JP7702902B2 - NETWORK MANAGEMENT DEVICE AND NETWORK MANAGEMENT METHOD - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a network management device.

It is expected that we will see an increase in multi-wireless networks that combine Local5G and WiFi, or sXGP and WiFi, in the future. Multi-wireless networks are expected to enable the creation of systems that take advantage of the characteristics of each wireless method. For example, a combination of high-performance Local5G or sXGP for the main system and inexpensive WiFi for the backup system that switches over in the event of a failure would provide a good balance between cost and performance.

The following prior art is included as background technology in this technical field. Patent Document 1 (JP Patent Publication 2004-297157A) describes a wireless terminal device used in an integrated wireless system in which multiple different wireless systems coexist, and having an interface for communicating with the multiple wireless systems, in which a common communication quality or communication capability classification is set for each of the wireless systems, and handover or call origination during communication between the different wireless systems is performed based on this classification.

JP 2004-297157 A

Conventional multi-wireless networks implement a function for controlling QoS for each terminal to guarantee communication quality, but they have the following problems. Because QoS is set for each terminal, it is difficult to optimize QoS for the entire network. In addition, because it is difficult to centrally manage the status of terminals and areas, it is difficult to utilize this as information for managing wireless network operations, it is difficult to grasp bandwidth conditions such as resource shortages, and it is difficult to adjust QoS between terminals. For these reasons, there is a demand to reduce the operation and maintenance costs of multi-wireless networks.

Furthermore, in a main wireless network that requires high quality, if the communication quality of some terminals deteriorates due to the installation of radio wave shielding objects, changes in the flow of people, access point failures, etc., and they are connected to a backup wireless network, the QoS of each wireless network is unique, and there is no mechanism for applying the communication quality of the main system to the backup system. For this reason, it is difficult for a terminal that has switched to the backup system to maintain the same communication quality as when it was connected to the main system.

A representative example of the invention disclosed in the present application is as follows: That is, a network management device is configured by a computer having an arithmetic unit that executes a predetermined arithmetic process and a storage device connected to the arithmetic unit, the arithmetic unit has a QoS management unit that manages communication quality in a network, the storage device stores communication quality correspondence information that records a correspondence relationship between a wireless quality class of a first wireless communication method and a wireless quality class of a second wireless communication method, and when the QoS management unit detects a change in a wireless connection destination of a terminal from the first wireless communication method to the second wireless communication method, it sets a wireless quality class in the second wireless communication method by referring to the communication quality correspondence information , and sets a bandwidth of the second wireless communication method by multiplying a bandwidth setting determined from the communication volume of the terminal in the first wireless communication method by an adjustment magnification that is a coefficient for calculating a reduced bandwidth when there are many terminals and it is difficult to guarantee a bandwidth .

According to one aspect of the present invention, the communication quality after switching of the wireless system can be controlled on the network side, and the QoS of the entire network can be optimized. Problems, configurations, and effects other than those described above will be made clear by the description of the following embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a network management server according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a terminal management table. FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a flow history table. FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a terminal communication history table. FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a communication device table. FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a terminal-specific wireless quality table. FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a communication quality correspondence table. FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a QoS setting table. 13 is a flowchart of a process executed by a network management server. 13 is a flowchart of a communication system switch detection process. 13 is a flowchart of a post-switching QoS setting process. 13 is a flowchart of an unused QoS setting deletion process. 13 is a flowchart of a QoS band setting adjustment process. 13 is a flowchart of a QoS setting necessity determination process. 13 is a flowchart of a notification process. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a network communication quality status display screen.

Figure 1 shows the configuration of an embodiment of a network management server 101, which is an example of a network management device of the present invention, and also shows the configuration of a monitored system 100 managed by the network management server 101.

The network management server 101 of this embodiment is configured by a computer having a processor (CPU) 120, memory 119, auxiliary storage device 117, and communication interface 118. The network management server 101 may also have input interfaces and output interfaces (not shown).

The processor 120 is a computing device that executes the programs stored in the memory 119. The processor 120 executes various programs (flow measurement program 128, QoS management program 129, notification program 130) to realize the functions provided by the network management server 101. Note that some of the processing performed by the processor 120 by executing the programs may be executed by other computing devices (e.g., hardware such as an ASIC or FPGA).

Memory 119 includes ROM, which is a non-volatile storage element, and RAM, which is a volatile storage element. ROM stores unchanging programs (e.g., BIOS) and the like. RAM is a high-speed, volatile storage element such as DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory), and temporarily stores programs executed by processor 120 and data used when executing the programs.

