System and method for storing element information

• US 8,073,819 B2
• Filed: 05/11/2004
• Issued: 12/06/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sbc Knowledge Ventures, L.P.
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Armanino, Frederick Michael, Wong, Peter A., Tsai, Mengfeng, Lees, Theresa Jayne
• Primary Examiner(s): PULLIAM, CHRISTYANN R
• Application Number:
  US10/842,841
• Publication Number:
  US 20050256886A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,765 Days
• Field of Search: 707/100
• US Class Current: 707/688
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/27 Replication, distribution or synchronisation of data between databases or within a distributed database system; Distributed database system architectures therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/278 Data partitioning, e.g. horizontal or vertical partitioning

Abstract

A system and method are disclosed for storing element information. A method incorporating teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, creating a structured text object that includes information representing a collection of metrics for a tracked network node. The network node may be, for example, a computing device, a communication link, and/or an interface mechanism. In practice, the text object may be compressed into a binary element, and the binary element may be stored in a data store.

Claims

1. A method of storing network element information, the method comprising:

receiving metric information of at least two metrics for a network element of a communication network from the network element at a centralized network-based repository of metric information, the repository operable in a service bureau mode to provide element management services for different types of communication network elements of a plurality of communication networks, the element management services including obtaining and maintaining metric information from each of the plurality of communication networks, wherein the metric information is accessible via a graphical user interface;

generating a structured text object including the metric information for the network element, the structured text object containing multiple pieces of information associated with the network element, wherein the structured text object includes an extensible markup language object;

automatically compressing the structured text object into a binary element;

storing the binary element in a memory device;

associating an identification key with the binary element to enable retrieving of the binary element, wherein the identification key includes a customer identifier associated with a particular customer;

receiving a request from an access device for the metric information, wherein the request includes a portion of the customer identifier;

determining an access device type of the access device;

retrieving the binary element based on the portion of the customer identifier;

translating at least a portion of the metric information from the binary element into a signal based on the access device type; and

sending the signal to the access device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the memory device includes a data store and wherein the binary element is stored in a single table location of the data store.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a request to move legacy metric information related to a particular network element from a legacy storage system to the memory device, wherein the legacy metric information includes a first metric stored in a first table location and a second metric stored in a second table location.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising modifying the structured text object for the particular network element to include the first metric and the second metric.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the customer identifier includes a digital subscriber line link number associated with the particular customer and wherein the portion of the customer identifier includes data representing a location of the particular customer, the method further comprising generating search results based on data representing the location, the search results including a list of customers associated with the location, and receiving input selecting data associated with the particular customer, wherein the binary element is retrieved in response to the input.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving second metric information from a second network element, the second metric information related to a plurality of metrics associated with the second network element;

generating a second structured text object including the second metric information of the second network element;

compressing the second structured text object into a second binary element; and

storing the second binary element in the memory device.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

receiving a second request regarding metric information associated with a particular metric included in at least one of the structured text object and the second structured text object;

retrieving at least one of the binary element and the second binary element including the requested metric information;

uncompressing at least one of the binary element and the second binary element; and

presenting the metric information associated with the particular metric via the graphical user interface.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one field of the structured text object is a voice mark-up language and wherein the method further comprises presenting the at least one field via a speech recognition engine.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein a particular field of the structured text object is populated with metric information entered by a user.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the metric information comprises querying a management information base of the network element and receiving protocol data units from the management information base.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication network comprises a wireless network.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication network comprises a public internet.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the binary element has only one measured value for each metric of the at least two metrics.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the request is received via a haptic-based interaction.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the request is received via a gesture-based interaction.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the metric information is received via common management information protocol.

17. A computer-readable storage medium including instructions executable by a processor to:

receive metric information for a plurality of metrics from network elements of a communication network at a centralized network-based repository of metric information, the metric information associated with the network elements, wherein the metric information relates to at least one of a customer billing cycle, a customer account number, and a customer elected service, and wherein the metric information is accessible via a graphical user interface;

generate a structured text object including the metric information for each of the network elements, wherein the structured text object includes a plurality of fields that are populated with the metric information for at least one of the network elements, the structured text object containing multiple pieces of information associated with the network elements, wherein the structured text object includes an extensible markup language object;

produce a compressed form of the structured text object;

store the compressed form of the structured text object in a memory;

associate an identification key with the compressed form of the structured text object to enable retrieval of the compressed form of the structured text object, wherein the identification key includes a customer identifier associated with a particular customer;

receive a request from an access device for the metric information, wherein the request includes a portion of the customer identifier;

determine an access device type of the access device;

retrieve the compressed form of the structured text object based on the portion of the customer identifier;

translate at least a portion of the metric information from the compressed foil of the structured text object into a signal based on the access device type; and

send the signal to the access device.

18. The computer readable storage medium of claim 17, further comprising instructions executable by the processor to:

receive a second request regarding metric information associated with a particular metric included in the structured text object;

retrieve the compressed form of the structured text object;

uncompress the compressed form of the structured text object;

present the metric information associated with the particular metric via the graphical user interface; and

present additional information related to the metric information associated with the particular metric in response to an input entered via the graphical user interface.

19. The computer readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the signal comprises a voice signal, a visual representation, text information, or any combination thereof.

20. The computer readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein at least one of the network elements is a public switched telephone network switch.

21. The computer readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein at least one of the network elements is an Ethernet switch.

22. The computer readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein at least one of the network elements is a router.