Method and system for provisioning logical circuits for intermittent use in a data network

• US 8,339,988 B2
• Filed: 04/22/2004
• Issued: 12/25/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Taylor, William, Massengill, David, Hollingsworth, John
• Primary Examiner(s): Shah, Chirag
• Assistant Examiner(s): Shivers, Ashley L
• Application Number:
  US10/829,539
• Publication Number:
  US 20050238024A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,169 Days
• Field of Search: 370/230, 370/468, 370/254, 370/351, 370/352, 370/355, 370/356, 370/357, 370/359, 370/397, 370/399, 370/395.2, 370/395.21, 370/395.4, 370/395.43, 370/409, 370/431, 725/86, 725/87, 725/101, 725/104, 725/140
• US Class Current: 370/254
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5626 Network management, e.g. Intelligent nets
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/10 Routing in connection-oriented networks, e.g. X.25 or ATM
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/302 Route determination based on requested QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/3065 for real time traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/826 Involving periods of time
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/254 Centralised controller, i.e. arbitration or scheduling

Abstract

A method and system are provided for provisioning logical circuits for intermittent use in a data network. A customer order requesting the use of a logical circuit for communicating data for a predetermined time period is received in the data network. A logical circuit is then provisioned in the data network prior to the start of the predetermined time period for communicating the customer data. Once the predetermined time period has elapsed, the provisioned logical circuit is deleted from the data network.

Claims

1. A method for provisioning logical circuits for intermittent use in a data network, the method comprising:

receiving at least one customer order for routing data in the data network for a time period;

provisioning at least one logical circuit in the data network for routing the data during the time period, wherein provisioning the at least one logical circuit comprises, without manual intervention, provisioning the at least one logical circuit through a first local access and transport area, an inter-exchange carrier, and a second local access and transport area, and wherein the at least one logical circuit includes first variable communication paths to route the data through the first local access and transport area in which the first variable communication paths automatically reroute from first input and output ports of a first set of switches of the first local access and transport area to second input and output ports of a second set of switches of the first local access and transport area while maintaining the at least one logical circuit, second variable communication paths to route the data through the second local access and transport area, and fixed communication paths to route the data between the first local access and transport area, the second local access and transport area, and the inter-exchange carrier, the second set of switches forming a route associated with the first variable communication paths that is not predefined and that is dynamically defined at a time of automatic rerouting;

adding the at least one logical circuit to a deletion batch; and

disconnecting the at least one logical circuit at the end of the time period.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein provisioning the at least one logical circuit comprises provisioning the at least one logical circuit prior to the start of the time period.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein provisioning the at least one logical circuit prior to the start of the time period comprises:

determining a maintenance window prior to the start of the time period; and

provisioning the at least one logical circuit during the maintenance window.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein disconnecting the at least one logical circuit at the end of the time period comprises disconnecting the at least one logical circuit following the end of the time period.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein disconnecting the at least one logical circuit following the end of the time period comprises:

determining a maintenance window following the end of the time period; and

disconnecting the at least one logical circuit during the maintenance window.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating trap data for the at least one logical circuit during the time period, wherein the trap data comprises utilization statistics for the at least one logical circuit.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the utilization statistics comprise the percent utilization of the at least one logical circuit during the time period.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the customer order comprises a quality of service parameter for the at least one logical circuit.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the quality of service parameter comprises at least one of:

an unspecified bit rate;

a variable bit rate; and

a committed bit rate.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one logical circuit is a permanent virtual circuit.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one logical circuit is a switched virtual circuit.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a second customer order for routing second data in the data network for a second time period, wherein the at least one customer order is received at a first time of receipt and the second customer order is received at a second time of receipt;

selecting a first maintenance window to provision the at least one logical circuit based on the first time of receipt being within a first time of receipt range corresponding to the first maintenance window;

when the second time of receipt corresponding to the second customer order is within the first time of receipt range, selecting the first maintenance window to provision a second logical circuit corresponding to the second customer order; and

when the second time of receipt corresponding to the second customer order is not within the first time of receipt range, selecting a second maintenance window to provision the second logical circuit.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the first maintenance window occurs during a time range during which a plurality of logical connections assigned to the first maintenance window are provisioned based on customer orders corresponding to the plurality of logical connections having been received during the first time of receipt range.