The auxiliary storage device 117 is, for example, a large-capacity, non-volatile storage device such as a magnetic storage device (HDD) or a flash memory (SSD). The auxiliary storage device 117 also stores data used by the processor 120 when executing a program (for example, a terminal management table 121, a flow history table 122, a terminal communication history table 123, a communication device table 124, a QoS setting table 125, a terminal-specific wireless quality table 126, a communication quality correspondence table 127, etc.), and the program executed by the processor 120. That is, the program is read from the auxiliary storage device 117, loaded into the memory 119, and executed by the processor 120 to realize each function of the network management server 101.

The communication interface 118 is a network interface device that controls communication with other devices (e.g., communication devices within the monitored system 100) according to a specified protocol.

The input interface is an interface to which input devices such as a keyboard or mouse are connected and which receives input from an operator. The output interface is an interface to which output devices such as a display device or printer are connected and which outputs the results of program execution in a format that can be viewed by the operator. Note that a user terminal connected to the network management server 101 via a network may provide the input and output devices. In this case, the network management server 101 may have the functionality of a web server, and the user terminal may access the network management server 101 using a specified protocol (e.g., http).

The programs executed by the processor 120 are provided to the network management server 101 via removable media (CD-ROM, flash memory, etc.) or a network, and are stored in the non-volatile auxiliary storage device 117, which is a non-transitory storage medium. For this reason, it is preferable that the network management server 101 has an interface for reading data from removable media.

The network management server 101 is a computer system configured on one physical computer, or on multiple logically or physically configured computers, and may operate on a virtual computer constructed on multiple physical computer resources. For example, the flow measurement program 128, the QoS management program 129, and the notification program 130 may each operate on separate physical or logical computers, or multiple programs may be combined to operate on a single physical or logical computer.

The terminal management table 121 is a table in which information on the terminal 102 is registered, and details thereof will be described with reference to FIG. 2. The flow history table 122 is a table in which information on data flows transferred through a network is registered, and details thereof will be described with reference to FIG. 3. The terminal communication history table 123 is a table in which the communication history of the terminal 102 is recorded, and details thereof will be described with reference to FIG. 4. The communication device table 124 is a table in which information on communication devices installed in the monitored system 100 is recorded, and details thereof will be described with reference to FIG. 5. The QoS setting table 125 is a table in which information on QoS set in the communication devices in the monitored system 100 is recorded, and details thereof will be described with reference to FIG. 8. The terminal-specific wireless quality table 126 is a table in which information on quality in each communication method of the terminal 102 is recorded, and details thereof will be described with reference to FIG. 6. The communication quality correspondence table 127 is a table in which correspondence between quality classes before and after switching of the communication method is recorded, and details thereof will be described with reference to FIG. 7. These tables may store data in table format as shown in FIGS. 2 to 8, or in other formats.

The flow measurement program 128 collects data flows transferred from communication devices in the monitored system 100, creates a flow history table 122 and a terminal communication history table 123, and detects communication method switching of the terminal 102 (see Figure 10). The QoS management program 129 manages the QoS of the entire monitored system 100 (see Figures 11, 12, 13, and 14). The notification program 130 notifies the administrator of the network communication quality status of the monitored system 100 (see Figures 15 and 16).

In the monitored system 100, the access points 103-107, EPC 108, firewall 109, and business system servers 115-116 are communicatively connected by a plurality of switches 111-114 and a router 110. The business system servers 115 and 116 provide services to the terminal 102 by collecting data sent from the terminal 102 and/or sending data to the terminal 102. The firewall 109 is provided at the boundary with the outside of the monitored system 100 and connects to a device outside the monitored system 100 (e.g., the network management server 101). The router 110 provides a forwarding path for packets sent and received by the business system servers 115 and 116. The access points include the access point 103 of the 5G system and the access points 104-107 of the Wi-Fi system. Each of the access points 103-107 communicates with the terminal 102 by a predetermined wireless communication method. The number of access points shown is for simplicity's sake, but in reality many more access points will be installed. EPC 108 is the core network of the 5G network.

A terminal 102 is connected to the monitored system 100. For ease of explanation, one terminal 102 is illustrated, but typically multiple terminals 102 are connected to the monitored system 100.

The terminal 102 uses multiple communication methods (e.g., wireless communication methods such as 5G and WiFi) to select a predetermined access point or an access point with a strong received signal strength (RSSI) of radio waves transmitted from each of multiple access points and communicates with that access point. A communication destination switching application is implemented in the terminal 102, and this communication destination switching application detects deterioration in communication quality with an access point (disconnection of communication, increase in error rate, etc.) and switches the connection destination to another access point to continue communication. Typically, a main wireless network that requires high quality is configured using 5G, and a backup wireless network is configured using WiFi.

Figure 2 shows an example of the configuration of the terminal management table 121.

