Methods for reconciling discrepancies in circuit information among various telecommunication network management systems

• US 7,738,640 B1
• Filed: 12/28/2005
• Issued: 06/15/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Best, Robert, Penn, Joanne, Morales, Sheryl, Glozzy, Richard, Bajpay, Paritosh, Eslambolchi, Hossein, McCanuel, John
• Primary Examiner(s): TRAN, QUOC DUC
• Application Number:
  US11/319,218
• Time in Patent Office: 1,630 Days
• Field of Search: 379/114.04, 379/114.14, 379/121.05, 379/126, 379/127.01, 379/9.02, 379/9.03, 379/15.03, 379/114.01, 379/114.03, 379/114.29, 379/133, 455405-408, 705/52, 705/75
• US Class Current: 379/114.04
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/00 Arrangements for metering, time-control or time indication ; Metering, charging or billing arrangements for voice wireline or wireless communications, e.g. VoIP
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/41 Billing record details, i.e. parameters, identifiers, structure of call data record [CDR]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/43 Billing software details
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/44 Augmented, consolidated or itemized billing statement or bill presentation
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/48 Secure or trusted billing, e.g. trusted elements or encryption
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/58 based on statistics of usage or network monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/62 based on trigger specification
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/73 Validating charges
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0104 Augmented, consolidated or itemised billing statement, e.g. additional billing information, bill presentation, layout, format, e-mail, fax, printout, itemised bill per service or per account, cumulative billing, consolidated billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0156 Secure and trusted billing, e.g. trusted elements, encryption, digital signature, codes or double check mechanisms to secure billing calculation and information
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0164 Billing record, e.g. Call Data Record [CDR], Toll Ticket[TT], Automatic Message Accounting [AMA], Call Line Identifier [CLI], details, i.e. parameters, identifiers, structure
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0188 Network monitoring; statistics on usage on called/calling number
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7072 Validate charges
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13103 Memory
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13109 Initializing, personal profile
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1313 Metering, billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1316 Service observation, testing
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13349 Network management
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13383 Hierarchy of switches, main and subexchange, e.g. satellite exchange

Abstract

A method includes retrieving a first data set from a billing system configured to facilitate a billing operation associated with a network. The first data set includes a plurality of billing records, which includes a first billing record associated with and including a field identifying a first circuit from a plurality of circuits included within the network. A second data set is retrieved from a configuration management system configured to facilitate an operation associated with the network. The second data set includes a plurality of configuration records, which includes a first configuration record associated with and including a field identifying the first circuit. When the field identifying the first circuit included in the first configuration record differs from the field identifying the first circuit included in the first billing record, a correct identifier associated with the first circuit is determined. When such a discrepancy exists, a report is produced.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

retrieving a first data set from a billing system configured to facilitate a billing operation associated with a network, the first data set including a plurality of billing records, the plurality of billing records including a first billing record associated with and including a field identifying a first circuit from a plurality of circuits included within the network;

retrieving a second data set from a configuration management system configured to facilitate an operation associated with the network, the second data set including a plurality of configuration records, the plurality of configuration records including a first configuration record associated with and including a field identifying the first circuit;

determining, via a processor, a correct identifier associated with the first circuit when the field included in the first configuration record differs from the field included in the first billing record;

producing a report when the field included in the first configuration record differs from the field included in the first billing record;

updating the field included in the first billing record to include the correct identifier associated with the first circuit when the field included in the first billing record includes an incorrect identifier associated with the first circuit; and

updating the field included in the first configuration record to include the correct identifier associated with the first circuit when the field included in the first configuration record includes an incorrect identifier associated with the first circuit.

