METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PROVIDING AUTOMATED PROCESSING OF A SWITCHED VOICE SERVICE ALARM

• US 20100014644A1
• Filed: 07/17/2008
• Published: 01/21/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Liu, Jackson, Dardashti, Mojgan, Qian, Zhiqiang, Bienfait, Roberta, Plattner, Timothy, Zinnikas, Michael John, BAJPAY, PARITOSH
• Granted Patent: US 8,363,790 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/1.40
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0613 based on the type or category of the network elements

Abstract

A method and apparatus for providing automated processing of a switched voice alarm on a switched and/or Internet Protocol (IP) network are disclosed. For example, the method receives an alarm associated with a switched voice service, and retrieves a Local Routing Number (LRN) or Primary Inter-exchange Carrier (PIC) information from a switch serving a call associated with a caller'"'"'s telephone number. The method determines if the alarm is due to one or more service degradations, and notifies a work center responsible for one or more of the service degradations if the alarm is due to the one or more service degradations.

Claims

1. A method for processing an alarm, comprising:

receiving an alarm associated with a switched voice service;

retrieving a Local Routing Number (LRN) or Primary Inter-exchange Carrier (PIC) information from a switch serving a call associated with a caller'"'"'s telephone number;

determining if said alarm is due to one or more service degradations; and

notifying a work center responsible for one or more of said service degradations if said alarm is due to said one or more service degradations.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining if said alarm is due to a provisioning error; and

notifying a work center responsible for said provisioning error if said alarm is due to said provisioning error.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

determining if a called number is an Internet Protocol (IP) network telephone number of an IP network.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

retrieving a status of one or more IP ports if said called number is said IP network telephone number;

determining if one or more links or protocols are active for said one or more IP ports;

determining a status of a customer router if said one or more links or protocols are active; and

verifying a customer'"'"'s network configuration if said one or more of said link, protocol or customer router are inactive.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

determining a status of an edge router that connects a class 5 switch to said IP network if said customer router is active; and

notifying a work center responsible for said edge router if said alarm is due to a trouble for said edge router.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

determining if a customer'"'"'s Virtual Route Forwarding (VRF) table and a Provider Edge Router'"'"'s (PER) IP address match a stored VRF table and a stored PER IP address in a database; and

notifying a work center responsible for configuration to generate a trouble ticket associated with said IP network if said VRF table and said PER IP address match said stored VRF table and said stored PER IP address, or notifying a work center of a possible configuration problem in said IP network if at least one of;

said VRF table or said PER IP address does match said stored VRF table or said stored PER IP address in said database.

7. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

determining if said called number is a toll free number if said called number is not an IP number.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

determining if said alarm is due to a toll free service of a customer if said called number is said toll free number; and

notifying said customer of a trouble with said toll free service.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

determining if said alarm is due to one or more dialing capabilities associated with an Automatic Number Identification (ANI) if said called number is not a toll free number.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said ANI is associated with at least one of:

a switched digital data only service, a switched digital data and voice service, a dedicated Software Defined Network (SDN) service on a class 4 switch, or a dedicated Software Defined Network (SDN) service on a class 5 switch.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein said service degradation comprises at least one of:

a cut-off condition, a noise condition, a static condition, a crosstalk condition, a low volume condition, or an echo condition.

12. A computer-readable medium having stored thereon a plurality of instructions, the plurality of instructions including instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform the steps of a method for processing an alarm, comprising:

receiving an alarm associated with a switched voice service;

retrieving a Local Routing Number (LRN) or Primary Inter-exchange Carrier (PIC) information from a switch serving a call associated with a caller'"'"'s telephone number;

determining if said alarm is due to one or more service degradations; and

notifying a work center responsible for one or more of said service degradations if said alarm is due to said one or more service degradations.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, further comprising:

determining if said alarm is due to a provisioning error; and

notifying a work center responsible for said provisioning error if said alarm is due to said provisioning error.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, further comprising:

determining if a called number is an Internet Protocol (IP) network telephone number of an IP network.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, further comprising:

retrieving a status of one or more IP ports if said called number is said IP network telephone number;

determining if one or more links or protocols are active for said one or more IP ports;

determining a status of a customer router if said one or more links or protocols are active; and

verifying a customer'"'"'s network configuration if said one or more of said link, protocol or customer router are inactive.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, further comprising:

determining a status of an edge router that connects a class 5 switch to said IP network if said customer router is active; and

notifying a work center responsible for said edge router if said alarm is due to a trouble for said edge router.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, further comprising:

determining if a customer'"'"'s Virtual Route Forwarding (VRF) table and a Provider Edge Router'"'"'s (PER) IP address match a stored VRF table and a stored PER IP address in a database; and

notifying a work center responsible for configuration to generate a trouble ticket associated with said IP network if said VRF table and said PER IP address match said stored VRF table and said stored PER IP address, or notifying a work center of a possible configuration problem in said IP network if at least one of;

said VRF table or said PER IP address does match said stored VRF table or said stored PER IP address in said database.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, further comprising:

determining if said called number is a toll free number if said called number is not an IP number.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 18, further comprising:

determining if said alarm is due to a toll free service of a customer if said called number is said toll free number; and

notifying said customer of a trouble with said toll free service.

20. An apparatus for processing an alarm, comprising:

means for receiving an alarm associated with a switched voice service;

means for retrieving a Local Routing Number (LRN) or Primary Inter-exchange Carrier (PIC) information from a switch serving a call associated with a caller'"'"'s telephone number;

means for determining if said alarm is due to one or more service degradations; and

means for notifying a work center responsible for one or more of said service degradations if said alarm is due to said one or more service degradations.