Method for synchronizing circuit related objects between network management systems and network control processors

• US 7,403,986 B1
• Filed: 10/18/2001
• Issued: 07/22/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ribbon Communications Operating Company, Inc. (Ribbon Communications, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Network Equipment Technologies Incorporated (Ribbon Communications, Inc.)
• Inventors: Baran, Bahar E., Li, Hui-Lin
• Primary Examiner(s): WON, MICHAEL YOUNG
• Application Number:
  US10/045,182
• Time in Patent Office: 2,469 Days
• Field of Search: 709/223, 709/246, 709/248, 709/220, 709/203, 709/219, 709/200, 709/230
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0213 Standardised network management protocols, e.g. simple network management protocol [SNMP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0226 Mapping or translating multiple network management protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes

Abstract

A method is provided for synchronizing circuit related objects between a network management system (NMS) and a network control processor (NCP). In one example, the method translates data for the circuit related objects from binary data to ASCII data in the network control processor. The ASCII is received into the network management system server from the network control processor. The ASCII data is parsed. The ASCII data is then stored in a network management system database.

Claims

1. A method for synchronizing circuit related objects between a network management system (NMS) and a network control processor (NCP), the method comprising:

maintaining data for circuit related objects at the network control processor;

receiving at the network control processor one or more commands from the network management system to translate the data for the circuit related objects;

translating the data for the circuit related objects from binary data to ASCII data in the network control processor in response to the commands, wherein the ASCII data comprises an ASCII persistence table;

receiving into the network management system the ASCII data from the network control processor;

parsing the ASCII persistence table at the network management system; and

storing data obtained from the ASCII persistence table in a network management system database comprising one or more records relating to individual circuits for which data is maintained at the network control processor,

wherein data for the circuit related objects stored in the network management system database is thereby synchronized with the data for the circuit related objects in the network control processor.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of translating data comprises receiving an “

rsh”

UNIX command to translate data from a binary persistence table to the ASCII persistence table.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of receiving the ASCII data comprises receiving an “

rcp”

UNIX command to copy the ASCII persistence table to a network management system database.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein an accessible directory in a host machine has a remote machine'"'"'s host name and a user name, wherein the network management system is the remote machine, and wherein the network control processor is the host machine.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the format of the ASCII persistence table is a plain text file which maintains all available records for a type of circuit related object in the network control processor, and wherein each record includes a unique key and group of names with corresponding values, and each unique key is used to identify an individual circuit.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the step of parsing comprises:

reading all records from the ASCII persistence table; and

parsing the records to an network management system desired format.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising comparing the ASCII data with a corresponding circuit related object table already in the network management system database.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

detecting a mismatch between the ASCII data and the corresponding circuit related object table; and

updating the network management system database accordingly.

9. A computer-readable storage medium carrying one or more sequences of one or more instructions for synchronizing circuit related objects between a network management system (NMS) and a network control processor (NCP), the one or more sequences of one or more instructions including instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the steps of:

maintaining data for circuit related objects at the network control processor;

receiving at the network control processor one or more commands from the network management system to translate the data for circuit related objects;

translating the data for the circuit related objects from binary data to ASCII data in the network control processor in response to the commands, wherein the ASCII data comprises an ASCII persistence table;

receiving into the network management system the ASCII data from the network control processor;

parsing the ASCII persistence table at the network management system; and

storing data obtained from the ASCII persistence table in a network management system database comprising one or more records relating to individual circuits for which data is maintained at the network control processor,

wherein data for the circuit related objects stored in the network management system database is thereby synchronized with the data for the circuit related objects in the network control processor.

10. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the step of translating data comprises the processor receiving an “

rsh”

UNIX command to translate data from a binary persistence table to the ASCII persistence table.

11. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the step of receiving the ASCII data comprises the processor receiving an “

rcp”

UNIX command to copy, the ASCII persistence table to a network management system database.

12. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein an accessible directory in a host machine has a remote machine'"'"'s host name and a user name, wherein the network management system is the remote machine, and wherein the network control processor is the host machine.

13. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the format of the ASCII persistence table is a plain text file which maintains all available records for a type of circuit related object in the network control processor, and wherein each record includes a unique key and group of names with corresponding values, and each unique key is used to identify an individual circuit.

14. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the step of parsing causes the processor to perform the steps of:

reading all records from the ASCII persistence table; and

parsing the records to an network management system desired format.

15. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to perform the step of comparing the ASCII data with a corresponding circuit related object table already in the network management system database.

16. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to perform the steps of:

detecting a mismatch between the ASCII data and the corresponding circuit related object table; and

updating the network management system database accordingly.

17. A method for synchronizing circuit related objects between a network management system (NMS) and a network control processor (NCP), the method comprising:

sending a command for translating data for the circuit related objects from binary data to ASCII data to the NCP, wherein the NCP translates data for the circuit related objects from binary data to ASCII data in the NCP;

receiving into the network management system the ASCII data including an ASCII persistence table having information relating to one or more individual circuits maintained at the network control processor; and

processing the ASCII persistence table at the network management system;

storing data obtained from the ASCII persistence table in a network management system database, wherein a data structure in the network management system database is thereby synchronized with the data for the circuit related objects at the network control processor.