Telecommunications network service central management system interfacing with protocol specific regional stations providing services to subscribers

• US 5,579,384 A
• Filed: 06/07/1995
• Issued: 11/26/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: BellSouth Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Seymour, James M.
• Primary Examiner(s): KIM, KENNETH S
• Application Number:
  US08/474,540
• Time in Patent Office: 538 Days
• Field of Search: 379/201, 379/207, 379/243, 379/244, 395/200.11, 395/200.2
• US Class Current: 379/243
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13503 object-oriented systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13504 client/server architectures
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13527 protocols - X.25, TCAP etc.
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0029 Provisions for intelligent networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0062 Provisions for network management

Abstract

Processes and devices for enhancing communication management and control in an intelligent network. A Service Management System Information Model serves as the basis for generation of Network Element Images which facilitate data communication between the Service Management System and the various Network elements. The Service Management System Information Model also allows a more intuitive and efficient provisioning interface for the Service Management System user. Network Element Interfaces according to the present invention contain embedded Service Management System/Network Element Interface Protocol functionality and may be employed to interpret the Network Element Images and communicate them over the network to the Network Elements. A Network Element Interface Server allows requests from client programs in the service management system to be queued and prioritized as desired for further efficiency, flexibility and reliability.

Claims

1. A system for communication between a public switched telecommunications network service management system, which is adapted to manage and control, in a centralized fashion, data relating to changes in service provided to subscribers of said system, and a plurality of network elements, at least some of which are adapted to provide data for services offered to said subscribers of said public switched telecommunications network, which elements are available for query by central offices and switches of said public switched telecommunications network, using at least one predetermined protocol for communicating between said service management system and said network elements, said system comprising at least one network element interface, each said interface corresponding to one of said network elements and communicating with said element, each interface adapted to be programmed to transform said public switched telecommunications network service management system data relating to changes in services provided to subscribers of said system into a format that complies with said predetermined protocol.

2. A system according to claim 1, further comprising at least one network interface server for processing communications between portions of said public switched telecommunications network service management system and said network element interface.

3. A system according to claim 1 in which each network element interface is adapted to be programmed independently of the other interfaces.

4. A system according to claim 1 in which each network element interface is adapted to be programmed independently of the other interfaces in order to accommodate changes in its corresponding network element.

5. A system according to claim 1 in which each network element interface is adapted to be programmed independently of the other interfaces in order to accommodate changes in the predetermined protocol.

6. A system according to claim 2 in which said network element interface server is adapted to queue communications from client programs in the public switched telecommunications network service management system.

7. A system according to claim 2 in which said network element interface server is adapted to control data synchronization across said network.

8. A system according to claim 2 in which said network element interface server is programmable.

9. A system according to claim 8 in which said network element interface server is adapted to be programmed independently of said network element interfaces.

10. A system for communication between at least one client program contained in a public switched telecommunications network service management system, which is adapted to manage and control, in a centralized fashion, data relating to changes in service provided to subscribers of said system, and a plurality of network elements, at least some of which are adapted to provide data for services offered to said subscribers of said public switched telecommunications network, which elements are available for query by central offices and switches of said public switched telecommunications network, using at least one predetermined protocol for communicating between said service management system and said network elements, said system comprising:

a. means for generating network element images in at least some of said network elements, which images correspond to data structures within said network elements, said data structures relating to said services offered to said subscribers of said public switched telecommunications network; and

b. a plurality of network element interfaces, each corresponding to one of said network elements, adapted to interpret network element images, and communicating with said element.

11. A system according to claim 10 further comprising at least one network interface server for processing communications between said network element images and said network elements via said network element interfaces.

12. A system according to claim 10 in which said public switched telecommunications network service management system contains an information model, and said network element image generation means is adapted to utilize data stored in said information model to construct said images.

13. A system according to claim 10 in which each image contains at least one network data object.

14. A system according to claim 10 in which said means for generating network element images are contained within said client programs.

