Method and network element for operating a telecommunications network

• US 7,032,021 B1
• Filed: 03/09/2000
• Issued: 04/18/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Siemens AG
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Neuhaus, Matthias, Froeschl, Maria
• Primary Examiner(s): Wiley, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): DELGADO, MICHAEL A
• Application Number:
  US09/936,544
• Time in Patent Office: 2,231 Days
• Field of Search: 709/223, 709/224, 719/316, 719/315, 707/1
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0062 Provisions for network management

Abstract

A method for operating a telecommunications network is explained. A network element (16) at a network node of the telecommunications network is controlled by a control computer (36). The control computer (16) is maintained from a service computer (24). Allomorphy is taken into account in the development of application programs (102, 104) so that even a service computer (24) which is not developed can maintain the control computer (36). Making allowance for allomorphy results in little additional expenditure because an interface program (100) is used in which essential processing steps are carried out for all the application programs (102, 104), said processing steps ensuring that allomorphy is taken into consideration.

Claims

1. A method for operating a telecommunications network, the method comprising the steps of:

controlling a network element at a network node of the telecommunications network via a control computer;

storing at least one interface program and a plurality of application programs in the control computer in addition to an operating system;

processing application objects during execution of the application programs, the application projects having, depending on their membership of a class, data with a predefined data structure and predefined methods for processing the data;

setting up a link between a service computer and a control computer;

maintenance being performed on the control computer via the link by at least one maintenance message;

processing the maintenance messages, via the interface program, coming from the service computer, each of the maintenance messages containing a class identifier which assigns the maintenance message to a class, the class identifier specifying the class, known in the service computer, of an application object to be processed;

determining an alternative identifier, when the interface program is processed with reference to the class identifier, which indicates an alternative class to which the application object to be processed belongs in the network element, the alternative identifier being incorporated into an amended maintenance message;

storing at least one class known in at least one service computer for the application object as an allomorph class in the data of the application object;

using the allomorph class as an auxiliary identifier when the application program is processed; and

processing the amended maintenance message, wherein the application object to be processed is processed as an object of the alternative class by an application program.

2. A method for operating a telecommunications network as claimed in claim 1, wherein when the alternative identifier is determined, a first table stored in a memory of the control computer is used, in which table the alternative identifier is assigned to the class identifier.

3. A method for operating a telecommunications network as claimed in claim 1, the method further comprising the step of:

generating a confirmation message, via the application program and after the processing of the amended maintenance message, in which the class specified when the application object to be processed to be generated is specified.

4. A method for operating a telecommunications network as claimed in claim 3, the method further comprising the steps of:

generating an amended confirmation message from the confirmation message, when the interface program is processed, the amended confirmation message containing only data which has an application object of the class to which the confirmation message relays; and

transmitting the amended confirmation message to the service computer.

5. A method for operating a telecommunications network as claimed in claim 3, the method further comprising the steps of:

storing the class specified, when the application object to be processed is generated, as an origin class in the data of the application object to be processed; and

using the origin class as a class identifier when the application program is processed.

6. A method for operating a telecommunications network as claimed in claim 3 wherein the confirmation message contains an identifier in which at least one class is designated which is known in the service computer as the class to which the application object to be processed belongs.

7. A method for operating a telecommunications network as claimed in claim 6, wherein the confirmation message contains, in addition to the class identifier, an origin identifier in which the origin class is specified.

8. A method for operating a telecommunications network as claimed in claim 4, wherein a confirmation message which is generated for the service computer when the interface program is being processed contains the class identifier and the origin identifier, and possibly an identifier in which at least one class is designated.

9. A method for operating a telecommunications network as claimed in claim 1, wherein the network element is selected from the group consisting of a switching office, a cross-connector and a concentrator unit.

10. A method for operating a telecommunications network as claimed in claim 1, wherein the telecommunications network is selected from the group consisting of a fixed network, a mobile radio network, and a network with a fixed network component and a mobile radio network component.

11. A method for operating a telecommunications network as claimed in claim 1, wherein the interface program carries out further interface functions between the service computer and the application programs, including at least one of an events control for defining a processing sequence of the maintenance messages, and adaptation of the messages coming from the service computer to a protocol for transmitting messages within the control computer, and an adaptation of the confirmation messages coming from the application programs to a predefined protocol for transmitting messages between the service computer and the control computer.

12. A method for operating a telecommunications network as claimed in claim 1, the method further comprising at least one of the following steps:

using a first application program for subscriber administration;

using a second application program for administering connecting lines to other switching devices;

using a third application program for performing maintenance on the switching devices; and

using a fourth application program for measuring traffic on the switched links.

13. A method for operating a telecommunications network as claimed in claim 12, wherein the application objects of the first application program contain the subscriber data for one subscriber in each case.

14. A method for operating a telecommunications network as claimed in claim 1, wherein the maintenance messages contain a name identifier for a name of the application object to which the maintenance message relays.

15. A network element for operating a telecommunications network, comprising:

a control computer for controlling the network element, at least one interface program and a plurality of application programs being stored in the control computer in addition to an operating system, application objects being processed during execution of the application programs, the application objects having, depending on their membership of a class, data with a predefined data structure and predefined methods for processing the data; and

a service computer connected to the control computer via a link, maintenance being performed on the control computer by at least one maintenance message, the interface program processing the maintenance message is coming from the service computer, each of the maintenance messages containing a class identifier which assigns the maintenance message to a class, the class identifier of the maintenance message specifying the class as an allomorph class in the data of the application object, known in the service computer, of an application object to be processed, when the interface program is processed with reference to the class identifier an alternative identifier is determined according to the allomorph class which indicates an alternative class to which the application object to be processed belongs in the network element, the alternative identifier being incorporated into an amended maintenance message, and when the amended maintenance message is processed, the application object to be processed is processed as an object of the alternative class by an application program.

16. A telecommunications network comprising a plurality of network elements, wherein at least one of the plurality of network elements is for operating the telecommunications network, the network elements comprising:

a control computer for controlling the network element, at least one interface program and a plurality of application programs being stored in the control computer in addition to an operating system, application objects being processed during execution of the application programs, the application objects having, depending on their membership of a class, data with a predefined data structure and predefined methods for processing the data; and

a service computer connected to the control computer via a link, maintenance being performed on the control computer by at least one maintenance message, the interface program processing the maintenance message is coming from the service computer, each of the maintenance messages containing a class identifier which assigns the maintenance message to a class, the class identifier of the maintenance message specifying the class as an allomorph class in the data of the application object, known in the service computer, of an application object to be processed, when the interface program is processed with reference to the class identifier an alternative identifier is determined according to the allomorph class which indicates an alternative class to which the application object to be processed belongs in the network element, the alternative identifier being incorporated into an amended maintenance message, and when the amended maintenance message is processed, the application object to be processed is processed as an object of the alternative class by an application program.