Service designs for communications networks

• US 20070140144A1
• Filed: 12/21/2005
• Published: 06/21/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: S2Net Ltd. (MNF Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Open Telecommunications Limited
• Inventors: Harrison, Russell John, Tayton, Louisa Charlotte, Dadd, Timothy Calvin
• Application Number:
  US11/314,125
• Publication Number:
  US 20070140144A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/254
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0806 for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0873 Checking configuration conflicts between network elements

Abstract

The production of a service design for a communications network in response to a provisioning order is described. An order specifies a change to the network between a start node and an end node, and at least one condition attaching to that change. A design model satisfying said at least one condition is selected. The design model includes at least information on design items related to the network resource. All design permutations of the design items of the selected design model are determined. The design permutations are preferentially ranked. Each ranked design permutation is compared in turn against a network model to find a permutation matching the specified start and end nodes, the matching design permutation then becoming the service design.

Claims

1. A method for producing a service design for a communications network in response to a provisioning order specifying a change to the network between a start node and an end node and at least one condition attaching to that change, the method comprising the steps of:

selecting a design model satisfying said at least one condition, the design model including at least information on design items related to the network resources;

determining all design permutations of the design items of the selected design model;

preferentially ranking the design permutations ; and

comparing each ranked design permutation in turn against a network model to find a permutation matching the specified start and end nodes, the matching design permutation then becoming the service design.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the comparing step selects the first matching design permutation.

3. A method as claimed in claim 2, wherein said permutations are ranked according to the decision points in each design item.

4. A method as claimed in claim 3, wherein said ranking is performed by an explode sequence operation and sequential ordering of permutations as they arise during said explode sequence operation.

5. A method as claimed in claim 2, wherein design permutations that do not satisfy predetermined network rules are excluded.

6. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said design model exists within a set of predetermined such models.

7. A method as claimed in claim 1, comprising the further step of comparing the matching design permutation against capacity of said network, and accepting the matching design permutation as the service design only if said network capacity is not exceeded.

8. A computer system for producing a service design for a communications network in response to a provisioning order specifying a change to the network between a start node and an end node and at least one condition attaching to that change, the system comprising:

a memory store storing a plurality of design model; and

a processor to select a said design model satisfying said at least one condition, the design model including at least information on design items related to the network resource, determine all design permutations of the design items of the selected design model, preferentially rank the design permutations, and compare each ranked design permutation in turn against a network model to find a permutation matching the specified start and end nodes, the matching design permutation then becoming the service design.

9. A system as claimed in claim 8, wherein the processor selects the first matching design permutation in performing the comparison.

10. A system as claimed in claim 9, wherein said permutations are ranked according to the decision points in each design item.

11. A system as claimed in claim 10, wherein said processor performs the ranking by an explode sequence operation.

12. A system as claimed in claim 9, wherein design permutations that do not satisfy predetermined network rules stored in said memory are excluded by said processor.

13. A system as claimed in claim 8, wherein said design model exists within a set of predetermined such models stored in said memory.

14. A method as claimed in claim 8, wherein said processor further compares the matching design permutation against capacity of said network, and accepts the matching design permutation as the service design only if said network capacity is not exceeded.

15. A computer program product comprising a storage medium storing a computer program, said program, when executing on a computer, producing a service design for a communications network in response to a provisioning order specifying a change to the network between a start node and an end node and at least one condition attaching to that change, and including code means for:

selecting a design model satisfying said at least one condition, the design model including at least information on design items related to the network resources;

determining all design permutations of the design items of the selected design model;

preferentially ranking the design permutations; and

comparing each ranked design permutation in turn against a network model to find a permutation matching the specified start and end nodes, the matching design permutation then becoming the service design.