15. A system for communication between at least one client program contained in a public switched telecommunications network service management system, which is adapted to manage and control, in a centralized fashion, data relating to changes in service provided to subscribers of said system, and a plurality of network elements, at least some of which are adapted to provide data for services offered to said subscribers of said public switched telecommunications network, which elements are available for query by central offices and switches of said public switched telecommunications network, using a predetermined protocol for communicating between said service management system and said network elements, said system comprising:

a. means for generating network element images in at least some of said network elements, which images correspond to data structures within said network elements, said data structures relating at least in part to services offered to said subscribers of said public switched telecommunications network;

b. a plurality of network element interfaces, each corresponding to one of said network elements and communicating with said element, each interface adapted to be programmed to transform data into a format that complies with said predetermined protocol; and

c. at least one network interface server for communications between said network images and said network elements via said network element interfaces.

16. A system according to claim 15 in which said means for generating network images are contained within said client programs.

17. A system for communication between a public switched telecommunications network service management system, which is adapted to manage and control, in a centralized fashion, changes in data relating to service provided to subscribers of said system, and a plurality of network elements, at least some of which are adapted to provide data for services offered to said subscribers of said public switched telecommunications network, which elements are available for query by central offices and switches of said public switched telecommunications network, using a predetermined protocol for communicating between said service management system and said network elements, said system comprising:

a. a service management system information model contained within said public switched telecommunications network service management system;

b. a network element information model which represents at least some of said data in at least one of said network elements for services offered to said subscribers of said public switched telecommunications network;

c. a plurality of network images, each corresponding to data structures within and in communication across said network with at least one of said network elements;

said data structure relating to said services offered to said subscribers of said public switched telecommunications network; and

d. means for transforming data stored within said network element information models into data that accommodates said public switched telecommunications network service management system, which means is in communication with at least one of said network element images.

18. A system according to claim 17 in which said means for transforming data is also adapted to transform data stored within said service management system information model into data that accommodates at least one network element information model.

19. A system according to claim 17 which further comprises a provisioning interface coupled to the public switched telecommunications network service management system and adapted to present a service oriented display of network element related information to the user, and means for transforming data stored in said service management system information model into data usable by said provisioning interface.

20. A system according to claim 19 which further comprises means for transforming data entered into the provisioning interface into data usable by said public switched telecommunications network service management system for deploying data to said network elements.

21. A system for communication between a public switched telecommunications network service management system, which is adapted to manage and control, in a centralized fashion, data relating to changes in service provided to subscribers of said system, and a plurality of network elements, at least some of which are adapted to provide data for services offered to said subscribers of said public switched telecommunications network, which elements are available for query by central offices and switches of said public switched telecommunications network, said system comprising:

a. a public switched telecommunications network service management system information model which contains data corresponding to said data in said network elements;

b. means for generating from said service management system information model at least one network element image for communication to at least one of said network elements which image corresponds to data structures within at least one of said network elements of said public switched telecommunications network, said data structures relating to said services offered to said subscribers of said public switched telecommunications network; and

c. means for communicating said network element image to said network.

22. A system according to claim 21 in which said communication means comprises a network element interface which is adapted to interpret said network element image and communicate it to said network element in accordance with a predetermined public switched telecommunications network service management system/network element interface protocol.

23. A system according to claim 22 in which said communications means further comprises a server which is adapted to queue and prioritize requests from client programs in said public switched telecommunications network service management system that contain network element image data.

24. In an intelligent public switched telecommunications network system containing a service management system, which is adapted to manage and control, in a centralized fashion, data relating to changes in service provided to subscribers of said system, and a plurality of network elements at least some of which are adapted to provide data for services offered to said subscribers of said public switched telecommunications network, which elements are available for query by central offices and switches of said public switched telecommunications network, a process for communicating data between said service management system and said network elements, comprising the steps of:

a. creating a network element image of data that is stored in said public switched telecommunications network service management system and that is based on at least one network data object in at least one of said network elements, said data object comprising at least in part data relating to said services offered to said subscribers;

b. interpreting said network element image in order to make it comply with interface protocol, for communicating between said public switched telecommunications network service management system and said network elements; and

c. communicating said interpreted network element image to said network elements.

