INTEGRATING OPERATIONAL AND BUSINESS SUPPORT SYSTEMS WITH A SERVICE DELIVERY PLATFORM

• US 20090193433A1
• Filed: 01/24/2008
• Published: 07/30/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: MAES, Stephane H.
• Granted Patent: US 8,966,498 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 719/315
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling

Abstract

A service-oriented approach provides for an integration of components that would otherwise be considered different and unrelated components, such as runtime, business support systems (BSS), operational support systems (OSS), and third party components. Such integration allows messages to be transformed and passed between components as necessary to perform a particular task. For example, a BPEL workflow can be initiated upon receiving a user request through a network and gateway layer which will direct provisioning, activation, and processing via these various components. Identities can be managed across these various layers to provide for seamless end-to-end integration.

Claims

1. A method of integrating components for processing a request, comprising:

providing an architecture for supporting a plurality of independent components, the architecture providing for the direction and transformation of messages between the independent components, whereby the independent components are able to perform tasks and delegate tasks to other components;

managing an identity across the plurality of independent components in order to provide for sharing the processing of the request across the plurality of independent components, the identity corresponding to one of an authorized principal, process, or event;

in response to receiving the request or an action corresponding to the request, initiating a workflow to process the request using the plurality of independent components and the managed identity.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein:

the independent components include at least one of an operational support system (OSS) component, a business support system (BSS) component, a runtime component, a service delivery platform (SDP) component, a network component, and in industry-specific component.

3. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

exposing a function of the independent components as an enabler operable to drive the function or using a northbound interface independent of the independent components.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein the workflow is initiated by an application for one of the independent components.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein:

the architecture includes at least one of a service-oriented architecture (SOA) and an event-driven architecture (EDA).

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein:

the independent components and any services used for processing run on a service delivery platform (SDP) and interact with abstracted underlying network resources.

7. A method according to claim 3, wherein:

the enablers include at least one of a charging, resource lifecycle management, resource management, mobile, voice access, communications, presence, messaging, call control, media server control, and service enabler.

8. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

providing an interface allowing for the deployment and integration of southbound adapters.

9. A method according to claim 1, wherein:

the applications for the independent components include at least one of a rate charging application, a billing analysis application, a business activity monitoring application, a revenue sharing application, a third party management application, a business intelligence application, a subscription management application, a financial bookkeeping application, an enterprise resource planning (ERP), a network management, an MW management, and a content management application.

10. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

capturing information associated with one of the services or independent components as metadata.

11. A method according to claim 10, wherein:

the metadata is associated with code created to describe intangible dependencies so that any manipulation the independent components or an associated asset takes the intangible dependencies into account.

12. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

providing a unified user profile for mapping the identity with corresponding identities for the plurality of independent components.

13. A method according to claim 11, wherein:

the unified user profile is able to provide a common view of all data about a principal.

14. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

building at least one application on the service delivery platform that utilizes the integrated components.

15. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

managing a flow relating to the request from a starting point to an ending point for a business process associated with the request.

16. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

utilizing a canonical data model for managing the processing, the canonical data model useful in transforming messages and storing a status of the processing.

17. A method according to claim 16, wherein:

the canonical data model also provides for at least one of marshalling a complete process flow and error message handling for the process flow.

18. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

providing a proximity service as part of the architecture.

19. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

providing for real time revenue sharing with a third party.

20. A method according to claim 18, further comprising:

allowing the third party to view balance and usage information as part of the real time revenue sharing.

21. A system for integrating components to process a request, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory storage device including instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the process to;

provide for a direction and transformation of messages between a plurality of independent components using an architecture that allows the independent components to perform tasks and delegate tasks to other components to process a received request;

manage an identity across the plurality of independent components in order to provide for sharing the processing of the request across the plurality of independent components, the identity corresponding to one of an authorized principal, process, or event;

in response to receiving the request or an action corresponding to the request, initiate a workflow to process the request using the plurality of independent components and the managed identity.

22. A system according to claim 21, wherein:

the independent components include at least one of an operational support system (OSS) component, a business support system (BSS) component, a runtime component, a service delivery platform (SDP) component, a network component, and in industry-specific component.

23. A system according to claim 21, further comprising:

a plurality of enablers for exposing functions of the independent components.

24. A system according to claim 21, wherein:

the architecture includes at least one of a service-oriented architecture (SOA) and an event-driven architecture (EDA).

25. A system according to claim 21, wherein:

the independent components and any services used for processing run on a service delivery platform (SDP) and interact with abstracted underlying network resources.

26. A system according to claim 21, further comprising:

at least one interface in a run time environment for exposing a life cycle management of the plurality of independent components or related resources.

27. A system according to claim 21, further comprising:

a unified user profile component for mapping the identity with corresponding identities for the plurality of independent components.

28. A computer program product embedded in a computer readable medium for integrating components to process a request, comprising:

program code for providing an architecture for supporting a plurality of independent components, the architecture providing for the direction and transformation of messages between the independent components, whereby the independent components are able to perform tasks and delegate tasks to other components;

program code for managing an identity across the plurality of independent components in order to provide for sharing the processing of the request across the plurality of independent components, the identity corresponding to one of an authorized principal, process, or event;

program code for, in response to receiving the request or an action corresponding to the request, initiating a workflow to process the request using the plurality of independent components and the managed identity.

29. A computer program product according to claim 28, further comprising:

program code for exposing functions of the independent components as enablers operable to drive the functions.

30. A computer program product according to claim 28, further comprising:

program code for running the independent components and any services used for processing on a service delivery platform (SDP).