System and method for generating policies for a communication network
According to a broad aspect of a preferred embodiment of the invention, a network optimization method is provided. First, a set of input parameters describing a network and the users accessing it is analyzed. Input parameters may include such network-related information as network element inventory and topography, bandwidth capacity, routing information, etc. Customer-related inputs may include contact revenue, cost of service, non-performance penalties, and pattern-based customer importance profile and customer relationship management. Other inputs may include additional complex network and customer related business rules. Demands are estimated ( 530 ), graphed ( 530 ), and then the graph is pruned ( 580 ).
1. A method for use in a telecommunication network for allocating network resources to a plurality of users, said method comprises the steps of:
a) providing a plurality of time intervals each starting at a time of the day different from the other time intervals;
b) for each of said plurality of users, associating, for each of the plurality of time intervals, a corresponding characteristic consumption of network resources which is based on past utilization of network resources during that respective time interval by the respective user, wherein at least two of each user's characteristic consumption of network resources that correspond each to a different time interval, are different from each other;
c) based on a service level agreement associated with each of said plurality of users, determining a minimum level of service guaranteed to each respective user;
d) prior to the time of the day at which a respective future time interval is due to start, aggregating the characteristic consumption of network resources by all users that are currently active, and determining said aggregated value to be an aggregated expected consumption of network resources for that future time interval;
e) comparing the aggregated expected consumption of network resources with currently available network resources, and determining whether the aggregated expected consumption of network resources for that time interval is greater than the currently available network resources;
f) if the aggregated expected consumption of network resources for that time interval by all currently active users is determined to be greater than the currently available network resources, identifying the currently active users whose respective characteristic consumption of network resources associated with said future time interval, exceeds their respective minimum level of service guaranteed; and
g) allocating for at least one of currently active users identified, network resources which are less than the characteristic consumption of network resources associated with that user for that time interval, but which are not less than the minimum level of service guaranteed for the user, wherein said allocation is made while ensuring that each of the currently active users will be provided during that future time interval with network resources that are in conformity with at least the minimum level of service guaranteed to that respective user.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein step f) further comprises associating a score that indicates to the telecommunication network's operator a value associated with each of the currently active users identified, and wherein the step of allocating network resources carried out in step g) is based upon the respective scores associated with the currently active users identified.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the allocation of network resources is carried out by first reducing network resources before allocating them to the currently active users identified, who are associated with the lowest scores for that future time interval from among the scores associated with the currently active users identified, and repeating this step until the aggregated expected consumption of network resources for that future time interval by all currently active users, matches the currently available network resources.
4. The method of claim 2 , wherein no reduction in network resources will be effected for said future time interval for users included among the currently active users identified, who are associated with a score that is higher than a pre-defined threshold.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the time intervals is divided into sub-time intervals, and the allocation of network resources for at least one active user in that time interval is changed for one or more but less than all of said sub-time intervals.