Enterprise collection bus

• US 8,948,183 B2
• Filed: 07/01/2013
• Issued: 02/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/19/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: LYFT Incorporated
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Lott, Robert Wayne
• Primary Examiner(s): Zhu, Alvin
• Application Number:
  US13/932,591
• Publication Number:
  US 20130286947A1
• Time in Patent Office: 582 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 not to be saved;

consulting, by the processor, a rule database to determine a destination server for the packet of raw data, wherein the destination server is at a different address than the first destination address, and wherein the destination server comprises 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 destination server; and

distributing, by the processor, the packet of raw data to the 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 receives, 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 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, wherein the destination server comprises a billing system.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the destination server comprises a data warehouse.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the packet of raw data comprises a duplicative data packet.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the packet of raw data comprises a virus-infected data packet.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the packet of raw data comprises a spam data packet.

11. A system comprising:

a processor; and

a memory that stores instructions comprising a collecting unit, an orchestration unit, a distribution unit, and a rule database, wherein execution of the instructions by the processor causes the processor to perform operations comprising

receiving, using the collecting unit, a packet of raw data comprising a header, the header further comprising a first destination address, wherein the collecting unit receives, 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, using the orchestration unit, a destination server for the packet of raw data, the destination server being located at a different address than the first destination address, the destination server comprising a communications assistance for law enforcement database and a mediation server, and

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

storing, using the rule database, a plurality of rules correlating a plurality of destination addresses on the network with the packet of raw data, and

delivering, using the distribution unit, the packet of raw data to the destination server, the distribution unit further comprising a filtering unit that discards the packet of raw data upon a determination that the packet of raw data is one of a duplicative data packet, a virus-infected data packet, and a spam data packet, the filtering unit further discarding the packet of raw data in the case that no destination address exists in the rule database, wherein the raw data comprises a record of usage of a service.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein a plurality of collecting, orchestration, and distribution units along with the rule database form an enterprise collection bus, wherein the plurality provides redundancy.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the enterprise collection bus is protocol agnostic, and can be situated at any point in the network.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the enterprise collection bus is situated in a pair configuration comprising two enterprise collection buses.

15. An information collection system, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory that stores logic that, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to perform operations comprising

receiving a packet of raw data comprising a header, the header further comprising a first destination address,

receiving, 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 a destination server for the packet of raw data, the destination server being at a different address than the first destination address, the destination server comprising 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 destination server,

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

forwarding the packet of raw data to the destination server.

16. The information collection system of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise the packet of raw data if no destination address exists for the packet of raw data.

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

a plurality of rules stored on a first database;

the plurality of rules being used to determine the different address.

18. The information collection system of claim 15, wherein the destination server is an application server.

19. The information collection system of claim 15, wherein the packet of raw data comprises a Call Detail Record.

20. The information collection system of claim 19, wherein the destination server is a switching center.