System and method for automatically designing communications circuits

• US 20020073393A1
• Filed: 12/13/2000
• Published: 06/13/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Agile Software Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Metasolv Software, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Campbell, David C., Reilly, John P., Westervelt, Mary Kim, Dunn, Brenda D., McGuire, Mark W., Peterson, Joseph A.
• Granted Patent: US 6,643,837 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 716/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/00 Routing or path finding of packets in data switching networks routing or path finding in wireless networks H04W40/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/24 Multipath

Abstract

A computer-implemented system (10) for designing communications circuits includes one or more route plans (16) each with a first route point group (38) for a first circuit end point (34), a second route point group (38) associated with a second circuit end point (34), and one or more routes (32) connecting the first and second route point groups (38). Each route (32) is available for use in designing the circuit. A design engine (12) accesses a particular route plan (16), selects a route (32) according to the route plan (16), and automatically assigns the selected route (32) to the circuit in designing the circuit. The design engine (12) may select the particular route plan (16) from among multiple route plans (16) according to a service application (14) that is automatically derived from an associated circuit order. The design engine (12) may assign equipment to the circuit at one or more points along the selected route (32) according to an equipment assignment template (18) specifying characteristics of the equipment. The design engine (12) may select the template (18) from among multiple templates (18) according to a service application (14).

Claims

1. A computer-implemented system for designing communications circuits, comprising:

one or more route plans each comprising;

a first route point group associated with a first circuit end point;

a second route point group associated with a second circuit end point; and

one or more routes connecting the first and second route point groups, each route being available for use in designing the circuit; and

a design engine operable to access a route plan, select a route according to the route plan, and automatically assign the selected route to the circuit in designing the circuit.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein each route point group comprises one or more network locations available for use in designing the circuit, the design engine operable to select the route without regard to the network locations in the route point groups.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the design engine is further operable to select the route without regard to facilities that underlie the route and which may be available for assignment to the target circuit.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the route plan further comprises one or more priorities, each associated with a particular route, the design engine operable to select the route according to its priority.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the route plan further comprises one or more allocation percentages, each associated with a particular route, the design engine operable to select the route according to its allocation percentage.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the route plan further comprises a third route point group associated with an intermediate point and defining a segment between the intermediate point and an end point.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the design engine is further operable to automatically determine a network access point to connect with an end point that lies outside a network containing the routes, the routes connecting with the network access point.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the design engine is further operable to access a network access template to determine how one or more elements outside of a network of the circuit are to access the network.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the design engine is operable to take customer-specified assignments into consideration in designing the circuit.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the design engine is further operable to determine one or more intermediate locations for the circuit if the end points are not in an inventory of a provider.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the design engine is further operable to automatically determine a path for the circuit between two network locations within a particular route point group.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the design engine selects the route plan from among a plurality of route plans according to a service application.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the design engine is operable to derive the service application automatically from an associated circuit order.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the design engine is operable to derive the service application according to a service application link associating the service application with information in the circuit order, the information selected from the group consisting of:

a cataloged service item;

a service type;

a service type group;

a network channel code; and

a network channel interface code.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the design engine is further operable to select a particular service application from among multiple service applications linked to the circuit order according to a link preference.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the design engine selects the route plan from among a plurality of route plans according to a rate associated with the route plan.

17. The system of claim 1, further comprising an equipment assignment template (EAT) specifying one or more characteristics of equipment, the design engine operable to assign equipment to the circuit at one or more points in the selected route according to the EAT.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the EAT specifies a particular equipment type for the circuit.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the EAT specifies a particular equipment specification for the circuit.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein:

each route point group comprises one or more network locations available for use in designing the circuit; and

the design engine is operable to assign equipment to the circuit at one or more network locations according to the EAT.

21. The system of claim 17, wherein the design engine is operable to access a distance threshold associated with the EAT and to apply the EAT only if at least a portion of the selected route exceeds the distance threshold.

22. The system of claim 17, wherein the design engine is operable to select the EAT from among a plurality of EATs according to a service application derived from a circuit order.

23. The system of claim 1, wherein the design engine is further operable to assign facilities to the circuit, assign equipment to the circuit, and generate a design layout for the circuit to complete the design of the circuit.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein each route point group comprises one or more network locations available for use in designing the circuit, the route being selected without regard to the network locations in the route point groups.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein the route is selected without regard to facilities that underlie the route and which may be available for assignment to the target circuit.

27. The method of claim 24, wherein the route plan further comprises one or more priorities, each associated with a particular route, the route being selected according to its priority.

28. The method of claim 24, wherein the route plan further comprises one or more allocation percentages, each associated with a particular route, the route being selected according to its allocation percentage.

29. The method of claim 24, wherein the route plan further comprises a third route point group associated with an intermediate point and defining a segment between the intermediate point and an end point.

30. The method of claim 24, further comprising automatically determining a network access point to connect with an end point that lies outside a network containing the routes, the routes connecting with the network access point.

31. The method of claim 24, further comprising accessing a network access template to determine how one or more elements outside of a network of the circuit are to access the network.

32. The method of claim 24, further comprising taking customer-specified assignments into consideration in designing the circuit.

33. The method of claim 24, further comprising determining one or more intermediate locations for the circuit if the end points are not in an inventory of a provider.

34. The method of claim 24, further comprising automatically determining a path for the circuit between two network locations within a particular route point group.

35. The method of claim 24, further comprising selecting the route plan from among a plurality of route plans according to a service application.

36. The method of claim 35, further comprising automatically deriving the service application from an associated circuit order.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein the service application is derived according to a link associating the service application with information in the circuit order, the information selected from the group consisting of:

a cataloged service item;

a service type;

a service type group;

a network channel code; and

a network channel interface code.

38. The method of claim 37, further comprising selecting a particular service application from among multiple service applications linked to the circuit order according to a link preference.

39. The method of claim 24, further comprising selecting the route plan from among a plurality of route plans according to a rate associated with the route plan.

40. The method of claim 24, further comprising:

accessing an equipment assignment template (EAT) specifying one or more characteristics of equipment; and

assigning equipment to the circuit at one or more points in the selected route according to the EAT.

41. The method of claim 40, wherein the EAT specifies a particular equipment type for the circuit.

42. The method of claim 40, wherein the EAT specifies a particular equipment specification for the circuit.

43. The method of claim 40, wherein:

each route point group comprises one or more network locations available for use in designing the circuit; and

equipment is assigned to the circuit at one or more network locations according to the EAT.

44. The method of claim 40, further comprising:

accessing a distance threshold associated with the EAT; and

applying the EAT only if at least a portion of the selected route exceeds the distance threshold.

45. The method of claim 40, wherein the EAT is selected from among a plurality of EATs according to a service application derived from a circuit order.

46. The method of claim 24, further comprising:

assigning facilities to the circuit;

assigning equipment to the circuit; and

generating a design layout for the circuit to complete the design of the circuit.

24. A computer-implemented method of designing a communications circuit, comprising:

accessing a route plan comprising;

a first route point group associated with a first circuit end point;

a second route point group associated with a second circuit end point; and

one or more routes connecting the first and second route point groups, each route being available for use in designing the circuit;

selecting a route according to the route plan; and

automatically assigning the selected route to the circuit in designing the circuit.

47. A computer-implemented system for designing communications circuits, comprising:

means for accessing a route plan comprising;

a first route point group associated with a first circuit end point;

a second route point group associated with a second circuit end point; and

one or more routes connecting the first and second route point groups, each route being available for use in designing the circuit;

means for selecting a route according to the route plan; and

means for automatically assigning the selected route to the circuit in designing the circuit.