Method and apparatus for reactive and deliberative service level management (SLM)

1. A method performed on a computer for reactive and deliberative service level management, comprising:

providing a service over a network having a plurality of network components that support the service, wherein performance of the service depends on performances of the plurality of network components that support the service, and wherein the service has a state that represents whether the performance of the service meets or exceeds a service level identified in a service level agreement;

extracting a plurality of component parameter values from the plurality of network components that support the service across a plurality of domains of the network using a plurality of sensors respectively coupled to the plurality of network components that support the service;

monitoring the plurality of component parameter values extracted from the plurality of network components that support the service using a plurality of monitoring agents, wherein each of the plurality of monitoring agents are configured to monitor a subset of the plurality of extracted component parameter values in a respective one of the plurality of domains of the network, detect one or more intra-domain events in the respective domain as a function of the component parameter values monitored in the respective domain, and generate one or more intra-domain alarms in the respective domain as a function of the intra-domain events detected in the respective domain;

correlating the intra-domain alarms that each of the plurality of monitoring agents generate in each of the respective domains of the network using an alarm correlation agent, wherein the alarm correlation agent is configured to correlate the intra-domain alarms generated in each of the respective domains of the network to generate one or more inter-domain alarms across the plurality of domains of the network; and

analyzing causes of the intra-domain alarms generated in each of the respective domains of the network and the inter-domain alarms generated across the plurality of domains of the network using an enterprise management system, wherein the intra-domain alarms and the inter-domain alarms indicate one or more of a degradation or a potential degradation in the performance of the service relative to the service level identified in the service level agreement.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

mapping the inter-domain alarms generated across the plurality of domains of the network to a service parameter that represents the state of the service, wherein the service parameter has a value that indicates whether the performance of the service meets or exceeds the service level identified in the service level agreement; and

displaying information relating to service, wherein the displayed information includes at least one of availability, faults, configuration, integrity, security, reliability, performance, or the service level associated with the service.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising

determining that the state of the service satisfies the service level agreement in response to the value for the service parameter meeting or exceeding the service level identified in the service level agreement.

4. The method of claim 2 , further comprising determining that the state of the service does not satisfy the service level agreement in response to the value for the service parameter not meeting or exceeding the service level identified in the service level agreement.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein analyzing the causes of the intra-domain alarms and the inter-domain alarms includes executing one or more data mining algorithms that discover respective relationships between the component parameter values and each of the intra-domain alarms and the inter-domain alarms.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein analyzing the causes of the intra-domain alarms and the inter-domain alarms further includes:

executing the one or more data mining algorithms to discover at least one of the intra-domains alarms that caused one or more of the inter-domain alarms;

executing the one or more data mining algorithms to discover at least one of the intra-domain events that caused the at least one intra-domain alarm; and

executing the one or more data mining algorithms to discover at least one of the component parameter values that caused the at least one intra-domain event.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein the one or more data mining algorithms further discover cause and effect relationships among the plurality of network components that support the service to represent the respective relationships between the component parameter values and each of the intra-domain alarms and the inter-domain alarms.

8. The method of claim 5 , wherein the one or more data mining algorithms further discover one or more of the component parameter values that distinguish whether the performance of the service meets or exceeds the service level identified in service level agreement.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of monitoring agents are further configured to detect the one or more intra-domain events based on one or more policies and rules associated with the service.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein each of the plurality of monitoring agents are further configured to generate the one or more intra-domain alarms based on the one or more policies and rules associated with the service.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the alarm correlation agent is further configured to generate the one or more inter-domain alarms based on the one or more policies and rules associated with the service.

12. A method performed on a computer for reactive and deliberative service level management, comprising:

providing a service over a network having a plurality of network components that support the service, wherein performance of the service depends on performances of the plurality of network components that support the service, and wherein the service has a state expressed as a range of numeric values that represent whether the performance of the service meets or exceeds a service level identified in a service level agreement;

extracting a plurality of component parameter values from the plurality of network components that support the service across a plurality of domains of the network using a plurality of sensors respectively coupled to the plurality of network components that support the service;

monitoring the plurality of component parameter values extracted from the plurality of network components that support the service using a plurality of monitoring agents, wherein each of the plurality of monitoring agents are configured to monitor a subset of the plurality of extracted component parameter values in a respective one of the plurality of domains of the network, detect one or more intra-domain events in the respective domain as a function of the subset of the component parameter values monitored in the respective domain, and generate one or more intra-domain alarms in the respective domain as a function of the intra-domain events detected in the respective domain;