25. A process according to claim 24 in which said public switched telecommunications network service management system contains at least one client program which is adapted to generate requests which contain at least a portion of network element images, and further comprising the steps of incorporating at least one such portion into at least one request, and prioritizing said request before said interpretation step occurs.

26. In an intelligent public switched telecommunications network system containing a service management system, which is adapted to manage and control, in a centralized fashion, data relating to changes in service provided to subscribers of said system, and a plurality of network elements, at least some of which are adapted to provide data for services offered to said subscribers, and which elements are available for query by central offices and switches of said public switched telecommunications network, a process for communicating data between said service management system and said network elements, comprising the steps of:

a. communicating from at least one network element to said public switched telecommunications network service management system a model of information stored in said network element, which information relates to said services offered to said subscribers of said public switched telecommunications network;

b. transforming said model into an image that is adapted to be used by said public switched telecommunications network service management system in order to model data stored in said network element, which image relates to said services offered to said subscribers of said public switched telecommunications network; and

c. transforming said image into data that is adapted to be stored in said public switched telecommunications network service management system in order to reflect said data stored in said network element.

27. In an intelligent public switched telecommunications network system containing a plurality of network elements, at least some of which are adapted to provide data for services offered to subscribers of said system, which elements are available for query by central offices and switches of said public switched telecommunications network, and a public switched telecommunications network service management system, which is adapted to manage and control, in a centralized fashion, changes in service provided to said subscribers of said system and to make requests directed to said network elements, a process for communicating at least one of said requests to said network element comprising the steps of:

a. queuing and prioritizing said request relative to other requests generated by said public switched telecommunications network service management system;

b. interpreting said request in order to make it comply with public switched telecommunications network service management system/network element interface protocol; and

c. communicating said request to said network element.

28. A process according to claim 27 in which said interpretation step occurs after queuing and prioritizing.

29. In an intelligent public switched telecommunications network having a public switched telecommunications network service management system, which is adapted to manage and control, in a centralized fashion, data relating to changes in service provided to subscribers of said system, with at least one provisioning interface and networked to a plurality of network elements, at least some of which are adapted to provide data for services offered to said subscribers of said system, and which elements are available for query by central offices and switches of said public switched telecommunications network, a process for communicating data to said provisioning interface that corresponds to said data stored in at least one network element for services offered to said subscribers of said system, comprising the steps of:

a. communicating from at least one network element to said public switched telecommunications network service management system a model of information stored in said network element, the information relating a least in part to services offered to said subscribers of said system;

b. transforming said model into an image that is adapted to be used by said public switched telecommunications network service management system in order to model data stored in said network element, said image containing data relating at least in part to services offered to said subscribers of said system;

c. transforming said image into data that is adapted to be stored in said public switched telecommunications network service management system in order to reflect said data stored in said network element;

d. transforming said data that is adapted to be stored in said public switched telecommunications network service management system into a form that is adapted to be utilized by said provisioning interface; and

e. communicating said data to said provisioning interface.

30. In an intelligent public switched telecommunications network having a public switched telecommunications network service management system, which is adapted to manage and control, in a centralized fashion, data relating to changes in service provided to subscribers of said system, said service management system having at least one provisioning interface and networked to a plurality of network elements, at least some of which are adapted to provide data for services offered to said subscribers of said system, and which elements are available for query by central offices and switches of said public switched telecommunications network, a process for managing data in said network elements using said provisioning interface comprising the steps of:

a. entering data via said provisioning interface relating to changes in services to subscribers of said system;

b. transforming said data entered via said provisioning interface into a form that is adapted to be stored in said public switched telecommunications network service management system in order to reflect data that is stored in at least one of said network elements;

c. transforming said data that is adapted to be stored in said public switched telecommunications network service management system into an image of said data stored in said network element, said image corresponding to data structures in said network element, said data structures relating to services offered to said subscribers of said system; and

d. communicating said image to said network element.

31. A process according to claim 30 further comprising the step of interpreting said image in order to make it comply with public switched telecommunications network service management system/network element protocol before said step of communicating said image to said network element occurs.