Facilitating integration of communications network equipment inventory management

• US 7,315,887 B1
• Filed: 04/11/2001
• Issued: 01/01/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Liang, Yao, Lanman, Maurice
• Primary Examiner(s): RUDY, ANDREW J
• Application Number:
  US09/833,085
• Time in Patent Office: 2,456 Days
• Field of Search: 705/28, 705/29, 705/27, 707/3, 707/10, 707/100, 707/104.1, 709/203, 709/223, 709/224, 709/229, 709/206, 715736-739, 235/383, 235/462.01
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0233 Object-oriented techniques, for representation of network management data, e.g. common object request broker architecture [CORBA]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/052 using standardised network management architectures, e.g. telecommunication management network [TMN] or unified network management architecture [UNMA]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]

Abstract

A physical asset management system as disclosed herein is capable of carrying-out a method for facilitating integration of communications network equipment inventory management. In at least one embodiment of the method for facilitating integration of communications network equipment inventory management, the method includes assigning system-readable identification to an asset item of a communication network, receiving the system-readable identification of the asset item at a physical asset manager in response to installing the asset item in the communication network, and creating an informational link between an on-line sub-object of the asset item and an off-line sub-object of the asset item. The system-readable identification enables the physical asset manager to create the informational link between the on-line sub-object of the asset item and the off-line sub-object of the asset item.

Claims

1. A method for facilitating the management of a communication network asset item, comprising:

assigning system-readable identification to an asset item of a communication network;

receiving, at an asset manager, said system-readable identification of the asset item in response to installing the asset item in the communication network; and

creating an informational link between an on-line sub-object of the asset item in an and an off-line sub-object of the asset item, wherein said system-readable identification enables the asset manager to create the informational link between the on-line sub-object of the asset item and the off-line sub-object of the asset item.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein:

assigning said system-readable identification to the asset item includes assigning a serial number and a part number to the asset item; and

receiving said system-readable identification includes receiving the serial number and the part number.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein assigning said system-readable identification to the asset item includes retrievably storing said system readable identification on an electronic element of the asset item.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein installing the asset item includes performing an installation operation, wherein the asset item is moved from an in-repair sub-state of an un-installed state to an installed state.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

performing a de-installation operation prior to performing the installation operation, wherein the asset item is moved from the installed state to the in-repair sub-state of the un-installed state.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein installing the asset item includes performing an installation operation wherein the asset item is moved from an in-stock sub-state of an un-installed state to an installed state.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

performing a de-installation operation prior to performing the installation operation, wherein the asset item is moved from the installed state to the in-stock sub-state of the un-installed state.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein creating the informational link includes retrieving the on-line sub-object of the asset item in an on-line persistent asset database and retrieving the off-line sub-object of the asset item in an off-line asset inventory database.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein retrieving the on-line sub-object of the asset item includes accessing the on-line persistent asset database via a network resource inventory server.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein creating the informational link includes performing an informational binding operation for associating information retrievable from an on-line persistent asset database with corresponding information retrievable from an off-line asset inventory database.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the informational binding operation is performed in response to the physical asset manager receiving said system-readable identification.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein receiving said system-readable identification includes receiving a serial number and a part number stored on an electronic element of the asset item.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

automatically accessing the serial number and the part number on the electronic element of the asset item when the asset item is installed in the communication network.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

enabling the display of a physical asset management view of an object corresponding to the asset item in response to creating the informational link, wherein the on-line sub-object of the asset item and the off-line sub-object of the asset item are capable of being integrally viewed in the physical asset management view.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein enabling the display of the physical asset management view includes integrating information separately viewable in an on-line inventory sub-object view and in an off-line inventory sub-object view.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

setting a spare parts threshold level associated with the asset item;

activating a spare parts support object associated with the off-line sub-object of the asset item; and

issuing a spare parts notification when the spare parts threshold level exceeds a spare parts instance of the asset item.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

preparing network planning information after creating the informational link.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein preparing said network planning information includes preparing a statistical report.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein preparing said network planning information includes preparing an inventory report.

