Distributed computer system for telecommunications operational support

• US 20050015771A1
• Filed: 03/28/2003
• Published: 01/20/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Sbc Knowledge Ventures, L.P.
• Inventors: Bagsby, Denis
• Granted Patent: US 8,700,753 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 718/106
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/542 Intercept
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/541 via adapters, e.g. between incompatible applications
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing

Abstract

In one particular embodiment, the disclosure is directed to a distributed computer system for use in connection with telecommunications operational support. The distributed computer system includes a common integration communications element, a telecommunication related business application, an adapter module, and an integrated services module. The adaptor module is coupled to the common integration communications element, and is responsive to the telecommunications related business application. The integrated services module is also coupled to the common integration communications element.

Claims

1. A distributed computer system for use in connection with telecommunications operational support, the distributed computer system comprising:

a common integration communication element;

a telecommunication related business application;

an adapter module responsive to the telecommunication related business application coupled to the common integration communication element; and

an integration services module coupled to the common integration communication element.

2. The distributed computer system of claim 1, further comprising an integrated services module adapter coupled to the integration services module and an integrated services software application accessible to the integrated services module via the integrated services module adapter.

3. The distributed computer system of claim 2, wherein the telecommunication related business application is loaded onto a first hardware element and the integration services software application is loaded onto a second hardware element, the first hardware element located remotely from the second hardware element.

4. The distributed computer system of claim 1, further comprising a second integration services module coupled to the common integration communication element, a first integrated services application coupled to the second integration services module via a first adapter, and a second integrated services application coupled to the second integration services module via a second adapter.

5. The distributed computer system of claim 4, further comprising an integration services shared workspace element, the integration services shared workspace element including shared data, processing rules, and process state information.

6. The distributed computer system of claim 5, wherein the integration services shared workspace element comprises a domain object manager, a business process manager, and a policy manager.

7. The distributed computer system of claim 5, wherein the integration services shared workspace element is accessible to the integrated services module and to the second integration services module via the common integration communication element.

8. An enterprise integration architecture comprising:

a plurality of user access elements;

a distributed computing system infrastructure responsive to each of the plurality of user access elements;

a plurality of telecommunication related software application services responsive to the distributed computing system infrastructure;

a plurality of telecommunication network computing resources including business management resources, operational support resources and external enterprise communication resources; and

an integration services platform to provide a common service-oriented interface to the plurality of telecommunication related software application services, the integration services platform configured to retrieve system-specific data from the plurality of telecommunication network computing resources.

9. The enterprise integration architecture of claim 8, wherein the distributed computing system infrastructure comprises standardized communication, directory, management, and interconnection services.

10. The enterprise integration architecture of claim 8, wherein the integration services platform comprises product management, customer information management, order/service request management, and location information management services.

11. The enterprise integration architecture of claim 10, wherein the integration services platform further comprises network resources management, service management, usage management, rating and pricing configuration, bill preparation, and trouble administration.

12. The enterprise integration architecture of claim 8, wherein the plurality of telecommunications network computing resources comprises resources selected from the group consisting of ordering, provisioning, assurance, marketing, billing, work administration, and dispatching.

13. The enterprise integration architecture of claim 8, wherein the plurality of telecommunications related software application services comprises fulfillment services, assurance services, and billing services.

14. The enterprise integration architecture of claim 13, wherein the fulfillment services comprise services for sales, order handling, service planning and development, service configuration, network planning and development, and network provisioning.

15. The enterprise integration architecture of claim 13, wherein the assurance services comprise services for problem handling, customer questions management, service problem resolution, service quality management, network inventory management, and network maintenance and restoration.

16. The enterprise integration architecture of claim 13, wherein the billing services comprise services for invoicing and collections, rating and discounting, and network data management.

17. A distributed computing system comprising:

a plurality of channel access interfaces;

an application services framework coupled to the plurality of channel access interfaces, the application services framework including billing, fulfillment, and customer assurance functionality, the application services framework having a first distributed infrastructure interface;

a common integration services framework including a plurality of shared layered integration services, the common integration services framework having a second distributed infrastructure interface; and

a distributed infrastructure system having a plurality of distributed networked computing elements, the distributed infrastructure system responsive to the first distributed infrastructure interface and to the second distributed infrastructure interface.

18. The distributed computing system of claim 17, wherein the distributed infrastructure system provides a plurality of shared services.

