DATA CACHING IN CONSOLIDATED NETWORK REPOSITORY

• US 20120290795A1
• Filed: 07/09/2012
• Published: 11/15/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Dowlatkhah, Sangar
• Granted Patent: US 8,601,218 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 711/136
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/213 with details for schema evolution support
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24522 Translation of natural language queries to structured queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/256 in federated or virtual databases
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/565 Conversion or adaptation of application format or content adding application control or application functional data H04L67/561
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/08 Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data

Abstract

System(s) and method(s) are provided for caching data in a consolidated network repository of information available to mobile and non-mobile networks, and network management systems. Data can be cached in response to request(s) for a data element or request(s) for an update to a data element and in accordance with a cache retention protocol that establishes a versioning protocol and a set of timers that determine a period to elapse prior to removal of a version of the cached data element. Updates to a cached data element can be effected if an integrity assessment determines that recordation of an updated version of the data element preserves operational integrity of one or more network components or services. The assessment is based on integrity logic that establishes a set of rules that evaluate operational integrity of a requested update to a data element. Retention protocol and integrity logic are configurable.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a system including a processor, a data element from a first storage layer device that consolidates storage of network data relating to networks and network components, and storage of application data relating to applications;

caching, by the system, the data element in a second storage layer device according to a cache retention protocol defining at least a time period for retention of the data element in the second storage layer device; and

removing, by the system, the data element from the second storage layer device after the time period has elapsed.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the caching further comprises generating a version identifier for the data element according to the cache retention protocol.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the caching further comprises generating a time stamp associated with the data element.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising initiating, by the system, a timer based on the time stamp to facilitate determining that the time period has elapsed.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the removing includes replacing the data element with a new version of the data element in the second storage layer device after the time period has elapsed.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the replacing further comprises:

receiving the new version of the data element in the second storage layer device; and

determining that the new version of the data element is a more recent version than the data element.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the replacing further comprises evaluating a set of pre-defined rules to determine a value representing an operational integrity of the new version of the data element.

8. A system, comprising:

a memory that stores computer-executable instructions; and

a processor, communicatively coupled to the memory, that facilitates execution of the computer-executable instructions to at least;

retrieve a data element from a first storage layer device that consolidates storage of network data relating to networks and network components, and storage of application data relating to applications;

cache the data element in a second storage layer device according to a cache retention protocol; and

remove the data element from the second storage layer device in response to a condition with respect to a time period defined in the cache retention protocol being satisfied.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the processor further facilitates the execution of the computer-executable instructions to generate a version identifier for the data element as defined in the cache retention protocol.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the processor further facilitates the execution of the computer-executable instructions to generate a time stamp associated with the data element being cached in the data management storage layer.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the processor further facilitates the execution of the computer-executable instructions to initiate a timer to determine when the time period has elapsed based on the time stamp.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the processor further facilitates the execution of the computer-executable instructions to replace the data element with a new version of the data element in the second storage layer device in response to the condition with respect to the time period defined in the cache retention protocol being satisfied.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the processor further facilitates the execution of the computer-executable instructions to receive the new version of the data element in the second storage layer device and determine that the new version of the data element is represents more up to date data than the data element based on a comparison of version identifiers.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the processor further facilitates the execution of the computer-executable instructions to evaluate an operational integrity of the new version of the data element according to a predefined function.

15. The system of claim 8, wherein the processor further facilitates the execution of the computer-executable instructions to at least:

receive a request for the data element from an interface layer device;

retrieve the data element from the cache; and

provide the data element to the interface layer device.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the interface layer device is communicatively coupled to a mobile device.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon that, in response to execution, cause a computing system including a processor to perform operations, comprising:

retrieving a data element from a device that consolidates storage of network data relating to networks and network components;

caching the data element in a storage device according to a cache retention protocol; and

removing the data element from the storage device after a time period has elapsed according to the cache retention protocol.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the operations further comprise identifying the data element with a version identifier based on the cache retention protocol.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the operations further comprise replacing the data element with a newer version of the data element in the storage device after the time period has elapsed according to the cache retention protocol.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the operations further comprise receiving the newer version of the data element in the storage device and determining that the newer version of the data element is a more recent version than the data element.