Method and apparatus for generating permanent virtual connections using graphical user interface

• US 6,366,581 B1
• Filed: 04/02/1997
• Issued: 04/02/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Network Communications Incorporated (Fujitsu Limited)
• Inventors: Jepsen, Thomas C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Chau
• Assistant Examiner(s): KWOH, JASPER C
• Application Number:
  US08/831,776
• Time in Patent Office: 1,826 Days
• Field of Search: 370/409, 370/384, 370/397, 370/399, 379/93.23, 379/93.21, 379/111, 709/223, 709/235, 709/224, 709/225, 345/734, 345/735, 345/736, 345/771, 345/825, 345/826
• US Class Current: 370/397
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5619 Network Node Interface, e.g. tandem connections, transit switching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/563 Signalling, e.g. protocols, reference model
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/18 Delegation of network management function, e.g. customer network management [CNM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/32 Specific management aspects for broadband networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5006 Creating or negotiating SLA contracts, guarantees or penalties
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5045 Making service definitions prior to deployment
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/0478 Provisions for broadband connections

Abstract

Using a graphical user interface, the user is requested to enter a type of permanent virtual connection desired to be created. Based on the type of permanent virtual connection desired to be created, it is determined what data is necessary to generate the permanent virtual connection. Using a graphical user interface, the user is requested to enter the data determined to be necessary. When the user is requested to enter a type of permanent virtual connection desired to be created, information is requested from the user as to whether a point-to-point connection or a point-to-multipoint connection is desired, as to whether a virtual path connection or a virtual channel connection is desired, as to a desired quality of service, as to how billing data is to be collected, and as to a type of traffic to be handled by the permanent virtual connection. The data is assembled in a form recognizable by a telecommunications switch. The data is partially assembled in a form recognizable by a telecommunications switch and displayed as the user is requested to enter data. The form recognizable by a telecommunications switch has positional parameters recognized by the telecommunications switch based on position and key word parameters recognizable by the telecommunications switch based on an arrangement of characters. Both the positional parameters and the key word parameters are ordered in a predetermined order.

Claims

1. A method for programming at least one telecommunications switch, comprising the steps of:

(a) using a graphical user interface, requesting the user to enter information regarding a permanent virtual connection desired to be created;

(b) determining, based on the information regarding the permanent virtual connection desired to be created, what items of data are necessary to generate the permanent virtal connection; and

(c) using a graphical user interface having a plurality of fields corresonding respectively to the items of data, sequentially requesting, in a separate messages field, the user to enter the items of data determined to be necessary in step (b) such that the items of data requested from the user vary according to the information regarding the permanent virtual connection desired to be created.

2. A method for programming at least one telecommunications switch according to claim 1, wherein step (a) includes the substeps of:

requesting information as to whether a point-to-point connection or a point-to-multipoint connection is desired;

requesting information as to whether a virtual path connection or a virtual channel connection is desired;

requesting information as to a desired quality of service;

requesting information as to how billing data is to be collected; and

requesting information as to a type of traffic to be handled by the permanent virtual connection.

3. A method for programming at least one telecommunications switch according to claim 1, further comprising the step of assembling the items of data in a form recognizable by a telecommunications switch.

4. A method for programming at least one telecommunications switch according to claim 3, wherein the items of data are partially assembled in a form recognizable by a telecommunications switch during steps (a) and (c), the method further comprising the step of displaying the partially assembled items of data during steps (a) and (c).

5. A method for programming at least one telecommunications switch according to claim 3, wherein the form recognizable by a telecommunications switch has positional parameters recognized by the telecommunications switch based on position, and key word parameters recognizable by the telecommunications switch based on an arrangement of characters and not based on position, the step of assembling the items of data including the substep of ordering both the positional parameters and the key word parameters in a predetermined order.

6. A method for programming at least one telecommunications switch according to claim 1, wherein the telecommunications switch has first and second ports, the method further comprising the steps of:

requesting the user to enter a range of virtual paths for the first port of the telecommunications switch,

requesting the user to enter a beginning value for a range of virtual paths for the second port of the telecommunications switch;

automatically calculating an end value for the range of virtual paths for the second port of the switch, based on the range of virtual paths for the first port of the telecommunications switch; and

for the ranges of virtual paths on the first and second ports of the telecommunications switch, simultaneously generating a plurality of permanent virtual connections.

7. A method for programming at least one telecommunications switch according to claim 1, wherein the telecommunications switch has first and second ports, the method further comprising the steps of:

requesting the user to enter a range of virtual channels for the first port of the telecommunications switch,

requesting the user to enter a beginning value for a range of virtual channels for the second port of the telecommunications switch;

automatically calculating an end value for the range of virtual channels on the second port of the switch, based on the range of virtual channels for the first port of the telecommunications switch; and

for the ranges of virtual channels on the first and second ports of the telecommunications switch, simultaneously generating a plurality of permanent virtual connections.

