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Add a Network Maintenance Task

You can add a network maintenance task to schedule maintenance events for network elements, so that you can perform updates or other configuration tasks. Currently, you can add maintenance events only for nodes with the overload bit set.

Maintenance events are planned failures at specific future dates and times. During a scheduled maintenance event, the selected elements are considered logically down. The system reroutes the LSPs around those elements during the maintenance period. After the maintenance event is completed, the default behavior is that all LSPs that were affected by the event are reoptimized.

Note:

The Path Computation Element (PCE) attempts to reoptimize only PCE-initiated and PCC-delegated LSPs (not PCC-controlled LSPs).

To add a network maintenance task:

  1. Select Administration > Task Scheduler.

    The Task Scheduler page appears.

  2. Click the + (Add) icon.

    The Add Task page (wizard) appears.

  3. Configure the fields in each step of the wizard according to the guidelines provided in Table 1.

    Click Next to go to the next step.

    Note:

    Fields marked with an asterisk (*) are mandatory.

  4. After you complete each step in the wizard, click Finish.

    A confirmation message appears on top of the page, indicating that the task is added successfully.

    The details of this task are displayed on the Task Scheduler page.

Every time the task runs, it first checks the Complete condition for the maintenance event created by the task. If all the elements included in the maintenance task satisfy the Complete condition (for example, overloadBit = false), it completes the maintenance event. Next, it looks for elements that match the Create condition (for example, overloadBit = true). If it finds such elements, it initiates a new maintenance event that includes those elements.

Just as for other maintenance events, the “M” symbol on the topology map indicates the affected nodes. In the Maintenance tab of the network information table, the maintenance event displays the comment Created by maintenance task in the Comment column.

Note:

This type of maintenance event completes when the included nodes no longer have the overload bit set, but the event will not be deleted automatically. You must manually delete the completed event from the Maintenance tab of the network information table.

Table 1: Fields on the Add Task Wizard (Network Maintenance)

Field

Description

Add New Task

Task Name

Specify a unique name for the task. The name can contain only alphanumeric characters and some special characters (greater than (<), less than (<), colon (:), underscore (_), and hyphen (-)).

Task Group

From the list, select Utility Tasks.

Task Type

From the list, select Network Maintenance.

Network Maintenance Task

Task Options

Configure the following fields:

  • Event Name Prefix—Specify a prefix that the PCE uses to name the maintenance event that is initiated by the task. The prefix is followed by a timestamp to ensure that the event name is unique.

    Alternatively, you can select the check box corresponding to the Use Task Name option to use the name of the task as the prefix.

  • No LSP Optimization Upon Completion—Select the check box corresponding to this option if you don’t want the PCE to automatically reoptimize LSPs when the event completes.

Event Conditions

Specify what conditions should trigger the initiation and completion of the maintenance event:

  • Node Bit Overload On Create—Click the toggle button to enable or disable (default) the PCE to automatically initiate a maintenance event for all nodes that have the overload bit set.
  • Node Bit Overload On Completion—Click the toggle button to enable or disable (default) the PCE to automatically stop the maintenance event for all nodes that have the overload bit set.

The PCE discovers the overload bit setting by using either the Network Topology Abstractor Daemon (NTAD) or the BGP Monitoring Protocol (BMP).

Schedule

Startup Options

Schedule—Select one of the following options to schedule the task:

  • Activate Now: The task starts at the current date and time.
  • Activate Later: The task starts at a later date and time.

    In the field that appears, click the calendar icon to select the date and time at which you want the task to start. Then, click OK.

    Instead of using the Activate Now option, you can also click Now at the bottom of the calendar for the task to start at the current date and time.

Recurrence Options
  • Repeats—Specify the frequency (in Minutes, Hours, or Days, Weekly, Monthly, Yearly, or Never) at which the task recurs.

  • Every—Specify the periodicity of the recurrence.

  • Ends—Select one of the following options:

    • Never—To configure the task to recur at the specified interval.
    • On—To select a date and time at which you want the task to end. In the field that appears, click the calendar icon and select the date and time. Then, click OK.
    • Now—To end a task at the current date and time, click Now at the bottom of the calendar.