Method and apparatus for displaying multiple representations of connections in a communications network with differing levels of detail

• US 5,774,655 A
• Filed: 05/07/1997
• Issued: 06/30/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 07/22/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke PTT Nederland N.V. (Royal KPN NV)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Inventors: Bloem, Jacobus Johannes, Korte, Harrold Bastiaan
• Primary Examiner(s): Barry, Esq., Lance Leonard
• Application Number:
  US08/852,726
• Time in Patent Office: 419 Days
• Field of Search: 340/825.06, 340/825.17, 364/188, 370/252, 370/254, 395/335, 395/356, 395/183.22, 395/200.01, 395/200.1, 395/200.11, 395/200.12, 395/835, 395/200.5, 395/200.51, 395/200.52, 395/200.53 , 395/200.54, 395/200.57, 395/200.58, 395/2
• US Class Current: 709/220
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/00 Arrangements for maintenance, administration or management of data switching networks, e.g. of packet switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

The invention relates to a method of providing connections in a communications network, a connection being set up by a server in response to a service request from a client, the method comprising the steps of providing a representation of a connection corresponding to the respective service request, and of establishing the connection on the basis of the representation. According to the invention the method is characterized in that the representation comprises at least two levels of abstraction. This provides the possibility for the client to choose and manipulate a suitably detailed representation of the connection. Preferably, only the representation having the highest level of abstraction is initially offered to the client, the other representation or representations only being presented upon subsequent client request.

Claims

1. A method for providing connections in a communications network, each of the connections being established by a server in response to a service request provided by a client, said method comprising the steps of:

specifying, by the client, in the service request an origin and a destination of a desired one of the connections to be established within the network;

generating, by the server and in response to the service request, a multiple representation of the desired one connection, the multiple representation comprising first and second single representations, said first and second representations being alternately available to the client, wherein;

the first representation displays a first group of pre-defined operational attributes of the connection at a first level of detail, wherein the first group of attributes are not modifiable by the client; and

the second representation displays a second group of pre-defined operational attributes of the connection at a second level of detail, with the first level providing less detail than the second level, and each of the operational attributes in the second group provides additional detail of the connection with respect to a corresponding one of the operational attributes in the first group;

providing, by the server to the client, the first representation;

if the client requests additional detail from the server with respect to the desired one connection, providing, by the server to the client, the second representation through which the client can select and modify one of the attributes in the second group so as to modify the second representation; and

establishing the desired one connection on the basis of said multiple representation as it then exists.

2. The method in claim 1 wherein the first representation comprises, as the first group, ports correspondingly representing the origin and the destination, and lines representing connectivity between the ports.

3. The method in claim 1 wherein the second representation comprises, as the second group, a source representing the origin, a sink representing the destination, and a flow representing connectivity between the source and the sink.

4. The method in claim 1 wherein said first and second representations are obtained through object-oriented programming.

5. A server for use in a communications network, said server being arranged for:

generating, in response to a service request provided by a client, a multiple representation of a desired connection to be established within the network, the multiple representation comprising first and second single representations, said first and second representations being alternately available to the client, wherein;

the first representation displays a first group of pre-defined operational attributes of the connection at a first level of detail, wherein the first group of attributes are not modifiable by the client; and

the second representation displays a second group of pre-defined operational attributes of the connection at a second level of detail, with the first level providing less detail than the second level, and each of the operational attributes in the second group provides additional detail of the connection with respect to a corresponding one of the operational attributes in the first group;

providing the first representation to the client; and

if the client requests additional detail from the server with respect to the desired one connection, providing, to the client, the second representation through which the client can select and modify one of the attributes in the second group so as to modify the second representation; and

establishing the desired one connection on the basis of said multiple representation as it then exists.

6. The server in claim 5 wherein the first representation comprises, as said first group, ports correspondingly representing origins and destinations of the desired connection, and lines representing connectivity between the ports.

7. The server in claim 5 wherein the second representation comprises, as the second group, sources representing origins of the desired connection, sinks representing destinations of the desired connection, and flows representing connectivity between the sources and the sinks.