REAL TIME CONFIGURATION AND PROVISIONING FOR A CARRIER ETHERNET EXCHANGE
First Claim
1. An apparatus comprising:
- an Ethernet switch platform configured to present web pages and templates via a web portal to enable a plurality of carriers to participate in the Ethernet switch platform, the templates soliciting information from the carriers and store the information into a relational database, the web portal enabling a buying carrier to submit a request for quote (RFQ) for network services, a selling carrier to submit a response to the RFQ, and either or both of the buying carrier and the selling carrier to initiate a provisioning order after entering into an agreement, wherein fields of the provisioning order are filled out based on the information stored in the relational database and based on information extracted from the RFQ and the response to the RFQ, and wherein the provisioning order is to enable an Ethernet network of the buying carrier to connect to an Ethernet network of the selling carrier using the Ethernet switch platform.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An Ethernet switch platform is configured to receive and process a provisioning order to establish a logical virtual circuit interconnecting a physical port associated with a buying carrier and a physical port associated with a selling carrier to set up a private network to private network connection between the buying and selling carriers. The virtual circuit is established with parameters called for in a request for quote (RFQ) initiated by the buying carrier and in a response to the RFQ submitted by the selling carrier. Information from the RFQ and from the response together with information previously stored in a relational database is extracted and used to fill out the provisioning order. The information extracted from the database include profile information and network service information associated with the buying and selling carriers.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. An apparatus comprising:
an Ethernet switch platform configured to present web pages and templates via a web portal to enable a plurality of carriers to participate in the Ethernet switch platform, the templates soliciting information from the carriers and store the information into a relational database, the web portal enabling a buying carrier to submit a request for quote (RFQ) for network services, a selling carrier to submit a response to the RFQ, and either or both of the buying carrier and the selling carrier to initiate a provisioning order after entering into an agreement, wherein fields of the provisioning order are filled out based on the information stored in the relational database and based on information extracted from the RFQ and the response to the RFQ, and wherein the provisioning order is to enable an Ethernet network of the buying carrier to connect to an Ethernet network of the selling carrier using the Ethernet switch platform. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
- 15. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the real time monitoring and troubleshooting are performed using the web portal or using application programming interface (API) associated with the web portal, and wherein the Ethernet switch platform is configured to provide steady state monitoring service as well as failure state service status test.
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17. A method for auto-provisioning circuits to interconnect private Ethernet networks using an Ethernet exchange platform, the method comprising:
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providing templates to enable multiple Ethernet service providers to become qualified and participate in the Ethernet exchange platform configured to provide a many-to-many layer 2 Network-to-Network Interface (NNI) to enable the multiple carriers to connect to the Ethernet exchange platform and be interconnected with other carriers also connected to the Ethernet exchange platform; providing a web portal to enable the Ethernet service providers to offer their Ethernet services to other Ethernet service providers, the Ethernet services including lit building information, and capacity and bandwidth information, wherein the information is aggregated and stored in a relational database; based on two Ethernet service providers having a service agreement related to a request for quote (RFQ), populating fields of a provision request using information from the RFQ and information related to the two Ethernet service providers from the relational database, wherein the RFQ and a response to the RFQ are generated using the web portal; and provisioning one or more circuits in the Ethernet exchange platform based on the fields of the provisioning request to interconnect private Ethernet networks of the two Ethernet service providers. - View Dependent Claims (18)
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19. A system comprising:
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means for enabling a plurality of Ethernet service providers to become qualified and to participate in an Ethernet exchange platform configured to provide a many-to-many layer 2 Network-to-Network Interface (NNI) to enable the Ethernet service providers to connect to the Ethernet exchange platform and be interconnected with other Ethernet service providers also connected to the Ethernet exchange platform; means for forming a web-based marketplace to enable collecting information from the Ethernet service providers and to enable the Ethernet service providers to offer and purchase Ethernet services from one another, the information from the Ethernet service providers stored in a relational database for reuses; means for enabling two Ethernet service providers to become partners using the web-based marketplace; means for at least one of the two Ethernet service providers to initiate a provisioning request; and means for provisioning one or more circuits in the Ethernet exchange platform based on fields of the provisioning request to interconnect private Ethernet networks of the two Ethernet service providers. - View Dependent Claims (20)
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Specification