Networked telephony central offices

• US 5,764,756 A
• Filed: 01/11/1996
• Issued: 06/09/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 01/11/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Qwest Communications International Incorporated (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: U S West Inc.
• Inventors: Onweller, Arthur E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hong, Harry S.
• Application Number:
  US08/585,347
• Time in Patent Office: 880 Days
• Field of Search: 379/1, 379/6, 379/10, 379/12, 379/22, 379/26, 379/27, 379/30, 379/32, 379/33, 379/242, 379/15, 370/54, 370/60, 370/85.6, 370/85.13, 370/85.14, 370/94.1, 370/352, 370/370, 370/399, 370/401, 370/402, 370/405, 370/407, 370/408, 370/409, 370/410, 370/349, 370/522, 370/431
• US Class Current: 379/242
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13527 protocols - X.25, TCAP etc.
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13545 monitoring of signaling messages, intelligent network
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13566 mediation
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0062 Provisions for network management

Abstract

A communications networking system is disclosed for controlling and monitoring devices within a telephony central office. The networking system includes a high bandwidth local area network (LAN) within the central office for transferring substantially all communications between each central office network element and remote telephony operational support systems (OSSs) that control and monitor network element performance. The LAN simplifies communications within the central office: (a) by substantially eliminating direct connections, between central office network elements and remote OSSs, and (b) by utilizing at least one standardized communication protocol such as TCP/IP, UDP/IP, or OSI when transferring communications over the LAN. The networking system includes a mediation device(s) for translating between network element specific protocols and a standardized protocol used on the LAN. The networking system further includes redundant routers, each acting as an interface between a wide area network (WAN) connecting to the central office and the central office local area network, wherein the WAN provides substantially all of the communications between the central office and the OSSs. One of the routers is used in securing the central office against undesirable access by agents dialing into the central office via the public telephone lines. This router obtains an ID and password from a dial-in agent, and communicates with a remote security center to determine what central office process interfaces the agent may access. The router also prohibits dial-in users from accessing the WAN and thereby accessing other telephony service control sites.

Claims

1. A method for managing a network, comprising;

determining a plurality of process interfaces, each said process interface being connected to said network;

performing for each of said process interfaces the following steps (A1) through (A2);

(A1) identifying a corresponding set of hardware components wherein network communications with the process interface utilize a corresponding communication channel defined by said hardware components of said set;

(A2) assigning a corresponding network address for routing network communications to the process interface, wherein said corresponding network address comprises an encoded identification of each hardware component of said set of hardware components for the corresponding communication channel;

wherein each of said process interfaces is responsive to its corresponding network address when the corresponding network address is identified in network communications by the process interface; and

providing one or more of said corresponding network addresses for communicating with one or more of said process interfaces on the network;

decoding at least a first network address of said one or more corresponding network addresses to determine said hardware components in said corresponding set of hardware components for locating one or more of said hardware components in the corresponding set of hardware components.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said network is a wide area network using an Internet Protocol addressing scheme.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein for substantially every first and second process interface of said plurality of process interfaces, said set of hardware components for said first process interface is different from said set of hardware components for said second process interface.

4. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said step of determining includes determining, for each of said plurality of process interfaces, a local area network of a telephony central office for communicating with the process interface.

5. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said step of identifying includes determining at least one of a communication card and a socket on said communication card as said hardware components of said set of hardware components.

6. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said step of assigning includes extending an Internet Protocol address with additional addressing information for encoding said set of hardware components.

7. A method as claimed in claim 1, further including a step of identifying a malfunction on the corresponding communication channel for the first network address using a location of the one or more hardware components in the corresponding set for the first network address.

8. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said step of determining includes identifying a portion of said plurality of process interfaces included in a telephony central office.

9. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said step of determining includes selecting at least one of said process interfaces residing at a telephony data center.

10. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said steps of performing include a step of determining an addressing scheme for the plurality of process interfaces wherein each said process interface is assigned a different address from the addressing scheme.

11. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said steps of performing include a step of determining network addresses for assigning to the plurality of process interfaces, wherein for at least some of the process interfaces, each corresponding network address includes a network identification portion for identifying a corresponding geographical location.

12. A method as claimed in claim 11, wherein said network identification portions each include a corresponding identification of a telephony central office located at each of the corresponding geographical locations.

13. A method as claimed in claim 11, wherein said step of determining network addresses includes providing network communication routing portions for the network addresses having corresponding network identification portions, wherein for at least one of the process interfaces having a corresponding network address with a network communication routing portion, the corresponding network address has a particular one of the network communication routing portions such that the communication channel for the at least one process interface includes a routing device as one of the hardware components of the set of hardware components for the process interface, and the routing device is identified by the particular network communication routing portion.

14. A method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the routing device is one of a local area network hub and a router.

15. A method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the particular network communication routing portion has enough bits for uniquely identifying at least two routing devices at a central office having the process interface.

