Upgrading the control of switching systems

• US 5,960,205 A
• Filed: 10/30/1997
• Issued: 09/28/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: WSOU Investments, LLC (WSOU Holdings, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Uy, Albert Taneo, Mao, Victor Chung-Hsing
• Primary Examiner(s): Hafiz, Tariq R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): PENDER JR, MICHAEL J
• Application Number:
  US08/960,642
• Time in Patent Office: 698 Days
• Field of Search: 364/133, 379/201, 379/207, 379/230, 379/112, 395/712
• US Class Current: 717/170
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/656 while running

Abstract

In a telephone switching system, a method of performing a multiple release jump to a target program release for controlling the system. The system uses duplicate processors and disk file controllers. A new disk file is initialized with new program text and a target release version of office dependent data. This target release version is derived by upgrading the office dependent data one release at a time until office dependent data for the target release is derived. The new program text and target release version of office dependent data is inserted into one member of a duplicate disk file controller system which may either be a new disk file controller or one of the two disk file controllers currently in use in the system. One of a duplicate set of processors, either one of the presently utilized processors, or a new processor being introduced along with the new release is then connected to the peripheral system and the disk file controller for accessing the new program text and target release version of office dependent data. Control is then turned over to that processor. Following successful operation during a soak interval the other member of the duplicate processors is connected to the disk file controller, if disk file controllers have been changed, and the other disk file is updated with the new program text and office dependent data. Advantageously, this arrangement allows a multiple release jump to be made without requiring special software for the particular jump, or without requiring that the multiple release jump be performed one step at a time.

Claims

1. In a telephone switching system, a method for performing a multi-stage software upgrade to a target release, comprising the steps of:

(a) in said telephone switching system, providing duplicate processors and duplicate disk file controllers, each controller comprising a disk file;

(b) deriving program text for the target release;

(c) deriving office dependent data for the target release by iteratively deriving intermediate release office dependent data, in each case from a previous release of office dependent data;

(d) inserting said program text and said office dependent data for the target release into a file of one of said duplicate disk file controllers;

(e) connecting said one of said duplicate disk file controllers to one of the duplicate processors;

(f) connecting said one of said duplicate processors to peripherals of said telephone switching system;

(g) switching control of said telephone switching system to said one of said duplicate processors;

(h) inserting said program text and said office dependent data for the target release into a file of the other of said duplicated disk file controllers;

(i) connecting the other of said processors to the other of said duplicate disk file controllers; and

(j) connecting the other of said duplicate processors to said peripherals of said telephone switching system.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

(k) prior to executing step (b), the step of deriving program text for the target release, testing whether new duplicate disk file controllers, each comprising a disk file, are required in order to upgrade to the target release;

(l) if the result of the test of step (k), indicates that no new duplicate disk file controllers are required, executing steps (b)-(j);

(m) if the result of the test of step (k), indicates that new duplicate disk file controllers are required, providing said new disk file controllers;

(n) inserting said program text and said office dependent data for the target release into a file of one of said new duplicate disk file controllers;

(o) connecting said one of said duplicate disk file controllers to one of the duplicate processors;

(p) inserting said program text and said office dependent data for the target release into a file of said new duplicate disk file controllers;

(q) inserting said program text and said office dependent data for the target release into a file of the other of said new duplicate disk file controllers.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

(r) prior to executing step (b), the step of deriving program text for the target release, testing whether the new duplicate processors are required in order to upgrade to the target release;

(s) if the result of the test of step (r), indicates that no new duplicate processors are required, executing steps (b)-(j);

(t) if the result of the test of step (r), indicates that new duplicate processors are required, providing new duplicate processors.