correlating the intra-domain alarms that each of the plurality of monitoring agents generate in each of the respective domains of the network using an alarm correlation agent, wherein the alarm correlation agent is configured to correlate the intra-domain alarms generated in each of the respective domains of the network to generate one or more inter-domain alarms across the plurality of domains of the network;

mapping the inter-domain alarms generated across the plurality of domains of the network to a service parameter that represents the state of the service, wherein the service parameter has a numeric value in the range of numeric values that indicates whether the performance of the service meets or exceeds the service level identified in the service level agreement; and

monitoring the numeric value of the service parameter using an enterprise management system to provide service level management for the service provided over the network.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein providing service level management for the service provided over the network includes determining that the state of the service satisfies the service level agreement in response to the numeric value of the service parameter meeting or exceeding the service level identified in the service level agreement.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein providing

service level management for the service provided over the network includes determining that

the state of the service satisfies the service level agreement in response to the numeric value of the service parameter meeting or exceeding the service level identified in the service level agreement.

15. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:

determining that the numeric value of the service parameter indicates one or more of a degradation, a potential degradation, or an imminent degradation in the performance of the service relative to the service level identified in the service level agreement; and

issuing one or more instructions that effect a change to one or more of the component parameter values in response to determining that the numeric value of the service parameter indicates any of the degradation, the potential degradation, or the imminent degradation in the performance of the service relative to the service level identified in the service level agreement, wherein the one or more instructions autonomously cause the numeric value of the service parameter to meet or exceed the service level identified in the service level agreement.

16. A hardware system for reactive and deliberative service level management, comprising:

a network having a plurality of network components that support a service provided over the network, wherein performance of the service depends upon performances of the plurality of network components that support the service, and wherein the service has a state that represents whether the performance of the service meets or exceeds a service level identified in a service level agreement;

a plurality of sensors respectively coupled to the plurality of network components that support the service, wherein the plurality of sensors are configured to extract a plurality of component parameter values from the plurality of network components that support the service across a plurality of domains of the network;

a plurality of monitoring agents communicatively coupled to the plurality of sensors, wherein each of the plurality of monitoring agents are configured to:

monitor a subset of plurality of the extracted component parameter values in a respective one of the plurality of domains of the network;

detect one or more intra-domain events in the respective domain as a function of the component parameter values monitored in the respective domain; and

generate one or more intra-domain alarms in the respective domain as a function of the intra-domain events detected in the respective domain;

an alarm correlation agent configured to correlate the intra-domain alarms that each of the plurality of monitoring agents generate in each of the respective domains of the network to generate one or more inter-domain alarms across the plurality of domains of the network; and

an enterprise management system configured to analyze causes of the intra-domain alarms generated in each of the respective domains of the network and the inter-domain alarms generated across the plurality of domains of the network, wherein the intra-domain alarms and the inter-domain alarms indicate one or more of a degradation or a potential degradation in the performance of the service relative to the service level identified in the service level agreement.

17. A hardware system for reactive and deliberative service level management, comprising:

a network having a plurality of network components that support a service provided over the network, wherein performance of the service depends upon performances of the plurality of network components that support the service, and wherein the service has a state expressed as a range of numeric values that represent whether the performance of the service meets or exceeds a service level identified in a service level agreement;

a plurality of sensors respectively coupled to the plurality of network components that support the service, wherein the plurality of sensors are configured to extract a plurality of component parameter values from the plurality of network components that support the service across a plurality of domains of the network;

a plurality of monitoring agents communicatively coupled to the plurality of sensors, wherein the plurality of monitoring agents are configured to:

monitor a subset of the plurality of extracted component parameter values in a respective one of the plurality of domains of the network;

detect one or more intra-domain events in the respective domain as a function of the subset of the component parameter values monitored in the respective domain; and

generate one or more intra-domain alarms in the respective domain as a function of the intra-domain events detected in the respective domain;

an alarm correlation agent configured to correlate the intra-domain alarms that each of the plurality of monitoring agents generate in each of the respective domains of the network to generate one or more inter-domain alarms across the plurality of domains of the network; and

an enterprise management system configured to:

map the inter-domain alarms generated across the plurality of domains of the network to a service parameter that represents the state of the service, wherein the service parameter has a numeric value in the range of numeric values that indicates whether the performance of the service meets or exceeds the service level identified in the service level agreement; and

monitor the numeric value of the service parameter to provide service level management for the service provided over the network.