The terminal management table 121 is a table in which information about the terminal 102 is recorded, and includes data on a terminal ID 200, a communication method 201, a main communication method flag 202, and a last use date and time 203. The terminal ID 200 is identification information uniquely assigned to the terminal 102. The communication method 201 is a method for wireless communication between the terminal 102 and the monitored system 100, such as 5G and WiFi. The main communication method flag 202 is information indicating whether the communication method is the communication method mainly used by each terminal, and Y is recorded if it is the main communication method mainly used by each terminal, and N is recorded if it is a sub-communication method secondarily used. The last use date and time 203 is the date and time when the terminal last used the communication method, and can be obtained from the flow history table 122 (Figure 3). Note that if the terminal has never used the communication method, n/a is recorded in the last use date and time 203.

Figure 3 shows an example of the configuration of the flow history table 122.

The flow history table 122 is a table in which information on data flows transferred through the monitored system 100 is recorded, and includes data on the communication device 300, measurement time 301, duration 302, source 303, destination 304, number of packets 305, and data transfer volume 306. The communication device 300 is identification information of the network device (e.g., an access point) that transferred the data flow. The measurement time 301 is the time when the data flow was transferred, and the duration 302 is the time required to transfer the data flow. The source 303 is the device that is the source of the data flow, and the destination 304 is the device that is the destination of the data flow. The number of packets 305 is the number of packets transferred in the data flow, and the data transfer volume 306 is the amount of data transferred in the data flow.

Figure 4 shows an example of the configuration of the terminal communication history table 123.

The terminal communication history table 123 is a table in which the communication history of the terminal 102 is recorded, and includes data on a measurement time 400, a terminal ID 401, an access point 402, a communication method 403, a transfer amount 404, and a switching flag 405. The measurement time 400 is the time when the communication was measured. The terminal ID 401 is identification information of the terminal 102 that performed the communication. The access point 402 is identification information of the access points 103 to 107 that performed the communication. The communication method 403 is the communication method by which the communication was performed. The transfer amount 404 is the amount of data transferred in the communication. The switching flag 405 is data that is set when a switch in the communication method of the terminal 102 is detected.

Figure 5 shows an example of the configuration of the communication device table 124.

The communication device table 124 is a table in which information on communication devices installed in the monitored system 100 is recorded, and includes data on a communication method 500, a network device 501, location information 502, a maximum bandwidth 503, and route information 504. The communication method 500 is the method used by the communication device for communication. The network device 501 is identification information for the communication device. The location information 502 is the installation location of the communication device. The maximum bandwidth 503 is the bandwidth that the communication device can provide for communication. The route information 504 is the communication path between the network device and the business system servers 115, 116, i.e., information on the communication device through which communication with the business system servers 115, 116 is conducted. The route information 504 is preferably defined for each business system server 115, 116.

Figure 6 shows an example of the configuration of the terminal-specific wireless quality table 126.

The terminal-specific wireless quality table 126 is a table in which quality information for each communication method of the terminal 102 is recorded, and includes data on a terminal ID 600, a communication method 601, and a quality class 602. The terminal ID 600 is identification information for the terminal 102. The communication method 601 is a method that the terminal 102 uses for communication. The quality class 602 is information on the data transfer priority for the communication method used by the terminal 102, and can be, for example, WMM-EDCA (Wi-Fi Multimedia Enhanced Distributed Channel Access), ToS (Type of Service), QCI (Quality of Service), etc.

Figure 7 shows an example of the configuration of the communication quality correspondence table 127.

The communication quality correspondence table 127 is a table in which the correspondence of quality classes before and after the communication method switching is recorded, and includes data on communication method 1 (700), quality class 1 (QCI) 701, communication method 2 (702), and quality class 2 (WMM-ECA, Tos) 703. Communication method 1 (700) is the communication method before switching. Quality class 1 (QCI) 701 is the data transfer priority provided to the terminal 102 before switching. Communication method 2 (702) is the communication method after switching. Quality class 2 (WMM-ECA, Tos) 703 is the communication priority after switching, and is set in the access point after switching. As described above, WMM-ECA, Tos, QCI, etc. can be used for the quality class, but QCI used in 5G communication is suitable for quality class 1, and WMM-ECA, Tos, etc. used in WiFi are suitable for quality class 2.

Figure 8 shows an example of the configuration of the QoS setting table 125.

The QoS setting table 125 is a table in which information on the QoS set in the communication devices in the monitored system 100 is recorded, and includes data on the communication device 800, the terminal 801, the quality class (WMM-EDCA, Tos) 802, the bandwidth setting 803, and the adjustment ratio 804. The communication device 800 is identification information of the communication device installed in the monitored system 100. The terminal 801 is identification information of the terminal to which the QoS set in the communication device is applied. The quality class (WMM-EDCA, Tos) 802 is the data transfer priority set in the communication device to realize the QoS. The bandwidth setting 803 is the bandwidth set in the communication device to realize the QoS. The adjustment ratio 804 is a coefficient for calculating the reduced bandwidth when there are many terminals and it is difficult to guarantee the bandwidth. The reduced bandwidth is calculated by multiplying the bandwidth setting 803 by the adjustment ratio.

