Systems and methods for analyzing critical circuits and associated telecommunication resources

• US 7,164,888 B2
• Filed: 12/23/2002
• Issued: 01/16/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qwest Communications International Incorporated (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Qwest Communications International Incorporated (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Zerressen, Dieter
• Primary Examiner(s): Vuong; Quochien B.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Aminzay; Shaima Q.
• Application Number:
  US10/328,421
• Publication Number:
  US 20040203439A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,485 Days
• Field of Search: 455/67.11, 455/67.13, 455/185.1, 455/412.1, 455/445, 455/514, 370/216, 370/225, 370/248, 379/221.03, 379/221.04
• US Class Current: 455/67.11
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0087 Network testing or monitoring arrangements

Abstract

The invention provides systems and methods for analyzing critical circuits and telecommunication resources. For example, in accordance with one embodiment of the invention, a computer-implemented method is provided for identifying critical telecommunication resources. The method includes identifying a set of critical telecommunication circuits, using a computer to search a first database for information about the set of critical circuits, and storing the information in a second database. In one aspect, the information can identify a set of telecommunication resources associated with the set of critical circuits.

Claims

1. A system for analyzing a critical telecommunication circuit, the system comprising:

a first database comprising information about a plurality of telecommunication circuits and associated telecommunication resources;

a second database capable of storing information about a plurality of critical telecommunications circuits, wherein each critical telecommunication circuit is associated with a set of telecommunication resources; and

a computer in communication with the first and second databases, wherein the computer has instructions executable to;

receive input regarding a plurality of telecommunication circuits determined as critical telecommunication circuits, wherein the plurality of critical telecommunication circuits are selected from the group consisting of emergency services network circuits, air traffic control system network circuits, Signaling System 7 (“

SS7”

) network circuits, and combinations thereof;

search the first database for information about the plurality of critical telecommunication circuits and the plurality of telecommunication resources associated with the critical telecommunication circuits;

store the information about the critical telecommunication circuits and the associated telecommunication resources in the second database;

search the second database to analyze a relationship between at least one of the critical telecommunication circuits and at least one of the associated telecommunication resources, wherein the analysis, in part, identifies the at least one associated telecommunication resource as a critical telecommunication resource; and

display a result indicating whether there is a relationship between the at least one critical telecommunication circuit and the at least one telecommunication resource.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one telecommunication resource is selected from a group consisting of a telecommunication facility, a fiber-optic cable, a radio link, a digital cross-connect system, a multiplexer, a Synchronous Optical NETwork (“

SONET”

) link, a channel bank, a physical location and a power supply.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein analyzing the relationship between at least one circuit and at least one telecommunication resource comprises:

searching the second database for a set of telecommunication resources associated with a particular circuit.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein analyzing the relationship between at least one circuit and at least one telecommunication resource comprises:

searching the second database for a set of circuits associated with a particular telecommunication resource.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein analyzing the relationship between at least one circuit and at least one telecommunication resource comprises:

searching the second database for a set of telecommunication resources associated with each of a plurality of critical circuits.

6. A computer readable medium containing computer executable instructions to perform a method of identifying critical telecommunication resources, the method comprising:

identifying a set of critical telecommunication circuits comprising at least one critical circuit, wherein the plurality of critical telecommunication circuits are selected from the group consisting of emergency services network circuits, air traffic control system network circuits, Signaling System 7 (“

SS7”

) network circuits, and combinations thereof;

search the first database for information about the plurality of critical telecommunication circuits and the plurality of telecommunication resources associated with the critical telecommunication circuits;

store the information about the critical telecommunication circuits and the associated telecommunication resources in the second database; and

search the second database to analyze a relationship between at least one of the critical telecommunication circuits and at least one of the associated telecommunication resources, wherein the analysis, in part, and

identifying the particular telecommunication resource as a critical resource if information about the particular telecommunication resource is found in the second database.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the at least one telecommunication resource is selected from a group consisting of a telecommunication facility, a fiber-optic cable, a radio link, a digital cross-connect system, a multiplexer, a Synchronous Optical NETwork (“

SONET”

) link, a channel bank, a physical location and a power supply.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

searching the second database for all telecommunication resources associated with a particular critical circuit.

9. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

searching the second database for all telecommunication resources associated with each of a plurality of critical circuits.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein the first database and the second database are the same database.

11. A system for identifying critical telecommunication resources, the system comprising:

a database comprising information about a plurality of critical telecommunication circuits and a plurality of telecommunication resources, wherein the plurality of critical circuits comprises a first critical circuit and a second critical circuit and wherein the plurality of critical telecommunication circuits are selected from the group consisting of emergency services network circuits, air traffic control system network circuits, Signaling System 7 (“

SS7”

) network circuits, and combinations thereof; and

a computer in communication with the database, wherein the computer has instructions executable to;

identify a first set of telecommunication resources associated with the first critical circuit;

identify a second set of telecommunication resources associated with the second critical circuit;

compare the identified telecommunication resources associated with each critical circuit to determine whether the critical circuits share any common telecommunication resources; and

analyze a relationship between at least one of the plurality of critical circuits and at least one of the plurality of telecommunication resources to identify the telecommunication resource as a critical telecommunication resource.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the at least one telecommunication resource is selected from a group consisting of a telecommunication facility, a fiber-optic cable, a radio link, a digital cross-connect system, a multiplexer, a Synchronous Optical NETwork (“

SONET”

) link, a channel bank, a physical location and a power supply.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein analyzing the relationship between at least one of the plurality of circuits and at least one of the plurality of telecommunication resources comprises:

searching the database for a particular telecommunication resource; and

identifying the particular telecommunication resource as a critical resource if it is found in the database.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein analyzing the relationship between at least one of the plurality of circuits and at least one of the plurality of telecommunication resources comprises:

searching the database for a set of critical circuits associated with a particular telecommunication resource.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein analyzing the relationship between at least one of the plurality of circuits and at least one of the plurality of telecommunication resources comprises:

searching the first database for a set of telecommunication resources associated with a particular critical circuit.

16. A computer readable medium containing computer executable instructions to perform a method for determining a common point of failure in a telecommunication network, the method comprising:

maintaining in a first computer database information about a plurality of critical telecommunication circuits and associated telecommunication resources, wherein the plurality of critical telecommunication circuits are selected from the group consisting of emergency services network circuits, air traffic control system network circuits, Signaling System 7 (“

SS7”

) network circuits, and combinations thereof;

searching the first computer database for information about a first set of telecommunication resources associated with a first critical circuit;

searching the first computer database for information about a second set of telecommunication resources associated with a second critical circuit;

comparing the information about the first set of telecommunication resources with the information about the second set of telecommunication resources to determine whether the first set of telecommunication resources and the second set of telecommunication resources share at least one common telecommunication resource;

identifying the at least one common telecommunication resource as a potential common point of failure; and

storing in a second computer database the determination that the at least one common telecommunication resource is a potential common point of failure.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

prioritizing the potential common point of failure ahead of other potential points of failure in attempting to diagnose a cause of failure in the telecommunication network.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the first computer database and the second computer database are the same computer database.

19. A system for determining a common point of failure in a telecommunication network, the system comprising:

a first database;

a second database;

a computer in communication with the first database, wherein the computer has instructions executable to;

maintain in the first database information about a plurality of critical telecommunication circuits and associated telecommunication resources, wherein the plurality of critical telecommunication circuits are selected from the group consisting of emergency services network circuits, air traffic control system network circuits, Signaling System 7 (“

SS7”

) network circuits, and combinations thereof;

search the first database for information about a first set of telecommunication resources associated with a first critical circuit;

search the first database for information about a second set of telecommunication resources associated with a second critical circuit;

compare the information about the first set of telecommunication resources with the information about the second set of telecommunication resources to determine whether the first set of telecommunication resources and the second set of telecommunication resources each share at least one common telecommunication resource; and

identify the at least one common telecommunication resource as a potential common point of failure

store in the second database a determination that the at least one common telecommunication resource is a potential common point of failure.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the instructions are further executable to:

prioritize the potential common point of failure ahead of other potential points of failure in attempting to diagnose a cause of failure in the telecommunication network.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein the first database and the second database are the same database.