Services layer model for providing standards-based communications

• US 20050267979A1
• Filed: 05/25/2004
• Published: 12/01/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LinkedIn Corporation (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Bailey, Eddie L.
• Granted Patent: US 7,831,724 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/230
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/32 Architecture of open systems interconnection [OSI] 7-layer type protocol stacks, e.g. the interfaces between the data link level and the physical level
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/321 Interlayer communication protocols or service data unit [SDU] definitions; Interfaces between layers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0025 Provisions for signalling

Abstract

An open communications framework including an application layer that defines standards for applications, a middleware layer that defines standards for middleware, an operating system layer that defines standards for operating systems, and a hardware layer that defines standards for hardware. Interface layers based upon open-standards can be used to communicate data between the application layer and the middleware layer, between the middleware layer and the operating system layer, and between the operating system layer and the hardware layer.

Claims

1. A communications framework comprising:

an application layer that defines standards for applications;

a middleware layer that defines standards for middleware;

an operating system layer that defines standards for operating systems; and

a hardware layer that defines standards for hardware, wherein interface layers based upon open-standards are used to communicate data between the application layer and the middleware layer, between the middleware layer and the operating system layer, and between the operating system layer and the hardware layer.

2. The framework of claim 1, wherein the middleware layer comprises signaling protocol stacks, gateway protocol stacks, parlay gateway components, parlay integration components, operation, administration, maintenance, and provisioning (OAM&

P) middleware components, database middleware, and Web services middleware,

and wherein the operating system layer comprises carrier grade operating system enhancements, standard computer operating systems, and embedded operating systems,

and wherein the hardware layer comprises components for storage, input/output adaptors, network components, processors, and memory.

3. The framework of claim 1, wherein the interface layers comprise:

an application services layer specifying services for protocol, OAM&

P, and telecommunications, wherein the application services layer is an interface between the application layer and the middleware layer;

a platform services layer specifying services for IP workload management, security intelligence and system modeling, database modeling and connectivity, and messaging, wherein the platform services layer is an interface between the middleware layer and the operating system layer; and

a hardware services layer specifying services for storage, hardware acceleration, firmware management, and hardware management, wherein the hardware services layer is an interface between the operating system layer and the hardware layer.

4. A communications framework comprising:

an application services layer for establishing communications between applications disposed in an application layer and middleware disposed in a middleware layer;

a platform services layer for establishing communications between middleware disposed in the middleware layer and operating systems disposed in an operating system layer; and

a modular hardware service layer for establishing communications between operating systems disposed in the operating system layer and hardware disposed in a hardware layer, wherein each of the application services layer, the platform services layer, and the modular hardware service layer is based upon an open-standard, and wherein communication nodes conforming to the communication framework intercommunicate via the platform services layer.

5. A communications framework comprising:

an application layer configured for solution specific telecommunication applications, were the applications are written in a fashion independent of network structure;

a middleware layer configured for middleware;

an operating system layer configured for a plurality of operating systems;

a hardware layer configured for a plurality of mechanical and electronic parts; and

an application services layer configured for a plurality of open-standard interfaces, each interface for communicating information between applications in the application layer and middleware in the middleware layer.

6. The framework of claim 5, wherein at least one open standard is specified by the application layer to which applications of the application layer conform, and wherein at least one open standard is specified by the middleware layer to which middleware of the middleware layer conforms, and wherein at least one open standard is specified by the operating system layer to which operating systems of the operating system layer conforms, and wherein at least one open standard is specified by the hardware layer to which hardware of the hardware layer conforms.

7. The framework of claim 5, wherein the middleware layer comprises signaling protocol stacks, gateway protocol stacks, parlay gateway components, parlay integration components, operation, administration, maintenance, and provisioning (OAM&

P) middleware components, database middleware, and Web services middleware.

8. The framework of claim 5, wherein the operating system layer comprises carrier grade operating system enhancements, standard computer operating systems, and embedded operating systems.

9. The framework of claim 5, wherein the hardware layer comprises components for storage, input/output adaptors, network components, processors, and memory.

10. The framework of claim 5, wherein services specified by the application services layer comprise protocol services, OAM&

P services, and telecommunication application services.

11. The framework of claim 5, wherein the open standard interfaces of the application layer comprise at least one standard selected from the group consisting of Open Mobile Alliance (OMA), Parlay, Open Systems Architecture (OSA), Second Generation Partnership Program (2GPP), Third Generation Partnership Program (3GPP), International Telecommunications Union (ITU), and Signaling Transport (SIGTRAN).

12. The framework of claim 5, wherein the open standard interfaces of the application layer comprises at least one standard selected from the group consisting of Session Initiation Protocol (SIP), Media Gateway Control Protocol (MGCP), Stream, Control Transmission Protocol (SCTP), Universal Description, Discovery and Integration (UDDI), and Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP).

13. The framework of claim 5, wherein the open standard interfaces of the application layer comprises at least one standard selected from the group consisting of Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP), eXtensible Markup Language (XML), Interface Definition Language (IDL), and Web Services Description Language (WSDL).

14. The framework of claim 5, further comprising:

a platform services layer configured for a plurality of open-standard interfaces, each interface for communicating information between middleware in the middleware layer and operating systems in the operating system layer.

15. The framework of claim 14, wherein services specified by the platform services layer comprise IP workload management services, security intelligence and system modeling services, database modeling and connectivity services, and messaging services.

16. The framework of claim 14, wherein the open standard interfaces of the platform services layer comprises at least one standard selected from the group consisting of Application Interface Specification (AIS), Carrier Grade Linux(CGL), and Open Cluster Framework (OCF), and Portable Operating System Interface (POSIX).

17. The framework of claim 14, wherein the open standard interfaces of the platform services layer comprises at least one standard selected from the group consisting of Common Object Request Broker Architecture (CORBA), Remote Method Invocation/Internet Inter-ORB Protocol (RMI/IIOP), Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP), and JAVA.

18. The framework of claim 5, further comprising:

a hardware services layer configured for a plurality of open-standard interfaces, each interface for communicating information between operating systems in the operating system layer and hardware in the hardware layer.

19. The framework of claim 18, wherein services specified by the hardware services layer comprise storage services, hardware acceleration services, device drivers, firmware services, and hardware management services.

20. The framework of claim 18, wherein the open standard interfaces of the platform services layer comprises at least one standard selected from the group consisting of Hardware Platform Interface (HPI), Intelligent Platform Management Interface (IPMI). and Storage Management Initiative Specification (SMI-S).