System for updating network topology based on configuration obtained from subset configuration composition matrix and switching node connection matrix for the subset configuration

• US 5,307,465 A
• Filed: 03/29/1991
• Issued: 04/26/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Iki, Naohiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Harrell, Robert B.
• Assistant Examiner(s): KIM, KENNETH S
• Application Number:
  US07/676,971
• Time in Patent Office: 1,124 Days
• Field of Search: 379/220, 379/221, 379/269, 340/825.03, 395/325
• US Class Current: 709/221
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0016 Arrangements providing connection between exchanges

Abstract

In a reconfigurable communications system, circuit status bits are stored in a first matrix of rows associated respectively with predefined network configurations and columns associated, respectively, with predefined circuit configurations. Destination status codes are stored in a second matrix of rows associated respectively with the circuit configurations and columns associated, respectively, with switching nodes of the system. Each circuit configuration comprises one or more transmission links, and each circuit status bit stored in each column of the first matrix pattern indicates the presence or absence of the circuit configuration associated with that column. Each destination status code indicates the presence or absence of transmission links from each switching node to possible destination nodes. In response to a manual command, the circuit status bits stored in one of the rows of the first matrix are respectively multiplied with those of the destination status codes stored in each column of the second matrix. The multiplied binary values are summed, so that network configuration data is derived with respect to a desired network configuration, which is then transmitted to the switching nodes to reconfigure the system. In a modified embodiment, a difference is detected between the network configuration data successively derived with respect to previous and most recent network configurations and transmitted as network configuration signals to the switching nodes.

Claims

1. In a communications network having a plurality of switching nodes, each being capable of establishing and removing relatively static connections between transmission links in response to network configuration signals from a network controller and of establishing relatively dynamic connections through the established static connections in response to information pertaining to call-by-call connection requests from user terminals connected to said switching nodes, said network controller comprising:

memory means for storing circuit status bits in a first matrix pattern of rows associated respectively with predefined network configurations and columns associated respectively with predefined circuit configurations, said circuit status bits indicating whether each circuit configuration partially constitutes each network configuration, and for storing multi-bit destination status codes in a second matrix pattern of rows associated respectively with said circuit configurations and columns associated respectively with said switching nodes, each of said circuit configurations comprising one or more transmission links, each of the circuit status bits stored in each column of the first matrix pattern indicating the presence or absence of the circuit configuration associated with the column of the first matrix pattern, and each of said destination status codes indicating the presence or absence of transmission links from each switching node to possible destination nodes;

control means for retrieving said circuit status bits from one of the rows of said first matrix pattern and retrieving said destination status codes from each column of said second matrix pattern, respectively multiplying the binary values of the retrieved circuit status bits and binary values of the retrieved destination status codes, summing the multiplied binary values to derive first network configuration data representing an existing network configuration, storing said network configuration data into said memory means, said control means being responsive to a reconfiguration command signal for retrieving said circuit status bits from one of the rows of said first matrix pattern and retrieving said destination status codes from each column of said second matrix pattern, respectively multiplying binary values of the retrieved circuit status bits and binary values of the retrieved destination status codes, summing the multiplied binary values to derive second network configuration data representing a new network configuration, and detecting a difference between the binary values of the first network configuration data stored in said memory means and the binary values of the second network configuration data; and

means for transmitting said difference as said network configuration signals to said switching nodes, whereby said existing network configuration is reconfigured to said new network configuration.

2. In a communications network having a plurality of switching nodes each being capable of establishing and removing relatively static connections between transmission links in response to network configuration signals from a network controller and of establishing relatively dynamic connections through the established static connections in response to information pertaining to call-by-call connection requests from user terminals connected to said switching nodes, said network controller comprising:

memory means for storing circuit status bits in a first matrix pattern of rows associated respectively with predefined network configurations and columns associated respectively with predefined circuit configurations, said circuit status bits indicating whether each circuit configuration partially constitutes each network configuration, and for storing multi-bit destination status codes in a second matrix pattern of rows associated respectively with said circuit configurations and columns associated respectively with said switching nodes, each /f said circuit configurations comprising one or more transmission links, each of the circuit status bits stored in each column of the first matrix pattern indicating the presence or absence of the circuit configuration associated with the column of the first matrix pattern, and each of said destination status codes indicating the presence or absence of transmission links from each switching node to possible destination nodes;