19. The distributed computing system of claim 18, wherein the plurality of distributed networked computing elements comprises a data logging service, a directory service, a security service, a messaging service, a persistence management service, an application management service, a transaction management service, and a business process management service.

20. The distributed computing system of claim 17, further comprising a plurality of resource channels to communicate with telecommunication network resources.

21. The distributed computing system of claim 17, wherein the plurality of shared layered integration services includes an interface service layer, a business logic layer, a domain object layer, and a resource connector layer.

22. The distributed computer system of claim 21, wherein the interface services layer comprises a first adapter for interfacing with the application services framework and communicating with a second JAVA type interface.

23. The distributed computer system of claim 21, wherein the business logic layer comprises a first JAVA type interface and a plurality of business logic modules, the plurality of business logic modules having access to a second JAVA type interface of a domain object layer.

24. The distributed computer system of claim 21, wherein the domain object layer comprises a JAVA type interface and performs a translation service with a resource connector layer.

25. The distributed computer system of claim 21, wherein the resource connector layer comprises a plurality of JAVA resource message objects operable for communication with a plurality of resource systems.

26. The distributed computer system of claim 17, wherein the plurality of channel access interfaces are accessible by customers and third party local exchange carriers.

27. The distributed computer system of claim 17 further comprising a plurality of resource access interfaces.

28. The distributed computer system of claim 27, wherein the plurality of resource access interfaces access a plurality of service providers.

29. The distributed computer system of claim 27, wherein the plurality of services providers include alliance partners, local exchange carriers, long distance carriers, and equipment suppliers.

30. A distributed computing system comprising:

a plurality of customer channel access interfaces;

an application services framework coupled to the plurality of customer channel access interfaces, the application services fiamework including billing, fulfillment, and customer assurance functionality, the application services framework having a first distributed infrastructure interface;

a common integration services framework including a plurality of shared layered integration services, the common integration services framework having a second distributed infrastructure interface;

a distributed infrastructure system having a plurality of distributed networked computing elements, the distributed infrastructure system responsive to the first distributed infrastructure interface and to the second distributed infrastructure interface; and

a plurality of resource channels to communicate with telecommunication network resources wherein at least one of the plurality of telecommunication network resources is a legacy system having a proprietary interface and an adapter to allow the legacy system to be accessed via at least one of the resource channels.

31. A method of integrating an information technology element associated with a telecommunication network system into a distributed computing system, the method comprising:

attaching an adapter component to the information technology element; and

coupling the adapter component to a resource channel of the distributed computing system,

wherein the resource channel is coupled to a distributed infrastructure system having a plurality of distributed networked computing elements, the distributed infrastructure system supporting an application services framework and a common integration services framework, the application services framework including telecommunications billing, fulfillment, and customer service functionality, the common integration services framework including a plurality of shared integration services.

32. The method of claim 31, further comprising sending a request from an application within the application services framework to the information technology element via the distributed infrastructure system and via the resource channel.

33. The method of claim 32, further comprising retrieving embedded data from within the information technology element and communicating the embedded data to a user interface accessible to the application services framework.

34. The method of claim 31, wherein the information technology element is a legacy database system, legacy operations support systems, and legacy network equipment.

35. The method of claim 31, wherein the information technology element is an acquired asset relating to a financial transaction.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein the financial transaction is one of a merger and an acquisition.

37. The method of claim 31, wherein the common integration services framework is implemented as a Java type of integration server.

38. The method of claim 31 further comprising mapping embedded data locations from within the information technology element to a domain object within the common integration services framework.

39. A distributed computer system comprising:

an interconnection service coupled to a plurality of access interfaces;

a distributed communications infrastructure coupled to the interconnection service;

an application service coupled to the distributed communications infrastructure, the application service comprising billing, fulfillment, and customer assurance functionality; and

an integration service coupled to the distributed communications infrastructure, the integration service comprising product management, customer information management, and service level agreement management functionality.

40. The distributed computer system of claim 39 further comprising a policy management service coupled to the distributed communications infrastructure, the policy management service comprising security and product management functionality.

41. The distributed computer system of claim 39 further comprising a system service coupled to the distributed communications infrastructure, the system services comprising directory, security, and management functionality.

42. The distributed computer system of claim 39 further comprising access service coupled to the distributed communications infrastructure, the access services providing access to CRIS and Service Order Retrieval Distribution (SORD) functionality.