Switch interaction subsystems for facilitating network information management

• US 6,728,352 B1
• Filed: 02/06/1998
• Issued: 04/27/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Bear Creek Technologies Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Bear Creek Technologies Incorporated
• Inventors: Phillips, David R., Guthrie, Marc A., Blackmon, Tim M., Grabbe, Glenn E., Muthukrishnan, Prakash K., Soble, Rebecca J., Sirdevan, Scott M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kuntz, Curtis
• Assistant Examiner(s): BARNIE, REXFORD N
• Application Number:
  US09/019,827
• Time in Patent Office: 2,272 Days
• Field of Search: 379/34, 379/112, 379/113, 379/133, 379/134, 379/137, 379/209
• US Class Current: 379/112.01
• 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 15/49 Connection to several service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/58 based on statistics of usage or network monitoring
• 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 2215/0188 Network monitoring; statistics on usage on called/calling number
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/46 Connection to several service providers

Abstract

A network information management system includes, among other elements, a traffic reporting system, a switch shell, and a scheduling mechanism. The traffic reporting includes a database which holds traffic-related data collected from a network switch. The switch shell facilitates communication between the traffic reporting system and multiple digital telecommunications switch types. More specifically, the switch shell translates between a high layer generic interface protocol which defines a common set of switch interaction functions to unique portions of code uniquely compatible with the various switch types. The high layer generic interface protocol may comprise a set of query and response subsets, including a query and response subset for submitting an inventory request and for receiving in response to the submitted request, inventory information from the switch. The inventory information may include such information as a unique identifier of a network resource, a number of members provided as part of the network resource and information concerning the assignment of the network resource. The scheduling mechanism coordinates switch interactions between the traffic reporting system and the switch shell.

Claims

1. A network information management system, comprising:

a traffic reporting system comprising a database holding traffic-related data collected from a digital telecommunications network switch;

a switch shell comprising a higher layer generic interface protocol defining common switch interaction functions with a set of query and response subsets, said common switch interaction functions being common among multiple switch types, a middle layer comprising respective code portions uniquely compatible with communications protocols of corresponding ones of said multiple switch types, and a lower layer for interfacing said switch shell with a local area network linking plural digital telecommunications switches; and

a scheduling mechanism scheduling switch interactions between said traffic reporting system and said switch shell;

said query and response subsets comprising a query and response subset for submitting inventory requests to said switch and for receiving, in response to said submitted inventory requests, inventory information from said switch, said inventory information comprising a unique identifier of a network resource, and a number of members provided as part of said network resource.

2. The network information management system according to claim 1, wherein said inventory information further comprises information indicating whether each member of said network resource is at least one of hardware assigned and software assigned.

3. The network information management system according to claim 1, wherein said multiple switch types comprise 5ESS and DMS 100 switches.

4. The network information management system according to claim 1, wherein said multiple switch types comprise EWSD switches.

5. The network information management system according to claim 1, wherein said network resource comprises a concentrator comprising first and second sides, a first number of channels being received at said first side and a second number of lines being received at said second side, said second number being substantially greater then said first number.

6. The network information management system according to claim 5, wherein said concentrator comprises a line concentrating module of a DMS 100 switch.

7. The network information management system according to claim 5, wherein said concentrator comprises a concentrator of a 5ESS switch, receiving 64 channels at said first side, and receiving up to 640 lines at said second side.

8. A network information management system, comprising:

a traffic reporting system comprising a database holding traffic-related data collected from a digital telecommunications network switch;

a switch shell comprising a higher layer generic interface protocol defining common switch interaction functions with a set of query and response subsets, said common switch interaction functions being common among multiple switch types, a middle layer comprising respective code portions uniquely compatible with communications protocols of corresponding ones of said multiple switch types, and a lower layer for interfacing said switch shell with a local area network linking plural telecommunications switches; and

a scheduling mechanism scheduling switch interactions between said traffic reporting system and said switch shell;

said query and response subsets comprising a query and response subset for submitting setup requests to said switch to set up particular traffic studies, the setting up of a particular traffic study comprising assigning a set of registers within said switch to accumulate data concerning a network resource associated with said switch, said switch accumulating in said assigned set of registers operational measurements (OMs) and associated inventory information including a unique identifier of said network resource, a number of members provided as part of said network resource, and information indicating whether each member of said network resource is at least one of hardware assigned and software assigned;

an OM retrieval process for retrieving said accumulated OMs and inventory information from said assigned set of registers;

a facility update process for updating facility files comprising inventory information pertaining to said network resource; and

a facility loader using network inventory information in said facility files to modify network resource information held by said database.

9. A switch interaction subsystem comprising:

a switch shell comprising a higher layer generic interface protocol defining common switch interaction functions with a set of query and response subsets, said common switch interaction functions being common among multiple switch types, a middle layer comprising respective code portions uniquely compatible with communications protocols of corresponding ones of said multiple switch types, and a lower layer for interfacing said switch shell with a local area network linking plural telecommunications switches; and

a scheduling mechanism scheduling switch interactions between a traffic reporting system and said switch shell.

10. The switch interaction subsystem according to claim 9, wherein said query and response subsets comprise a query and response subset for submitting inventory requests to said switch and for receiving inventory information from said switch in response to said inventory request, said inventory information comprising a unique identifier of a network resource, a number of members provided as part of said network resource, and information indicating whether each member of said network resource is at least one of hardware assigned and software assigned.