Next, we will explain the overview of the processing that the network management server 101 of this embodiment performs on the monitored system 100 and the scenes in which it is applicable.

First, terminal 102 communicates with access point 1 (103) via 5G. A communication destination switching app of terminal 102 detects a deterioration in communication quality with access point 1 (103) and switches the communication destination from 5G access point 1 (103) to WiFi access point 2 (104). For example, the deterioration in communication quality occurs due to the installation of radio wave shielding due to a change in layout, a vehicle crossing the propagation path, a change in the flow of people, an access point obstruction, etc.

The network management server 101 repeatedly (e.g. periodically) collects information on the terminals 102 communicating from the access points under its management at a predetermined timing, and updates the terminal communication history table 123. As described below, the information on the terminals 102 may be collected from the access points, or flow information may be obtained from other communication devices (such as SW1 and SW2 on the route). The information on the terminals 102 may be collected in response to an inquiry (polling) from the network management server 101, or may be reported by the access points or switches at a predetermined timing, or may be triggered by a predetermined event detected within the monitored system 100.

The network management server 101 recognizes the switch in the communication method used by the terminal 102 from a change in the information of the terminal 102. For example, the terminal 102 has a record for 5G in the terminal communication history table 123, but is newly recorded as communicating via WiFi, so that the network management server 101 recognizes that a switch from 5G to WiFi has occurred.

The network management server 101 refers to the terminal-specific wireless quality table 126 and the communication quality correspondence table 127, obtains the WiFi quality class and wired quality class of the terminal 102, sets the WiFi quality class to the WiFi access point 2 (104), and sets the wired quality class to the wired communication equipment (SW, router, FW, etc.). At this time, the network management server 101 records in the QoS setting table 125 the records of the communication equipment through which the communication of the terminal 102 passes.

The network management server 101 may set the average traffic volume when the terminal 102 is communicating at 5G as the guaranteed bandwidth in the bandwidth setting 803 of the QoS setting table 125. The average traffic volume can be calculated from the flow information collected by the communication device (SW, etc.) to which the access point is connected.

The network management server 101 sends a notification to the administrator regarding how quickly a response is required, based on the ratio of traffic volume of the newly connected WiFi AP2 (104) to the maximum bandwidth of the WiFi AP2 (104). The notification may, for example, indicate that immediate response is required or that a response during a regular patrol is sufficient. For example, if the administrator inspects the monitored system 100 on-site and finds that a radio wave shield has been placed between the access point 1 (103) and the terminal 102, the administrator will change the installation location of the terminal 102 and the access point 1 (103).

When the network management server 101 refers to the terminal communication history table 123 and detects that the connection destination of the terminal 102 has returned from access point 2 (104) to access point 1 (103), the network management server 101 deletes the QoS settings of the terminal 102 that were set to access point 2 (104).

Figure 9 is a flowchart of the processing performed by the network management server 101.

First, the processor 120 receives a processing period (S900). The processing period is, for example, the time from T0 to T1 (T0 < processing period ≦ T1), and in order to measure the data flow at least once within this processing period, the interval between flow measurements may be the time obtained by subtracting T0 from T1 and multiplying the result by a coefficient of 0.5 to 1, that is, (T1 - T0) x 0.5 to 1. The processing period may be input by the network administrator, or may be input from a network monitoring function to be executed periodically.

Next, the flow measurement program 128 detects the terminal whose communication method has been switched (S901). The communication method switch detection process will be described with reference to FIG. 10.

Next, the processor 120 refers to the switching flag 405 in the terminal communication history table 123 to determine whether any terminals have switched communication methods (S902). If no terminals have switched communication methods, the QoS management program 129 deletes unused QoS settings (S907) and ends the process. The unused QoS setting deletion process will be described with reference to FIG. 12.

On the other hand, if there is a terminal that has switched the communication method, the QoS management program 129 sets the QoS to the communication device that relays data in the switched communication method (S903). The post-switching QoS setting process will be described with reference to FIG. 11.

Next, the QoS management program 129 deletes the unused QoS settings (S904). The process of step S904 is the same as the process of step S907.

Next, the QoS management program 129 adjusts the QoS bandwidth setting (S905). The QoS bandwidth setting adjustment process will be described with reference to FIG. 13.

Next, the processor 120 notifies the administrator of the communication method switching status and ends the process (S906). The notification process will be described with reference to FIG. 15.

Figure 10 is a flowchart of the communication method switching detection process (S901).

