Method and system for monitoring network resources utilization

1. A network utilization monitoring system for monitoring utilization of photonic network resources in a photonic network, the system comprising:

a resource utilization data processor configured to dynamically obtain resource utilization data regarding shared photonic network resources of interest including the utilization of deployed equipment and physical layer parameters, the resource utilization data being expressed as a number of photonic network resources being used;

a threshold crossing determination unit configured to determine whether a threshold crossing has occurred by calculating a utilization ratio based on the number of photonic network resources being used versus a total number of photonic network resources available, and comparing the utilization ratio to at least one pre-set monitoring threshold associated with network engineering practices and selected to trigger capacity upgrade of the shared photonic network resources to thereby increase the total number of photonic network resources available; and

a user interface configured to indicate utilization information of the shared photonic network resources in accordance with the determination of the threshold crossing determination unit, and configured to set the at least one pre-set monitoring threshold expressed as a ratio of a number of photonic network resources being used and a total number of photonic network resources available.

2. The monitoring system as claimed in claim 1 , the user interface for further indicating information regarding an alert when the threshold crossing determination unit determines that a threshold crossing has occurred.

3. The monitoring system as claimed in claim 1 , the user interface for further allowing users to set the at least one pre-set monitoring threshold.

4. The monitoring system as claimed in claim 3 , the user interface for further setting as the at least one pre-set monitoring threshold both an over-utilization threshold and an under-utilization threshold.

5. The monitoring system as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a database for storing the at least one pre-set monitoring threshold.

6. The monitoring system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the shared photonic network resources comprise wavelengths, transponders or regenerators provisioned in a node of the photonic network.

7. The monitoring system as claimed in claim 1 , the resource utilization data processor for further obtaining resource utilization data through an event notification.

8. The monitoring system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein

the shared photonic network resources of interest comprise different types of resources;

the user interface for further setting a separate monitoring threshold for each of the different types of shared photonic network resources of interest;

the resource utilization data processor for further obtaining utilization data of each of the different types of shared photonic network resources of interest; and

the threshold crossing determination unit for further determining a separate threshold crossing for each of the different types of shared photonic network resources of interest and selected to trigger capacity upgrade upon threshold crossing.

9. The monitoring system as claimed in claim 1 , the resource utilization data processor for further obtaining the number of network resources available.

10. The monitoring system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein

the photonic network comprises a network node having network resources of interest, and a network managing system for managing the network node; and

the monitoring system is provided in the network managing system.

11. The monitoring system as claimed in claim 10 , wherein

the network management system comprises a signaling and control system for receiving the resource utilization data from the network node; and

the resource utilization data processor for further obtaining the resource utilization data from the signaling and control system.

12. The monitoring system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein

the photonic network comprises a network node having network resources of interest, and a network managing system for managing the network node; and

the monitoring system is provided in the network node.

13. The monitoring system as claimed in claim 12 , the network node for further receiving a request for service for allocating a network resource to the request for service, and for adjusting the deployed equipment; and

the resource utilization data processor for further obtaining the resource utilization data in accordance with the allocation.

14. The monitoring system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the photonic network comprises multiple network nodes and a network managing system for managing the network nodes;

the resource utilization data processor is provided in each network node having network resources of interest; and

the user interface is provided in the network management system for indicating the utilization of network resources in the network management system.

15. The system as in claim 1 wherein the physical layer parameters comprise a group consisting of at least optical signal power level, optical amplifier gain, quality factor Q of a path, and a number and ID of an added or dropped port of a wavelength switch or add/drop multiplexer.

16. A method for monitoring utilization of network resources in a photonic network comprising:

setting a monitoring threshold for monitoring utilization of shared photonic network resources of interest comprising utilization of deployed equipment and physical layer parameters, the monitoring threshold expressed as a ratio of a number of photonic network resources being used and a total number of available photonic network resources, wherein the monitoring threshold is associated with the network engineering practices and selected to trigger capacity upgrade of the shared photonic network resources to thereby increase the total number of available photonic network resources;

obtaining resource utilization data indicating current utilization of the shared photonic network resources, wherein the resource utilization data is expressed as the number of photonic network resources being used;

through a user interface, determining if a threshold crossing has occurred by calculating a utilization ratio based on the number of photonic network resources being used versus the total number of available photonic network resources, and comparing the utilization ratio to the monitoring threshold and through a user interface, indicating utilization information of the shared photonic network resources in accordance with the determination of the threshold crossing.