2. A method, comprising:

retrieving a first data set from a billing system configured to facilitate a billing operation associated with a network, the first data set including a plurality of billing records, each billing record from the plurality of billing records being associated with a circuit from a plurality of circuits included within the network, the plurality of billing records including a first billing record associated with a first circuit from the plurality of circuits;

retrieving a second data set from a configuration management system configured to facilitate an operation associated with the network, the second data set including a plurality of configuration records, each configuration record from the plurality of configuration records being associated with a circuit from the plurality of circuits, wherein the plurality of configuration records includes a first configuration record associated with a second circuit from the plurality of circuits;

determining, via a processor, whether the first billing record is associated with a legitimate order for service when the second data set does not include a configuration record from the plurality of configuration records that is associated with the first circuit;

issuing a provisioning instruction when the first billing record is associated with the legitimate order for service;

issuing a test instruction to test a portion of the network associated with the second circuit when the first data set does not include a billing record from the plurality of billing records that is associated with the second circuit;

receiving a datum in response to the test instruction; and

issuing a disconnect instruction to disconnect the second circuit when the datum indicates that the second circuit is not operational.

3. A method, comprising:

retrieving a first data set from a billing system configured to facilitate a billing operation associated with a network, the first data set including a plurality of billing records, each billing record from the plurality of billing records being associated with a circuit from a plurality of circuits included within the network, the plurality of billing records including a first billing record associated with a first circuit from the plurality of circuits;

retrieving a second data set from a configuration management system configured to facilitate an operation associated with the network, the second data set including a plurality of configuration records, each configuration record from the plurality of configuration records being associated with a circuit from the plurality of circuits, wherein the plurality of configuration records includes a first configuration record associated with a second circuit from the plurality of circuits;

determining, via a processor, whether the first billing record is associated with a legitimate order for service when the second data set does not include a configuration record from the plurality of configuration records that is associated with the first circuit;

issuing a provisioning instruction when the first billing record is associated with the legitimate order for service;

issuing a test instruction to test a portion of the network associated with the second circuit when the first data set does not include a billing record from the plurality of billing records that is associated with the second circuit;

receiving a datum in response to the test instruction; and

issuing a billing instruction to establish a billing record in the first data set when the datum indicates that the second circuit is operational, the billing record being associated with the second circuit.

4. A method, comprising:

retrieving a first data set from a billing system configured to facilitate a billing operation associated with a network, the first data set including a plurality of billing records, each billing record from the plurality of billing records being associated with a circuit from a plurality of circuits included within the network;

retrieving a second data set from a configuration management system configured to facilitate an operation associated with the network, the second data set including a plurality of configuration records, each configuration record from the plurality of configuration records being associated with a circuit from the plurality of circuits, the plurality of configuration records including a first configuration record associated with a first circuit from the plurality of circuits;

issuing, via a processor, a test instruction to test a portion of the network associated with the first circuit when the first data set does not include a billing record from the plurality of billing records that is associated with the first circuit;

receiving a datum in response to the test instruction; and

issuing a disconnect instruction to disconnect the first circuit when the datum indicates that the first circuit is not operational.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising issuing a billing instruction to establish a billing record associated with the first circuit in the first data set when the datum indicates that the first circuit is operational.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising producing a report when the first data set does not include a billing record from the plurality of billing records that is associated with the first circuit.

7. The method of claim 4, further comprising producing automatically a report when the first data set does not include a billing record from the plurality of billing records that is associated with the first circuit, the report including an identifier associated with the first circuit and a status of the first circuit.

8. The method of claim 4, wherein the plurality of billing records includes a first billing record associated with a second circuit from the plurality of circuits, the method further comprising:

determining whether the first billing record is associated with a legitimate order for service when the second data set does not include a configuration record from the plurality of configuration records that is associated with the second circuit; and

issuing a provisioning instruction when the first billing record is associated with the legitimate order for service.

9. The method of claim 4, wherein the plurality of billing records includes a first billing record associated with a second circuit from the plurality of circuits, the method further comprising:

determining whether the first billing record is associated with a legitimate order for service when the second data set does not include a configuration record from the plurality of configuration records that is associated with the second circuit; and

removing the first billing record from the first data set when the first billing record is not associated with the legitimate order for service.