First, the flow measurement program 128 refers to the flow history table 122 and obtains records whose measurement time 301 is the processing time (T0<T≦T1) (S1000).

Next, the flow measurement program 128 creates a history record by aggregating the records acquired in step S1000 that have the same combination of time, terminal, and access point, and records the created history record as a new record in the terminal communication history table 123 (S1001). At the time of recording, no values are recorded in the communication method 403 and the switching flag 405 of the history record.

Next, the flow measurement program 128 references the communication device table 124 using the access point 402 in the terminal communication history table 123 as a key to obtain the communication method 500, and sets it as the communication method 403 of the corresponding record in the terminal communication history table 123 (S1002).

Next, the flow measurement program 128 selects one unprocessed record from the history records recorded in the terminal communication history table 123, in which no value is recorded in the switching flag 405 (S1003).

Next, the flow measurement program 128 references the terminal management table 121 using the combination of the terminal ID 401 and communication method 403 of the selected unprocessed record as a key to obtain the main communication method flag 202 (S1004).

Next, the flow measurement program 128 determines whether the acquired main communication method flag is Y (S1005). If the main communication method flag acquired in step S1004 is Y, the main communication method that is primarily used is in use, so the switch flag of the selected unprocessed record is set to N (S1008) and the program proceeds to step S1009.

On the other hand, if the main communication method flag acquired in step S1004 is N, there is a possibility that the communication method has been switched to a sub-communication method that is used secondarily, so it is determined whether the elapsed time from the last usage date and time 203 of the communication method of the terminal is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold (S1006). For example, the last usage date and time 203 of the communication method of the terminal in the terminal management table 121 is referenced to calculate the elapsed time from the last usage date and time 203. If the calculated elapsed time is less than the threshold, it is determined that the communication method has only been temporarily switched to the sub-communication method, that the communication method has not been switched, and that the main communication method is still being used, and the process proceeds to step S1008.

On the other hand, if the calculated elapsed time is equal to or greater than the threshold, it is determined that the communication method has been switched to the secondary communication method, the switching flag 405 of the selected unprocessed record is set to N (S1007), and the process proceeds to step S1009.

Next, the flow measurement program 128 updates the last usage date and time 203 of the communication method of the terminal in the terminal management table 121 to the current time (S1009).

Next, the flow measurement program 128 determines whether there are any unprocessed history records (S1010), and if there are any unprocessed history records, returns to step S1003 and continues processing the unprocessed history records. On the other hand, if processing of the communication methods for all history records has been completed, the communication method switching detection process ends.

Figure 11 is a flowchart of the post-switching QoS setting process (S903).

First, the QoS management program 129 refers to the terminal communication history table 123, obtains history records for which the switching flag 405 is Y during the processing period T0 to T1 (S1100), and selects one unprocessed history record (S1101).

The QoS management program 129 then sets the terminal ID in the history record to the target terminal, sets the communication method in the terminal record to the post-switching communication method (S1102), and sets the pair of wired and post-switching communication method for the post-switching communication method of the target terminal in the target communication method list (S1103). For example, by referring to the route information 504 in the communication device table 124, information on the wired communication device related to the access point can be obtained.

Next, the QoS management program 129 selects one target communication method from the target communication method list (S1104).

Next, the QoS management program 129 refers to the terminal-specific wireless quality table 126 and obtains the quality record of the target terminal (S1105).

Next, the QoS management program 129 refers to the communication quality correspondence table 127 and obtains a quality correspondence record in which communication method 1 (700) and quality class 1 (701) match the quality correspondence record of the target terminal (S1106).

Next, the QoS management program 129 refers to the communication device table 124 and obtains a communication device record whose communication method matches the communication method 2 (702) of the obtained quality correspondence record (S1107).

Next, the QoS management program 129 creates quality class 2 (703) for each of the acquired communication device records in the QoS setting table 125 (S1108).

Next, the QoS management program 129 refers to the terminal communication history table 123, calculates the average data transfer volume per day in the pre-switching communication method of the target terminal, and sets this as the guaranteed bandwidth in the bandwidth setting 803 of the QoS setting table 125 (S1109). The calculated average data transfer volume may not be the average data transfer volume per day, but may be an average over other time periods, such as the average data transfer volume per hour. The average data transfer volume per day may also be an average for each day of the week. Furthermore, the calculated statistical value may be a maximum value rather than an average value.

Next, the QoS management program 129 sets the quality class 2 (703) of the acquired quality correspondence record and the guaranteed bandwidth multiplied by the adjustment factor as the guaranteed bandwidth for all devices in the communication device record as the QoS settings for the target terminal (S1110).

