Interface for interfacing client programs with network devices in a telecommunications network
AssigneeMCI Communications Corporation
InventorDaniel E. Cowan
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A generic interface is provided for interfacing multiple client application programs with multiple network devices. The client application programs may differ from each other and may include application programs for performing a network restoration, network maintenance, and network administration. The network devices may be of different device types. The interface converts communications between the client application programs and the network devices so that the communications are compatible with the requirements of the destination. The interface may include added functionality, such as an automatic auditing mechanism and a data link manager mechanism.
Claims38
In a telecommunications network having a plurality of network devices and a processor, wherein the processor runs at least one of a plurality of programs for communicating with the plurality of network devices and each of said plurality of network devices has a device-specific communication format, a method of interfacing programs with network devices, comprising the computer-implemented steps of:
- providing an interface for interfacing a selected one of the plurality of programs with the network devices, wherein said interface comprises real-time network device data from a database, operatively coupled to said interface, that reflects current a configuration and topology of said network devices;
- receiving a first communication destined to a selected one of the plurality of network devices from the selected one of the plurality of programs of the interface in a first format;
- with the interface, converting the first communication from the first format to a second format that is the device-specific communication format of the selected one of the plurality of network devices;
- and
- forwarding the converted first communication in the second format from the interface to the selected one of the plurality of network devices.
A telecommunications network, comprising:
- a plurality of programs run on a processor, each of said plurality of programs having a communication format for communications;
- a plurality of network devices, each of said plurality of network devices having a device-specific communication format for communications;
- and
- an interface for interfacing the plurality of programs with the plurality of network devices to facilitate communications between the programs and the network devices, said interface including:
- at least a first converter for converting communications from the programs that are destined to network devices into the device-specific communication formats of the network devices, and a real-time network device database, operatively coupled to said interface that reflects current configuration and topology of said network devices.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.