System and method for a service provisioning platform for activating services in a communication network

• US 8,645,459 B2
• Filed: 11/18/2009
• Issued: 02/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Gullin, Patrick
• Primary Examiner(s): Chan, Wing F
• Assistant Examiner(s): MIAH, RAZU A
• Application Number:
  US12/621,294
• Publication Number:
  US 20110119329A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,539 Days
• Field of Search: 709201-203, 709224-229, 370/352, 705/1, 705/40
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/63 Routing a service request depending on the request content or context

Abstract

A system for provisioning services may include a device that may receive a service order that identifies a service to be provisioned. The device may obtain, using the service order, a specification for the service. The device may further identify, based on the specification, a service processing system to invoke for provisioning the service, and invoke the service processing system by sending the service order and the specification to the identified service processing system.

Claims

1. A method, performed by a device in a service provisioning platform for activating services in a communications network, the method comprising:

receiving, using the device, a service order, the service order identifying a current service to be provisioned;

obtaining, using the device, information regarding the current service;

identifying, using the device, a service processing system to invoke for provisioning the current service, the identifying being based on the obtained information regarding the current service;

identifying, using the device, one or more additional services, using the information regarding the current service;

determining, using the device a sequence in which the current service and the one or more additional services are to be activated; and

sending the service order, the information regarding the current service, and

the sequence in which the current service and the one or more additional services are to be activated, from the device to the identified service processing system and from the device toward a service enabler such that the service enabler collects the information regarding the current service, determines a sequence for activating the current service and the one or more additional services based on the sequence determined by the device, and activates the current service and the one or more additional services based on the determined sequence for activating the current service and the one or more additional services.

2. The method of claim 1, where the obtaining the information regarding the service includes:

obtaining a service specification, for the current service, from a service catalog that maintains service specifications for a plurality of services.

3. The method of claim 1, where the identifying the one or more additional services includes:

identifying another service processing system to be invoked for each service of the one or more additional services.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a location of the service processing system to be invoked for the current service to be provisioned, and

where the sending includes;

sending the service order, the information regarding the current service, and the sequence in which the current service and the one or more additional services are to be activated, from the device to the determined location.

5. The method of claim 4, where the determining the location of the service processing system includes:

looking up the location of the service processing system using a naming service lookup client.

6. The method of claim 5, where the looking up the location includes:

using the naming service client to access one of a Java Naming and Directory Interface (JNDI) database or a Universal Description, Discovery and Integration (UDDI) database.

7. The method of claim 4 wherein the determined location comprises an object reference.

8. The method of claim 4 wherein the determined location comprises an endpoint URL.

9. A service provisioning platform for activating services in a communications network, the service provisioning platform comprising:

a device to;

receive a service order that identifies a current service to be provisioned,

obtain, using the service order, a specification for the current service,

identify, based on the specification, a service processing system to invoke for provisioning the current service,

identify, using the specification for the current service, one or more additional services to be provisioned,

determine a sequence in which the current service and the one or more additional services are to be activated,

invoke the service processing system by sending the service order, the specification, and the sequence in which the current service and the one or more additional services are to be activated, from the device to the identified service processing system,

forward at least one of the service order and the sequence in which the current service and the one or more additional services are to be activated, toward a service enabler, for activating the current service that was ordered, the service enabler to;

collect information related to the at least one of the service order and the sequence in which the current service and the one or more additional services are to be activated;

determine a sequence for activating the current service and the one or more additional services, based on the information; and

activate the current service and the one or more additional services based on the determined sequence.

10. The service provisioning platform of claim 9, where, when obtaining the specification for the service, the device is to:

obtain the specification from a service catalog that stores service specifications for a plurality of services capable of being provisioned in the system.

11. The service provisioning platform of claim 9, where, when identifying the one or more additional services, the device is to:

identify another service processing system to be invoked for each service of the one or more additional services, and

identify a sequence in which each identified service processing system is to be invoked.

12. The service provisioning platform of claim 9, where the device is further to:

determine a location of the service processing system to be invoked for the current service to be provisioned, and where,

when invoking the service processing system, the device is to;

send the service order, the specification, and the sequence in which the current service and the one or more additional services are to be activated, to the determined location.

13. The service provisioning platform of claim 12, where when determining the location of the service processing system, the device is to:

perform a database lookup, for the location, using information identifying the service processing system.

14. The service provisioning platform of claim 9, where the service processing system is further configured to:

receive the service order, the specification, and the sequence in which the current service and the one or more additional services are to be activated, from the device,

collect additional information relating to the current service, and

forward at least one of the collected additional information or data related to the service order, and the sequence in which the current service and the one or more additional services are to be activated, toward a service enabler, for activating the current service that was ordered.

15. A service provisioning platform for activating services in a communications network comprising:

a service activator to;

receive a service order that identifies a current service to be provisioned,

obtain, using the service order, a specification for the current service,

determine, using the specification for the current service, relative service sequencing information for the current service relative to the one or more additional services to be activated,

identify, based on the specification, a service processing system to invoke for provisioning the current service, and

send the service order, the specification, and the relative service sequencing information to the identified service processing system;

the service processing system, including one or more processors coupled to at least one memory, configured to;

receive the service order, the specification, and the relative service sequencing information from the service activator,

collect, in response to receiving the service order and the specification, information from one or more external sources, and

forward information for provisioning the service and the relative service sequencing information to an adaptor, the information being based on the collected information and the service order; and

the adaptor, including one or more processors coupled to at least one memory, configured to;

receive the information for provisioning the service and the relative service sequencing information from the service processing system,

convert the received information and the relative service sequencing information to an appropriate format for use by one or more provisioning gateways or by a service enabler for activating the service, and

transfer the converted information to one or more of a provisioning gateway for provisioning the service for activation of the service or one or more service enablers for activating the service;

the service enabler, including one or more processors coupled to at least one memory, configured to;

collect the converted information for provisioning the current service and the one or more additional services,

determine a sequence for activating the current service and the one or more additional services, based on the relative sequencing information, and

activate the current service and the one or more additional services based on the determined sequence;

at least one processor; and

at least one memory coupled to the at least one processor and comprising computer readable program instructions embodied therein that, when executed by the at least one processor, causes the at least one processor to perform the operations of the service activator, the service processing system, the adaptor, or the service enabler.

16. The service provisioning platform of claim 15, where, when obtaining the specification for the service, the service activator is to:

obtain the specification from a service catalog that stores service specifications for a plurality of services capable of being provisioned in the system.