Method and system for customizing update-string processing in network elements

• US 7,616,666 B1
• Filed: 12/09/2002
• Issued: 11/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Schultz, Donald Allan
• Primary Examiner(s): Ahmed; Salman
• Application Number:
  US10/314,849
• Time in Patent Office: 2,528 Days
• Field of Search: 370/469, 370/471, 370/473, 370/514, 370/254, 709220-222, 709/250, 707/10, 717/143, 700/19, 713/1
• US Class Current: 370/514
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/082 the condition being updates or upgrades of network functionality

Abstract

A method and system for customizing the format and processing of update strings or query requests sent to telecommunications network elements is provided. The method includes receiving formatting instructions along with an update string. The network element is programmed to recognize the format particular to an update string based on processing the formatting instructions. The update string is received and the network element is updated accordingly. The system includes an improved network-element component that has an instruction-processing component for receiving and processing the formatting instructions and returning specifically formatted queries.

Claims

1. In a telecommunications networking environment including a server and one or more dynamic session-environment setting(s), a method of processing a dynamically user-customizable network-element-update string (dynamically user-customizable update string) of a particular format, comprising:

receiving one or more update-string-processing (USP) instruction(s),

(1) wherein the one or more dynamic session-environment setting(s) are set based on the USP instructions without the aid of a database and a network element is programmed to recognize the format particular to a dynamically user-customizable update string associated with the USP instruction(s),

(2) wherein the one or more USP instructions include instructions that cause said network element to perform a recognizing process to recognize a format of a corresponding data string,

(3) wherein said recognizing process includes,

a) interpreting the dynamically user-customizable update string when communicated using human-interpretable text,

b) interpreting the dynamically user-customizable update string when communicated in machine-readable text, and

c) recognizing one or more elements of the dynamically user-customizable update string as a primary-key;

receiving the dynamically user-customizable update string without the aid of a database; and

effecting changes to the network element consistent with the received dynamically user-customizable update string.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the dynamically user-customizable update string is comprised of at least one data element.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein recognizing a format of a corresponding data string further includes one or more of the following:

interpreting the data elements of the dynamically user-customizable update string based on position;

interpreting the data elements of the dynamically user-customizable update string based on an associated data-element name;

interpreting the dynamically user-customizable update string parsed with a specified field delimiter;

recognizing a data wrapping-value; and

recognizing a beginning and/or ending marker of the dynamically user-customizable update string.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein effecting changes to the network element comprises effecting one or more of the following operations:

updating a network-element table;

provisioning;

routing;

destination screening;

establishing subscriber features; and

modifying subscriber features.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein modifying a network-element table comprises one or more of the following:

adding a record to said table;

modifying a record of said table;

deleting a record from said table; and

querying a record from said table.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein provisioning comprises one or more of the following:

provisioning a trunk; and

provisioning a circuit.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein routing comprises one or more of the following:

basic routing;

featured routing; and

Distributed Intelligence Network Architecture (DINA) Class 1 routing.

8. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon that cause a network element to perform a method of processing a transaction, wherein said transaction comprises one or more formatting instructions and a dynamically user-customizable network-element-update string (dynamically user-customizable update string) of a particular format, the method comprising the steps of:

processing said one or more formatting instructions, including instructions to set one or more dynamic session-environment setting(s), without the aid of a database, wherein processing said one or more formatting instructions includes programming said network element to recognize a string format particular to the dynamically user-customizable update string including

(1) interpreting the dynamically user-customizable update string when communicated using human-interpretable text,

(2) interpreting the dynamically user-customizable update string when communicated in machine-readable text, and

(3) recognizing one or more elements of the dynamically user-customizable update string as a primary-key;

receiving the dynamically user-customizable update string without the aid of a database; and

effecting changes to the network element consistent with the received dynamically user-customizable update string.

9. The computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein said transaction accomplishes one or more of the following tasks:

updating the network-element;

provisioning;

routing;

destination screening;

establishing subscriber features; and

modifying subscriber features.

