Method and system for automatically renaming logical circuit identifiers for rerouted logical circuits in a data network

• US 20060146700A1
• Filed: 12/23/2003
• Published: 07/06/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Taylor, William, Massengill, David, Hollingsworth, John
• Granted Patent: US 7,646,707 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/225
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/14 Charging , metering or billing arrangements for data wireline or wireless communications

Abstract

A method and system are provided for automatically renaming logical circuit identifiers for rerouted logical circuits in a data network. A failure is determined in a first logical circuit in the data network and a second logical failover circuit is utilized to reroute data from the failed logical circuit. A logical circuit identifier for the failed circuit is compared to a logical circuit identifier for the logical failover circuit. The logical circuit identifiers are utilized to identify and track logical circuits in the data network and are stored in a network database. If the logical circuit identifier for the failed logical circuit is different than the logical circuit identifier for the logical failover circuit, the identifier for the failed logical circuit is renamed to the logical failover circuit in the database. Upon determining that the failed logical circuit has been restored, the identifier for the restored logical circuit is renamed to its original logical circuit identifier.

Claims

1. A method for automatically renaming logical circuit identifiers in a data network, the method comprising:

identifying a first logical circuit identifier for a first logical circuit in the data network;

identifying a second logical circuit identifier for a second logical circuit, wherein the second logical circuit is utilized for rerouting data from the first logical circuit in the data network;

comparing the first logical circuit identifier to the second logical identifier; and

if the first logical circuit identifier is different than the second logical identifier, then renaming the first logical identifier to the second logical identifier without manual intervention.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first logical identifier and the second logical identifier are stored in a database.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising associating the first logical circuit identifier with the second logical identifier in the database.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the second logical circuit is a currently unused logical circuit in the data network.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first logical circuit identifier is a data link connection identifier (DLCI).

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the second logical circuit identifier is a data link connection identifier (DLCI).

25. The method of claim 1, wherein the first logical circuit identifier is a virtual path/virtual circuit identifier (VPI/VCI).

26. The method of claim 1, wherein the second logical circuit identifier is a virtual path/virtual circuit identifier (VPI/VCI).

27. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second logical circuits are permanent virtual circuits.

28. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second logical circuits are switched virtual circuits.

29. The method of claim 1, wherein the data network is a frame relay network.

30. The method of claim 1, wherein the data network is an asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) network.

14-24. -24. (canceled)

31. A system for automatically renaming logical circuit identifiers in a data network, the system comprising:

a network database for storing logical circuit identifiers for logical circuits in a data network; and

a network management module, in communication with the network database, for;

identifying a first logical circuit identifier for a first logical circuit in the data network;

identifying a second logical circuit identifier for a second logical circuit in the data network, wherein the second logical circuit is utilized for rerouting data from the first logical circuit in the data network;

comparing the first logical circuit identifier to the second logical identifier; and

if the first logical circuit identifier is different than the second logical identifier, then renaming the first logical identifier to the second logical identifier in the network database without manual intervention.

32. The system of claim 13, wherein the second logical circuit is a currently unused logical circuit in the data network.

33. The system of claim 13, wherein the first logical circuit identifier is a data link connection identifier (DLCI).

34. The system of claim 13, wherein the second logical circuit identifier is a data link connection identifier (DLCI).

35. The system of claim 13, wherein the first logical circuit identifier is a virtual path/virtual circuit identifier (VPI/VCI).

36. The system of claim 13, wherein the second logical circuit identifier is a virtual path/virtual circuit identifier (VPI/VCI).

37. The system of claim 13, wherein the first and second logical circuits are permanent virtual circuits.

38. The system of claim 13, wherein the first and second logical circuits are switched virtual circuits.

39. The system of claim 13, wherein the data network is a frame relay network.

40. The system of claim 13, wherein the data network is an asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) network.

41. A method for automatically renaming logical circuit identifiers in response to a logical circuit failure in a data network, the method comprising:

determining a failure in a first logical circuit in the data network;

identifying a first logical circuit identifier for the first logical circuit in the data network;

identifying a second logical circuit identifier for a second logical circuit in the data network;

comparing the first logical circuit identifier to the second logical identifier;

if the first logical circuit identifier is different than the second logical identifier, then renaming the first logical identifier to the second logical identifier without manual intervention;

associating the first logical circuit identifier with the second logical identifier in a database;

determining whether the first logical circuit has been restored; and

if the first logical circuit has been restored, then renaming the second logical identifier to the first logical identifier without manual intervention.

42. The method of claim 41, wherein the second logical circuit is a logical failover circuit for rerouting data from the first logical circuit in the data network.