Enterprise collection bus

• US 8,477,781 B2
• Filed: 02/19/2008
• Issued: 07/02/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/19/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LYFT Incorporated
• Original Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Lott, Robert Wayne
• Primary Examiner(s): Zhu, Alvin
• Application Number:
  US12/033,053
• Publication Number:
  US 20090207835A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,960 Days
• Field of Search: 370/390, 370/392, 370/395.1, 370/396, 370/395.31, 370/395.43, 370/395.5, 370/401, 370/474
• US Class Current: 370/392
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/74 Address processing for routing

Abstract

Systems and methods are presented to collect raw data from a plurality of servers and nodes on a network. A Distributed Enterprise Collection Bus (DECB) architecture is employed at various points on a network. The DECB comprises a collector unit that is protocol agnostic, an orchestration unit, a rule database, a filtering unit, and a distribution unit. Packets of raw data such as Call Detail Records (CDRs) generated by switching centers are received, and distributed to relevant destinations. Relevant destinations include data warehouses, mediation, analytics, etc. The goal is to alleviate collection and filtration duties of the source and destination.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, at a server comprising a processor, a packet of raw data, wherein the packet of raw data is generated by a source server on a network and is related to an event, the packet of raw data comprising a header, the header further comprising a first destination address;

discarding, by the processor, the packet of raw data upon a determination that the packet of raw data is one or more of a duplicative data packet, a virus-infected data packet, and a spam data packet;

consulting, by the processor, a rule database to determine an appropriate destination server for the packet of raw data, wherein the appropriate destination server is at a different address than the first destination address, and wherein the appropriate destination server comprises both of a communications assistance for law enforcement database and a mediation server;

repopulating, by the processor, the header to replace the first destination address with the different address of the appropriate destination server; and

distributing, by the processor, the packet of raw data to the appropriate destination server,

wherein the event is a service activity of a service hosted by the source server on the network,

wherein the packet of raw data is received by a collector unit that is able to simultaneously receive, from a plurality of separate sources, a call detail record from a switching server, an accounting request from a voice-over-IP server, a plurality of real-time reports relating to network conditions from a network condition probe, and a plurality of real-time reports from a deep packet inspection server, and

wherein the packet of raw data comprises a record of usage of the service activity.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising discarding the packet of raw data in the case that no appropriate destination server exists for the packet of raw data.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the network is a mobile network.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the packet of raw data is a call detail record, and wherein the source server is a switching center.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the packet of raw data is generated and received in real time.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a network operator an interface to update the rule database.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the appropriate destination server is a billing system.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the appropriate destination server is a data warehouse.

9. A system comprising:

a server comprising a processor and a memory;

a collecting unit on the memory that, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to receive a packet of raw data comprising a header, the header further comprising a first destination address, wherein the collecting unit is able to simultaneously receive, from a plurality of separate sources, a call detail record from a switching server, an accounting request from a voice-over-IP server, a plurality of real-time reports relating to network conditions from a network condition probe, and a plurality of real-time reports from a deep packet inspection server;

an orchestration unit on the memory that, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to determine an appropriate destination server for the packet of raw data, the appropriate destination server being at a different address than the first destination address, the appropriate destination server comprising both of a communications assistance for law enforcement database and a mediation server, and to repopulate the header to replace the first destination address with the different address of the appropriate destination server;

a rule database in communication with the orchestration unit, the rule database storing a plurality of rules correlating a plurality of destination addresses on the network with the packet of raw data; and

a distribution unit programmed to deliver the packet of raw data to the appropriate destination address, said distribution unit further comprising a filtering unit programmed to discard the packet of raw data upon a determination that the packet of raw data is one or more of a duplicative data packet, a virus-infected data packet, and a spam data packet, said filtering unit further discarding the packet of raw data in the case that no appropriate destination address exists in the rule database;

wherein the raw data comprises a record of usage of a service.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein a plurality of collecting, orchestration, and distribution units along with the rule database form an enterprise collection bus, wherein the plurality provides redundancy.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the enterprise collection bus is protocol agnostic, and can be situated at any point in the network.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the enterprise collection bus is situated in a pair configuration comprising two enterprise collection buses.

13. An information collection system, comprising:

a server on a network, the server comprising a processor and a memory; and

a logic on the memory that, when executed by the processor to perform operations comprising;

receiving a packet of raw data comprising a header, the header further comprising a first destination address, wherein the server is enabled to simultaneously receive, from a plurality of separate sources, a call detail record from a switching server, an accounting request from a voice-over-IP server, a plurality of real-time reports relating to network conditions from a network condition probe, and a plurality of real-time reports from a deep packet inspection server;

determining an appropriate destination server for the packet of raw data, the appropriate destination server being at a different address than the first destination address, the appropriate destination server comprising both of a communications assistance for law enforcement database and a mediation server;

repopulating the header to replace the first destination address with the different address of the appropriate destination server;

discarding the packet of raw data upon a determination that the packet of raw data is one or more of a duplicative data packet, a virus-infected data packet, and a spam data packet; and

forwarding the packet of raw data to the appropriate destination server.

14. The information collection system of claim 13, wherein the operations further comprise the packet of raw data if no appropriate destination exists for the packet of raw data.

15. The information collection system of claim 13, further comprising:

a plurality of rules stored on a first database;

the plurality of rules being used to determine the appropriate destination address.

16. The information collection system of claim 13, wherein the server is an application server.

17. The information collection system of claim 13, wherein the packet of raw data comprises a Call Detail Record.

18. The information collection system of claim 17, wherein the server is a switching center.