Database management and recovery in a network-based filtering and aggregating platform

• US 6,985,941 B2
• Filed: 08/21/2001
• Issued: 01/10/2006
• 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:
  US09/935,130
• Publication Number:
  US 20020013842A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,603 Days
• Field of Search: 709/200, 709/223, 709/224, 706/10, 455/423, 379/112, 379/114, 379/115, 379/117, 379/134, 379/112.07, 379/111, 379/115.01, 379/114.14
• 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 database management and recovery. Included are information source modules for collecting network communications usage information in real-time from a plurality of network devices. Also included is a plurality of gatherers coupled to the information source modules. The gatherers are adapted for filtering and aggregating the network communications usage information. A central event manager is coupled to the gatherers for completing a plurality of data records from the filtered and aggregated network communications usage information. Such data records correspond to network usage by a plurality of users. A database is coupled to the central event manager for storing the data records. Further provided is logic for continuously monitoring a state of the gatherers, detecting a fault, and utilizing the state of the gatherers and the stored data records to recover from the fault upon the detection thereof.

Claims

1. A method for database management and recovery, comprising:

(a) collecting network communications usage information in real-time from a plurality of network devices utilizing a plurality of information source modules;

(b) filtering and aggregating the network communications usage information utilizing a plurality of gatherers, wherein the filtering and aggregating are based on a user-defined configuration;

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

(d) storing the data records in a database;

(e) continuously monitoring a state of the gatherers;

(f) detecting a fault; and

(g) utilizing the state of the gatherers and the stored data records to recover from the fault upon the detection thereof.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the data records are stored in the database at a user-specified interval.

3. A method as recited in claim 1, and further comprising time stamping the stored data records.

4. A method as recited in claim 3, and further comprising deleting the stored data records upon the cessation of a predetermined amount of time after the storage utilizing the timestamp.

5. A method as recited in claim 1, and further comprising caching the network communications usage information collected from the network device utilizing the gatherers.

6. A computer program product embedded into computer readable medium for database management and recovery, comprising:

(a) computer code for collecting network communications usage information in real-time from a plurality of network devices utilizing a plurality of information source modules;

(b) computer code for filtering and aggregating the network communications usage information utilizing a plurality of gatherers, wherein the filtering and aggregating are based on a user-defined configuration;

(c) computer code for completing a plurality of data records from the filtered and aggregated network communications usage information utilizing a central event manager, 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 continuously monitoring a state of the gatherers;

(f) computer code for detecting a fault; and

(g) computer code for utilizing the state of the gatherers and the stored data records to recover from the fault upon the detection thereof.

7. A computer program product as recited in claim 6, wherein the data records are stored in the database at a user-specified interval.

8. A computer program product as recited in claim 6, and further comprising computer code for tune stamping the stored data records.

9. A computer program product as recited in claim 8, and further comprising computer code for deleting the stored data records upon the cessation of a predetermined amount of time after the storage utilizing the timestamp.

10. A computer program product as recited in claim 6, and further comprising computer code for caching the network communications usage information collected from the network devices utilizing the gatherers.

11. A system comprising computer readable medium for database management and recovery, comprising:

(a) information source modules for collecting network communications usage information in real-time from a plurality of network devices;

(b) gatherers coupled to the information modules, the gatherers adapted for filtering and aggregating the network communications usage information, wherein the filtering and aggregating are based on a user-defined configuration;

(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 continuously monitoring a state of the gatherers;

(f) logic for detecting a fault; and

(g) logic for utilizing the state of the gatherers and the stored data records to recover from the fault upon the detection thereof.

12. A system as recited in claim 11, wherein the data records are stored in the database at a user-specified interval.

13. A system as recited in claim 11, and further comprising computer code for time stamping the stored data records.

14. A system as recited in claim 13, and further comprising computer code for deleting the stored data records upon the cessation of a predetermined amount of time after the storage utilizing the timestamp.

15. A system as recited in claim 11, and further comprising computer code for caching the network communications usage information collected from the network devices utilizing the gatherers.

16. A method for database management and recovery, the method 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, wherein the filtering and aggregating are based on a user-defined configuration;

(j) enhancing the aggregation with the gatherers in accordance with the defined enhancement procedure;

(k) time stamping the data records at a user-specified interval;

(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) continuously monitoring a state of the gatherers;

(o) detecting a fault; and

(p) utilizing the state of the gatherers and the stored data records to recover from the fault upon the detection thereof.