System, method and computer program product for reporting in a network-based filtering and aggregating platform

• US 6,947,984 B2
• Filed: 08/21/2001
• Issued: 09/20/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Amdocs Development Limited (Amdocs Ltd.), Amdocs Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Xacct Technologies Ltd.
• Inventors: Wagner, Eran, Givoly, Tal, Schweitzer, Limor
• Primary Examiner(s): Maung, Zarni
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Hai V.
• Application Number:
  US09/935,129
• Publication Number:
  US 20020013841A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,491 Days
• Field of Search: 709/223, 709/224, 709/203, 709/202, 709/229, 709/230, 379/111, 379/115, 379/117, 379/134, 379/112, 370/389, 370/252, 370/352, 370/401, 703/27, 707/1, 707/101
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/258 Data format conversion from or to a database
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting
• 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 41/5025 by proactively reacting to service quality change, e.g. by reconfiguration after service quality degradation or upgrade
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5067 Customer-centric QoS measurements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/022 by sampling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/026 using flow identification
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0876 Network utilisation, e.g. volume of load or congestion level
• 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 15/31 Distributed metering or calculation of charges
• 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 15/53 using mediation
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/55 for hybrid networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/56 for VoIP communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/80 Rating or billing plans; Tariff determination aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8214 : Data or packet based
• 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 2215/0152 : 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 2215/0172 : Mediation, i.e. device or program to reformat CDRS from one or more switches in order to adapt to one or more billing programs formats
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/2013 : Fixed data network, e.g. PDN, ATM, B-ISDN
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/202 : VoIP; Packet switched telephony
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/22 : Bandwidth or usage-sensitve billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/44 : Charging/billing arrangements for connection made over different networks, e.g. wireless and PSTN, ISDN, etc.
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/782 : Data or packet based
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/96 : Distributed calculation of charges, e.g. in different nodes like for mobiles between HLR and VLR, or between the terminal and the billing function
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/50 : in wire-line communication networks, e.g. low power modes or reduced link rate

Abstract

A system with accompanying method and computer program product are provided for reporting on the collection of network usage information from a plurality of network devices. Included is a plurality of information source modules for collecting network communications usage information in real-time from a plurality of network devices. Gatherers are coupled to the information source modules for filtering and aggregating the network communications usage information. Coupled to the gatherers is a central event manager. The central event manager is adapted for completing a plurality of data records from the filtered and aggregated network communications usage information. The data records correspond to network usage by a plurality of users. Also included is a database coupled to the central event manager for storing the plurality of data records. Logic is provided for allowing the selection of one of a plurality of reports for reporting purposes, submitting queries to the database utilizing the selected reports for retrieving information on the collection of the network usage information from the network devices, and outputting a report based on the queries.

Claims

1. A method for reporting on the collection of network usage information from a plurality of network devices, comprising:

(a) collecting network communications usage information in real-time from a plurality of network devices at a plurality of layers utilizing multiple gatherers each including a plurality of information source modules each interfacing with one of the network devices and capable of communicating using a protocol specific to the network device coupled thereto, the network devices selected from the group consisting of routers, switches, firewalls, authentication servers, web hosts, proxy servers, netflow servers, databases, mail servers, RADIUS servers, and domain name servers, the gatherers being positioned on a segment of the network on which the network devices coupled thereto are positioned for minimizing an impact of the gatherers on the network;

(b) filtering and aggregating the network communications usage information;

(c) completing a plurality of data records from the filtered and aggregated network communications usage information, the plurality of data records corresponding to network usage by a plurality of users;

(d) storing the plurality of data records in a database;

(e) allowing the selection of one of a plurality of reports for reporting purposes;

(f) submitting queries to the database utilizing the selected reports for retrieving information on the collection of the network usage information from the network devices; and

(g) outputting a report based on the queries.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, and further comprising submitting network activity queries to the database utilizing the selected reports for retrieving information on activity of the network.

3. A method as recited in claim 2, and further comprising outputting a network activity report based on the network activity queries.

4. A method as recited in claim 1, and further comprising submitting resource consumption queries to the database utilizing the selected reports for retrieving information on resource consumption in the network.

5. A method as recited in claim 2, and further comprising outputting a resource consumption report based on the resource consumption queries.

6. A method as recited in claim 2, and further comprising generating an alert upon the occurrence of an event.

7. A method as recited in claim 6, wherein the alert is generated upon a value surpassing a predetermined amount.

8. A method as recited in claim 6, wherein the alert indicates that services should be ceased.

9. A method as recited in claim 6, wherein the alert indicates that services should be provided.

10. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the report includes an auditing report.

11. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the report includes a billing report.

12. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the report includes an accounting report.

