Method and system for assessing network resource failures using passive shared risk resource groups

1. A method for analyzing failures in network resources in a multilayered communication network using passive shared risk resource groups, the method comprising:

identifying network resources in a plurality of network resources having common risk attributes;

grouping the network resources into one or more passive shared risk resource groups (PSRG) based on the common risk attributes;

assessing a first value indicating a first likelihood of a PSRG failure for a first PSRG of the one or more PSRGs, wherein the first value is based at least in part on a predefined time interval of a past failure between two of the network resources in the first PSRG; and

assessing a second value indicating a second likelihood of a PSRG failure for a second PSRG of the one or more PSRGs, wherein the second value is based at least in part on a predefined time interval of a past failure between two of the network resources in the second PSRG, and wherein the first value is different than the second value.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein identifying the network resources with the common risk attributes comprises limiting a search for the common risk attributes in network resources geographically close to one another.

3. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising outputting the first value for the first likelihood of the first PSRG failure and the second value for the second likelihood of the second PSRG failure to an administrative device.

4. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising defining the one or more PSRG based on a predefined mapping of said plurality of network resources in the communication network.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein identifying the network resources in said plurality of network resources having the common risk attributes comprises identifying one or more failed network resources from said plurality of network resources having the common risk attributes.

6. The method according to claim 5 , wherein assessing the first value indicating the first likelihood of the first PSRG failure and the second value indicating the second likelihood of the second PSRG failure comprises assigning a higher value when failures of the one or more failed network resources in each of the one or more PSRG meet a predefined criterion.

7. The method according to claim 6 , wherein the predefined criterion is selected from the group consisting of failures of the one or more failed network resources that are geographically close to one another, failures of at least two failed network resources that occur substantially at the same time, and failures of at least two failed network resources that failed together in the past.

8. The method according to claim 6 , wherein the predefined criterion is failures of at least two failed network resources that failed together more than once in the past, and a value assigned indicating a likelihood of a PSRG failure is increased by a factor of 2.

9. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising comparing the first value and the second value and automatically restoring the one or more failed network resources associated with a PSRG having a higher value indicating a higher likelihood of failure.

10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein identifying the network resource with the common risk attributes comprises limiting a search for the common risk attributes in network resources that have failed substantially at the same time in the past.

11. An apparatus for analyzing failures in network resources in a multilayered communication network using passive shared risk resource groups, the apparatus comprising:

a memory; and

a processor configured to:

identify network resources in a plurality of network resources having common risk attributes;

group the network resources into one or more passive shared risk resource groups (PSRG) based on the common risk attributes;

assess a first value indicating a first likelihood of a PSRG failure for a first PSRG of the one or more PSRGs, wherein the first value is based at least in part on a predefined time interval of a past failure between two of the network resources in the first PSRG; and

assess a second value indicating a second likelihood of a PSRG failure for a second PSRG of the one or more PSRGs, wherein the second value is based at least in part on a predefined time interval of a past failure between two of the network resources in the second PSRG, and wherein the first value is different than the second value.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the processor is configured to identify the network resources with the common risk attributes by limiting a search for the common risk attributes in network resources geographically close to one another.

13. The apparatus according to claim 11 , further comprising an output device for outputting the first value for the first likelihood of the first PSRG failure and the second value for the second likelihood of the second PSRG failure.

14. The apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the processor is configured to define the one or more PSRG based on a predefined mapping of said plurality of network resources in the communication network.

15. The apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the processor is configured to identify the network resources in said plurality of network resources having the common risk attributes by identifying one or more failed network resources from said plurality of network resources having the common risk attributes.

16. The apparatus according to claim 15 , wherein the processor is configured to assess the first value indicating the first likelihood of the first PSRG failure and the second value indicating the second likelihood of the second PSRG failure by assigning a higher value when failures of the one or more failed network resources in each of the one or more PSRG meet a predefined criterion.

17. The apparatus according to claim 16 , wherein the predefined criterion is selected from the group consisting of: failures of the one or more failed network resources that are geographically close to one another, failures of at least two failed network resources that occur substantially at the same time, and failures of at least two failed network resources that failed together in the past.

18. The apparatus according to claim 16 , wherein the predefined criterion is failures of at least two failed network resources that failed together more than once in the past, and a value assigned indicating a likelihood of a PSRG failure is increased by a factor of 2.

19. The apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the processor is configured to compare the first value and the second value and automatically restore the one or more failed network resources associated with a PSRG having a higher value indicating a higher likelihood of failure.

20. The apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the processor is configured to identify the network resource with the common risk attributes by limiting a search for the common risk attributes in network resources that have failed substantially at the same time in the past.