Integrated proxy interface for web based report requester tool set

• US 6,631,402 B1
• Filed: 09/24/1998
• Issued: 10/07/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: WorldCom, Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Dollar, Tammy E., Munguia, Wayne J., Devine, Carol Y., Schwarz, Edward
• Primary Examiner(s): Luu, Le Hien
• Assistant Examiner(s): WILLETT, STEPHAN F
• Application Number:
  US09/159,409
• Time in Patent Office: 1,839 Days
• Field of Search: 709/200, 709/202, 709/203, 709/205, 709/101, 709/102, 709/201, 709/219, 709/229, 709/232, 709/217
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0709 in a distributed system consisting of a plurality of standalone computer nodes, e.g. clusters, client-server systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0757 by exceeding a time limit, i.e. time-out, e.g. watchdogs
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0769 Readable error formats, e.g. cross-platform generic formats, human understandable formats
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0775 Content or structure details of the error report, e.g. specific table structure, specific error fields
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0781 Error filtering or prioritizing based on a policy defined by the user or on a policy defined by a hardware/software module, e.g. according to a severity level
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0784 Routing of error reports, e.g. with a specific transmission path or data flow
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/202 where processing functionality is redundant redundant communication control functionality G06F11/2005, redundant storage control functionality G06F11/2089
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/32 with visual or acoustical indication of the functioning of the machine
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/324 Display of status information
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/327 Alarm or error message display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/328 Computer systems status display G06F11/327 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3495 for systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/972 Access to data in other repository systems, e.g. legacy data or dynamic Web page generation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/00 Security arrangements for protecting computers, components thereof, programs or data against unauthorised activity
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/41 where a single sign-on provides access to a plurality of computers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/552 involving long-term monitoring or reporting
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/81 Threshold
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/86 Event-based monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/875 Monitoring of systems including the internet
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2137 Time limited access, e.g. to a computer or data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2149 : Restricted operating environment
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 : Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 : Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 : Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/382 : insuring higher security of transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 : Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 : Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 : Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0609 : Buyer or seller confidence or verification
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0635 : Processing of requisition or of purchase orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 99/00 : Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/14 : Charging , metering or billing arrangements for data wireline or wireless communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1428 : Invoice generation, e.g. customization, lay-out, database processing, algorithms for calculating the bill or formatting invoices as WWW pages invoicing in general G06Q30/04
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0213 : Standardised network management protocols, e.g. simple network management protocol [SNMP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0233 : Object-oriented techniques, for representation of network management data, e.g. common object request broker architecture [CORBA]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/024 : using relational databases for representation of network management data, e.g. managing via structured query language [SQL]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0253 : using browsers or web-pages for accessing management information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/06 : Management of faults, events, alarms or notifications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0681 : Configuration of triggering conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/08 : Configuration management of networks or network elements address allocation H04L61/50
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0803 : Configuration setting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0879 : Manual configuration through operator
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0895 : Configuration of virtualised networks or elements, e.g. virtualised network function or OpenFlow elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/122 : of virtualised topologies, e.g. software-defined networks [SDN] or network function virtualisation [NFV]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/142 : using statistical or mathematical methods
• 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 41/28 : Restricting access to network management systems or functions, e.g. using authorisation function to access network configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5009 : Determining service level performance parameters or violations of service level contracts, e.g. violations of agreed response time or mean time between failures [MTBF]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5022 : by giving priorities, e.g. assigning classes of service
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5029 : Service quality level-based billing, e.g. dependent on measured service level customer is charged more or less
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5032 : Generating service level reports
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5061 : characterised by the interaction between service providers and their network customers, e.g. customer relationship management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5064 : Customer relationship management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5067 : Customer-centric QoS measurements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5074 : Handling of user complaints or trouble tickets
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5083 : wherein the managed service relates to web hosting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5096 : wherein the managed service relates to distributed or central networked applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/00 : Arrangements for monitoring or testing data switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/024 : by adaptive sampling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/045 : for graphical visualisation of monitoring data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/06 : Generation of reports
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/062 : related to network traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/065 : related to network devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/067 : using time frame reporting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0805 : by checking availability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0811 : by checking connectivity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0817 : by checking functioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0829 : Packet loss
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0847 : Transmission error
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0852 : Delays
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0876 : Network utilisation, e.g. volume of load or congestion level
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0888 : Throughput
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0894 : Packet rate
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/091 : Measuring contribution of individual network components to actual service level
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/10 : Active monitoring, e.g. heartbeat, ping or trace-route
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/106 : using time related information in packets, e.g. by adding timestamps
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/16 : Threshold monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/00 : User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 : Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/222 : using geographical location information, e.g. messages transmitted or received in proximity of a certain spot or area
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/02 : for separating internal from external traffic, e.g. firewalls
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0209 : Architectural arrangements, e.g. perimeter networks or demilitarized zones
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0218 : Distributed architectures, e.g. distributed firewalls
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0236 : Filtering by address, protocol, port number or service, e.g. IP-address or URL
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0272 : Virtual private networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0281 : Proxies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 : wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0442 : wherein the sending and receiving network entities apply asymmetric encryption, i.e. different keys for encryption and decryption cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for public-key encryption H04L9/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0464 : using hop-by-hop encryption, i.e. wherein an intermediate entity decrypts the information and re-encrypts it before forwarding it
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 : for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0807 : using tickets, e.g. Kerberos cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using tickets or tokens H04L9/3213
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0815 : providing single-sign-on or federations
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0823 : using certificates cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving certificates H04L9/3263
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 : using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/162 : at the data link layer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/166 : at the transport layer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/168 : above the transport layer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/18 : using different networks or channels, e.g. using out of band channels cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key distribution involving distinctive intermediate devices or communication paths H04L9/0827; cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for authentication using a plurality of channels H04L9/3215
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 : Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/401 : wherein the services involve a main real-time session and one or more additional parallel real-time or time sensitive sessions, e.g. white board sharing or spawning of a subconference
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 : Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/00 : Arrangements for metering, time-control or time indication ; Metering, charging or billing arrangements for voice wireline or wireless communications, e.g. VoIP
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/41 : Billing record details, i.e. parameters, identifiers, structure of call data record [CDR]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/43 : Billing software details
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/44 : Augmented, consolidated or itemized billing statement or bill presentation
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/49 : Connection to several service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/51 : for resellers, retailers or service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/58 : based on statistics of usage or network monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/705 : Account settings, e.g. limits or numbers or payment
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/721 : using the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/745 : Customizing according to wishes of subscriber, e.g. friends or family
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/80 : Rating or billing plans; Tariff determination aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8044 : Least cost routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/83 : Notification aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8351 : before establishing a communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/84 : Types of notifications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0104 : Augmented, consolidated or itemised billing statement, e.g. additional billing information, bill presentation, layout, format, e-mail, fax, printout, itemised bill per service or per account, cumulative billing, consolidated billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0108 : Customization according to wishes of subscriber, e.g. customer preferences, friends and family, selecting services or billing options, Personal Communication Systems [PCS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0152 : General billing plans, rate plans, e.g. charge rates, numbering plans, rate centers, customer accounts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0164 : Billing record, e.g. Call Data Record [CDR], Toll Ticket[TT], Automatic Message Accounting [AMA], Call Line Identifier [CLI], details, i.e. parameters, identifiers, structure
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0168 : On line or real-time flexible customization or negotiation according to wishes of subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0176 : Billing arrangements using internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/018 : On-line real-time billing, able to see billing information while in communication, e.g. via the internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0188 : Network monitoring; statistics on usage on called/calling number
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/42 : Least cost routing, i.e. provision for selecting the lowest cost tariff
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/46 : Connection to several service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/54 : Resellers-retail or service providers billing, e.g. agreements with telephone service operator, activation, charging/recharging of accounts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7009 : Account settings, e.g. users, terminals, limits, numbers or payment
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7045 : Using Internet or WAP
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/745 : Least cost routing, e.g. Automatic or manual, call by call or by preselection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/81 : Notifying aspects, e.g. notifications or displays to the user
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/8108 : before establishing a communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/8129 : Type of notification
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/82 : Advice-of-Charge [AOC], i.e. notify subscriber of charges/cumulative charge; meter at the substation
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5175 : Call or contact centers supervision arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5191 : interacting with the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 379/90 : Internet, e.g. Internet phone, webphone, internet-based telephony
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 : Database or file accessing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99937 : Sorting
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99938 : Concurrency, e.g. lock management in shared database
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99939 : Privileged access
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99944 : Object-oriented database structure
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 715/969 : Network layout and operation interface