20. A method for facilitating the management of a communication network asset item, comprising:

assigning a serial number and a part number to an asset item of a communication network, wherein the serial number and the part number are electronically stored on an electronic element of the asset;

receiving, at an asset manager, the serial number and the part number of the asset item to an asset manager in response to installing the asset item in the communication network;

performing an informational binding operation for associating information retrievable from an on-line persistent asset database with corresponding information retrievable from an off-line asset inventory database, wherein said system-readable identification enables the asset manager to create an informational link between the on-line sub-object of the asset item and the off-line sub-object of the asset item;

enabling the display of an asset management view of an object corresponding to the asset item in response to creating the informational link, wherein the on-line sub-object of the asset item and the off-line sub-object of the asset item are capable of being integrally viewed in the asset management view; and

preparing network planning information after creating the informational link.

21. An apparatus for facilitating the management of a communication network asset item, comprising:

asset management system including asset manager connected to an on-line persistent asset database, to an off-line asset inventory database and to a communication network, and wherein the asset management system is capable of;

receiving system-readable identification of an asset item in response to installing the asset item in a communication network; and

creating an informational link between an on-line sub-object of the asset item and an off-line sub-object of the asset item, wherein said system-readable identification enables the asset manager to create the informational link between the on-line sub-object of the asset item and the off-line sub-object of the asset item.

22. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein the asset manager includes a asset server and a asset management application installed on the asset server.

23. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein receiving said system-readable identification includes receiving a serial number of the asset item and a part number of the asset item.

24. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein the asset item includes an electronic element and the asset item is electrically connected to the communication network for enabling said system-readable identification to be received from an electronic element of the asset item by the physical asset manager.

25. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein the asset management system includes a network resource inventory server connected between the physical asset manager and the on-line persistent asset database for enabling the on-line persistent asset database to be accessed via the physical asset manager.

26. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein the asset management system includes a network resource inventory server connected between the asset manager and the on-line persistent asset database thus enabling an informational binding operation to be performed for creating the informational link whereby information retrievable from an on-line persistent asset database is associated with corresponding information retrievable from an off-line asset inventory database.

27. The apparatus of claim 26 wherein the informational binding operation is performed in response to the asset management system receiving said system-readable identification when the asset item is installed in the communication network.

28. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the asset management system is further capable of:

enabling the display of a asset management view of an object corresponding to the asset item in response to creating the informational link, the on-line sub-object of the asset item and the off-line sub-object of the asset item are capable of being integrally viewed in the asset management view.

29. The apparatus of claim 28 wherein enabling the display of the asset management view includes integrating information separately viewable in an on-line inventory sub-object view and in an off-line inventory sub-object view.

30. The apparatus of claim 21, further comprising:

preparing network planning information after creating the informational link.

31. The apparatus of claim 30 wherein preparing said network planning information includes preparing a statistical report.

32. The apparatus of claim 30 wherein preparing said network planning information includes preparing an inventory report.

33. An apparatus for facilitating the management of a communication network asset item, comprising:

an asset management system including an asset manager connected to an on-line persistent asset database through a network resource inventory server, to an off-line asset inventory database and to a communication network through the network resource inventory server, the asset manager including an asset server and an asset management application installed on the asset server, and wherein the asset management system is capable of;

receiving a system-readable serial number and a system-readable part number from an electronic element of the asset item in response to installing the asset item in a communication network;

performing an informational binding operation for creating an informational link between an on-line sub-object of the asset item and an off-line sub-object of the asset item whereby information retrievable from the on-line persistent asset database is associated with corresponding information retrievable from the off-line asset inventory database, wherein said system-readable serial number and the system-readable part number enable the asset manager to create the informational link between the on-line sub-object of the asset item and the off-line sub-object of the asset item;

enabling the of a physical asset management view of an object corresponding to the asset item in response to creating the informational link, wherein the on-line sub-object of the asset item and the off-line sub-object of the asset item are capable of being integrally viewed in the physical asset management view; and

preparing network planning information after creating the informational link.

34. A computer program product, comprising:

a computer program processable by a asset server of a asset manager; and

an apparatus from which the computer program is accessible by the asset server;

the computer program enabling the asset server to;

receive system-readable identification of an asset item in response to installing the asset item in a communication network;

create an informational link between an on-line sub-object of the asset item and an off-line sub-object of the asset item, wherein said system-readable identification enables the asset manager to create the informational link between the on-line sub-object of the asset item and the off-line sub-object of the asset item;

enable the display of a asset management view of an object corresponding to the asset item in response to creating the informational link, wherein the on-line sub-object of the asset item and the off-line sub-object of the asset item are capable of being integrally viewed in the asset management view; and

prepare network planning information after creating the informational link.