13. A computer program product embedded into computer readable medium for reporting on the collection of network usage information from a plurality of network devices, comprising:

(a) computer code for collecting network communications usage information in real-time from a plurality of network devices at a plurality of layers utilizing multiple gatherers each including a plurality of information source modules each interfacing with one of the network devices and capable of communicating using a protocol specific to the network device coupled thereto, the network devices selected from the group consisting of routers, switches, firewalls, authentication servers, web hosts, proxy servers, netflow servers, databases, mail servers, RADIUS servers, and domain name servers, the gatherers being positioned on a segment of the network on which the network devices coupled thereto are positioned for minimizing an impact of the gatherers on the network;

(b) computer code for filtering and aggregating the network communications usage information;

(c) computer code for completing a plurality of data records from the filtered and aggregated network communications usage information, the plurality of data records corresponding to network usage by a plurality of users;

(d) computer code for storing the plurality of data records in a database;

(e) computer code for allowing the selection of one of a plurality of reports for reporting purposes;

(f) computer code for submitting queries to the database utilizing the selected reports for retrieving information on the collection of the network usage information from the network devices; and

(g) computer code for outputting a report based on the queries.

14. A system comprising computer readable medium for reporting on the collection of network usage information from a plurality of network devices, comprising:

(a) information source modules for collecting network communications usage information in real-time from a plurality of network devices at a plurality of layers utilizing multiple gatherers each including a plurality of information source modules each interfacing with one of the network devices and capable of communicating using a protocol specific to the network device coupled thereto, the network devices selected from the group consisting of routers, switches, firewalls, authentication servers, web hosts, proxy servers, netflow servers, databases, mail servers, RADIUS servers, and domain name servers, the gatherers being positioned on a segment of the network on which the network devices coupled thereto are positioned for minimizing an impact of the gatherers on the network;

(b) gatherers coupled to the information modules, the gatherers adapted for filtering and aggregating the network communications usage information;

(c) a central event manager coupled to the gatherers, the central event manager adapted for completing a plurality of data records from the filtered and aggregated network communications usage information, the plurality of data records corresponding to network usage by a plurality of users;

(d) a database coupled to the central event manager, the database adapted for storing the plurality of data records;

(e) logic for allowing the selection of one of a plurality of reports for reporting purposes, submitting queries to the database utilizing the selected reports for retrieving information on the collection of the network usage information from the network devices, outputting a report based on the queries.

15. A method for reporting on the collection of network usage information from a plurality of network devices, comprising:

(a) collecting network communications usage information in real-time from network devices at a plurality of layers utilizing multiple gatherers each including a plurality of information source modules each interfacing with one of the network devices and capable of communicating using a protocol specific to the network device coupled thereto, the network devices selected from the group consisting of routers, switches, firewalls, authentication servers, web hosts, proxy servers, netflow servers, databases, mail servers, RADIUS servers, and domain name servers, the gatherers being positioned on a segment of the network on which the network devices coupled thereto are positioned for minimizing an impact of the gatherers on the network;

(b) translating the network communications usage information collected from the network devices utilizing the information source modules;

(c) caching the network communications usage information collected from the network devices utilizing the gatherers;

(d) normalizing the network communications usage information with the gatherers by excluding fields not required by a central event manager coupled to the gatherers;

(e) defining an enhancement procedure utilizing the central event manager;

(f) coordinating the collection of the network communications usage information by the gatherers utilizing the central event manager;

(g) filtering the network communications usage information utilizing the central event manager;

(h) completing a plurality of data records from the filtered network communications usage information, the plurality of data records corresponding to network usage by a plurality of users;

(i) aggregating the network communications usage information and the data records utilizing the central event manager for reducing a number of the data records;

(j) enhancing the aggregation of the network communications usage information with the gatherers in accordance with the defined enhancement procedure;

(k) time stamping the data records;

(l) storing the time stamped data records in tables in a central database coupled to the central event manager at a user-specified interval;

(m) deleting the stored data records upon the cessation of a predetermined amount of time after the storage utilizing the timestamp;

(n) periodically determining whether the network devices are currently licensed;

(o) submitting network activity queries to the central database for retrieving information on activity of the network;

(p) outputting a network activity report based on the network activity queries;

(q) submitting resource consumption queries to the central database for retrieving information on resource consumption in the network;

(r) outputting a resource consumption report based on the resource consumption queries; and

(s) generating an alert upon the occurrence of an event utilizing the information source modules.

16. A method as recited in claim 15, wherein the alert is generated upon a value surpassing a predetermined amount.

17. A method as recited in claim 15, wherein the alert indicates that services should be ceased.

18. A method as recited in claim 15, Wherein the alert indicates that services should be provided.