Methods and systems for testing new network element failure rate

• US 7,974,386 B2
• Filed: 07/31/2006
• Issued: 07/05/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Laurance, Calvin, Irwin, Gregory Adams, Spielvogel, Jason Curtis, Lutz, Charles Craig
• Primary Examiner(s): TIEU, BINH KIEN
• Application Number:
  US11/496,155
• Publication Number:
  US 20080263397A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,800 Days
• Field of Search: 379/1.01, 379/9, 379/9.02, 379/9.03, 379/9.04, 379/10.01, 379/10.03, 379/15.01, 379/15.04, 379/27.01, 379/29.01, 379/29.08, 379/32.01, 379/9.01
• US Class Current: 379/15.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/06 Management of faults, events, alarms or notifications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/50 Testing arrangements

Abstract

Methods, systems, and computer-readable media for testing failure rate of newly installed network elements within a predetermined amount of time prior to customer use of the network elements are provided. An order report including information regarding one or more network elements is accessed, and based on the information provided by the orders report, a network element from the one or more network elements to be tested is determined. Information regarding the network element to be tested is retrieved from the orders report and included on a ticket created for the network element to be tested. The ticket created for the network element is then forwarded to a test device for testing of the network element associated with the forwarded ticket.

Claims

1. A method for testing network elements, comprising:

accessing an orders report including information regarding the network elements;

determining, based on the information provided by the orders report, a network element from the network elements to be tested;

retrieving information from the orders report regarding the network element to be tested;

creating a ticket for the network element to be tested including the information retrieved from the orders report;

forwarding the ticket to a test device for testing the network element associated with the forwarded ticket;

receiving the ticket from the test device;

determining whether testing of the network element associated with the ticket received resulted in a failure;

if testing of the network element associated with the ticket received resulted in the failure, then scheduling repair of the network element and closing the ticket so that testing of the network element associated with the ticket is terminated; and

if testing of the network element associated with the ticket received did not result in the failure, then after a first predetermined amount of time, determining whether the ticket should be forwarded to the test device for retesting of the network element associated with the ticket.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether testing of the network element associated with the ticket received resulted in a failure includes reviewing a test code associated with the ticket received to determine if the test code indicates that testing of the network element associated with the ticket received resulted in the failure.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the ticket should be forwarded to the test device for retesting the network element associated with the ticket comprises:

after the first predetermined amount of time, determining whether the network element associated with the ticket is being used by a customer;

if the network element associated with the ticket is being used by the customer, then closing the ticket associated with the network element;

if the network element associated with the ticket is not being used by the customer, then determining whether the network element associated with the ticket has been active for an amount of time less than a second predetermined amount of time;

if the network element associated with the ticket has not been active for the amount of time less than the second predetermined amount of time, then closing the ticket associated with the network element; and

if the network element associated with the ticket has been active for the amount of time less than the second predetermined amount of time, then forwarding the ticket to the test device for retesting of the network element associated with the ticket.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein determining whether the network element associated with the ticket is being used by a customer includes reviewing a test code associated with the ticket to determine if the test code indicates that the network element is being used by the customer.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein determining whether the network element associated with the ticket has been active for an amount of time less than the first predetermined amount of time includes:

retrieving information from the ticket regarding a time when the network element associated with the ticket was activated; and

comparing the time when the network element was activated with the first predetermined amount of time.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein determining, based on the information provided by the orders report, a network element from the network elements to be tested comprises determining, based on an installation status provided by the orders report, the network element from the network elements that is a newly installed network element.

7. A system for testing network elements, comprising:

a control device operative to;

retrieve information from an orders report regarding a network element to be tested,

create a ticket for the network element to be tested including information retrieved from the orders report, and

forward the ticket to a test device for testing the network element associated with the forwarded ticket; and

the test device connected to the control device, the test device operative to;

receive the ticket from the control device including the information regarding the network element to be tested,

determine whether the network element associated with the ticket is being used by a customer,

if the network element associated with the ticket is not being used by the customer, then test the network element for a failure,

associate the ticket with an indication representing test results for the network element, and

forward the ticket associated with the network element to the control device, and

if the network element associated with the ticket is being used by the customer, then;

associate the ticket with an indication that the network element is being used by the customer, and

forward the ticket associated with the network element to the control device.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the control device is further operative to:

receive the ticket associated with the network element from the test device;

determine whether the ticket indicates that testing of the network element resulted in the failure;

if the ticket indicates that testing of the network element associated with the ticket resulted in the failure, then schedule a repair of the network element and close the ticket so that testing of the network element is terminated;

if the ticket indicates that the network element is being used by the customer, then store the ticket for a first predetermined amount of time; and

if the ticket indicates that testing of the network element associated with the ticket did not result in the failure, then store the ticket for the first predetermined amount of time.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the control device is further operative to:

if the ticket stored indicates that the network element associated with the stored ticket is being used by the customer, then close the ticket stored so that testing of the network element is terminated;

if the ticket stored indicates that testing of the network element associated with the stored ticket did not result in the failure, then determine whether the network element has been active for an amount of time less than a second predetermined amount of time;

if the network element associated with the ticket stored has not been active for the amount of time less than the second predetermined amount of time, then close the ticket stored so that testing of the network element is terminated; and

if the network element associated with the ticket stored has been active for the amount of time less than the second predetermined amount of time, then forward the ticket stored to the test device for retesting of the network element associated with the ticket stored.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein determining whether a network element is being used by a customer includes:

determining whether an alarm is received from the network element;

if the alarm is received from the network element, then determining that the network element is not being used by the customer; and

if the alarm is not received from the network element, then determining that the network element is being used by the customer.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein the network elements to be tested include newly installed network elements from the orders report.

12. The system of claim 7, wherein testing the network element for a failure includes conducting a continuity test and a bit rate error test on the network element.