System and Method to Mitigate Physical Cable Damage

• US 20100149964A1
• Filed: 12/16/2008
• Published: 06/17/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/2008
• 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: Asher, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 7,898,940 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/216
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0686 Additional information in the notification, e.g. enhancement of specific meta-data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5074 Handling of user complaints or trouble tickets
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/091 Measuring contribution of individual network components to actual service level

Abstract

Method, system and computer-readable medium for handling a dig ticket to mitigate physical cable damage are disclosed. In accordance with the method, a network alarm indicating a logical circuit is received. The logical circuit is mapped to at least one physical cable segment associated with the logical circuit. One or more other physical cable segments diversity of which is affected by the at least one physical cable segment are determined. The diversity associated with the one or more other physical cable segments is updated. The dig ticket is processed based at least on a risk factor that accounts for the diversity of at least one physical cable segment of the one or more other physical cable segments.

Claims

1. A method of handling a dig ticket to mitigate physical cable damage, the method comprising:

receiving a network alarm indicating a logical circuit;

mapping the logical circuit to at least one physical cable segment associated with the logical circuit;

determining one or more other physical cable segments diversity of which is affected by the at least one physical cable segment;

updating the diversity associated with the one or more other physical cable segments; and

processing the dig ticket based at least on a risk factor that accounts for the diversity of at least one physical cable segment of the one or more other physical cable segments.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving a network alarm indicating a logical circuit includes receiving a first network alarm that indicates the logical circuit has failed and indicates an expiration time period associated with the first network alarm.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving a network alarm indicating a logical circuit includes receiving a second network alarm that indicates the logical circuit has been restored.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises toggling a state flag associated with each of the one or more other physical cable segments indicating affected diversity.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein toggling a state flag associated with each of the one or more other physical cable segments indicating affected diversity includes setting the state flag to a first value when the network alarm indicates that logical circuit has failed.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein toggling a state flag associated with each of the one or more other physical cable segments indicating affected diversity includes setting the state flag to a second value when the network alarm indicates that logical circuit has been restored.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein the method further comprises:

determining whether a physical cable segment of the one or more other physical cable segments for which the state flag has been toggled affects the dig ticket;

retrieving the diversity of the physical cable segment; and

calculating the risk factor for the physical cable segment as a function of traffic volume of the physical cable segment, diversity of the physical cable segment, and a distance from a location associated with the dig ticket to a location associated with the physical cable segment.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

mapping the dig ticket to a physical cable segment of the one or more other physical cable segments;

determining the diversity of the physical cable segment; and

calculating the risk factor for the physical cable segment as a function of traffic volume of the physical cable segment, diversity of the physical cable segment, and a distance from a location associated with the dig ticket to a location associated with the physical cable segment.

9. A system for handling a dig ticket to mitigate physical cable damage, the system comprising:

an alarm receiver module configured to receive a network alarm indicating a logical circuit;

a circuit-segment mapper module configured to map the logical circuit to at least one physical cable segment associated with the logical circuit;

a segment diversity update module configured to determine one or more other physical cable segments diversity of which is affected by the at least one physical cable segment, the segment diversity update module further configured to update the diversity associated with the one or more other physical cable segments; and

a ticket processing module configured to process the dig ticket based at least on a risk factor that accounts for the diversity of at least one physical cable segment of the one or more other physical cable segments.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the network alarm is a first network alarm that indicates the logical circuit has failed and indicates an expiration time period associated with the first network alarm.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the network alarm is a second network alarm that indicates the logical circuit has been restored.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the system further comprises a segment state module configured to toggle a state flag associated with each of the one or more other physical cable segments indicating affected diversity.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein segment state module configured to set the state flag to a first value when the network alarm indicates that logical circuit has failed.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein segment state module configured to set the state flag to a second value when the network alarm indicates that logical circuit has been restored.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the system further comprises:

a segment diversity determination/retrieval module configured to determine whether a physical cable segment of the one or more other physical cable segments for which the state flag has been toggled affects the dig ticket, the a segment diversity determination/retrieval module further configured to retrieve the diversity of the physical cable segment; and

a risk factor calculation module configured to calculate the risk factor for the physical cable segment as a function of traffic volume of the physical cable segment, diversity of the physical cable segment, and a distance from a location associated with the dig ticket to a location associated with the physical cable segment.

16. The system of claim 9, wherein the system further comprises:

a ticket-segment mapper module configured to map the dig ticket to a physical cable segment of the one or more other physical cable segments;

a segment diversity determination/retrieval module configured to determine the diversity of the physical cable segment; and

a risk factor calculation module configured to calculate the risk factor for the physical cable segment as a function of traffic volume of the physical cable segment, diversity of the physical cable segment, and a distance from a location associated with the dig ticket to a location associated with the physical cable segment.

17. A computer-readable storage medium storing operational instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:

receive a network alarm indicating a logical circuit;

map the logical circuit to at least one physical cable segment associated with the logical circuit;

determine one or more other physical cable segments diversity of which is affected by the at least one physical cable segment;

update the diversity associated with the one or more other physical cable segments; and

process a dig ticket based at least on a risk factor that accounts for the diversity of at least one physical cable segment of the one or more other physical cable segments.

18. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein instructions causing the processor to receive a network alarm indicating a logical circuit include instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to receive a first network alarm that indicates the logical circuit has failed and indicates an expiration time period associated with the first network alarm.

19. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein instructions causing the processor to receive a network alarm indicating a logical circuit include instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to receive a second network alarm that indicates the logical circuit has been restored.

20. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, further storing instruction that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to toggle a state flag associated with each of the one or more other physical cable segments indicating affected diversity.

21. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 20, wherein instructions causing the processor to toggle a state flag associated with each of the one or more other physical cable segments indicating affected diversity include instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to set the state flag to a first value when the network alarm indicates that logical circuit has failed.

22. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 20, wherein instructions causing the processor to toggle a state flag associated with each of the one or more other physical cable segments indicating affected diversity include instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to set the state flag to a second value when the network alarm indicates that logical circuit has been restored.

23. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 20, further storing instruction that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:

determine whether a physical cable segment of the one or more other physical cable segments for which the state flag has been toggled affects the dig ticket;

retrieve the diversity of the physical cable segment; and

calculate the risk factor for the physical cable segment as a function of traffic volume of the physical cable segment, diversity of the physical cable segment, and a distance from a location associated with the dig ticket to a location associated with the physical cable segment.

24. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, further storing instruction that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:

map the dig ticket to a physical cable segment of the one or more other physical cable segments;

determine the diversity of the physical cable segment; and

calculate the risk factor for the physical cable segment as a function of traffic volume of the physical cable segment, diversity of the physical cable segment, and a distance from a location associated with the dig ticket to a location associated with the physical cable segment.