System and method for analyzing communication paths in a telecommunications network

• US 6,396,810 B1
• Filed: 09/08/1999
• Issued: 05/28/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Agile Software Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Metasolv Software, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Hebel, Larry D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Marcelo, Melvin
• Assistant Examiner(s): Boakye, Alexander O.
• Application Number:
  US09/393,444
• Time in Patent Office: 993 Days
• Field of Search: 370/254,255,256,257,258,248 709/201,223,224,238,239,240,241,244
• US Class Current: 370/248
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 2203/0053 Routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 2203/0058 Network management, e.g. Intelligent nets
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/562 Routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5626 Network management, e.g. Intelligent nets
• 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: H04Q 11/0478 Provisions for broadband connections

Abstract

A system for analyzing communication paths in a telecommunications network includes a memory and a processor. The memory stores network data relating to a plurality of circuits in a telecommunications network. The processor, coupled to the memory, receives target circuit information specifying two telecommunication locations and a rate code. The processor identifies one or more circuits associated with a defined boundary area and identifies one or more communication paths between the specified telecommunication locations. Each communication path includes one or more of the identified circuits that communicate information according to the rate code.

Claims

1. A system for analyzing communication paths in a telecommunications network, comprising:

a memory operable to store network data relating to a plurality of circuits in a telecommunications network; and

a processor coupled to the memory and operable to receive target circuit information specifying two telecommunication locations and a rate code, the processor further operable to identify one or more circuits associated with a defined boundary area and to identify one or more communication paths between the specified telecommunication locations, each communication path comprising one or more of the identified circuits that communicate information according to the rate code.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the rate code specifies a classification level in a Digital Signal hierarchy, an Optical Carrier hierarchy, a Synchronous Transport Signal hierarchy, or a Virtual Tributary hierarchy.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further operable to define the boundary area to enclose search areas around the telecommunication locations.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the search areas are circular and the boundary area is rectangular.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor identifies a circuit as associated with the defined boundary area if the circuit is positioned within the boundary area according to geographic coordinates.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor identifies a plurality of synchronous optical network (SONET) circuits as associated with the defined boundary area if at least one of the SONET circuits is positioned within the boundary area according to geographic coordinates.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor identifies a series of circuits as a communication path if adjacent circuits within the series couple to remotely configurable equipment.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor identifies a series of circuits as a communication path if adjacent circuits within the series have matching common language location identifiers (CLLIs).

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further operable to identify communication paths that include a specified intermediate location.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further operable to identify communication paths that include a specified circuit.

11. The system of claim 1, further comprising a network interface coupled to the telecommunications network and operable to communicate provisioning information to assign one or more circuits to a selected communication path.

12. The system of claim 1, further comprising a network interface coupled to the telecommunications network and operable to communicate provisioning information to remotely configurable equipment to assign one or more circuits to a selected communication path.

13. A program embodied in a computer-readable medium for analyzing communication paths in a telecommunications network, the program comprising:

a display component operable to generate a graphic representation of nodes and connectors, each node representing a telecommunication location, each connector coupled between two of the nodes and representing one or more circuits coupled between telecommunication locations; and

a processing component operable to receive target circuit information specifying two telecommunication locations and a rate code, the processing component further operable to identify one or more communication paths between the specified telecommunication locations, each communication path comprising one or more circuits that communicate information according to the rate code.

14. The program of claim 13, wherein the rate code specifies a classification level in a Digital Signal hierarchy, an Optical Carrier hierarchy, a Synchronous Transport Signal hierarchy, or a Virtual Tributary hierarchy.

15. The program of claim 13, wherein the display component is further operable to generate at least one connector with a display characteristic indicating a rate code or an ownership status of a circuit represented by the connector.

16. The program of claim 13, wherein the display component is further operable to display a geographic background identifying a geographic feature or a geographic-based telecommunications feature.

17. The program of claim 13, wherein the display component is further operable to generate a list of the identified communication paths sorted in ascending order according to a number of circuits in each communication path.

18. The program of claim 13, wherein the display component is further operable to generate, in response to a user selecting a connector representing a circuit, a first location identifier assigned to a first telecommunication location coupled to the circuit, a second location identifier assigned to a second telecommunication location coupled to the circuit, and a rate code associated with the circuit.

19. The program of claim 18, wherein the first and second location identifiers are common language location identifiers (CLLIs) and the rate code is a classification level in a Digital Signal hierarchy, an Optical Carrier hierarchy, a Synchronous Transport Signal hierarchy, or a Virtual Tributary hierarchy.

20. The program of claim 13, wherein the processing component identifies a series of circuits as a communication path if adjacent circuits within the series couple to remotely configurable equipment.

21. The program of claim 13, wherein the processing component identifies a series of circuits as a communication path if adjacent circuits within the series have matching common language location identifiers (CLLIs).

22. The program of claim 13, wherein the processing component is further operable to identify communication paths that include a specified intermediate location.

23. The program of claim 13, wherein the processing component is further operable to identify communication paths that include a specified circuit.

24. The program of claim 13, wherein the processing component identifies communication paths that include one or more circuits associated with a specified geographic boundary area.

25. The program of claim 24, wherein the processing component is further operable to define the boundary area to enclose search areas around the specified telecommunication locations.

