Telecommunications network configuration model for data management and allocation

• US 5,583,976 A
• Filed: 02/18/1994
• Issued: 12/10/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 02/18/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: BellSouth Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bullard, Walter G. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Jankus, Almis R.
• Application Number:
  US08/198,860
• Time in Patent Office: 1,026 Days
• Field of Search: 395/140, 395/155, 395/159, 395/160, 395/161, 395/500, 379/59, 379/94, 379/96, 379/112, 379/201, 379/207, 379/210, 379/221, 379/230, 379/242, 379/269, 379/284, 370/16, 370/58.1, 370/62, 455/54
• US Class Current: 345/440
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/206 Drawing of charts or graphs
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13526 resource management
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13544 modeling or simulation, particularly of networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13547 subscriber, e.g. profile, database, database access
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0029 Provisions for intelligent networking

Abstract

Processes and devices for improving data management and reallocation in intelligent networks. Such processes and devices provide intuitive representation of models of data stored in network elements so that system users may more efficiently and reliably reallocate applications and data resources among the network elements. Users see and allocate data using high level depictions of groups of network element data structures based on data structure models. These groups may be hierarchical, and they may correspond to groups within the telecommunications network such as digits in a telephone number and local calling areas. Applications and data resources may accordingly be reallocated among network elements in a more organized fashion using the groups. These organized groups also allow engineering operations personnel more easily to coordinate with translation personnel to make proper changes to translation tables in order to accommodate the data reallocation.

Claims

1. A process for evaluating data storage in a network that includes at least one intelligent telecommunications network element that contains telephone call processing information ("DNode") which in turn includes at least one application and at least one resource, and at least one intelligent telecommunications network element adapted to query at least one of the DNodes in order to make requests of applications included in the DNode relating to the telephone call processing information ("RNode"), comprising the steps of:

a. providing data included in at least one DNode relating to at least one application and at least one resource used by an application included in the DNode;

b. creating a plurality of models based on the data, including at least one applications model which is adapted to include, for its application, at least one set corresponding to a predetermined grouping of translation numbers and at least one resource model which is adapted to include, for its resource, at least one set corresponding to a predetermined grouping of translation numbers;

c. evaluating (1) the volume of requests received by each application in the DNode, (2) memory in the DNode required by the application data and (3) memory in the DNode required by the resource data;

d. displaying information corresponding to the models; and

e. altering data included in the DNode based on said evaluation and display.

2. A process for evaluating data storage in a network that includes a plurality of intelligent telecommunications network elements that contain telephone call processing information ("DNodes"), each of which includes a plurality of applications and at least one resource, comprising the steps of:

a. providing data included in a DNode relating to its applications and resources;

b. creating a plurality of models based on the data, including a plurality of applications models, each of which is adapted to include, for its application, at least one set of a predetermined grouping of translation numbers and at least one resource model, which is adapted to include, for its resource, at least one set of a predetermined grouping of translation numbers;

c. generating a current view display which includes representations of at least some of the models;

d. generating a future view display which initially includes representations of substantially the same models as the current view;

e. altering the group of sets in at least one application model in the future view; and

f. predicting performance of the DNode using the altered future view.

3. A process according to claim 2 further comprising, after the step of altering the group of sets in at least one application models in the future view, determining whether that alteration requires that other alterations to the future view be made.

4. A process according to claim 2 in which at least one set corresponds to a predetermined category.

5. A process according to claim 2 in which at least one set corresponds to part of a predetermined category.

6. A process of apportioning data in a network that includes a plurality of intelligent telecommunications network elements that contain telephone call processing information ("DNodes"), each of which includes a plurality of applications and at least one resource, comprising the steps of:

a. providing data included in a DNode relating to its applications and resources;

b. creating a plurality of models based on the data, including a plurality of applications models, each of which is adapted to include, for its application, at least one set corresponding to a predetermined grouping of translation numbers and at least one resource model, which is adapted to include, for its resource, at least one set corresponding to a predetermined grouping of translation numbers;

c. generating a current view display which includes representations of at least some of the models;

d. generating a future view display which initially includes representations of substantially the same models as the current view;

e. changing the number of sets in at least one application model in the future view;

f. determining whether that change requires that other alterations to the future view be made;

g. predicting performance of the DNode using the changed future view; and

h. altering the data in the DNode based on the changed future view.

7. A process according to claim 6 in which at least one set is a member of a set type corresponding to a predefined category.

8. A process according to claim 6 in which at least one set is a member of a set corresponding to a part of a predefined category.

9. A process according to claim 6 further comprising the step of, after altering the data in the DNode based on the changed future view, altering at least one translations table in at least one signal transfer point that communicates with the DNode.

10. A process for evaluating data storage in a network that includes a plurality of intelligent telecommunications network elements that contain telephone call processing information ("DNodes") each of which includes a plurality of applications and at least one resource, comprising the steps of:

a. providing data included in a DNode relating to its applications and resources;

b. creating a plurality of models based on the data, including a plurality of applications models, each of which is adapted to include, for its application, at least one set corresponding to a predetermined grouping of translation numbers and at least one resource model, which is adapted to include, for its resource, at least one set corresponding to a predetermined grouping of translation numbers;

c. generating a current view display which includes representations of at least some of the models;

d. generating a future view display which initially includes representations of substantially the same models as the current view;

e. adding at least one set to at least one application model in the future view; and

f. predicting performance of the DNode using the altered future view.

11. A process according to claim 10 in which the set is not, at the time of alteration, associated with any model in any other DNode corresponding to the model represented by the future view.

12. A process according to claim 10 in which the set is, at the time of alteration, associated with another model in another DNode corresponding to the model represented by the future view.