control means for retrieving said circuit status bits from each row of said first matrix pattern and retrieving said destination status codes from each column of said second matrix pattern, respectively multiplying binary values of the retrieved circuit status bits and binary values of the retrieved destination status codes, summing the multiplied binary values to derive network configuration data for each of said predefined network configurations, storing the network configuration data into said memory means, said control means being responsive to a network reconfiguration command signal for retrieving from said memory means a first one of said network configuration data representing an existing network configuration and a second one of said network configuration data representing a new network configuration, and detecting a difference between the binary values of the first network configuration data and the binary values of the second network configuration data; and

means for transmitting said difference as said network configuration signals to said switching nodes, whereby said existing network configuration is reconfigured to said new network configuration.

3. In a communications network having a plurality of switching nodes, each being capable of establishing and removing relatively static connections between transmission links in response to network configuration signals from a network control center and of establishing relatively dynamic connections through the established static connection in response to information pertaining to call-by-call connection requests from user terminals connected to said switching nodes, wherein said network control center includes a management console into which a command is entered as an indication of a desired one of a plurality of predefined network configurations, a method comprising the steps of:

a) storing circuit status bits stored in a first matrix pattern of rows associated respectively with said predefined network configurations and columns associated respectively with predefined circuit configurations, said circuit status bits indicating whether each circuit configuration partially constitutes each network configuration, and storing multi-bit destination status codes in a second matrix pattern of rows associated respectively with said circuit configurations and columns associated respectively with said switching nodes, each of said circuit configurations comprising one or more transmission links, each of the circuit status bits stored in each column of the first matrix pattern indicating the presence or absence of the circuit configuration associated with the column of the first matrix pattern, and each of said destination status codes indicating the presence or absence of transmission links from each switching node to possible destination nodes;

b) retrieving said circuit status bits from one of the rows of said first matrix pattern and retrieving said destination status codes from each column of said second matrix pattern in response to a command entered into said management console;

c) respectively multiplying binary values of the retrieved circuit status bits and binary values of the retrieved destination status codes;

d) summing the multiplied binary values to derive first network configuration data representing an existing network configuration;

e) repeating the steps (b) to (d) in response to a second command entered into said management console and deriving therefrom second network configuration data representing a new network configuration;

f) detecting a difference between the binary values of the first network configuration data derived by the step (d) and the binary values of the second network configuration data derived by the step (e); and

g) transmitting said difference from said network control center as said network configuration signals to said switching nodes, whereby said existing network configuration is reconfigured to said new network configuration.

4. In a communications network having a plurality of switching nodes, each being capable of establishing and removing relatively static connections between transmission links in response to network configuration signals from a network control center and of establishing relatively dynamic connections through the established static connections in response to information pertaining to call-by-call connection requests from user terminals connected to said switching nodes, wherein said network control center includes a management console into which a command is entered as an indication of a desired one of a plurality of predefined network configurations, a method comprising the steps of:

a) storing circuit status bits in a first matrix pattern of rows associated respectively with said predefined network configurations and columns associated respectively with predefined circuit configurations, said circuit status bits indicating whether each circuit configuration partially constitutes each network configuration, and storing multi-bit destination status codes in a second matrix pattern of rows associated respectively with said circuit configurations and columns associated respectively with said switching nodes, each of said circuit configurations comprising one or more transmission links, each of the circuit status bits stored in each column of the first matrix pattern indicating the presence or absence of the circuit configuration associated with the column of the first matrix pattern, and each of said destination status codes indicating the presence or absence of transmission links from each switching node to possible destination nodes;

b) retrieving said circuit status bits from each row of said first matrix pattern and retrieving said destination status codes from each column of said second matrix pattern;

c) respectively multiplying binary values of the retrieved circuit status bits and binary values of the retrieved destination status codes;

d) summing the multiplied binary values to derive network configuration data for each of said predefined network configurations;

e) storing the network configuration data in a memory;

f) retrieving from said memory a first one of the network configuration data representing an existing network configuration and a second one of the network configuration data representing a new network configuration in response to a command entered into said console;

g) detecting a difference between the binary values of the first network configuration data and the binary values of the second network configuration data; and

h) transmitting said difference from said network control center as said network configuration signals to said switching nodes, whereby said existing network configuration is reconfigured to said new network configuration.