measurement time interval that indicates that the maintenance entity is not available during that FLR measurement time interval when respective FLRs measured for a predetermined set of N consecutive FLR measurement time intervals exceed the FLR threshold, the predetermined set of FLR measurement time intervals including the FLR measurement time interval for which the respective availability metric is determined;   determining an availability metric for the FLR measurement time interval that indicates that the maintenance entity is available during that FLR measurement time interval when respective FLRs measured for the predetermined set of N consecutive FLR measurement time intervals do not exceed the FLR threshold for the predetermined set of N consecutive FLR measurement intervals; and   determining an availability metric for the FLR measurement time interval that is the same as an availability metric determined for an immediately previous FLR measurement time interval when respective FLRs measured for some but not all of a predetermined set of N consecutive FLR measurement intervals exceed the FLR threshold, the predetermined set of N FLR measurement time intervals including the FLR measurement time interval for which the respective availability metric is determined.   
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the system is configured to determine an availability ratio based on the availability metrics determined for the plurality of FLR measurement intervals, the availability ratio representing a ratio of a duration of measurement time intervals for which the maintenance entity is deemed to be available to a duration of the availability measurement period by determining a ratio of a number of FLR measurement intervals within the availability measurement period having respective availability metrics indicating that the maintenance entity was available to a total number of FLR measurement intervals within the availability measurement period.