13. A process according to claim 12 in which the set is removed from the other model in the other DNode after being added to the model represented in the future view.

14. A process for evaluating data storage in a network that includes a plurality of intelligent telecommunications network elements that contain telephone call processing information ("DNodes"), each of which includes a plurality of applications and at least one resource, comprising the steps of:

a. providing data included in a DNode relating to its applications and resources;

b. creating a plurality of models based on the data, including a plurality of applications models, each of which is adapted to include, for its application, at least one set corresponding to a predetermined grouping of translation numbers and at least one resource model, which is adapted to include, for its resource, at least one set corresponding to a predetermined grouping of translation numbers;

c. generating a current view display which includes representations of at least some of the models;

d. generating a future view display which initially includes representations of substantially the same models as the current view;

e. deleting at least one set from at least one application model in the future view; and

f. predicting performance of the DNode using the altered future view.

15. A process for evaluating data storage in a network that includes a plurality of intelligent telecommunications network elements that contain telephone call processing information ("DNodes"), each of which includes a plurality of applications and at least one resource, comprising the steps of:

a. providing data included in a DNode relating to its applications and resources;

b. creating a plurality of models based on the data, including a plurality of applications models, each of which is adapted to include, for its application, at least one set corresponding to a predetermined grouping of translation numbers and at least one resource model, which is adapted to include, for its resource, at least one set corresponding to a predetermined grouping of translation numbers;

c. generating a current view display which includes representations of at least some of the models;

d. generating a future view display which initially includes representations of substantially the same models as the current view;

e. adding at least one set to at least one application model in the future view; and

f. determining whether said addition requires addition of any other set to any model in the future view and, if so, making such additions;

g. repeating the previous step until no further additions are required;

h. predicting performance of the DNode using the altered future view;

i. adopting the altered future view as the current view; and

j. adding data to the DNode based on the altered future view.

16. A process according to claim 15 in which, after the step of adding data to the DNode using the altered future view occurs, corresponding data is deleted from any other DNode having such data reflected in a model corresponding to the model represented by the future view.

17. A process according to claim 15 in which, after the step of adding data to the DNode using the altered future view occurs, the added sets are deleted from the current view of any other DNode model corresponding to the model represented by the future view.

18. A process for evaluating data storage in a network that includes a plurality of intelligent telecommunications network elements that contain telephone call processing information ("DNodes"), each of which includes a plurality of applications and at least one resource, comprising the steps of:

a. providing data included in a DNode relating to its applications and resources;

b. creating a plurality of models based on the data, including a plurality of applications models, each of which is adapted to include, for its application, at least one set corresponding to a predetermined grouping of translation numbers and at least one resource model, which is adapted to include, for its resource, at least one set corresponding to a predetermined grouping of translation numbers;

c. generating a current view display which includes representations of at least some of the models;

d. generating a future view display which initially includes representations of substantially the same models as the current view;

e. deleting at least one set from at least one application model in the future view; and

f. determining whether said addition requires addition of any other set to any model in the future view and, if so, making such additions;

g. repeating the previous step until no further additions are required;

h. predicting performance of the DNode using the altered future view;

i. adopting the altered future view as the current view; and

j. adding data to the DNode based on the altered future view.

19. A process according to claim 18 in which, after the step of deleting data from the DNode using the altered future view occurs, corresponding data is added to another DNode having a model corresponding to the model represented by the future view.

20. A process according to claim 18 in which, after the step of deleting data from the DNode using the altered future view occurs, the deleted sets are added to the current view of another DNode model.

21. A system for evaluating data storage in a network that includes at least one intelligent telecommunications network element that contains telephone call processing information ("DNode") which in turn includes at least one application, applications data and at least one resource, and at least one intelligent telecommunications network element adapted to query at least one of the DNodes in order to make requests of applications included in the DNode, comprising:

a. means for creating a plurality of models based on the data, including at least one applications model which is adapted to include, for its application, at least one set corresponding to a predetermined grouping of translation numbers and at least one resource model which is adapted to include, for its resource, at least one set corresponding to a predetermined grouping of translation numbers;

b. interface means for displaying information corresponding to the models and assisting in evaluation of (1) the volume of requests received by each application in the DNode;

(2) memory in the DNode required by the application data and (3) memory in the DNode required by the resource data;

c. means for altering data included in the DNode based on said display and evaluation.

22. A process for managing data in a network that includes at least one intelligent telecommunications network element that contains telephone call processing information ("DNode") which in turn includes at least one application, and at least one intelligent telecommunications network element adapted to query at least one of the DNodes in order to make requests of applications included in the DNode relating to the telephone call processing information ("RNode"), comprising the steps of:

a. providing data included in at least one DNode relating to at least one application included in the DNode;

b. creating a plurality of models based on the data, including at least one applications model which is adapted to include, for its application, at least one set corresponding to a predetermined grouping of at least one translation number;

c. evaluating allocation of said sets in said DNode;

d. displaying information corresponding to the models; and

e. altering data included in the DNode based on said evaluation and display.

23. A process for managing data in a network that includes at least one intelligent telecommunications network element that contains telephone call processing information ("DNode" ) which in turn includes at least one resource, and at least one intelligent telecommunications network element adapted to query at least one of the DNodes in order to make requests of resources included in the DNode relating to the telephone call processing information ("RNode"), comprising the steps of:

a. providing data included in at least one DNode relating to at least one resource included in the DNode;

b. creating a plurality of models based on the data, including at least one resource model which is adapted to include, for its resource, at least one set corresponding to a predetermined grouping of at least one translation number;

c. evaluating allocation of said sets in said DNode;

d. displaying information corresponding to the models; and

e. altering data included in the DNode based on said evaluation and display.