10. The computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein said dynamically user-customizable update string comprises one or more data elements.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein programming said network element includes one or more of the following:

interpreting the data elements of the dynamically user-customizable update string based on position;

interpreting the data elements of the dynamically user-customizable update string based on an associated data-element name;

interpreting the dynamically user-customizable update string parsed with a specified field delimiter; and

recognizing a beginning and/or ending delimiter of the dynamically user-customizable update string.

12. An improved network-element component, comprising an instruction-processing component that processes one or more formatting instructions to set one or more dynamic session-environment setting(s) without the aid of a database,

wherein incident to executing said formatting instructions, a network element is programmed to recognize a format of a dynamically user-customizable update string associated with said one or more formatting instructions, wherein processing said one or more formatting instructions includes programming said network element to recognize a string format particular to the dynamically user-customizable update string including

(1) interpreting the dynamically user-customizable update string when communicated using human-interpretable text,

(2) interpreting the dynamically user-customizable update string when communicated in machine-readable text, and

(3) recognizing one or more elements of the dynamically user-customizable update string as a primary-key.

13. An improved telecommunications switch that processes a dynamically user-customizable network-element-update string (dynamically user-customizable update string) of a particular format, comprising:

an instruction-receiving means that receives one or more formatting instructions,

(1) wherein the one or more formatting instructions include instructions that set one or more dynamic session-environment setting(s) without the aid of a database,

(2) wherein said one or more formatting instructions includes instructions that program said switch to recognize a format particular to the dynamically user-customizable update string incident to processing said formatting instructions, and

(3) wherein the instructions that program said switch include instructions that facilitate

a) interpreting the dynamically user-customizable update string when communicated using human-interpretable text,

b) interpreting the dynamically user-customizable update string communicated in machine-readable text, and

c) recognizing one or more elements of the dynamically user-customizable update string as a primary-key;

a data-receiving means that receives the dynamically user-customizable update string without the aid of a database; and

an updating means that effects changes to said switch consistent with the received dynamically user-customizable update string.

14. The switch of claim 13, wherein the instructions that to program said switch include instructions that facilitate one or more of the following tasks:

interpreting a positionally formatted dynamically user-customizable update string;

interpreting name/value-pair dynamically user-customizable update string;

interpreting the dynamically user-customizable update string parsed with a specified field delimiter; and

recognizing a beginning and/or ending delimiter of the dynamically user-customizable update string.

15. An improved method for updating a switch, comprising:

sending to the switch one or more formatting instructions that describe(s) a dynamically user-customizable format that said switch uses to process a switch command and set(s) one or more dynamic session-environment setting(s), without the aid of a database, wherein processing said switch command includes interpreting said switch command when communicated using human-interpretable text, interpreting said switch command when communicated in machine-readable text, and recognizing one or more elements of said switch command as a primary-key; and

sending said switch command in a format consistent with the formatting instructions sent to the switch, wherein said switch interprets said switch command consistent with said formatting instructions.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein said switch command includes a dynamically user-customizable update sequence or query string.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising receiving a query result incident to interpreting said query string, wherein said query result is communicated from said switch in a dynamically user-customizable format consistent with said formatting instructions.

18. A system that processes an update transaction in a telecommunications network environment, comprising:

a transaction-transmission component;

a server coupled to the transaction-transmission component;

one or more dynamic session-environment setting(s); and

a network element coupled to said server and said transaction-transmission component free of an intermediary database disposed between said transaction-transmission component and said network element,

(1) wherein said network element comprises an instruction-processing component that processes one or more formatting instructions to set the one or more dynamic session-environment setting(s) without the aid of a database,

(2) wherein incident to executing said formatting instructions, said network element is programmed to recognize a format of a dynamically user-customizable update string associated with said one or more formatting instructions,

(3) wherein processing said one or more formatting instructions includes programming said network element to recognize a string format particular to the dynamically user-customizable update string including

a) interpreting the dynamically user-customizable update string when communicated using human-interpretable text,

b) interpreting the dynamically user-customizable update string when communicated in machine-readable text, and

c) recognizing one or more elements of the dynamically user-customizable update string as a primary-key.