26. The program of claim 25, wherein the search areas are circular and the boundary area is rectangular.

27. The program of claim 24, wherein the processing component identifies a circuit as associated with the defined boundary area if the circuit is positioned within the boundary area according to geographic coordinates.

28. The program of claim 24, wherein the processing component identifies a plurality of synchronous optical network (SONET) circuits as associated with the defined boundary area if at least one of the SONET circuits is positioned within the boundary area according to geographic coordinates.

29. The program of claim 13, wherein the processing component is further operable to communicate provisioning information to assign one or more circuits to a selected communication path.

30. The program of claim 13, wherein the processing component is further operable to communicate provisioning information to remotely configurable equipment to assign one or more circuits to a selected communication path.

31. A method of analyzing communication paths in a telecommunications network, comprising:

receiving target circuit information specifying two telecommunication locations and a rate code;

defining a boundary area in the telecommunications network;

identifying one or more circuits associated with the defined boundary area; and

identifying one or more communication paths between the specified telecommunication locations, each communication path comprising one or more of the identified circuits operable to communicate information according to the rate code.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the rate code specifies a classification level in a Digital Signal hierarchy, an Optical Carrier hierarchy, a Synchronous Transport Signal hierarchy, or a Virtual Tributary hierarchy.

33. The method of claim 31, further comprising:

defining search areas around the specified telecommunication locations; and

defining the boundary area to enclose the search areas.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein the search areas are circular and the boundary area is rectangular.

35. The method of claim 31, further comprising identifying a circuit as associated with the defined boundary area if the circuit is positioned within the boundary area according to geographic coordinates.

36. The method of claim 31, further comprising identifying a plurality of synchronous optical network (SONET) circuits as associated with the defined boundary area if at least one of the SONET circuits is positioned within the boundary area according to geographic coordinates.

37. The method of claim 31, further comprising identifying a series of circuits as a communication path if adjacent circuits within the series couple to remotely configurable equipment.

38. The method of claim 31, further comprising identifying a series of circuits as a communication path if adjacent circuits within the series have matching common language location identifiers (CLLIs).

39. The method of claim 31, further comprising identifying communication paths that include a specified intermediate location.

40. The method of claim 31, further comprising identifying communication paths that include a specified circuit.

41. The method of claim 31, further comprising communicating provisioning information to assign one or more circuits to a selected communication path.

42. The method of claim 31, further comprising communicating provisioning information to remotely configurable equipment to assign one or more circuits to a selected communication path.

43. A method for analyzing communication paths in a telecommunications network, the method comprising:

displaying a plurality of nodes and connectors, each node representing a telecommunication location, each connector coupled between nodes and representing one or more circuits coupled between telecommunication locations;

receiving target circuit information specifying two telecommunication locations and a rate code; and

identifying one or more communication paths between the specified telecommunication locations, each communication path comprising one or more circuits operable to communicate information according to the rate code.

44. The method of claim 43, wherein the rate code specifies a classification level in a Digital Signal hierarchy, an Optical Carrier hierarchy, a Synchronous Transport Signal hierarchy, or a Virtual Tributary hierarchy.

45. The method of claim 43, further comprising generating at least one connector with a display characteristic indicating a rate code or an ownership status of a circuit represented by the connector.

46. The method of claim 43, further comprising displaying a geographic background identifying a geographic feature or a geographic-based telecommunications feature.

47. The method of claim 43, further comprising displaying a list of the identified communication paths sorted in ascending order according to a number of circuits in each communication path.

48. The method of claim 43, further comprising displaying, in response to a user selecting a connector representing a circuit, a first location identifier assigned to a first telecommunication location coupled to the circuit, a second location identifier assigned to a second telecommunication location coupled to the circuit, and a rate code relating to a bandwidth of the circuit.

49. The method of claim 48, wherein the first and second location identifiers are common language location identifiers (CLLIs) and the rate code is a classification level in a Digital Signal hierarchy, an Optical Carrier hierarchy, a Synchronous Transport Signal hierarchy, or a Virtual Tributary hierarchy.

50. The method of claim 43, further comprising identifying a series of circuits as a communication path if adjacent circuits within the series couple to remotely configurable equipment.

51. The method of claim 43, further comprising identifying a series of circuits as a communication path if adjacent circuits within the series have matching common language location identifiers (CLLIs).

52. The method of claim 43, further comprising identifying communication paths that include a specified intermediate location.

53. The method of claim 43, further comprising identifying communication paths that include a specified circuit.

54. The method of claim 43, further comprising identifying one or more communication paths that include one or more circuits associated with a specified geographic boundary area.

55. The method of claim 54, further comprising defining the boundary area to enclose search areas around the specified telecommunication locations.

56. The method of claim 55, wherein the search areas are circular and the boundary area is rectangular.

57. The method of claim 54, further comprising identifying a circuit as associated with the defined boundary area if the circuit is positioned within the boundary area according to geographic coordinates.

58. The method of claim 54, further comprising identifying a plurality of synchronous optical network (SONET) circuits as associated with the defined boundary area if at least one of the SONET circuits is positioned within the boundary area according to geographic coordinates.

59. The method of claim 43, further comprising communicating provisioning information to assign one or more circuits to a selected communication path.

60. The method of claim 43, further comprising communicating provisioning information to remotely configurable equipment to assign one or more circuits to a selected communication path.