Abstract

A Web/Internet based reporting system provides a common GUI enabling the requesting, customizing, scheduling and viewing of various types of reports generated by different server applications and/or application platforms. The reporting system includes a report manager, report scheduler and report requestor applications capable of defining, creating, managing and tracking specific reports that are available to customers in accordance with customer entitlements. Metadata messaging employed to enable specific report option presentation, report customization and report execution/scheduling options. A Web-based system infrastructure is provided that enables the acquisition and secure presentation of customer reports to customers from any client browser application.

Claims

1. An Internet based reporting system for communicating customer-specific data retrieved from an enterprise fulfilling server to a client workstation via an integrated interface, said system comprising:

a client browser application located at said client workstation for enabling interactive Internet-based communications with said reporting system, said client workstation identified with a customer and providing said integrated interface;

at least one secure server for managing client sessions over the Internet, said secure server supporting a secure socket connection enabling encrypted communication between'"'"'said client browser application and said secure server;

a report requestor object presenting one or more selectable reporting options for said customer in accordance with pre-determined customer entitlements, said requester object generating a report request message in response to user selection of a specific reporting option for communication to a secure server over said secure socket connection;

a report manager server for maintaining an inventory of reports associated with a customer and receiving said report request message, said report manager server accessing report items in response to a request message and generating a response message including a metadata description of reporting items for a requested report, said response message and associated customer-specific data being communicated to a storage device associated with said client workstation over said secure socket connection;

wherein said retrieved data and said metadata description of reporting items are utilized to generate a completed report for presentation to said customer via said interface, said completed report including an amount of usage of telecommunications services by the customer.