16. A method as claimed in claim 11, wherein said step of determining network addresses includes establishing a predetermined maximal number of network addresses in a collection of network addresses, wherein each network address in the collection has a same value for the network identification portion and the network addresses in the collection are assignable to process interfaces at a single central office.

17. A method as claimed in claim 16, wherein said predetermined maximal number is less than a total number of the process interfaces in the single central office.

18. A method as claimed in claim 13, wherein said step of determining network addresses includes providing host identification portions for the network addresses having both network identification portions and network communication routing portions, wherein for the at least one process interface, the corresponding network address has a particular one of the host identification portions that uniquely identifies the process interface when both the network identification portion and the particular network communication routing portion are provided for the process interface.

19. A method as claimed in claim 11, wherein said step of determining network addresses includes providing host identification portions for the network addresses, wherein for at least one of the process interfaces having a corresponding network address with a host identification portion, the corresponding network address has a particular one of the host identification portions such that the communication channel for the process interface includes a converter as one of the hardware components of the set of hardware components for the process interface, and the converter is identified by the particular host identification portion.

20. A method as claimed in claim 19, wherein the converter translates between communication protocols.

21. A method as claimed in claim 19, wherein said step of determining network addresses includes providing address extension portions for the network addresses having host identification portions, wherein for the at least one process interface, the corresponding network address has a particular one of the address extension portions such that the communication channel for the process interface includes a communication card as one of the hardware components of the set of hardware components for the process interface, and the communication card is identified by the particular address extension portion.

22. A method as claimed in claim 21, wherein the communication card is included in the converter.

23. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said step of performing includes a step of determining corresponding network addresses for assigning to the plurality of process interfaces, wherein for at least some of the process interfaces, each corresponding network address includes a network communication routing portion for identifying a routing device as one of the hardware components of the set of hardware components for the process interface assigned the corresponding network address.

24. A method as claimed in claim 23, wherein said step of assigning includes providing a same value to the network communications routing portion for the corresponding network addresses for a first and a second process interface when the first and second process interfaces communicate with the network through a same local area network.

25. A method as claimed in claim 23, wherein said step of determining network addresses includes providing host identification portions for the network addresses having network communication routing portions, wherein for at least one of the process interfaces having a corresponding network address with a host identification portion, the corresponding network address has a particular one of the host identification portions that identifies one of:

(a) a converter as one of the hardware components of the set of hardware components for the process interface, and (b) the process interface itself.

26. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said step of performing includes a step of determining corresponding network addresses for assigning to the plurality of process interfaces, wherein for at least some of the process interfaces, each corresponding network address includes a host identification portion for identifying one of (a) a converter as one of the hardware components of the set of hardware components for the process interface assigned the corresponding network address, and (b) the process interface itself.

27. A method as claimed in claim 26, wherein said step of determining corresponding network addresses includes encoding into an address extension portion for at least one process interface a position of a communication card within the converter when the converter is identified in the host identification portion, wherein the communication card is one of the hardware components of the set of hardware components for the process interface.

28. A method as claimed in claim 27, wherein said step of determining corresponding network addresses includes encoding into an address extension portion for the at least one process interface an identification of a socket port within the communication card also identified by the address extension portion.

29. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said step of assigning includes providing a value for at least some of the following portions of the corresponding network address:

(a) a network identification portion for identifying a geographical location of the process interface;

(b) a network communication routing portion on the corresponding communication channel for the process interface;

(c) a host identification portion for identifying one of;

(i) the process interface, and (ii) a converter on the corresponding communication channel for the process interface;

(d) a communication card on the communication channel for the process interface; and

(e) a socket port on the communication channel for the process interface.

30. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said step of identifying includes determining the corresponding set of hardware components in a same central office as that which has the process interface.

31. A method as claimed in claim 30, wherein a hardware component of the corresponding set of hardware components is one of a local area network hub, a router, a converter, a communication card and a socket port.

32. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said step of assigning includes determining which of a synchronous and an asynchronous communication is used by the process interface, when the process interface communicates with the network via a converter.

33. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said step of providing includes transmitting at least the first network address to one of the process interfaces different from the process interface to which the first network address corresponds.

34. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said step of providing includes storing said network addresses, wherein said stored network addresses are accessible from the network.

35. A method as claimed in claim 34, wherein said step of storing includes associating access permissions with each of said corresponding network addresses.

36. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said step of providing includes outputting the first network address for use by a technician in locating the hardware components in the corresponding set of hardware components for the first network address.

37. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said step of decoding includes identifying one or more of said hardware components in the corresponding set for the first network address without accessing a compilation of a plurality of said network addresses.

38. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said step of decoding includes identifying a first portion of the first network address for identifying a telephony central office having the process interface to which the first network address corresponds.

39. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said step of decoding includes identifying a communications routing device that communicates with a process interface assigned the first network address.

40. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said step of decoding includes identifying a communication card that communicates with the process interface assigned the first network address.

41. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said step of decoding includes identifying a socket port that communicates with the process interface assigned the first network address.

42. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said step of decoding is performed by a technician.

43. A method for managing a network, comprising;

determining a plurality of process interfaces, each said process interface being connected to said network;

performing for each of said process interfaces the following steps (A1) through (A2);

(A1) identifying a corresponding set of hardware components wherein network communications with the process interface utilize a corresponding communication channel defined by said hardware components of said corresponding set of hardware components;

(A2) assigning a corresponding network address for routing network communications to the process interface, wherein said corresponding network address comprises an encoded identification of each hardware component of said set of hardware components for the corresponding communication channel;

providing one or more of said corresponding network addresses for communicating with at least one process interface on the network;

decoding, for a technician, a first network address of said corresponding network addresses to determine said hardware components in said corresponding set of hardware components for locating one or more of said hardware components in the corresponding set of hardware components;

wherein said network includes a wide area network using an Internet protocol addressing scheme.

44. A method as claimed in claim 43, wherein said Internet protocol addressing scheme has a dot notation representation.

45. A method as claimed in claim 43, wherein said Internet protocol addressing scheme is a Class B IP-addressing scheme.

46. A method for managing a network, comprising;

determining a plurality of process interfaces, each said process interface being connected to said network, wherein for each of said process interfaces, a local area network of a telephony central office is determined for communicating with the process interface;

performing for each of said process interfaces the following steps (A1) through (A2);

(A1) identifying a corresponding set of hardware components wherein network communications with the process interface utilize a corresponding communication channel defined by said hardware components of said set;

(A2) assigning a corresponding network address for routing network communications to the process interface, wherein said corresponding network address comprises an encoded identification of each hardware component of said corresponding set of hardware components for the corresponding communication channel;

providing one or more of said corresponding network addresses for communicating with at least one process interface on the network;

decoding, for a technician, a first network address of said corresponding network addresses to determine said hardware components in said corresponding set of hardware components for locating one or more of said hardware components in the corresponding set of hardware components.

47. A method as claimed in claim 46, wherein said local area network determined for at least one of the process interfaces utilizes an ethernet based protocol.

48. A method as claimed in claim 47, wherein said ethernet based protocol is one of TCP/IP, UDP/IP and OSI.

49. A method for managing a network, comprising;

determining a plurality of process interfaces, each said process interface being connected to said network;

performing for each of said process interfaces the following steps (A1) through (A2);

(A1) identifying a corresponding set of hardware components wherein network communications with the process interface utilize a corresponding communication channel defined by said hardware components of said set, wherein at least one of a communication card and a socket on said communication card is a hardware component of said corresponding set of hardware components;

(A2) assigning a corresponding network address for routing network communications to the process interface, wherein said corresponding network address comprises an encoded identification of each hardware component of said set of hardware components for the corresponding communication channel;

providing one or more of said corresponding network addresses for communicating with at least one process interface on the network;

decoding, for a technician, a first network address of said corresponding network addresses to determine said hardware components in said corresponding set of hardware components for locating one or more of said hardware components in the corresponding set of hardware components.

50. A method as claimed in claim 49, wherein for at least one process interface, an identified corresponding communication card is included within a converter for translating between network communication protocols.

51. A method as claimed in claim 50, wherein said converter converts between an IP protocol and a different protocol used by the at least one process interface.

52. A method as claimed in claim 51, wherein said different protocol is a proprietary protocol of a telephony network equipment vendor.

53. A method for managing a network, comprising;

determining a plurality of process interfaces, each said process interface being connected to said network;

performing for each of said process interfaces the following steps (A1) through (A2);

(A1) identifying a corresponding set of hardware components wherein network communications with the process interface utilize a corresponding communication channel defined by said hardware components of said corresponding set of hardware components;

(A2) assigning a corresponding network address for routing network communications to the process interface, wherein said corresponding network address comprises an encoded identification of each hardware component of said corresponding set of hardware components for the corresponding communication channel, and wherein said corresponding network address includes an Internet protocol address extended with additional addressing information for encoding said corresponding set of hardware components;

providing one or more of said corresponding network addresses for communicating with at least one process interface on the network;

decoding, for a technician, a first network address of said corresponding network addresses to determine said hardware components in said corresponding set of hardware components for locating one or more of said hardware components in the corresponding set of hardware components.

54. A method as claimed in claim 53, wherein said step of assigning includes encoding into the additional addressing information at least one of a communication card location and a socket port location.

55. A method as claimed in claim 53, wherein said step of assigning includes determining a converter that serves as a gateway to the process interface, wherein said converter includes at least some of the hardware components of said corresponding set of hardware components.

56. A method as claimed in claim 53, wherein said step of assigning includes encoding into said corresponding network address a communication characteristic of the process interface.

57. A method as claimed in claim 56, wherein said the communication characteristic is one of a synchronous communication protocol and an asynchronous communication protocol.