Simplified uniform network provisioning and restoration

A system for use in automatically provisioning customer-specified communication special services, which are dedicated communications capabilities selected from a plurality of predefined special service types that are provided for the exclusive use of said customer, in a network that has predetermined network resources, each of said resources belonging to a particular level of a predetermined plurality of levels of a transmission hierarchy and each of said special services being provided over a special service circuit made up of said resources and also belonging to a level from said predetermined plurality of levels, said system comprising:

• means for making a determination if a special service circuit can be provisioned from network resources that are currently listed in an inventory of network resources that are available at the level of said special service circuit, said means for making a determination being responsive to at least both i) the network resources listed in said inventory and ii) the resources required to make up the special service circuit, an identification of said resources required having been derived in response to a request for a special service that specifies requirements which are particular to said special service, said determination being such that said special service circuit can be provisioned only if there is listed in said inventory sufficient network resources to meet said requirements of said special service request;
• means, responsive to said determination, for adding to said inventory additional resources at said level of said special service circuit if the available network resources in said inventory are insufficient to support said special service circuit, said additional resources being obtained from a level higher than said level;
• and
• means for controlling and sequencing the operations of said means for making and said means for adding until sufficient inventory to provision said special service is available at said level or no further resources are available at any level higher than said level.

In a communications network having predetermined network resources, each of said network resources being assigned to a particular one of a plurality of predetermined levels of a transmission hierarchy, a system for automatically provisioning or restoring communication special services comprising:

• means for receiving special service requirements and ascertaining a type of special service required, said required special service being a customer-specified dedicated communication capability selected from a plurality of predefined special service types that is provided through said network for the exclusive use of said customer;
• means responsive to said ascertained type of special service for designing a special service circuit employing said network resources that will support said ascertained type of special service;
• means, responsive to i) actual immediate usage of said network resources and ii) said special service circuit, for determining which of said network resources are to be assigned to said special service circuit if there are sufficient network resources available in an inventory of network resources at the level of said special service circuit;
• means for obtaining new inventory at said level of said special service circuit from available inventory at levels of inventory higher than said level if said means for determining determines that said available network resources in said inventory at of network resources at said level are insufficient to support said special service circuit;
• means for controlling and sequencing the operations of said means for determining and said means for obtaining until sufficient inventory to provide said ascertained type of special service is available at said level or no further inventory is available at any level;
• and
• means for assigning said determined network resources to said special service circuit if sufficient inventory to provide said special service circuit is available at said level.

In a communications network having predetermined network resources, each of which is assigned to a particular one of a plurality of predetermined levels of a transmission hierarchy, a method for automatically optimizing communication special services including the steps of:

• a. determining a type of special service required, said required special service being a customer-specified dedicated communication capability selected from a plurality of predefined special service types that is provided through said network for the exclusive use of said customer;
• b. if said type of special service is being provided by a special service circuit that is not optimum, determining if a new special service circuit can be designed from available inventory that can support said type of special service and is closer to optimum than the current special service circuit;
• c. if a new circuit that is closer to optimum can be designed from available inventory, reserving those of said network resources that are needed to implement the new circuit such that the new circuit is as close to optimum as can be obtained with the resources in said inventory;
• d. scheduling a time for special service reroute such that a minimal impact on the special service provided will result;
• e. rerouting from the old special service circuit to the new special service circuit.