System and method for generating reports in a network

• US 7,379,471 B2
• Filed: 07/29/2003
• Issued: 05/27/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Level 3 Communications LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Level 3 Communications LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Pan, Kwang-Shan, Flynn, Jim, Mitsumori, Derek, Mussman, Harry
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham; Chi
• Assistant Examiner(s): HOANG, THAI D
• Application Number:
  US10/629,518
• Publication Number:
  US 20050025123A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,764 Days
• Field of Search: 370/410, 370/426, 370493-496
• US Class Current: 370/426
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/00 Arrangements for monitoring or testing data switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/062 related to network traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1106 Call signalling protocols; H.323 and related
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

Methods and systems are described for generating reports in a communication network. More specifically, the system processes a communication at an enterprise gatekeeper; stores, in memory accessible to the enterprise gatekeeper, information associated with the communication; parses the information associated with the communication; and provides an indication of the parsed information.

Claims

1. A computerized method for generating reports in a packet switched network, the method comprising:

processing a communication at a first enterprise gatekeeper;

storing, in memory accessible to the first enterprise gatekeeper, information associated with the communication;

wherein storing information associated with the communication comprises storing an identifier associated with a geographic site, and

wherein storing an identifier associated with a geographic site comprises storing an identifier associated with a business establishment;

parsing the information associated with the communication; and

providing an indication of the parsed information.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein processing a communication comprises processing a VoIP communication.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein storing information associated with the communication comprises storing a network identifier associated with a network endpoint.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein storing information associated with the communication comprises storing signaling information.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein storing signaling information comprises storing H.323 signaling information.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein storing information associated with the communication comprises storing a termination cause code.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein parsing the information comprises normalizing values associated with the information.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein parsing comprises parsing values from a communication header.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein providing an indication comprises generating a report containing information associated with the parsed information.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein generating a report comprises generating a report containing information associated with VoIP call details.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising retrieving the information associated with the communication from memory accessible to the enterprise gatekeeper using a log poller.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein retrieving the information comprises retrieving at regular intervals.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein retrieving the information comprises retrieving according to a user preference.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising processing at least as a second communication at a second enterprise gatekeeper;

storing, in memory accessible to the second enterprise gatekeeper, information associated with the second communication;

parsing the information associated with the second communication;

and providing an indication of the parsed information.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the second enterprise gatekeeper is manufactured by a different company than the first enterprise gatekeeper.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising retrieving the information associated with the first communication and the second communication using a log poller.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein providing an indication of the parsed information comprises providing an indication of the information associated with the first communication and the information associated with the second communication.

18. A computerized system for generating reports in a packet switched network, the system comprising:

a first enterprise gatekeeper communicatively coupled to a reporting server;

wherein the first enterprise gatekeeper is programmed to process a communication at the first enterprise gatekeeper and store, in memory accessible to the first enterprise gatekeeper, information associated with the communication;

wherein the information associated with the communication comprises an identifier associated with a geographic site and a business establishment; and

wherein the reporting server is programmed to parse the information associated with the communication and provide an indication of the parsed information.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the communication comprises a VoIP communication.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the information associated with the communication comprises a network identifier associated with a network endpoint.

21. The system of claim 18, wherein the information associated with the communication comprises signaling information.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the signaling information comprises H.323 signaling information.

23. The system of claim 18, wherein the information associated with the communication comprises a termination cause code.

24. The system of claim 18, wherein the reporting server parses the information to normalize values associated with the information.

25. The system of claim 18, wherein the reporting server parses values from a communication header.

26. The system of claim 18, wherein the indication comprises a report containing information associated with the parsed information.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the report contains information associated with VoIP call details.

28. The system of claim 18, comprising a log poller programmed to retrieve the information associated with the communication from memory accessible to the enterprise gatekeeper.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein the log poller retrieves the information at regular intervals.

30. The system of claim 28, wherein the log poller retrieves the information according to a user preference.

31. The system of claim 18, further comprising at least a second enterprise gatekeeper communicatively coupled to the reporting server;

wherein the second enterprise gatekeeper is programmed to process at least a second communication at the second enterprise gatekeeper and store, in memory accessible to the second enterprise gatekeeper, information associated with the second communication; and

wherein the reporting server is programmed to parse the information associated with the second communication and provide an indication of the parsed information.

32. The system of claim 31, wherein the second enterprise gatekeeper is manufactured by a different company than the first enterprise gatekeeper.

33. The system of claim 32, further comprising a log poller programmed to retrieve the information associated with the first communication and the second communication.

34. The system of claim 31, wherein the reporting server is programmed to parse the information associated with the first communication and the second communication and provide an indication of the parsed information.