Network path selection for routing data

1. For use by a computing server, a method for dynamically assessing and facilitating quality of service in a data network including at least one routing node and a plurality of network paths for routing data in response to the computing server, the method comprising:

providing data communication service, via the computing server and the data network, for a plurality of user endpoints;

in response to the providing data communication service, generating data metrics corresponding to statistics associated with communications between the plurality of user endpoints;

evaluating the data metrics for at least one parameter of interest concerning quality of the data communications between the plurality of user endpoints;

in response to the evaluating the data metrics, providing further data communication services by selecting different subsets of the network paths for routing data between the plurality of user endpoints and the computing server causing said at least one routing node to route data using the selected different subsets of the network paths, and therein changing the network paths to route calls through the data network; and

updating the data network in response to the further data communication services, and repeating the steps of evaluating and providing further data communication services in order to further assess and facilitate quality of service in the data network.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one parameter of interest is specified in an input query.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the input query requests the computing server to identify data metrics that are common to transactions and/or sessions having a determined quality that is below a threshold specified in the query.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising connecting the computing server to the data network via a plurality of network paths, and wherein the different subsets of the network paths are selected to address one of or a combination of the following: a quality of communications metric; a security/compliance issue; and an imbalanced load on the computing server.

5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising selecting a particular subset of the network paths for routing data from the plurality of endpoints to the computing server based on quality of service provided to the endpoints by the network paths.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising configuring one or more network devices to route ingress traffic to the computing server using the selected particular subset of the network paths.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising providing an alert in response to a quality of service falling below a predetermined threshold value, and further including controlling the routing, via the computing server, by using prepending entries provided to said at least one routing node.

8. The method claim 1 , further comprising providing alert messages to one or more of the plurality of user endpoints in response to the data metrics satisfying a set of alert criteria, and wherein said selecting different subsets of the network paths for routine data is either for routing ingress data to the computing server or for routing egress data from the computing server.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising providing a graphical user interface in order for an administrator

to receive an alert that quality of service provided by a network path has fallen below a predetermined threshold value, and

to allocate additional network paths that may be selected by the computing server for communication with the plurality of endpoints.

10. An apparatus comprising:

a network interface circuit of a computing server communicatively connected to a data network, which includes at least one routing node for routing data in response to the computing server, via a plurality of network paths in the data network; and

a circuit arrangement connected to the network interface circuit and configured and arranged to dynamically assess and facilitate quality of service in a data network by

providing data communication service for a plurality of user endpoints via the computing server and the data network,

in response to the providing data communication service, generating data metrics corresponding to statistics associated with communications between the plurality of user endpoints,

evaluating the data metrics for at least one parameter of interest concerning quality of the data communications between the plurality of user endpoints,

in response to the evaluating the data metrics, providing further data communication services by selecting different subsets of the network paths for routing data between the plurality of user endpoints and the computing server causing said at least one routing node to route data using the selected different subsets of the network paths, and therein changing network paths to route calls through the data network, and

updating the data network in response to the further data communication services, and repeating the steps of evaluating and providing further data communication services in order to further assess and facilitate quality of service in the data network.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the at least one parameter of interest is specified in an input query, and the input query requests the apparatus to identify data metrics that are common to transactions and/or sessions having a determined quality that is below a threshold specified in the query.

12. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the circuit arrangement is configured and arranged to select a subset of the network paths for routing data from the plurality of endpoints to the apparatus based on quality of service provided to the endpoints by the network paths.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the circuit arrangement is configured and arranged to route ingress traffic to the apparatus using the selected network path.

14. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the circuit arrangement is configured and arranged to provide an alert in response to the quality of service falling below a predetermined threshold value.

15. The apparatus claim 10 , wherein the circuit arrangement is configured and arranged to provide alert messages to one or more of the plurality of user endpoints in response to the data metrics satisfying a set of alert criteria.

16. An apparatus comprising:

a network interface circuit communicatively connected to a network via a plurality of network paths and configured and arranged to communicate data via the network paths; and

a circuit arrangement connected to the network interface circuit and configured and arranged to dynamically assess and facilitate quality of service in a data network by

providing data communication service for a plurality of user endpoints,

in response to the providing data communication service, generating data metrics corresponding to statistics associated with communications between the plurality of user endpoints,

evaluating the data metrics for at least one parameter of interest concerning quality of the data communications between the plurality of user endpoints,

in response to the evaluating the data metrics, providing further data communication services by changing network paths to route calls through the data network, and

updating the data network in response to the further data communication services, and repeating the steps of evaluating and providing further data communication services in order to further assess and facilitate quality of service in the data network, wherein the circuit arrangement is to select a subset of the network paths for routing data from the plurality of endpoints to the apparatus based on quality of service provided to the endpoints by the network paths, and is to route ingress traffic to the apparatus using the selected network path.