Methods for reconciling trunk group identification information among various telecommunication network management systems

• US 8,995,285 B2
• Filed: 12/07/2009
• Issued: 03/31/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bajpay, Paritosh, Best, Robert, Eslambolchi, Hossein, Glozzy, Richard, McCanuel, John, Simon, Richard
• Primary Examiner(s): Pezzlo, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): CAMPBELL, MATTHEW T
• Application Number:
  US12/632,670
• Publication Number:
  US 20100080147A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,940 Days
• US Class Current: 370/244
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/082 the condition being updates or upgrades of network functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0886 Fully automatic configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0062 Provisions for network management

Abstract

A method includes retrieving a first data set from a switch within a network, the first data set including a set of switch records. Among the switch records included in the first data set is a first switch record associated with and including a field identifying a first trunk group from a set of trunk groups included within the switch. A second data set is retrieved from a configuration management system configured to facilitate an operation associated with the network. The second data set includes a plurality of configuration records, which includes a first configuration record associated with and including a field identifying the first trunk group. When the field included in the first configuration record differs from the field included in the first switch record a report is produced.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

retrieving, by a processor, a first data set from a switch within a network, the first data set including a plurality of switch records, the plurality of switch records including a first switch record associated with and including a field identifying a first trunk group from a plurality of trunk groups included within the switch, wherein the processor is distinct from the switch, wherein the processor retrieves the first data set by querying the switch for the first data set;

retrieving, by the processor, a second data set from a configuration management system for facilitating an operation associated with the network, wherein the configuration management system is distinct from the switch, wherein the configuration management system comprises a billing system, the second data set including a plurality of configuration records, the plurality of configurations records including a first configuration record including a field identifying the first trunk group;

determining, by the processor, for each of a plurality of fields included in the first configuration record, whether each field contains a data value that is equivalent to a data value contained in a same field included in the first switch record, wherein the plurality of fields includes a record date field and a trunk group identifier field;

determining a number of the plurality of fields included in the first configuration record for which the data value contained in the field is equivalent to the data value contained in the same field included in the first switch record;

producing, by the processor, a report when the number does not exceed a predetermined threshold number;

updating, by the processor, the second data set to replace the first configuration record with the first switch record when the number does not exceed the predetermined threshold number; and

transmitting, by the processor, the second data set that is updated to the configuration management system.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the field identifying the first trunk group included within the first switch record and the field identifying the first trunk group included within the first configuration record each includes a base traffic number associated with the first trunk group.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the report includes the first configuration record.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first data set is retrieved automatically.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the second data set is retrieved automatically.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the report is produced automatically.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the configuration management system is one of a plurality of configuration management systems; and

the second data set is one of a plurality of second data sets, each second data set from the plurality of second data sets being uniquely associated with and retrieved from a configuration management system from the plurality of configuration management systems.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the plurality of configuration management systems comprises:

an ordering system, an inventory system, a provisioning system, the billing system, and a network maintenance system.

9. A non-transitory processor-readable medium storing code representing instructions to cause a processor to perform operations, the operations comprising:

retrieving a first data set from a switch within a network, the first data set including a plurality of switch records, the plurality of switch records including a first switch record associated with and including a field identifying a first trunk group from a plurality of trunk groups included within the switch, wherein the processor is distinct from the switch, wherein the first data set is retrieved by querying the switch for the first data set;

retrieving a second data set from a configuration management system for facilitating an operation associated with the network, wherein the configuration management system is distinct from the switch, wherein the configuration management system comprises a billing system, the second data set including a plurality of configuration records, the plurality of configurations records including a first configuration record including a field identifying the first trunk group;

determining for each of a plurality of fields included in the first configuration record, whether each field contains a data value that is equivalent to a data value contained in a same field included in the first switch record, wherein the plurality of fields includes a record date field and a trunk group identifier field;

determining a number of the plurality of fields included in the first configuration record for which the data value contained in the field is equivalent to the data value contained in the same field included in the first switch record;

producing a report when the number does not exceed a predetermined threshold number;

updating the second data set to replace the first configuration record with the first switch record when the number does not exceed the predetermined threshold number; and

transmitting the second data set that is updated to the configuration management system.

10. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the field identifying the first trunk group included within the first switch record and the field identifying the first trunk group included within the first configuration record each includes a base traffic number associated with the first trunk group.

11. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the report includes the first configuration record.

12. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the first data set is retrieved automatically, wherein the second data set is retrieved automatically, and wherein the report is produced automatically.

13. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 9, wherein:

the configuration management system is one of a plurality of configuration management systems; and

the second data set is one of a plurality of second data sets, each second data set from the plurality of second data sets being uniquely associated with and retrieved from a configuration management system from the plurality of configuration management systems.

14. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the plurality of configuration management systems comprises:

an ordering system, an inventory system, a provisioning system, the billing system, and a network maintenance system.

15. An apparatus, comprising:

a processor; and

a processor-readable medium storing code representing instructions to cause the processor to perform operations, the operations comprising;

retrieving a first data set from a switch within a network, the first data set including a plurality of switch records, the plurality of switch records including a first switch record associated with and including a field identifying a first trunk group from a plurality of trunk groups included within the switch, wherein the processor is distinct from the switch, wherein the first data set is retrieved by querying the switch for the first data set;

retrieving a second data set from a configuration management system for facilitating an operation associated with the network, wherein the configuration management system is distinct from the switch, wherein the configuration management system comprises a billing system, the second data set including a plurality of configuration records, the plurality of configurations records including a first configuration record including a field identifying the first trunk group;

determining for each of a plurality of fields included in the first configuration record, whether each field contains a data value that is equivalent to a data value contained in a same field included in the first switch record, wherein the plurality of fields includes a record date field and a trunk group identifier field;

determining a number of the plurality of fields included in the first configuration record for which the data value contained in the field is equivalent to the data value contained in the same field included in the first switch record;

producing report when the number does not exceed a predetermined threshold number;

updating the second data set to replace the first configuration record with the first switch record when the number does not exceed the predetermined threshold number; and

transmitting the second data set that is updated to the configuration management system.