SS7 network planning tool

• US 6,628,622 B1
• Filed: 09/17/1998
• Issued: 09/30/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Qwest Communications International Incorporated (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Qwest Communications International Incorporated (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bulick, Stephen L., Okeson, Victoria L. C., Lu, Xiaojiang, Bastien, Pierre L., Showell, Steve E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ton, Dang
• Assistant Examiner(s): MEHRA, INDER P
• Application Number:
  US09/156,282
• Time in Patent Office: 1,839 Days
• Field of Search: 379/221.05, 379/221.06, 379/15.02, 379/15.04, 379/32.03, 379/114.29, 379/221.1, 379/221.08, 379/221.09, 370/385-386, 370/254, 370/400, 370/410, 370/229, 370/236, 370/384, 370/496, 370/522
• US Class Current: 370/254
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0025 Provisions for signalling
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0083 Network planning or design; Modelling of planned or existing networks

Abstract

Planning alternative SS7 networks is a complex task requiring assistance from an intelligent planning tool. The tool includes at least one planning database containing information on network traffic, component locations, and component connectivity. A load module determines peak load for each STP in the core network. A forecast module determines equipment capacity exhaustion for each STP, network database, and core link during each study period and determines network costs based on peak loads and an alternative network design provided by a user. A graphical user interface guides the user through a sequence of design steps, each step having to be correctly completed before the next step in the sequence is started. The sequence of steps may include permitting changes to the core network, permitting changes to the number of POPs and DBs, rehoming elements left disconnected from STPs, assigning SSPs to POPs, assigning SSPs to DBs, and permitting voluntary rehomes.

Claims

1. A system for planning a Signaling System 7 (SS7) network for a sequence of study periods, the SS7 network comprising a plurality of signal transfer points (STPs) interconnected by links to form a core network, each STP having at least one element selected from the group consisting of signal switching points (SSPs), points-of-presence (POPs), and network databases (DBs), the system comprising:

at least one planing database comprising information on network traffic, network component locations, and network component connectivity;

a load module in communication with each of the at least one planning database, the load module operable to determine peak loads for each STP in the core network based on network traffic, component locations, and component connectivity and operative to store the determined peak loads in one of the at least one planning database;

a forecast module in communication with the at least one planning database, the forecast module operative to determine equipment capacity exhaustion for each STP, network DB, and core network link during each study period and to determine network costs based on determined peak loads and an alternative network design provided by a user;

a graphical user interface in communication with the forecast module and at least one of the at least one planning database, the graphical user interface operable to guide the user through a sequence of design steps, each step having to be correctly completed before the next step in the sequence can be started, thereby producing the alternative network design; and

wherein the sequence of steps through which the graphical user interface guides the user comprises;

permit changes to the core network;

permit changes to the number of POPs and DBs;

rehome elements left unconnected to STPs;

assign SSPs to POPs;

assign SSPs to DBs; and

permit voluntary rehomes.

2. A system for planning an SS7 network as in claim 1 wherein the graphical user interface is further operable to show graphical representations of the network on a display and to allow the user to modify the network by selecting displayed graphical representations of network components.

3. A method for planning a Signaling System 7 (SS7) network for a sequence of study periods, the SS7 network comprising a plurality of signal transfer points (STPs) interconnected by links to form a core network, each STP having at least one element selected from the group consisting of signal switching points (SSPs), points-of-presence (POPs), and databases (DBs), the method comprising:

obtaining network traffic information from the network;

determining current peak loads for each STP based on the network traffic information;

specifying an alternative network through a sequence of design steps, each step having to be correctly completed before the next step in the sequence can be started;

forecasting peak loads for each STP during each study period based on the current peak loads for each STP;

determining equipment capacity exhaustion for each STP, network DB, and core network link during each study period for the alternative network based on the forecasted peak loads;

determining costs for the alternative network for each study period; and

wherein specifying an alternative network comprises;

permitting changes to the core network;

permitting changes to the number of POPs and DBs;

rehoming elements left disconnected from STPs;

assigning SSPs to POPs;

assigning SSPs to DBs; and

permitting voluntary rehomes.

4. A system for planning a network, the system comprising:

a network, wherein the network comprises a plurality of signal transfer points (STPs) interconnected by links to from a core network, wherein the STPs comprise one or more elements selected from a group consisting of a signal switching point (SSP), a point-of-presence (POP), and a network database (DB);

at least one planning database comprising data about traffic on the network;

a load module in communication with the network database, wherein the load module is operable to determine peak loads for each STP in the core network based on network traffic;

a forecast module in communication with the at least one planning database, the forecast module operative to determine an equipment capacity exhaustion for each STP, and to determine network costs based on determined peak loads and an alternative network design provided by a user;

a graphical user interface in communication with the forecast module and the at least one planning database; and

a series of two or more processes through which the graphical user interface guides a user, wherein the two or more processes are selected from a group consisting of;

permit changes to the core network;

permit changes to the number of POPs and DBs;

rehome elements left unconnected to STPs;

assign SSPs to POPs;

assign SSPs to DBs; and

permit voluntary rehomes.

5. A system for planning an SS7 network as in claim 4 wherein the graphical user interface is operable to show graphical representations of the network on a display and to allow a user to modify the network by selecting displayed graphical representations of network components.

6. A method for planning a network, the network comprising a plurality of signal transfer points (STPs) interconnected by links to form a core network, each STP having at least one element selected from a group consisting of:

a signal switching point (SSP), a point-of-presence (POP), and a database (DBs), the method comprising;

obtaining network traffic information from the network;

determining current peak loads for each STP based on the network traffic information;

specifying an alternative network through a group of design processes;

forecasting a peak load for each STP based on a current peak load for each STP;

determining an equipment capacity exhaustion for each STP, for the alternative network based on the forecasted peak loads; and

wherein two or more of the design processes within the group of design processes must be completed in a specified order.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein each of the design processes within the group of design processes must be correctly completed before the next process in the group of design processes can be started.

8. The method of claim 6, the method further comprising:

determining a cost for the alternative network.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the specifying an alternative network is done using a graphical user interface.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the graphical user interface guides a user through a series of two or more processes, wherein the two or more processes are selected from a group consisting of:

permit changes to the core network;

permit changes to the number of POPs and DBs;

rehome elements left unconnected to STPs;

assign SSPs to POPs;

assign SSPs to DBs; and

permit voluntary rehomes.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the graphical user interface guides a user through the following sequence of processes:

permit changes to the core network;

permit changes to the number of POPs and DBs;

rehome elements left unconnected to STPs;

assign SSPs to POPs;

assign SSPs to DBs; and

permit voluntary rehomes.

12. A method for planning a Signaling System 7 (SS7) network for a sequence of study periods, the SS7 network comprising a plurality of signal transfer points (STPs) interconnected by links to form a core network, each STP having at least one element selected from a group consisting of:

a signal switching point (SSP), a point-of-presence (POP), and a network database (DB), the method comprising;

obtaining network traffic information from the network;

determine current peak loads for each STP based on the network traffic information;

specifying an alternative network through a sequence of design steps, wherein the sequence of design steps cores two or more of the following processes performed one after another;

permitting changes to the core network;

permitting changes to the number of POPs and DBs;

rehoming elements left disconnected from STPs;

assigning SSPs to POPs;

assigning SSPs to DBs; and

permitting voluntary rehomes;

forecasting peak loads for each STP during each study period based on the current peak loads for each STP; and

determining equipment capacity exhaustion for each STP for the alternative network based on the forecasted peak load.