System and method for facilitating device communication, management and control in a network
First Claim
1. An apparatus for facilitating communication in a network, comprising:
- a web services interface operable to communicate over a network and receive a command using a web services protocol;
a command translator operable to receive the command and generate at least one device command corresponding to the command, the at least one device command operable to invoke one or more functions in at least one network element; and
a plurality of protocol converters each operable to receive at least one device command, translate the at least one device command from a first protocol to a second protocol, and communicate the at least one device command to one or more network elements, at least two of the protocol converters operable to translate the at least one device command into different second protocols.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus for facilitating communication in a network includes a web services interface operable to communicate over a network and receive a command using a web services protocol. The apparatus also includes a command translator operable to receive the command and generate at least one device command corresponding to the command. The at least one device command is operable to invoke one or more functions in at least one network element. The apparatus further includes a plurality of protocol converters each operable to receive at least one device command, translate the at least one device command from a first protocol to a second protocol, and communicate the at least one device command to one or more network elements. At least two of the protocol converters are operable to translate the at least one device command into different second protocols.
136 Citations
39 Claims
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1. An apparatus for facilitating communication in a network, comprising:
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a web services interface operable to communicate over a network and receive a command using a web services protocol;
a command translator operable to receive the command and generate at least one device command corresponding to the command, the at least one device command operable to invoke one or more functions in at least one network element; and
a plurality of protocol converters each operable to receive at least one device command, translate the at least one device command from a first protocol to a second protocol, and communicate the at least one device command to one or more network elements, at least two of the protocol converters operable to translate the at least one device command into different second protocols. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. An apparatus for facilitating communication in a network, comprising:
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a memory operable to store an identification of one or more first communications protocols used by each of a plurality of network elements, at least two of the network elements using one or more different first communications protocols; and
one or more processors collectively operable to;
receive a command using a web services protocol;
generate at least one device command corresponding to the command, the at least one device command operable to invoke one or more functions in at least one network element;
identify at least one first communications protocol associated with the at least one network element;
translate the at least one device command from a second communications protocol to the at least one first communications protocol; and
communicate the at least one device command to the at least one network element. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. A method for facilitating communication in a network, comprising:
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receiving a command using a web services protocol;
generating at least one device command corresponding to the command, the at least one device command operable to invoke one or more functions in at least one network element;
translating the at least one device command from a first protocol to at least one of a plurality of second protocols; and
communicating the at least one device command to one or more network elements. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
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36. Software for facilitating communication in a network, the software embodied on at least one computer readable medium and operable when executed by one or more processors to:
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receive a command using a web services protocol;
generate at least one device command corresponding to the command, the at least one device command operable to invoke one or more functions in at least one network element;
translate the at least one device command from a first protocol to at least one of a plurality of second protocols; and
communicate the at least one device command to one or more network elements.
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37. A system for facilitating communication in a network, comprising:
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means for receiving a command using a web services protocol;
means for generating at least one device command corresponding to the command, the at least one device command operable to invoke one or more functions in at least one network element;
means for translating the at least one device command from a first protocol to at least one of a plurality of second protocols; and
means for communicating the at least one device command to one or more network elements.
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38. An apparatus for facilitating communication in a network, comprising:
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a plurality of protocol converters each operable to receive information from at least one network element using a first communications protocol and translate the information from the first communications protocol to a second communications protocol, at least two of the protocol converters operable to communicate using different first communications protocols;
a command translator operable to receive the information and generate at least one message containing at least a portion of the information; and
a web services interface operable to receive the message and communicate the message over a network using a web services protocol.
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39. An apparatus for facilitating communication in a network, comprising:
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a web services interface operable to receive a command using a web services protocol;
a command translator operable to receive the command, identify a command sequence comprising at least one device command associated with the command, identify one or more fields in the at least one device command, and map at least a portion of the information contained in the command into at least some of the one or more fields in the at least one device command, the at least one device command operable to invoke one or more functions in at least one network element;
a plurality of protocol converters each operable to receive at least one device command, translate the at least one device command from a first protocol to a second protocol, and communicate the at least one device command to one or more network elements, at least two of the protocol converters operable to translate the at least one device command into different second protocols; and
a transaction manager operable to monitor execution of the at least one device command by one or more network elements, determine whether any of the at least one device command failed to execute successfully, generate one or more of at least one of a roll back command and an undo command, and communicate the at least one of the roll back command and the undo command to one or more network elements when at least one device command fails to execute successfully.
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Specification