Method and apparatus for monitoring of switch resources using resource group definitions

• US 20040064549A1
• Filed: 09/30/2002
• Published: 04/01/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Inventors: Knight, James L. Jr., De La Cruz, John E., Pennenga, Richard J., Brown, Thomas W., Maggiulli, Patrick G., Smith, Linda G., Silverstein, Steven Michael, Murtaugh, James Leo
• Granted Patent: US 7,716,311 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/00 Arrangements for monitoring or testing data switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0021 Details of Application Programming Interfaces

Abstract

Resources associated with a communication system switch are monitored by storing information defining one or more resource groups. Each of the resource groups includes multiple identifiers, with each of the identifiers specifying at least one resource to be monitored. A client external to the switch is permitted to select at least one of the resource groups for monitoring. In response to selection of one of the groups by the client, monitoring of the corresponding resources is established on behalf of the client. The resource monitoring may be established, controlled and maintained by a telephony server coupled between the client and the switch. Such a telephony server can preserve monitoring for a resource group, independent of the requests of clients, in order to reduce the amount of execution time needed to set up and tear down monitors for client applications. This is particularly advantageous in call centers or in other client applications that involve monitoring large numbers of switch resources.

Claims

1. A method of monitoring resources associated with a communication system switch, the method comprising the steps of:

storing information defining one or more resource groups, each of the resource groups comprising a plurality of identifiers, each of the identifiers specifying at least one resource to be monitored; and

permitting selection, by a client external to the switch, of at least one of the resource groups;

wherein in response to selection of one of the groups by the client, monitoring of the corresponding resources is established on behalf of the client.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the storing step comprises storing the information such that the one or more defined resource groups are selectable by each of a plurality of clients external to the switch.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the storing step comprises storing the information in a memory element associated with a telephony server coupled between the client and the switch.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the telephony server comprises a resource monitor for permitting the selection of the resource group by the client and controlling the monitoring of the corresponding resources on behalf of the client.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein the memory comprises a database storing multiple defined resource groups.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the selection of one of the defined resource groups is implemented via a computer-telephony integration (CTI) application running on the client.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the storing step comprises storing the information with one or more assigned attributes for each of the defined resource groups.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein a given one of the attributes indicates that the corresponding resource group will be set up for monitoring prior to selection of the group by the client.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein a given one of the attributes indicates that the monitoring of the corresponding resource group will continue even if the requesting client fails.

10. The method of claim 7 wherein a given one of the attributes indicates that the monitoring of the corresponding resource group will continue even if the requesting client indicates that it no longer requires the monitoring.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the identifiers associated with a given one of the resource groups are determined in response to a parameterized query based on a description of at least one characteristic of the group.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the description specifies all dialed numbers having the characteristic.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein at least one of the resource groups comprises a fixed set of identifiers.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein at least one of the resource groups comprises a dynamically variable set of identifiers.

15. An apparatus for monitoring resources associated with a communication system switch, the apparatus comprising:

a server connectable between a client and the switch, the server being operative;

(i) to store information defining one or more resource groups, each of the resource groups comprising a plurality of identifiers, each of the identifiers specifying at least one resource to be monitored, and (ii) to permit selection, by a client external to the switch, of at least one of the resource groups;

wherein in response to selection of one of the groups by the client, monitoring of the corresponding resources is established on behalf of the client.

16. An article of manufacture comprising a machine-readable storage medium storing one or more programs for use in monitoring resources associated with a communication system switch, wherein the one or more programs when executed implement the steps of:

storing information defining one or more resource groups, each of the resource groups comprising a plurality of identifiers, each of the identifiers specifying at least one resource to be monitored; and

permitting selection, by a client external to the switch, of at least one of the resource groups;

wherein in response to selection of one of the groups by the client, monitoring of the corresponding resources is established on behalf of the client.