2. The reporting system as claimed in claim 1, further including a scheduler server for initiating retrieval of said data associated with said particular report from said enterprise fulfilling server.

3. The reporting system as claimed in claim 2, wherein said report requestor object includes a requestor applet downloaded from said web server to said client workstation, said applet capable of presenting said reporting options for said user on said client workstation in accordance with a report metadata message input.

4. The reporting system as claimed in claim 2, wherein said scheduler server enables said customer to schedule execution of a report by said fulfilling server at a user-specified frequency.

5. The reporting system as claimed in claim 4, wherein said reporting options includes report creation and report customization, said report manager server providing a list of reporting templates for a particular report product when creating a report, said report manager server further providing formatted metadata responses including said list and associated customization criteria in accordance with customer entitlements to enable customization of a created report.

6. The reporting system as claimed in claim 5, wherein said report requestor object further generates a report request message enabling said report manager server to provide a list of existing reports associated with said customer in accordance with a reporting product, said report manager providing formatted metadata responses including said list to enable said report customization.

7. The reporting system as claimed in claim 6, wherein a modification includes enabling re-scheduling of an existing report.

8. The reporting system as claimed in claim 4, wherein said scheduler server communicates with said report manager server to save a metadata description of a modified or customized report.

9. The reporting system as claimed in claim 4, wherein said reporting option includes running an existing report, said report scheduler submitting a message to a said fulfilling server to run it at a pre-determined time.

10. The reporting system as claimed in claim 1, further including device for supporting one or more socket communications transport options, said device providing an indication of a type of communications transport in said request message, said response data being communicated back to said report requestor object in accordance with said communication transport option.

11. The reporting system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said transport mechanism is one selected from asynchronous, synchronous and bulk transfer communication transport mechanisms.

12. The reporting system as claimed in claim 1, further including an administrative server including a representation of reporting entitlements associated with said customer, said browser application communicating with said administrative server for obtaining said list of reports to which said user is entitled.

13. The reporting system as claimed in claim 12, wherein said fulfilling server pushes report data to a memory storage device and notifies said report manager server as to the location of said report data.

14. The reporting system as claimed in claim 13, further including a report viewing device for accessing said retrieved data of a requested report from said memory storage location in accordance with a metadata description of said report.

15. The reporting system as claimed in claim 1, further including parsing object for parsing metadata request messages received from said report requestor object to access items from said message directing said report manager to retrieve requested reports and report items from said report inventory.

16. The reporting system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said enterprise is a telecommunications service provider, said fulfilling server of said enterprise for generating priced call detail data pertaining to a customer'"'"'s telecommunications network usage.

17. The reporting system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said fulfilling server generates un-priced call detail and statistical data pertaining to a customer'"'"'s telecommunications network usage.

18. The reporting system as claimed in claim 14, wherein said metadata message places said report data in a form enabling said report viewing device to present said data in a spread sheet format.

19. The reporting system as claimed in claim 18, wherein said report viewing device enables roll-up of report data.

20. The reporting system as claimed in claim 18, wherein said report viewing device enables drill-down of report data.

21. A method for generating reports comprising customer-specific data for presentation via a Internet-based integrated interface, said integrated interface including a client browser application located at a client workstation for enabling interactive Internet-based communications between said customer and said integrated interface, said method comprising:

managing a client session over the Internet by providing a first server device capable of supporting a secure socket connection enabling encrypted communication between said client browser application and said first server;

providing a second server device for communicating with said first server device through a firewall over a second socket connection, said first secure socket and second socket connection forming a secure communications link for enabling forwarding of report request messages and associated report response messages;

presenting at said client workstation a report request menu including various user-selectable reporting options for said customer in accordance with customer entitlements;

generating a said report request message having said user-selected reporting options, said request message being communicated over said secure communications link;

maintaining an inventory of reports associated with a customer and accessing report items in accordance with said report request message;

generating a response message including a metadata description of said report items selected by a user;

communicating said response message and said customer-specific data to a storage device associated with said client workstation over said communications link; and

generating a report at said client workstation from said communicated data and said metadata description of said report, said report including an amount of usage of telecommunications services by the customer.

22. The method as claimed in claim 21, further including scheduling retrieval of customer specific data associated with said particular report from said enterprise fulfilling server.

23. The method as claimed in claim 21, wherein said step of generating a report request message includes downloading an applet from said first server device to said client workstation, said applet being executed to present said reporting options for said user at said client workstation.

24. The method as claimed in claim 22, further including the step of scheduling execution of a report by said fulfilling server at a user-specified frequency.

25. The method as claimed in claim 22, wherein said reporting options include report creation and report customization, said step of generating a said report request message including generating a formatted message request for a report manager to provide a list of reporting templates for a particular report product, said report manager providing formatted metadata responses including said list of templates and associated customization criteria in accordance with customer entitlements to enable customization of a created report.

26. The method as claimed in claim 25, wherein said customization includes providing messaging to enabling re-scheduling of an existing report.