Method and system for feature interaction detection in a telecommunication network

A method for feature interaction detection in a call processing network, comprising the steps of:

• modeling originating and terminating basic call models;
• modeling a plurality of features based on TCAP messages wherein the resultant feature models are distinct from the models representing the basic call models;
• generating call variable usage vectors for each of the plurality of features from the model of each feature wherein the call variable usage vectors for a given feature represent how that feature affects call variables;
• reducing the number of call variable usage vectors for each of the plurality of features by eliminating redundant call data usage information through the use of equivalence classes;
• and
• detecting feature interaction among the plurality of features by comparing, through use of the models representing the basic call models, the reduced number of call variable usage vectors of the plurality of features in a pairwise manner.

Computer-readable memory containing instructions for controlling a data processing system to perform a method for detecting feature interaction in call processing network, the method comprising the steps of:

• modeling originating and terminating basic call models;
• modeling a first feature and a second feature based on TCAP messages wherein the resultant feature models are distinct from the models representing the basic call models;
• generating call variable usage vectors for the first feature from the first feature model wherein the call variable usage vectors represent how the feature affects call variables;
• reducing the number of call variable usage vectors of the first feature by eliminating redundant call data usage information through the use of equivalence classes;
• generating call variable usage vectors for the second feature from the second feature model wherein the call variable usage vectors represent how the feature affects call variables;
• reducing the number of call variable usage vectors of the second feature by eliminating redundant call data usage information through the use of equivalence classes;
• and
• comparing, through use of the models representing the basic call models, the reduced call variable usage vectors of the first feature to the reduced call variable usage vectors of the second feature to detect a feature interaction.

A system for detecting feature interaction between a first Service Control Point (SCP) based feature and a second SCP-based feature in a call processing network, said system comprising:

• means for using relational database models to model originating and terminating basic call models and to tie Transaction Capabilities Application Part (TCAP) messages to the originating and terminating basic call models;
• means for modeling the first feature and the second feature based on TCAP messages and TCAP call variables wherein the resultant first and second feature models are distinct from said relational database models representing the basic call models;
• means for determining from said first feature model a set of TCAP message sequences that can occur when executing the first feature and from said second feature model a set of TCAP message sequences that can occur when executing the second feature;
• means for determining from said first feature model a call variable usage vector for each TCAP message sequence within the set of TCAP message sequences for the first feature and from said second feature model a call variable usage vector for each TCAP message sequence within the set of TCAP message sequences for the second feature, wherein the call variable usage vectors indicate how the corresponding TCAP message sequence uses call variables;
• and
• means for detecting feature interaction by comparing, through use of the relational database models representing the basic call models, the call variable usage vectors of the first feature against the call variable usage vectors of the second feature.