Method and apparatus for emulating a dynamically configured digital cross-connect switch network
First Claim
1. An emulator apparatus for emulating a dynamically-configured digital cross-connect switch network to allow testing of a communication network monitor and control system (MCS), the emulator apparatus comprising:
- a communication module which communicates with the MCS over at least one emulator control link using a communications protocol substantially identical to a communications protocol used in the digital cross-connect switch network to communicate to the MCS;
a memory unit for storing emulated network data representative of the behavior and topology of the emulated digital cross-connect switch network, wherein said emulated network data includes configuration data identifying the transmission behavior of DXC nodes in the digital cross-connect network and topology data identifying logical trunks extending through corresponding ports in the said DXC nodes; and
a processor coupled to said communication module and said memory unit, said processor sending emulator messages for the MCS to said communication module based on said emulated network data, said emulator messages emulating messages which would be sent from the digital cross-connect switch network to the MCS.
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for emulating a digital cross-connect switching (DXC) network, such as a DXC 1/0 network, fully tests a telecommunication network monitoring and control system (MCS). The communication and behavior of a DXC network at the channel level are emulated in the presence and absence of selected network node and trunk configurations, failures, and/or normalizations. A communication module communicates with the MCS through emulator control links using a communications protocol substantially identical to a communications protocol used in the emulated digital cross-connect network. Configuration data representing the current behavior of the DXC nodes. Topology data traces logical trunks or channels through adjacent DXC nodes. The topology data further includes port provision data identifying the allocation of channels for cross-connected ports at DXC nodes. Additional DXC nodes and/or trunks can be added or deleted from the topology data during pre-processing or emulator operation to test different postulated network designs. The topology data can be updated in response to MCS channel level commands (i.e. grow/de-grow, connect/dis-connect, and cross-connect commands) to set up paths through provisioned ports in the emulated DXC network. Detailed knowledge of intermediate site and equipment within the emulated DXC network is not necessary to emulate different dynamic link connections and DXC topologies. Partial or total logical trunk outages can still be emulated by generating appropriate near-side port alarms. Simulated multi-tasking and dynamic user-interface control options are included.
92 Citations
43 Claims
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1. An emulator apparatus for emulating a dynamically-configured digital cross-connect switch network to allow testing of a communication network monitor and control system (MCS), the emulator apparatus comprising:
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a communication module which communicates with the MCS over at least one emulator control link using a communications protocol substantially identical to a communications protocol used in the digital cross-connect switch network to communicate to the MCS; a memory unit for storing emulated network data representative of the behavior and topology of the emulated digital cross-connect switch network, wherein said emulated network data includes configuration data identifying the transmission behavior of DXC nodes in the digital cross-connect network and topology data identifying logical trunks extending through corresponding ports in the said DXC nodes; and a processor coupled to said communication module and said memory unit, said processor sending emulator messages for the MCS to said communication module based on said emulated network data, said emulator messages emulating messages which would be sent from the digital cross-connect switch network to the MCS. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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32. A computer-implemented method for emulating a digital cross-connect network having dynamically-configured paths to test a network monitoring and control system (MCS), comprising the steps of:
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storing emulated network data representative of the behavior and topology of the digital cross-connect network being emulated, said emulated network data including configuration data representative of the behavior of each DXC node in the digital cross-connect network being emulated and topology data identifying logical trunks extending between adjacent nodes in the digital cross-connect network, each dynamically-configurable path comprising at least one logical trunk; establishing connectivity with the MCS over at least one emulator control link; detecting incoming MCS messages; and sending emulator messages over said at least one emulator control link to the MCS in response to said incoming MCS messages based on said emulated network data, said emulator messages emulating messages which would be sent from DXC nodes in the digital cross-connect network being emulated to the MCS in response to said detected incoming MCS messages. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43)
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Specification