14. A system for provisioning logical circuits for intermittent use in a data network, the system comprising:

at least one network device to establish a communications path for at least one logical circuit in the data network; and

a network management module comprising a processor, and a memory storing machine readable instructions which, when executed on the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising;

provisioning the at least one logical circuit for routing customer data during a time period in response to a customer order, wherein provisioning the at least one logical circuit comprises, without manual intervention, provisioning the at least one logical circuit through a first local access and transport area, an inter-exchange carrier, and a second local access and transport area, and wherein the at least one logical circuit includes first variable communication paths to route the data through the first local access and transport area in which the first variable communication paths automatically reroute from first input and output ports of a first set of switches of the first local access and transport area to second input and output ports of a second set of switches of the first local access and transport area while maintaining the at least one logical circuit, second variable communication paths to route the data through the second local access and transport area, and fixed communication paths to route the data between the first local access and transport area, the second local access and transport area, and the inter-exchange carrier, the second set of switches forming a route associated with the first variable communication paths that is not predefined and that is dynamically defined at a time of automatic rerouting of the first variable communication paths;

adding the at least one logical circuit to a deletion batch; and

disconnecting the at least one logical circuit following the end of the time period.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the network management module, in provisioning the at least one logical circuit, is operative to provision the at least one logical circuit prior to the start of the time period.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the network management module, in provisioning the at least one logical circuit prior to the start of the time period, is operative to:

determine a maintenance window prior to the start of the time period; and

provision the at least one logical circuit during the maintenance window.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the network management module, in disconnecting the at least one logical circuit following the end of the time period, is operative to:

determine a maintenance window following the end of the time period; and

disconnect the at least one logical circuit during the maintenance window.

18. The system of claim 14, further comprising a logical element module in communication with the at least one network device and the network management module, the logical element module to receive trap data generated by the at least one network device, wherein the trap data comprises a percent utilization of the at least one logical circuit during the time period.

19. The system of claim 14, wherein the customer order comprises a quality of service parameter for the logical circuit.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the quality of service parameter comprises at least one of:

an unspecified bit rate;

a variable bit rate; and

a committed bit rate.

21. The system of claim 14, wherein the at least one logical circuit is a permanent virtual circuit.

22. The system of claim 14, wherein the at least one logical circuit is a switched virtual circuit.

23. The system of claim 14, wherein the network management module is further to:

receive a second customer order for routing second data in the data network for a second time period, wherein the at least one customer order is received at a first time of receipt and the second customer order is received at a second time of receipt;

select a first maintenance window to provision the at least one logical circuit based on the first time of receipt being within a first time of receipt range corresponding to the first maintenance window;

when the second time of receipt corresponding to the second customer order is within the first time of receipt range, select the first maintenance window to provision a second logical circuit corresponding to the second customer order; and

when the second time of receipt corresponding to the second customer order is not within the first time of receipt range, select a second maintenance window to provision the second logical circuit.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the first maintenance window occurs during a time range during which a plurality of logical connections assigned to the first maintenance window are provisioned based on customer orders corresponding to the plurality of logical connections having been received during the first time of receipt range.

25. A method for provisioning logical circuits for routing logical circuit data in a data network during a time period, the method comprising:

receiving at least one customer order for routing the logical data in the data network during the time period;

determining a maintenance window prior to the start of the time period;

provisioning at least one logical circuit during the maintenance window, wherein provisioning the at least one logical circuit comprises, without manual intervention, provisioning the at least one logical circuit through a first local access and transport area, an inter-exchange carrier, and a second local access and transport area, and wherein the at least one logical circuit includes first variable communication paths to route the data through the first local access and transport area in which the first variable communication paths automatically reroute from first input and output ports of a first set of switches of the first local access and transport area to second input and output ports of a second set of switches of the first local access and transport area while maintaining the at least one logical circuit, second variable communication paths to route the data through the second local access and transport area, and fixed communication paths to route the data between the first local access and transport area, the second local access and transport area, and the inter-exchange carrier, the second set of switches forming a route associated with the first variable communication paths that is not predefined and that is dynamically defined at a time at which the first variable communication paths are automatically rerouted;

determining a maintenance window following the end of the time period; and

disconnecting the at least one logical circuit during the maintenance window.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

receiving a second customer order for routing second data in the data network for a second time period, wherein the at least one customer order is received at a first time of receipt and the second customer order is received at a second time of receipt;

selecting a first maintenance window to provision the at least one logical circuit based on the first time of receipt being within a first time of receipt range corresponding to the first maintenance window;

when the second time of receipt corresponding to the second customer order is within the first time of receipt range, selecting the first maintenance window to provision a second logical circuit corresponding to the second customer order; and

when the second time of receipt corresponding to the second customer order is not within the first time of receipt range, selecting a second maintenance window to provision the second logical circuit.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the first maintenance window occurs during a time range during which a plurality of logical connections assigned to the first maintenance window are provisioned based on customer orders corresponding to the plurality of logical connections having been received during the first time of receipt range.