IP telephony network using a configuration map for organizing sites in a tree-like hierarchy
AssigneeShoreTel, Inc.
InventorsThomas E. Miller, Dale C. Tonogai, Kishore Nadimpalli, Stephen M. Winter
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system and method for managing an IP telephony network that uses a configuration map for organizing sites in a tree-like hierarchy. The system is capable of managing the addition, removal and movement of IP telephony elements within an IP telephony network and locating services and IP telephony elements within the IP telephony network in an efficient manner.
Claims26
A system for managing an IP telephony network having a plurality of sites, the system comprising:
- a configuration map including a location of each of the sites in the IP telephony network relative to at least one other site and organizing the plurality of sites in the IP telephony network according to a tree-like hierarchy;
- a routine for managing the IP telephony network, the routine having access to the configuration map;
- a first IP telephony element having a first association with a parent site, wherein a location of the first IP telephony element relative to other IP telephony elements in the IP telephony network is stored in the configuration map;
- and
- a second IP telephony element having a second association with the first IP telephony element, wherein the routine (1) determines a parent site of the second IP telephony element based upon the first IP telephony element and (2) stores the second association, wherein the second association associates the determined parent site with the second IP telephony element in the configuration map.
A method of updating a first site to have a parent site in a configuration map, the method comprising:
- organizing, with a processor, a plurality of sites into a tree-like hierarchy comprising an IP telephony element at the first site receiving services from a first server comprised in the tree-like hierarchy;
- receiving, with the processor, the parent site for the first site;
- updating, with the processor, the configuration map with the parent site for the first site;
- and
- updating, with the processor, the IP telephony element in the network based on the updated configuration map to receive services from a second server comprised in the tree-like hierarchy that is identified by tracing the tree-like hierarchy to an older generation site that has the service available.
A method of utilizing a plurality of sites organized into a tree-like hierarchy to identify the location of a service in an IP telephony network, the method comprising:
- searching, with a processor, a configuration map containing the location of each of the sites in the IP telephony network relative to each other, to determine if a service is available at a first site;
- and
- if the service is not available at the first site, tracing the tree-like hierarchy to an older generation site that has the service available.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.