17. The method as claimed in claim 16 further comprising indicating an alert when the threshold crossing is determined to have occurred.

18. The method as claimed in claim 16 further comprising setting an over-utilization threshold and an under-utilization threshold.

19. The method as claimed in claim 16 further comprising setting the monitoring threshold for optical fibers, transponders or regenerators provisioned in a node of the optical network.

20. The method as claimed in claim 16 , wherein the network resources of interest comprise different types of resources, and the method further comprises

setting a separate capacity monitoring threshold for each of the different types of resources;

obtaining resource utilization data for each of the different types of resources; and

determining a threshold crossing for each of the different types of resources.

21. The method as claimed in claim 16 further comprising obtaining the number of available network resources.

22. The method as claimed in claim 16 , wherein the photonic network comprises a network node, and a network managing system for managing the network node, wherein the method is further executed in the network managing system; and

the method further comprises obtaining the resource utilization data from the network management system.

23. The method as claimed in claim 22 further comprising obtaining the resource utilization data in accordance with allocation of the network resources to a request for service.

24. The method as claimed in claim 18 , wherein the photonic network comprises a network node, and a network managing system for managing the network node; and

the method is further executed in the network node.

25. The method as claimed in claim 24 further comprising:

receiving a request for service;

allocating a network resource to the request for service;

adjusting the deployed equipment; and

obtaining the resource utilization data in accordance with the allocation.

26. The method as in claim 16 wherein the physical layer parameters comprise a group consisting of at least optical signal power level, optical amplifier gain, quality factor Q of a path, and a number and ID of an added or dropped port of a wavelength switch or add/drop multiplexer.

27. A method for monitoring utilization of shared photonic network resources in a photonic network comprising:

setting a monitoring threshold for monitoring utilization of shared photonic network resources associated with network engineering capacity of the shared photonic network resources, wherein the monitoring threshold is expressed as a ratio of a number of photonic network resources being used and a total number of available photonic network resources;

discovering a number of available photonic network resources of interest;

receiving a number of photonic network resources that are being used;

through a user interface, determining a monitoring threshold crossing based on the received number, the monitoring threshold and the discovered number of available photonic network resources, the monitoring threshold selected to trigger capacity upgrade upon threshold crossing, by calculating a utilization ratio based on the number of photonic network resources being used versus the total number of available photonic network resources, to thereby increase the total number of available photonic network resources;

and through the user interface, indicating utilization information of the shared photonic network resources by obtaining resource utilization data which is expressed as the number of photonic network resources being used and indicates utilization of the photonic network resources that comprises utilization of deployed equipment and physical layer parameters.

28. A method for presenting utilization information of shared network resources in a photonic network comprising:

presenting information of photonic network resources to which a monitoring threshold is provisionable, wherein the monitoring threshold is expressed as a ratio of a number of photonic network resources being used and a total number of available photonic network resources, and wherein the monitoring threshold is defined as associated with network engineering practices and selected to trigger capacity upgrade of the shared network resources to thereby increase the total number of available photonic network resources;

accepting provisioning of the monitoring threshold for monitoring utilization of the photonic network resources;

indicating utilization information of the photonic network resources through a user interface by obtaining resource utilization data which is expressed as the number of photonic network resources being used and indicates utilization of the photonic network resources that comprises utilization of deployed equipment and physical layer parameters; and

determining whether a threshold crossing has occurred based on the resource utilization data and the monitoring threshold.

29. The method as claimed in claim 28 further comprising presenting network metrics information including alert data relating to the threshold crossing.

30. The method as claimed in claim 28 further:

providing an alert when the threshold crossing occurs;

presenting menus related to the alert; and

indicating a location of the threshold crossing.