Next, the QoS management program 129 determines whether there are any unprocessed communication methods (S1111), and if there are any unprocessed communication methods, the process returns to step S1104 and continues processing for the unprocessed communication methods. On the other hand, if processing of all communication methods in the history record has been completed, the QoS management program 129 determines whether there are any unprocessed history records (S1112), and if there are any unprocessed history records, the process returns to step S1101 and continues processing for the unprocessed history records. On the other hand, if processing of all history records has been completed, the post-switching QoS setting process ends.

Figure 12 is a flowchart of the unused QoS setting deletion process (S904, S907).

Next, the QoS management program 129 refers to the terminal management table 121, obtains unused records for which the main communication method flag 202 is N and the difference between the current time and the last usage time is equal to or greater than the threshold (S1200), and selects one of the unprocessed unused records (S1201).

Next, the QoS management program 129 refers to the QoS setting table 125, acquires the QoS setting record of the terminal of the selected unused record (S1202), accesses all communication devices of the acquired QoS setting record, and deletes the QoS setting (S1203).

Next, the QoS management program 129 deletes all of the acquired QoS setting records (S1204).

Next, the QoS management program 129 determines whether there are any unprocessed unused records (S1205), and if there are any unprocessed communication methods, returns to step S1201 and continues processing the unprocessed unused records. On the other hand, when processing of all unused records is completed, the unused QoS setting deletion process is terminated.

Figure 13 is a flowchart of the QoS bandwidth setting adjustment process (S905).

First, the QoS management program 129 determines whether QoS adjustment is necessary (S1300). If QoS adjustment is not necessary, the QoS band setting adjustment process is terminated. On the other hand, if QoS adjustment is necessary, the QoS management program 129 executes the following process for each communication device that requires QoS adjustment (S1301).

Specifically, the QoS management program 129 obtains the record of the communication device from the QoS setting table 125 (S1302), groups the obtained records by quality class, and calculates the average guaranteed bandwidth for each quality class (S1303).

Then, the QoS management program 129 selects one record in ascending order of quality class and ascending order of guaranteed bandwidth (S1304), and determines whether the guaranteed bandwidth of the selected record is equal to or greater than the average guaranteed bandwidth of the next higher quality class (S1305). If the guaranteed bandwidth of the selected record is smaller than the average guaranteed bandwidth of the next higher quality class, the program proceeds to step S1309.

On the other hand, if the guaranteed bandwidth of the record is equal to or greater than the average guaranteed bandwidth of the next higher quality class, the QoS management program 129 sets the guaranteed bandwidth of the record to the average guaranteed bandwidth of the next higher quality class, and sets the adjustment factor to the value obtained by dividing the average guaranteed bandwidth of the higher quality class by the guaranteed bandwidth of the record (S1306).

Then, the QoS management program 129 sets the adjusted guaranteed bandwidth to the communication device (S1307) and determines whether QoS adjustment is necessary (S1308). If QoS adjustment is not necessary, the QoS bandwidth setting adjustment process ends. On the other hand, if QoS adjustment is necessary, the QoS management program 129 determines whether there are any unprocessed records (S1309), and if there are any unprocessed communication methods, the process returns to step S1304 and continues processing the unprocessed records.

On the other hand, once processing of all records has been completed, the QoS management program 129 selects one record in ascending order of quality class and largest guaranteed bandwidth (S1310), adjusts the adjustment factor of that record by multiplying it by 0.9 (S1311), and sets the adjusted guaranteed bandwidth to the communication device of that record (S1312).

The QoS management program 129 then determines whether QoS adjustment is necessary (S1313), and if QoS adjustment is necessary, returns to step S1310 and continues processing. If QoS adjustment is not necessary, the QoS bandwidth setting adjustment process ends.

Figure 14 is a flowchart of the QoS setting necessity determination process (S1300, S1308, S1313).

First, the QoS management program 129 refers to the QoS setting table 125, sums up the guaranteed bandwidth of the bandwidth setting of each communication device multiplied by the adjustment factor (S1400), and determines whether the sum is equal to or greater than the maximum bandwidth 503 of the communication device in the communication device table 124 multiplied by a predetermined value (S1401). This predetermined value may be, for example, 0.7, but may be set to another value depending on the margin of the network.

If the total value is equal to or greater than the value obtained by multiplying the maximum bandwidth 503 of the communication device in the communication device table 124 by a predetermined value, it is determined that the network has no capacity and QoS setting is necessary. On the other hand, if the total value is smaller than the value obtained by multiplying the maximum bandwidth 503 of the communication device in the communication device table 124 by a predetermined value, it is determined that the network has capacity and QoS setting is not necessary.

Figure 15 is a flowchart of the notification process (S906).

First, the notification program 130 refers to the QoS setting table 125 and retrieves records with an adjustment ratio smaller than 1.0 (S1500).

Next, the notification program 130 determines whether there are any records with an adjustment ratio smaller than 1.0 (S1501). Records with an adjustment ratio smaller than 1.0 are classified as having a high level of urgency and requiring immediate action because the required bandwidth is not met (S1504).

