System and method for configuring a packet-switched network based on a network quality survey

1 . A computer readable medium, containing instructions that when executed by a computer perform a method for configuring a packet-switched network, the method comprising:

emulating a variable quality of service for the packet-switched network; and

collecting survey data for the variable quality of service.

2 . The medium of claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises:

storing a configuration for the packet-switched network in a first network instance; and

configuring the first network instance to a second network instance based on the survey data.

3 . The medium of claim 1 , the method further comprising:

determining a minimum quality of service from the survey data.

4 . The medium of claim 1 , wherein in the method, emulating further comprises emulating a plurality of quality of service levels above the minimum quality of service and wherein collecting survey data further comprises collecting survey data to determine a number of subscribers for each of the plurality of quality of service levels.

5 . The medium of claim 2 , wherein in the method, configuring further comprises configuring the first network instance to the second network instance based on a cost.

6 . The medium of claim 5 , wherein in the method, the cost further comprises a substantially minimum cost of providing a packet-switched network according to the second network instance.

7 . The medium of claim 6 , the method further comprising:

calculating a revenue as a sum of the revenue for each quality of service level and configuring the second network instance based on the revenue minus the cost.

8 . The medium of claim 1 , wherein in the method, the variable quality of service further comprises at least one variable weight impairment selected from a set consisting of delay, loss, jitter and error.

9 . A system comprising:

a database for storing a configuration for a packet-switched network in a first network instance;

a network emulator that emulates the configuration for the packet-switched network; and

a control system with access to the first network instance in the database, the control system having a first interface to store the first network instance in the data base, a second interface to command the network emulator emulate a variable quality of service for the first network instance, a third interface to receive survey data for the variable quality of service and a fourth interface to store a configured second network instance based on the survey data.

10 . The system of claim 9 , the control system further comprising:

a fifth interface to store a minimum quality of service determined from the survey data.

11 . The system of claim 10 , the control system further comprising:

a sixth interface to send a command to the network emulator to emulate a plurality of quality of service levels above the minimum quality of service and collect survey data to determine a number of subscribers for each of the plurality of quality of service levels.

12 . The system of claim 9 , the control system further comprising:

a seventh interface to store the configured second network instance based on a substantially minimum cost of providing the packet-switched network.

13 . The system of claim 12 , the control system further comprising:

a eighth interface to store the second network instance based on the revenue minus the cost.

14 . The system of claim 13 , wherein the revenue is a sum of the revenue for each quality of service level, wherein the revenue for each quality of service level is derived from the number of projected subscribers who are satisfied for said each quality of service level and the subscription fee for each quality of service level.

15 . The system of claim 9 , the control system further comprising:

a ninth interface to send a command to the network emulator to vary a weight for an impairment selected from a set consisting of delay, loss, jitter and error.

16 . A packet-switched network comprising:

a plurality of network nodes;

a plurality of high speed digital communication links connecting the plurality of network nodes;

a plurality of network components placed in the plurality of nodes wherein the network components are placed in a selected node based on a computer program, wherein the computer program comprises:

instructions to store a network configuration for the packet-switched network in a first network instance;

instructions to emulate a variable quality of service for the first network instance;

instructions to collect survey data for the variable quality of service; and

instructions to configure the first network instance to a second instance based on the survey data.

17 . The network of claim 16 , wherein the computer program further comprises instructions to determine a minimum quality of service from the survey data.

18 . The network of claim 17 , wherein the computer program further comprises instructions to emulate a plurality of quality of service levels above the minimum quality of service and collect further survey data to determine a number of subscribers for each of the plurality of quality of service levels.

19 . The network of claim 16 , wherein the computer program further comprises instructions to configure the initial network instance to the second instance based on a substantially minimum cost.

20 . The network of claim 19 , wherein the computer program further comprises instructions to calculate the cost as a cost of providing an actual packet-switched network according to the second network.

21 . The system of claim 20 , wherein the computer program further comprises instructions to calculate a revenue and configuring the second network instance based on the revenue minus the cost.

22 . The system of claim 16 , wherein the computer program further comprises instructions to vary a weight for an impairment selected from a set consisting of delay, loss, jitter and error.