Network updating arrangement using simulated annealing process t

Details Network updating arrangement using simulated annealing process t Network updating arrangement using simulated annealing process t

1995-08-22

2000-02-08

Luu, Le Hien

39520074, G06F 1300

Patent

active

060235624

DESCRIPTION:

BRIEF SUMMARY
FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to arrangements for updating communication networks.


BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Communications networks will generally comprise communication channels, or links, connected by exchanges, or switches. The route taken by data (or voice messages) travelling from one set of terminal equipment via the network to another set of terminal equipment is determined by the switches. The capacity, that is the maximum amount of data, which can be transported in a fixed length of time, can be limited by the mature of the links. However much more significantly, the service which can be provided on those links can be dictated by the exchange design. If a network operator wants to update the services it can offer to customers, it must then first update its exchanges.
This can obviously present a major cost, particularly where a network is extensive. In Britain, looking at the private line area, some 6000 exchanges support one million private wires. Hence the migration of exchanges even to support one million private wires, this being only part of the private wire business provided by British Telecommunications PLC, is both large scale and high profile.
It is not possible to upgrade all of the exchanges at the same time and it is therefore necessary to develop an updating arrangement which will meet a number of constraints. In particular, it is clearly important to minimise upgrade costs but to maximise customer benefit.
This has been a substantial problem in the past. Any exchange upgrading process, apart from the unattainable option of updating 100% of exchanges, will have consequential effects in terminal of the service capabilities available to different terminal equipment. In the past, upgrading arrangements have relied substantially on guess work and have taken of the order of several (for instance 15) hours to generate a solution.


SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a network updating arrangement, for a network which comprises a plurality of communication links with associated switches, each switch having an update status selected from at least two alternative statuses, the service capabilities of each link being functionally affected by the update status of at least one switch, and the links being grouped according to allocated identifiers, each group sharing a common identifier, indicator for each switch, the database system comprising data stored in at least two different data structures, these comprising a link data structure and a switch data structure, the link data structure logging for each link of the network its allocated identifier or identifiers and all switches whose update status functionally affects the service capabilities of that link, and the switch data structure providing for each switch an index to the link data structure, logging thereby all links whose service capabilities are functionally affected by the update status of that switch, and storing for each switch the update status indicator, structure, for selecting, in respect of one or more identifiers, a minimum number of the links in the group of links for which it is the common identifier, and indicating means responsive to said selection to indicate one or more of the switches whose update status can be changed to enable predetermined service capabilities to be provided on said minimum number of links.
The common identifier can be for instance related to a particular customer. Hence, in a network updating arrangement as described above, a solution can be generated to the problem of providing a minimum number of links of increased service capabilities to specified customers.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a network updating arrangement, for a network which comprises a plurality of communication links with associated switches, each switch having an update status selected from at least two alternative statuses, the service capabilities of each link being functionally affected by the

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Press, William H., et al., "Numerical Recipes in C. The Art of Scientific Computing", pp. 342-352.

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