Next, the notification program 130 refers to the QoS setting table 125 and totals the value obtained by multiplying the guaranteed bandwidth in the bandwidth setting 803 by the adjustment factor 804 for each communication device (S1502). The notification program 130 then determines whether the calculated total value is greater than the value obtained by multiplying the maximum bandwidth 503 of the communication device in the communication device table 124 by a predetermined value (S1503). This predetermined value may be, for example, 0.4, but may be set to another value depending on the characteristics and usage of the network.

The notification program 130 classifies records whose total value is greater than the maximum bandwidth 503 of the communication device in the communication device table 124 multiplied by a predetermined value as having a medium level of urgency and requiring action within a few days (S1505). On the other hand, the notification program 130 classifies records whose total value is greater than the maximum bandwidth 503 of the communication device in the communication device table 124 multiplied by a predetermined value as having a low level of urgency and requiring action within two weeks (S1506).

Next, the notification program 130 selects access points for which the switching flag 405 in the terminal communication history table 123 is set to Y during the processing period as access points for which signal degradation may have occurred nearby (S1507), and notifies the administrator of the access points for which signal degradation may have occurred nearby and the classified urgency level (S1508).

Figure 16 shows an example of a network communication quality status display screen that is notified to the administrator.

The network communication quality status display screen includes a communication quality status display area 1610 for each customer, and a detailed status display area 1620 for each customer.

The communication quality status display area 1610 displays the customer name and the number of cases for each urgency level (high, medium, low). By operating the "Enter visit date" button in the action area, a screen for entering a visit schedule to address the deterioration of the customer's communication quality can be displayed.

The detailed status display area 1620 displays the communication method switching status for each communication device of the customer selected in the communication quality status display area 1610. The detailed status display area 1620 displays the date when an emergency occurs and the entered visit response period in chronological order for each urgency level (high, medium, low).

The detailed status display area 1620 shown in FIG. 16 displays the communication method switching status for customer A, with AP2 and AP10 scheduled to have a high urgency today, and AP11 becoming medium urgency three days ago. It also displays that the visit response period is set for a total of five days, including today and the two days before and after.

As described above, in the network management server 10, which is an embodiment of the network management device of the present invention, when the QoS management program 129 detects a change in the wireless connection destination of the terminal 102 from communication method 1 to communication method 2, it refers to the communication quality correspondence table 127 and sets the quality class for communication method 2, so that the communication quality after switching of the wireless method can be controlled on the monitored system 100 (network) side, and the QoS of the entire network can be optimized. In addition, the status of the terminal and the status of the monitored system 100 can be managed together, and the bandwidth status, such as resource shortages, can be grasped, and the urgency of measures can be suggested to the network administrator.

In addition, the flow measurement program 128 repeatedly collects data flows in the monitored system 100 at a specified timing, updates the terminal communication history table 122, and detects changes in the communication method of the terminal 102, so that the state of the terminal 102 can be understood from information obtainable from the network side without implementing a special application on the terminal 102.

The flow measurement program 128 also refers to the terminal communication history table 122 to identify the access point to which the terminal 102 is connected. By identifying the access point, it is possible to determine the location where wireless quality has deteriorated, and provide the administrator with the information necessary for maintenance.

The flow measurement program also references the terminal communication history table 122 to identify the location of the access point to which the terminal 102 is connected. By identifying the location of the access point, it is possible to determine the location where wireless quality has deteriorated, and provide the administrator with the information necessary for maintenance.

The QoS management program 129 also refers to the terminal-specific wireless quality table 126 to identify the quality class of the terminal 102 in communication method 1, and refers to the communication quality correspondence table 127 to identify the quality class of the terminal 102 in communication method 2, and sets the wireless quality class of communication method 2 to the communication equipment on the communication path by communication method 2, thereby ensuring communication quality equivalent to that before the communication method was switched.

In addition, the QoS management program 129 sets the bandwidth for communication method 2 based on the communication volume of the terminal 102 in communication method 1, thereby ensuring the same communication quality as before the communication method was switched, and providing a communication environment in which the user does not feel inconvenienced even after the communication method is switched.

In addition, the notification program 130 identifies the access point of communication method 1 that caused the change in communication quality, making it possible to determine the cause of the deterioration in wireless quality and provide the administrator with the information necessary for maintenance.

The notification program also determines the urgency of notifying the administrator based on the traffic conditions in communication method 2, improving the efficiency of maintenance work based on the priority of the response.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, but includes various modified examples and equivalent configurations within the spirit of the appended claims. For example, the above-described embodiments have been described in detail to clearly explain the present invention, and the present invention is not necessarily limited to having all of the configurations described. Furthermore, part of the configuration of one embodiment may be replaced with the configuration of another embodiment. Furthermore, the configuration of another embodiment may be added to the configuration of one embodiment. Furthermore, part of the configuration of each embodiment may be added, deleted, or replaced with other configurations.

