Meta-service activating interface between a customer...

Details Meta-service activating interface between a customer... Meta-service activating interface between a customer...

1998-07-20

2001-03-06

Breene, John (Department: 2177)

Data processing: database and file management or data structures

Database design

Data structure types

C709S202000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06199066

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Technical Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to communications networks and, in particular, to an enhancement of the interface between a customer administrative system and database network elements of a communications network to support the activation of meta-services.
2. Description of Related Art
Reference is now made to
FIG. 1
wherein there is shown a block diagram illustrating a portion of a communications network
10
implementing a prior art transaction-based interface (IF)
12
between a customer administrative system (CAS)
14
and a plurality of database network elements (NE)
16
. The interface
12
, customer administrative system
14
, and database network elements
16
are interconnected using a network
18
preferably comprising a network, such as an X.25 network, separate and apart from the communications network
10
. As an example, the communications network
10
may comprise a wireless (for example, cellular) telecommunications system, with each database network element
16
then comprising, for example, a database storing permanent and temporary wireless subscriber data (e.g., a home location register (HLR)). The permanent data stored in the database network element
16
comprises fixed information concerning the communications service subscripted to by each subscriber. The temporary data stored in the database network element
16
comprises variable information, such as in the instance of a home location register information concerning the current location of each subscriber.
The customer administrative system
14
is utilized to engage in transactions relating to the administration of the permanent data stored in each database network element
16
. These administration activities, in general, relate to transactions performed for the purposes of customer (i.e., subscriber) creation or deletion, service activation, and the like, relating to a given customer. More particularly, the transactions relate to subscriber data administration tasks such as:
subscription initiation/removal/status,
subscriber activation/cancellation,
service provision/withdrawal/activation/passivation,
C-number (transfer) definition,
pass code changes, and
serial number changes.
The transactions may further relate to authentication administration tasks such as authentication activation/change/deactivation/status. Additionally, the transactions relate to numbering plan configuration including number range assignment, numbering plan deletion and numbering plan viewing.
By “transaction-based” it is meant that the interface
12
receives orders originated at the customer administrative system
14
and directed (i.e., addressed) to a particular one of the database network elements
16
, converts those commands to a proper format for communication to and/understanding by the addressed database network element, and routes to the addressed database network element. Similarly, the interface
12
receives any response to the order from the addressed database network element
16
, converts the response to a proper format for communication to and/understanding by the customer administrative system
14
that originated the order, and routes to the originating customer administrative system. Thus, one order generated by the customer administrative system
14
which is sent through the interface
12
to an addressed database network element
16
produces one corresponding response.
In many instances, the provider of telecommunications services on the communications network
10
packages a number of individual services together for marketing and sale to subscribers as a meta-service. In order to activate and subsequently manage a meta-service, a command (such as, for example, an activation request) is originated at the customer administrative system
14
for a first one of the individual services included within the meta-service, and directed to a particular one of the database network elements
16
implicated by that individual service through the interface
12
. The interface
12
functions in the manner described above to convert the command to a proper format for communication to and/understanding by the addressed database network element implicated by the individual service, and routes the command to that addressed database network element(s). This process is then repeated over and over again for each one of the individual services included within the meta-service. Thus, the customer administrative system
14
must generate, typically, at least as many commands relating to activation or management of a meta-service as there are individual services contained within that meta-service.
There is a need for an improved interface between a customer administrative system and a plurality of database network elements that will support single command activation or management of a meta-service.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An interface between a customer administrative system and one or more database network elements of a communications system includes an agent supporting single command meta-service activation and management tasks. In this regard, a meta-service comprises a package of individual services. The agent functions responsive to a received meta-service activation or management command originated by a customer administrative system to identify which one or ones of the database network elements support the individual services implicated by the meta-service command. The agent then generates individual element specific commands in a proper format for communication to and/understanding by each of those identified database network elements. The formatted specific commands are then routed to the proper database network elements for processing to effectuate the meta-service activation or management task. In instances where confirmation of successful meta-service activation or management task processing is not received, the agent issues a command to roll-back each database network element service provision state to its pre-meta-service command service provision state.


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