System and method for querying and recovering circuit group state in a switched network

• US 7,106,724 B2
• Filed: 10/29/2001
• Issued: 09/12/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: LG Nortel Company Limited (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Kim, Byeong Hak
• Primary Examiner(s): SMITH, CREIGHTON H
• Application Number:
  US09/984,161
• Publication Number:
  US 20020052949A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,779 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13103 Memory
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13106 Microprocessor, CPU
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13141 Hunting for free outlet, circuit or channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13204 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13213 Counting, timing circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13216 Code signals, frame structure
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1338 Inter-exchange connection
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0016 Arrangements providing connection between exchanges

Abstract

Disclosed is a system and method for querying and recovering circuit group state in a switching system. A self station searches processors including circuit groups which are allocated to a certain route, and requests circuit group state from the searched processors successively. The processors receiving the request identify whether or not a corresponding circuit is allocated to the certain route by reviewing all circuits included in the processors. In addition, the processor groups circuits which are successively allocated among the circuits allocated to the certain route, and queries state of the circuits by generating one CQM per group. When the query process is completed by the processors, the self station reports results of the circuit group state query to an operator. Therefore, the operator can query the states of circuit groups as a route unit in the self station.

Claims

1. A method for querying and recovering circuit group state in a switching system comprising:

inputting a command for querying states of circuit groups as a route unit; and

performing query for the circuit group states as a route unit in accordance with the inputted command, the performing query comprising;

determining a plurality of processors which include the circuit groups allocated to a certain route;

querying each of the plurality of processors in order;

querying the state of circuit groups allocated to the certain route in each of the plurality of processors; and

reporting a response to the command for querying states of circuit groups as a route unit to an operator, when CRM (Circuit group Report Messages) are received from each of the plurality of processors.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining the plurality of processors is performed by a maintenance system with reference to a database for associating processors and routes.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the querying the state of the circuit groups allocated to the certain route in each of the plurality of processors comprises:

selecting respective circuits successively which are included in each of the plurality of processors and identifying whether or not the selected circuit is allocated to the certain route;

grouping circuits allocated continuously among the circuits which are allocated to the certain route;

generating a CQM (Circuit group Query Message) for querying the states of the grouped circuits; and

transmitting the generated CQM.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the grouping circuits is performed so that a circuit group range is less than or equal to 32 circuits.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the transmitting the CQM comprises:

transmitting the generated CQM to a counter part station;

receiving a CQR(Circuit group Query Response) from the counter part station as a response to the CQM;

collecting the states of respective circuits included in the CQM;

comparing the states of respective circuits included in the CQR to the collected states;

performing a recovery process where the states of the respective circuits included in the CQR and the collected states of the respective circuits are not synchronized with each other; and

transmitting the GRM for reporting the states of respective circuits included in the CQM to a maintenance system.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the performing a recovery process includes at least one of (1) transmitting a control signal to the counter part station so that the state of the circuit equipped in the self station is corrected to be the state read and stored by the self station, when the Near-End State of the circuit collected by the self station is different from the Far-End State of the circuit included in the CQM and (2) setting the state of the circuit equipped in the counter part station to be the state read and stored by the counter part station when the Far-End State of the circuit collected by the self station is different from the Near-End State of the circuit included in the CQM.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the querying the state of circuit groups allocated to the certain route in each of the plurality of processors is performed as link units.

8. A method for querying and recovering circuit group state in a processor of a switching system comprising:

identifying whether a circuit is allocated to a certain route by successively selecting all circuits included in a processor, when a request for querying the circuit in the certain route is received from a maintenance system;

grouping circuits allocated continuously among the circuits which are allocated to the certain route;

generating CQM (Circuit group Query Message) in accordance with the circuit groups;

transmitting the generated CQM to a counter part station;

receiving CQR (Circuit group Report Message) which is a response message for the CQM from the counter part station;

collecting states of the respective circuits included in the CQM;

comparing the states of respective circuits included in the CQR to the collected states of the respective circuits;

performing a recovery process where the states of the respective circuits included in the CQR and the states of the collected circuits are not synchronized to each other; and

transmitting a CRM for reporting the result of the recovery process to the maintenance system.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein one CQM is generated for each circuit or group of circuits that is not continuous with the previous circuit allocated to the certain route.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the performing a recovery process includes at least one of (1) transmitting a control signal to the counter part station so that the state of the circuit equipped in the self station is corrected to be the state read and stored by the self station, when the Near-End State of the circuit collected by the self station is different from the Far-End State of the circuit included in the CQM and (2) setting the state of the circuit equipped in the counter part station to be the state read and stored by the counter part station when the Far-End State of the circuit collected by the self station is different from the Near-End State of the circuit included in the CQM.

11. A system for querying and recovering circuit group state in a switching system comprising:

a self station for originating a route; and

a counterpart station at the destination of a route, wherein the self station is configured to receive a command for querying states of circuit groups as a route unit, and wherein the self station and the counter part station are configured to perform the query for the circuit group states as a route unit in accordance with the received command,

wherein each of the self station and counterpart station comprise;

an operator terminal for receiving commands;

a man machine processor (MMP) coupled to the operator terminal, configured to receive a command from the operator terminal, and further configured to maintain and repair a network;

a database coupled to the man machine processor for storing information related to maintenance and repair of the network; and

a plurality of access switching substations (ASSs) coupled to the man machine processor, wherein each of the plurality of ASSs include an access switching processor (ASP) configured to control the state of circuit switches in the network.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the operator terminal is configured to receive a first query command from an operator for the states of all circuits in a specified route and forward the first query command to the MMP.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the MMP is configured to:

receive the first query command from the operator terminal for the states of all circuits in a specified route;

communicate with the data base to determine a plurality of ASSs which include the circuit groups allocated to the specified route;

send a second query command to each of a plurality of corresponding ASPs;

receive a CRM from each of the plurality of corresponding ASPs in response to the second query command; and

send a message to the operator terminal in response to the first query command.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein each of the ASPs are configured to receive the second query command from the MMP, send at least one circuit group query message (CQM) to the counter part station, receive at least one circuit group query response message (CQR) from the counter part station, and send a CRM to the MMP.

15. A switching station, comprising:

an operator terminal for receiving commands;

a man machine processor (MMP) coupled to the operator terminal, configured to receive a command from the operator terminal, and further configured to maintain and repair a network;

a database coupled to the man machine processor for storing information related to maintenance and repair of the network; and

a plurality of access switching substations (ASSs) coupled to the man machine processor, wherein each of the plurality of ASSs include an access switching processor (ASP) configured to control the state of circuit switches in the network.