Furthermore, each of the configurations, functions, processing units, processing means, etc. described above may be realized in part or in whole in hardware, for example by designing them as integrated circuits, or may be realized in software by a processor interpreting and executing a program that realizes each function.

Information such as programs, tables, and files that realize each function can be stored in a storage device such as a memory, hard disk, or SSD (Solid State Drive), or in a recording medium such as an IC card, SD card, or DVD.

In addition, the control lines and information lines shown are those considered necessary for explanation, and do not necessarily represent all control lines and information lines necessary for implementation. In reality, it is safe to assume that almost all components are interconnected.

100 Monitored system 101 Network management server 102 Terminal 103 Access point (5G)
104, 105, 106, 107 Access point (Wi-Fi)
108 EPC
109 Firewall 110 Routers 111, 112, 113, 114 Switches 115, 116 Business system server 117 Auxiliary storage device 118 Communication interface 119 Memory 120 Processor 121 Terminal management table 122 Flow history table 123 Terminal communication history table 124 Communication device table 125 QoS setting table 126 Terminal-specific wireless quality table 127 Communication quality correspondence table 128 Flow measurement program 129 QoS management program 130 Notification program

Claims (8)

A network management device,
The computer includes an arithmetic unit that executes a predetermined arithmetic process and a storage device that is connected to the arithmetic unit,
The computing device has a QoS management unit that manages communication quality in a network,
the storage device stores communication quality correspondence information that records a correspondence relationship between a wireless quality class of a first wireless communication method and a wireless quality class of a second wireless communication method;
A network management device characterized in that, when the QoS management unit detects a change in the wireless connection of a terminal from the first wireless communication method to the second wireless communication method, it sets a wireless quality class in the second wireless communication method by referring to the communication quality correspondence information , and sets the bandwidth of the second wireless communication method by multiplying the bandwidth setting determined from the communication volume in the first wireless communication method of the terminal by an adjustment multiplier, which is a coefficient for calculating a reduced bandwidth when there are a large number of terminals and it is difficult to guarantee the bandwidth . 2. The network management device according to claim 1,
the computing device has a measurement unit that measures a data flow in the network,
the storage device stores communication history information in which a communication history of the terminal is recorded;
The network management device is characterized in that the measurement unit repeatedly collects data flows in the network at a predetermined timing, updates the communication history information, and detects changes in the wireless communication method of the terminal. 3. A network management device according to claim 2,
The communication history information records information on an access point to which the terminal is connected,
The network management device is characterized in that the measurement unit refers to the communication history information to identify an access point to which the terminal is connected. 4. A network management device according to claim 3,
The communication history information records the installation location of the access point,
The network management device is characterized in that the measurement unit refers to the communication history information to identify an installation location of an access point to which the terminal is connected. 2. The network management device according to claim 1,
The storage device stores terminal-specific wireless quality information that defines a wireless quality class to be applied to a combination of the terminal and the wireless communication method;
The QoS management unit
By referring to the terminal-specific wireless quality information, a first wireless quality class of the terminal in the first wireless communication system is identified;
identifying a second wireless quality class of the terminal in the second wireless communication system by referring to the communication quality correspondence information;
A network management device comprising: a communication device that sets the specified second wireless quality class in a communication path according to the second wireless communication method. 2. The network management device according to claim 1,
the computing device has a notification unit that notifies an administrator of a communication quality status of the network;
The network management device according to claim 1, wherein the notification unit identifies an access point of the first wireless communication method that has caused a change in communication quality. 7. A network management device according to claim 6,
The network management device according to claim 1, wherein the notification unit determines a degree of urgency of a notification to the administrator depending on a traffic state in the second wireless communication method. A network management method executed by a network management device, comprising:
the network management device is configured by a computer having an arithmetic unit that executes a predetermined arithmetic process and a storage device connected to the arithmetic unit;
the storage device stores communication quality correspondence information that records a correspondence relationship between a wireless quality class of a first wireless communication method and a wireless quality class of a second wireless communication method;
The network management method includes:
When the arithmetic device detects a change in a wireless connection destination of a terminal from the first wireless communication method to the second wireless communication method, the arithmetic device sets a wireless quality class in the second wireless communication method by referring to the communication quality correspondence information;
A network management method characterized in that the calculation device sets the bandwidth of the second wireless communication method by multiplying the bandwidth setting determined from the communication volume in the first wireless communication method of the terminal by an adjustment multiplier, which is a coefficient for calculating a reduced bandwidth when there are many terminals and it is difficult to guarantee the bandwidth.

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