Method and system for diagnosing and testing modems and intermachine trunks

• US 6,370,230 B1
• Filed: 12/27/1999
• Issued: 04/09/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Qwest Communications International Incorporated (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Qwest Communications International Incorporated (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Sellman, Collin A.
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, DUC MINH
• Application Number:
  US09/472,581
• Time in Patent Office: 834 Days
• Field of Search: 370/241, 370/244, 370/245, 370/247, 370/248, 370/249, 370/250, 370/251-253, 379/1.03, 379/1.04, 379/15.03, 379/14.01, 379/12, 379/15.05, 379/16, 379/22, 379/22-1-, 379/22.03, 379/22.04, 379/27.01
• US Class Current: 379/22.04
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/50 Testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/203 composed of PSTN and data network, e.g. the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/28 Automatic routine testing ; Fault testing; Installation testing; Test methods, test equipment or test arrangements therefor

Abstract

A method and system for testing trunks and modems of communication lines includes identifying a trunk and a modem in a communication line from trunk signaling (SS7) data. Historic performance data of the modem in the communication line is then measured. The historic performance data includes the time the modem is connected with the trunk, the speed at which data is communicated through the modem and the trunk in the communication line, and the rate at which the modem connects with the trunk. The performance data of the modem is then correlated with the trunk signaling data to associate the performance data of the modem with the trunk in the communication line. The performance data of the modem is then analyzed to determine if the communication line is operating improperly. The analysis is performed to determine whether the trunk or the modem is operating improperly.

Claims

1. A method for testing trunks and modems of communication lines, the method comprising:

identifying a trunk and a modem in a communication line from trunk signaling data;

measuring performance data of the modem in the communication line;

correlating the performance data of the modem with the trunk signaling data to associate the performance data of the modem with the trunk in the communication line; and

analyzing the performance data of the modem to determine if the communication line is operating improperly.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein:

analyzing the performance data of the modem includes analyzing the performance data of the modem to determine if the trunk is operating improperly.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein:

analyzing the performance data of the modem includes analyzing the performance data of the modem to determine if the modem is operating improperly.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the performance data of the modem includes the time the modem is connected with the trunk.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the performance data of the modem includes the speed of which data is communicated through the modem and the trunk in the communication line.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the performance data of the modem includes the rate at which the modem connects with the trunk.

7. In a communications network having a communications system and a signal network, the communications system including a plurality of trunks and a plurality of modems, the signaling network operable with the communications system to establish communication lines using trunk signaling data, wherein each communication line includes a trunk and a modem, a method for testing the trunks of the communication lines, the method comprising:

measuring performance data of a first modem in a first communication line, the first communication line including the first modem and a trunk;

correlating the performance data of the first modem with the trunk signaling data to associate the performance data of the first modem with the trunk;

measuring performance data of a second modem in a second communication line, the second communication line including the second modem and the trunk;

correlating the performance data of the second modem with the trunk signaling data to associate the performance data of the second modem with the trunk; and

analyzing the performance data of the first modem and the second modem to determine if the trunk is operating improperly.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein:

the performance data of the first and second modems includes the time the first and second modems are connected with the trunk.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein:

the performance data of the first and second modems includes the speed of which data is communicated through the first and second modems.

10. The method of claim 7 wherein:

the performance data of the first and second modems includes the rate at which the first and second modems connect with the trunk.

11. In a communications network having a communications system and a signaling network, the communications system including a plurality of trunks and a plurality of modems, the signaling network operable with the communications system to establish communication lines using trunk signaling data, wherein each communication line includes a trunk and a modem, a method for testing the modems of the communication lines, the method comprising:

measuring performance data of a modem in a first communication line, the first communication line including the modem and a first trunk;

correlating the performance data of the modem with the trunk signaling data to associate the performance data of the modem with the first communication line;

measuring performance data of the modem in a second communication line, the second communication line including the modem and a second trunk;

correlating the performance data of the modem with the second trunk signaling data to associate the performance data of the modem with the second communication line; and

analyzing the performance data of the modem of the first communication line and the performance data of the modem of the second communication line to determine if the modem is operating properly.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein:

the performance data of the modem in the first and second communication lines includes the time the modem is connected with the first and second trunks.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein:

the performance data of the modem in the first and second communication lines includes the rate at which the modem connects with the first and second trunks.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein:

the performance data of the modem in the first and second communication lines includes the speed of which data is communicated through the modem in the first and second communication lines.

15. In a communications network having a communications system and a signaling network, the communications system including a plurality of trunks and a plurality of modems, the signaling network operable with the communications system to establish communication lines using trunk signaling data, wherein each communication line includes a trunk and a modem, a system for testing the trunks of the communication lines, the system comprising:

a modem database for storing performance data of a first modem in a first communication line and for storing performance data of a second modem in a second communication line, the first communication line including the first modem and a trunk, the second communication line including the second modem and the trunk;

a signaling database for storing trunk signaling data for the first and second communication lines, the signaling data associating a modem with the trunk for each communication line; and

a performance tool operable with the modem database and the signaling database for correlating the performance data of the first and second modems with the trunk signaling data to associate the performance data of the first and second modems with the trunk, the performance tool further operable for analyzing the performance data of the first and second modems to determine if the trunk is operating improperly.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein:

the performance data of the first and second modems includes the time the first and second modems are connected with the trunk.

17. The system of claim 15 wherein:

the performance data of the first and second modems includes the speed of which data is communicated through the first and second modems.

18. The system of claim 15 wherein:

the performance data of the first and second modems includes the rate at which the first and second modems connect with the trunk.

19. In a communications network having a communications system and a signaling network, the communications system including a plurality of trunks and a plurality of modems, the signaling network operable with the communications system to establish communication lines using trunk signaling data, wherein each communication line includes a trunk and a modem, a system for testing the modems of the communication lines, the system comprising:

a modem database for storing performance data of a modem in a first communication line and for storing performance data of the modem in a second communication line, the first communication line including the modem and a first trunk, the second communication line including the modem and a second trunk;

a signaling database for storing trunk signaling data for the first and second communication lines, the signaling data associating the modem with a trunk for each communication line; and

a performance tool operable with the modem database and the signaling database for correlating the performance data of the modem with the trunk signaling data to associate the performance data of the modem with the first and second trunks, the performance tool further operable for analyzing the performance data of the modem with the first trunk and the performance data of the modem with the second trunk to determine if the modem is operating improperly.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein:

the performance data of the modem in the first and second communication lines includes the time the modem is connected with the first and second trunks.

21. The system of claim 19 wherein:

the performance data of the modem in the first and second communication lines includes the rate at which the modem connects with the first and second trunks.

22. The system of claim 19 wherein:

the performance data of the modem in the first and second communication lines includes the speed of which data is communicated through the modem in the first and second communication lines.