8. A telecommunications switch programming apparatus, comprising:

information request means for requesting the user to enter information regarding a permanent virtual connection desired to be created, using a graphical user interface;

means for determining, based on the information regarding the permanent virtual connection desired to be created, what items of data are necessary to generate the permanent virtual connection, the graphical user interface having a plurality of fields corresponding respectively to the items of data; and

data request means, including a separate messages field in the graphical user interface to request the user to enter the items of data determined to be necessary, such that the items of data requested from the user vary according to the information regarding the permanent virtual connection desired to be created.

9. A telecommunications switch programming apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the information request means:

requests information as to whether a point-to-point connection or a point-to-multipoint connection is desired;

requests information as to whether a virtual path connection or a virtual channel connection is desired;

requests information as to a desired quality of service;

requests informaion as to how billing data is to be collected; and

requests information as to a type of traffic to be handled by the permanent virtual connection.

10. A telecommunications switch programming apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising means for assembling the items of data in a form recognizable by a telecommunications switch.

11. A telecommunications switch programming apparatus according to claim 10, wherein

the items of data are partially assembled in a form recognizable by a telecommunications switch, and

the graphical user interface displays the partially assembled items of data while the information request means and data request means request the user.

12. A telecommunications switch programming apparatus according to claim 10, wherein

the form recognizable by a telecommunications switch has positional parameters recognized by the telecommunications switch based on position, and key word parameters recognizable by the telecommunications switch based on an arrangement of characters, and

the means for assembling the items of data orders both the positional parameters and the key word parameters in a predetermined order.

13. A telecommunications switch programming apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the telecommunications switch has first and second ports, the apparatus further comprising:

means for requesting the user to enter a range of virtual paths for the first port of the telecommunications switch,

means for requesting the user to enter a beginning value for a range of virtual paths for the second port of the telecommunications switch;

means for automatically calculating an end value for the range of virtual paths for the second port of the telecommunications switch, based on the range of virtual paths for the first port of the switch; and

means for simultaneously generating a plurality of permanent virtual connections for the ranges of virtual paths on the first and second ports of the telecommunications switch.

14. A telecommunications switch programming apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the telecommunications switch has first and second ports, the apparatus further comprising:

means for requesting the user to enter a range of virtual channels for the first port of the telecommunications switch,

means for requesting the user to enter a beginning value for a range of virtual channels for the second port of the telecommunications switch;

means for automatically calculating an end value for the range of virtual channels for the second port of the telecommunications switch, based on the range of virtual channels for the first port of the switch; and

means for simultaneously generating a plurality of permanent virtual connections for the ranges of virtual channels on the first and second ports of the telecommunications switch.

15. An apparatus for programming at least one telecommunications switch comprising:

a graphical user interface having a plurality of fields and operable to request a user to enter information regarding a permanent virtual connection desired to be created; and

a private virtual circuit generator operable to determine what items of data are necessary to generate the permanent virtual connection based on the information regarding the permanent virtual connection desired to be created, and vary the fields associated with the graphical user interface to correspond respectively to the items of data and to sequentially request in separate fields the user to enter the items of data determined to be necessary.

16. The apparatus for programming at least one telecommunications switch according to claim 15, wherein the graphical user interface is further operable to:

request information as to whether a point-to-point connection or a point-to-multipoint connection is desired;

request information as to whether a virtual path connection or a virtual channel connection is desired;

request information as to a desired quality of service;

request information as to how billing data is to be collected; and

request information as to a type of traffic to be handled by the permanent virtual connection.

17. The apparatus for programming at least one telecommunications switch according to claim 15, wherein the telecommunications switch has a first port and a second port;

wherein the graphical user interface is further operable to request the user to enter a range of virtual paths for the first port of the telecommunications switch and request the user to enter a beginning value for a range of virtual paths for the second port of the telecommunications switch; and

wherein the private virtual circuit generator is further operable to automatically calculate an end value for the range of virtual paths for the second port of the switch, based on the range of virtual paths for the first port of the telecommunications switch and simultaneously generate a plurality of permanent virtual connections for the ranges of virtual paths on the first and second ports of the telecommunications switch.

18. The apparatus for programming at least one telecommunications switch according to claim 15, wherein the telecommunications switch has first and second ports;

wherein the graphical user interface is further operable to request the user to enter a range of virtual paths for the first port of the telecommunications switch and request the user to enter a beginning value for a range of virtual paths for the second port of the telecommunications switch; and

wherein the private virtual circuit generator is further operable to automatically calculate an end value for the range of virtual paths for the second port of the switch, based on the range of virtual paths for the first port of the telecommunications switch and simultaneously generate a plurality of permanent virtual connections for the ranges of virtual paths on the first and second ports of the telecommunications switch.

19. The apparatus for programming at least one telecommunications switch according to claim 15, wherein the private virtual circuit generator is further operable to assemble the items of data in a form recognizable by a telecommunications switch and the graphical user interface is further operable to display the partially assembled items of data.

20. The apparatus for programming at least one telecommunications switch according to claim 19, wherein the form recognizable by a telecommunications switch comprises positional parameters recognized by the telecommunications switch based on position, and key word parameters recognizable by the telecommunications switch based on an arrangement of characters and not based on position, and wherein the private virtual circuit generator is further operable to order both the positional parameters and the key word parameters in a predetermined order.