Element management system with adaptive interfacing selected by last previous full-qualified managed level

• US 7,113,934 B2
• Filed: 03/06/2003
• Issued: 09/26/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Levesque, Gilbert, Wong, Malais, Steckler, Richard P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gaffin, Jeffrey
• Assistant Examiner(s): ABEL JALIL, NEVEEN
• Application Number:
  US10/383,461
• Publication Number:
  US 20040098422A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,300 Days
• Field of Search: 707200-206, 709/315, 370/428, 370/429
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/20 Network management software packages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/025 for remote control or remote monitoring of applications
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing

Abstract

An element management system in which: a list of fully-qualified versions of network elements is maintained, and the interface to each network element is managed in accordance with the highest fully-qualified version which is no later than the network element'"'"'s actual version date, EVEN IF there is also a fully-qualified later version. By specifying a “managed level” which is fully qualified and is guaranteed not to be later than the actual revision of the network element, the possibility of hidden incompatibility is reduced. (Network elements are expected to be backwards compatible, but the addition of features may introduce some hidden forward incompatibility.).

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for managing telecommunication network elements, comprising:

receiving configuration information identifying an element type of a first network element and a version of the first network element;

selecting, from a list of one or more fully-qualified versions for the element type of the first network element, a managed version by;

determining whether any of the fully-qualified versions are earlier than the version of the first network element;

in response to determining that one or more of the fully-qualified versions are earlier than the version of the first network element, selecting a latest fully-qualified version that is earlier than the version of the first network element; and

in response to determining that none of the fully-qualified versions are earlier than the version of the first network element, selecting a default version associated with a manufacturer of the first network element;

storing information identifying the managed version in a memory; and

communicating, in a manner determined based on the managed version, information to the first network element through an interface associated with the first network element.

2. A computer-implemented method for managing telecommunication network elements, comprising:

receiving configuration information identifying an element type of a first network element and a version of the first network element;

selecting, from a list of one or more fully-qualified versions for the element type of the first network element, a managed version by;

determining whether any of the fully-qualified versions are earlier than the version of the first network element;

in response to determining that one or more of the fully-qualified versions are earlier than the version of the first network element, selecting a latest fully-qualified version that is earlier than the version of the first network element; and

in response to determining that none of the fully-qualified versions are earlier than the version of the first network element, selecting a default version associated with the element type of the first network element;

storing information identifying the managed version in a memory; and

communicating, in a manner determined based on the managed version, information to the first network element through an interface associated with the first network element.

3. A system for managing a plurality of network elements, comprising:

a plurality of network elements, each network element configured to communicate with a network element manager and each network element associated with a version; and

the network element manager, wherein the network element manager comprises a plurality of interfaces, each interface associated with at least one network element and configured to communicate with the associated network element, and wherein the network element manager;

receives configuration information from at least a first network element of the plurality of network elements, the configuration information identifying an element type of the first network element and a version of the first network element;

selects, from a list of one or more fully-qualified versions for the element type of the first network element, a managed version by;

determining whether any of the fully-qualified versions are earlier than the version of the first network element;

in response to determining that one or more of the fully-qualified versions are earlier than the version of the first network element, selecting a latest fully-qualified version that is earlier than the version of the first network element; and

in response to determining that none of the fully-qualified versions are earlier than the version of the first network element, selecting a default version associated with a manufacturer of the first network element; and

communicates, in a manner determined based on the managed version, information to the first network element through an interface associated with the first network element.

4. A system for managing a plurality of network elements, comprising:

a plurality of network elements, each network element configured to communicate with a network element manager and each network element associated with a version; and

the network element manager, wherein the network element manager comprises a plurality of interfaces, each interface associated with at least one network element and configured to communicate with the associated network element, and wherein the network element manager;

receives configuration information from at least a first network element of the plurality of network elements, the configuration information identifying an element type of the first network element and a version of the first network element;

selects, from a list of one or more fully-qualified versions for the element type of the first network element, a managed version by;

determining whether any of the fully-qualified versions are earlier than the version of the first network element;

in response to determining that one or more of the fully-qualified versions are earlier than the version of the first network element, selecting a latest fully-qualified version that is earlier than the version of the first network element; and

in response to determining that none of the fully-qualified versions are earlier than the version of the first network element, selecting identifying a default version associated with the element type of the first network element; and

communicates, in a manner determined based on the managed version, information to the first network element through an interface associated with the first network element.