Consolidated network repository (CNR) for storing data associated with different communication network platforms

• US 10,367,904 B2
• Filed: 03/17/2017
• Issued: 07/30/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Dowlatkhah, Sangar
• Primary Examiner(s): Vu, Viet D
• Application Number:
  US15/462,159
• Publication Number:
  US 20170195445A1
• Time in Patent Office: 865 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/213 with details for schema evolution support
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24522 Translation of natural language queries to structured queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/256 in federated or virtual databases
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/565 Conversion or adaptation of application format or content adding application control or application functional data H04L67/561
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/08 Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data

Abstract

An architecture that can facilitate support for or integration of disparate communications networks. The architecture can embody a consolidated network repository (CNR) that can be configured as a single logical repository that can potentially be configured according to a common schema regardless of the type or number of schema employed by the disparate communications networks.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, facilitate performance of operations, comprising;

communicating with a storage device comprising a single logical layer that stores consolidated networks data according to a single common schema, wherein the single logical layer is accessed according to the single common schema, wherein the consolidated networks data comprises first network data representative of a first network domain that operates according to a first protocol and that provides a first group of services, and second network data representative of a second network domain that operates according to a second protocol different than the first protocol and that provides a second group of services different than the first group of services;

receiving, from a first device of the first network domain, a request for a first portion of the consolidated networks data, wherein the request is formatted according to the first protocol and specifies access to the first portion according to a platform-specific database schema associated with the first network domain;

translating the request according to the single common schema that specifies access to the first portion according to the single common schema;

generating a modified request based on the translating;

using the modified request to access the storage device and retrieve the first portion; and

transmitting the first portion to the first device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the platform-specific database schema differs from the single common schema.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

transmitting the modified request to the storage device;

receiving a response to the modified request in accordance with the single common schema;

translating the response to a modified response in accordance with the first protocol; and

transmitting the modified response to the first device.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the first protocol conforms to an Internet protocol multimedia subsystem standard and the second protocol conforms to a broadband network standard.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the first protocol conforms to third generation partnership project standard and the second protocol conforms to a long term evolution standard.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the storage device comprises interfaces that respectively support communication with the first device of the first network domain and a second device of the second network domain.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the interfaces are data-less and support protocols comprising a lightweight data access protocol, a simple object access protocol, an extensible markup language, a hypertext transfer protocol, or a simple network management protocol.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the storage device is communicatively coupled to storage devices that redundantly store the consolidated networks data.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the storage device further comprises layer data that comprises:

backend layer data representative of backend storage devices for a first logical wide area network;

interface layer data representative of interface devices included in a second logical wide area network; and

data management layer data representative of data management devices in a third logical wide area network.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the backend storage devices are physically distributed among geographic locations, wherein a first portion of the layer data is stored at a first geographic location, and wherein a second portion of the layer data is stored at a second geographic location.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein a layer described by the layer data is independently updateable and an update to the layer does not require an associated update to other layers included in the layer data.

12. A non-transitory machine-readable medium, comprising executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, facilitate performance of operations, comprising:

facilitating communication with a data store that stores, in a common format, data associated with devices of different network platforms in a single logical partition that is interfaced according to a first database schema associated with the common format, wherein the different network platforms comprise a first platform that provides a first group of services and a second platform that provides a second group of services that differs from the first group of services;

receiving, from a device of the devices, a request for first data stored by the data store, wherein the request specifies access to the first data according to a second database schema that differs from the first database schema and is platform-specific to first platform;

transforming the request according to a common protocol that specifies access to the first data according to the first database schema;

generating a modified request based on the transforming;

using the modified request to access the data store and retrieve the first data; and

transmitting the first data to the device.

13. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the operations further comprise transmitting the modified request to the data store in accordance with the common protocol.

14. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the operations further comprise receiving a response to the modified request in accordance with the common protocol.

15. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the operations further comprise transforming the response to a modified response in accordance with the second database schema that is platform-specific to the first platform.

16. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise transmitting the modified response to the device.

17. A method, comprising:

communicating, by a system comprising a processor, with a data store that maintains data associated with disparate network platforms and stores the data according to a unified database schema, wherein the disparate network platforms comprise a first platform that provides a first group of services and a second platform that provides a second group of services that differs from the first group of services;

receiving, by the system and from a device of the first platform, a query for first data stored by the data store, wherein the query is formatted according to a native protocol of the first platform and specifies access to the first data according to a native database schema that is platform-specific to the first platform;

translating, by the system, the query according to a unified protocol that specifies access to the first data according to the unified database schema;

generating, by the system, a modified query based on the translating;

employing, by the system, the modified query to access the data store and retrieve the first data; and

facilitating, by the system, transmitting the first data to the device of the first platform.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

facilitating, by the system, transmitting the modified query to the data store;

facilitating, by the system, receiving a response to the modified query in accordance with the unified database schema;

translating, by the system, the response to a modified response in accordance with the native protocol; and

facilitating, by the system, transmitting the modified response to the device.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising managing, by the system, a location index comprising index data indicative of a location of defined portions of the data stored at the data store according to the unified database schema.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising managing, by the system, layer data comprising:

managing backend layer data describing backend stores for a first logical wide area network, managing interface layer data describing interface devices included in a second logical wide area network, and managing data management layer data describing data management devices in a third logical wide area network.