Apparatus and proceses for mapping the connectivity of communications systems with multiple communications paths

Apparatus for establishing a map of a communications network wherein each of a plurality of first physical dispersed points are connected by respective communication paths to a plurality of second commonly located points in an operating communications system, comprising:

• means for verifying the existence of a previously-established between a first communications point and a second communications point in said operating communications system;
• means, responsive to said verifying means, for generating a first unique signal identifying the physical location of each first point;
• means for transmitting said first unique signals from said first points along said respective communications paths;
• means temporarily connectable to said respective second point for receiving said first transmitted unique signals at said respective second points via said respective communications paths and for generating second unique signals identifying each said second point;
• means for storing said plurality of received first unique signals and said respective generated second unique signals;
• means for generating a connection map comprising the identity of the physical location of each said first communication point correlated to the identity of its corresponding second point;
• and
• means for reading out said map.

A method using computer means of identifying from at least one location the physical locations of each of a plurality of first communications points in an operating communications system, each of said first points being identified by a first respective unique identifier and being at a dispersed physical location, each of said first points being connected by a respective communications path to a respective one of a plurality of second communications points, each of said second points being identified by a second respective unique identifier, comprising:

• verifying the existence of a previously-established connection between a first communications point and a second communications point in said operating communications system;
• once said connection has been verified, performing the following steps:
• transmitting from said first communications point to said respective second communications point a signal comprising said first unique identifier;
• detecting at said second communications point said transmitted first unique identifier;
• correlating said detected first unique identifier with the second unique identifier corresponding to said second point at which said first unique identifier was detected;
• generating a data base having said correlation of each of said second unique identifiers with said first unique identifiers;
• and
• generating a connectivity map comprising the identity of the location of each of said plurality of first communications points in relation to the identity of its corresponding second point.