Method and apparatus for web-based international facility planning

• US 20040221028A1
• Filed: 12/23/2003
• Published: 11/04/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Stewart, Harold Jeffrey, Smirnoff, Vitaly, Gaddamanugu, Bala Surya Siva Sri, Mason, Jacquenetta M., Harati, Jagannath
• Granted Patent: US 7,447,749 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]

Abstract

A method and tool for managing network infrastructure is presented. The tool provides information related to infrastructure of international networks, including facilities and equipment, and enables the display of such information. The information can be displayed in both geographic and tabular form. The equipment includes international as well as proprietary equipment, and information describes the relationship between the two.

Claims

1. A method of managing network infrastructure, comprising:

providing information related to infrastructure of international networks, including facilities and equipment; and

enabling display of the information.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein enabling comprises:

enabling display of the information in a geographic form.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the geographic form of display of the information comprises display layers, each of the display layers corresponding to a type of object and capable of being selected independently of the other display layers.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein each type of object that is displayed is represented by a symbol and a text label unique to such object.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein enabling comprises:

enabling display of the information in tabular form.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the facilities comprise international facilities.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the equipment comprises international and proprietary equipment.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the information describes a relationship between the international and proprietary equipment.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the information comprises types of objects.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the types of objects comprise types of devices and associated device attributes.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the information comprises data structures usable to provide a graphical user interface.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the data structures are stored in a database.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the database comprises a SQL server database.

14. A computer program product residing on a computer-readable medium for managing network infrastructure, the computer program product comprising instructions causing a computer to:

provide information related to infrastructure of international networks, including facilities and equipment; and

enable display of the information.

15. An apparatus for managing network infrastructure, comprising:

means for providing information related to infrastructure of international networks, including facilities and equipment; and

means for enabling the information to be displayed to a user.

16. A graphical user interface comprising:

a geographic view comprising a map that shows a representation of an international network infrastructure in a geographic area of interest;

a tree structure usable to select objects associated with the international network infrastructure, to be displayed on the map; and

a toolbar with options usable to select attributes to be displayed for the selected objects.