Automated provisioning system

• US 20080133734A1
• Filed: 11/19/2007
• Published: 06/05/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amdocs Development Limited (Amdocs Ltd.), Jacobs Rimell Limited (Amdocs Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Jacobs Rimell Limited (Amdocs Ltd.)
• Inventors: Jacobs, David, Wensley, Jordan, Rimell, Philip, Sterling, Keith, Pinto, Paulo
• Granted Patent: US 7,962,596 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4523 using lightweight directory access protocol [LDAP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4552 Lookup mechanisms between a plurality of directories; Synchronisation of directories, e.g. metadirectories
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/50 Address allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A computer system comprising a number of components which make up an infrastructure with the system having a Directory 10 and an APS which is adapted to centralize and automate information management for online service systems.

Claims

1. An automated provisioning system for enabling activation of users and services in a distributed electronic system, which provisioning system is adapted to use an LDAP or X.500 compatible directory enabled information repository comprising one or more directories;

the system further comprising a service manager interfacing with the information repository and components of the distributed electronic system, and

the information repository comprises a scalable data model; and

the service manager is adapted to log on to a directory and interacts therewith to create, delete, amend or search for information in the information repository,

wherein the service manager interacts, through a plurality of interfaces, with components and users of the distributed electronic system to enable authentication and authorization to use services running on the components such that the services can be activated.

2. An automated provisioning system according to claim 1, wherein the data model comprises domains, users, services, profiles and infrastructure.

3. An automated provisioning system according to claim 1, wherein a subscriber uses an automated on-line subscriber self-registration system to subscribe to new services, or to modify or unsubscribe from existing services via a user interface, in which the user interface interacts with the service manager.

4. An automated provisioning system according to claim 3 for use in a cable TV system, wherein the system permits subscription to a multitude of services.

5. An automated provisioning system according to claim 2, wherein users are provided with profiles defining services and components available to the user, each user having at least one profile.

6. An automated provisioning system according to claim 5 in which the profile comprises a base profile, which base profile describes the core characteristics of the user.

7. An automated provisioning system according to claim 6, in which the profile further comprises an extension profile, which extension profile represents refinements to services available to the user.

8. An automated provisioning system according to claim 7 in which the profile comprises a combination of one or more base profiles and extension profiles.

9. An automated provisioning system according to claim 1, in which the system provides a trigger mechanism for the creation, deletion or modification of information outside of the directory server thus enabling information distribution to billing systems, databases and workflow management.

10. An automated provisioning system according to claim 1, wherein requests, initiated via a user interface, are made to the service manager by a plurality of servers.

11. An automated provisioning system according to claim 10, wherein the system comprises a plurality of object request brokers and a plurality of service managers.

12. An automated provisioning system according to claim 3, wherein the user interfaces comprise web interfaces adapted to use servlets to create a separate thread of execution for each individual request.

13. An automated provisioning system according to claim 1, wherein the system is provided with a directory communication layer adapted to enable enables the service manager to work with multiple directories.

14. An automated provisioning system according to claim 1, wherein the service manager permits abstraction of the services away from the infrastructure of the distributed electronic system.