Mci Communications Corporation

Worldcom, Inc.

Alcatel

Mci Worldcom, Inc.

Bryan J McGlade

Sridhar Alagar

Lee Dennis Bengston

Mark W Sees

Jasvantrai C Shah

Sig Harold Badt, Jr

Hal Badt

Ashley Brimmage

Ashley W Brimmage

Paul T Baniewicz

Frederick R Ellefson

S Hal Badt, Sr

Will L Russ

John David Allen

Clint Allen Wagner

Deborah L Maznaritz

Randy J Ellis

Timothy P Brown

Zhejing Luo

Fred Ellefson

Adam S Benz

Tim T Chao

Robert G Utterback

Amber D Greenwalt

Christopher D Atkins

A NETWORK ELEMENT TERMINAL DATA INTERFACE (NETDI) system and method incorporating a terminal user interface which permits manipulation of network elements using a hardware-specific control language is disclosed. The present invention teaches automatic generation of on-line help directly from I/O manual specifications and translation of operator commands into network element specific protocols via the use of a network element database and associated XML repository. Various preferred embodiments of the present invention incorporate the use of TL1 composer/parsers to permit the automatic generation of Translation Language 1 interfaces between an operator console and a wide variety of telecommunication network elements. The present invention operates over a wide variety of communication media and permits a significant reduction of software maintenance with respect to on-line help generation directly from I/O manual specifications as well as automated incorporation of new network element features into existing operator console environmental controls, resulting in a drastic reduction in the required network element control language proficiency of network operators in any given telecommunications environment.

Network element terminal data interface system and method

A network wherein a plurality of links connects a plurality of nodes such as cross-connects in a communication circuit network with paths interconnecting the nodes, and with there being spare capacity between a sufficient number of nodes to accommodate at least some rerouting of traffic immediately upon detection of a break in a traffic span in the network so as to restore circuit continuity within a predetermined maximum time using an improved failure detection, isolation, and recovery

Telecommunications network distributed restoration method and system

A network wherein a plurality of links connects a plurality of nodes such as cross-connects in a communication circuit network with paths interconnecting the nodes, and with there being spare capacity between a sufficient number of nodes to accommodate at least some rerouting of traffic immediately upon detection of a break in a traffic span in the network so as to restore circuit continuity within a predetermined maximum time using an improved failure detection, isolation, and recovery scheme.

In a path-based distributed restoration algorithm provisioned telecommunications network, the origin and destination nodes of a failed path are apprised of the portions of the path that remain intact by &ldquo;reuse&rdquo; messages that are sent from the custodial nodes that are adjacent to the failure. As each reuse message reaches an intermediate node, the node ID of the intermediate node is appended to a field of the message so that, as the reuse messages are propagated along the intact portions of the failed path, a cumulative list of nodes that are encountered by the messages passing from the custodial nodes to the origin and destination nodes is set forth. Thus, the origin/destination node, when in receipt of a reuse message, can read from the field that has the cumulative list of nodes a description of the intact portions remaining from the original path. These intact portions are preferably used only for restoring of the same path that included the portions prior to failure and are not available for restoring any other paths that happened to fail simultaneously.

System and method for restricted reuse of intact portions of failed paths

In a telecommunications network provisioned with different types of restoration processes, to ensure that the operation of one restoration process does not infringe upon other nodes that are actively executing a different restoration process, a request is sent by one of the restoration processes, under the guise of the operation system that oversees that process, to the operation system that oversees the other restoration process. The controller of the nodes that are performing the other restoration process, in receipt of the request, sends a disable restoration process message to those nodes under its control. Each of those nodes, upon receipt of the disable restoration process message, would disable the restoration process it is provisioned with so long as it is not actively engaging in that restoration process. If it is, it will continue to execute that restoration process until a safe stop point is reached, at which time it ceases that restoration process. Upon cessation of the particular restoration process, the node sends an acknowledge message to its controller, which, when in receipt of such acknowledge message from all of the nodes under its control, sends a disable acknowledged message to the controller of the first restoration process informing the latter that the nodes under its control can now be operated using the first restoration process. The above method is applicable to a telecommunications network provisioned with multiple layers of restoration processes including for example DRA, RTR and centralized restoration.

Method of coordinating the respective operations of different restoration processes

In a telecommunications network provisioned with a distributed restoration scheme, to determine the reactions and responses of the network while the network is &ldquo;live&rdquo; or operational, an exercise information message is provided to the network for presenting a simulated failure or failures thereto. This exercise information message is broadcast to all of the nodes of the network so that every node is aware of the simulated failure scenario. Modified DRA messages that indicate that they are exercise only messages are used by the nodes for executing the exercise restoration process. Such exercise restoration process will proceed as if an actual failure has occurred with the notable exception that no actual cross-connections will be made. Certain functionalities are provisioned to the nodes to allow the exercise restoration process to be aborted if a real failure is detected or upon the expiration of a timer. The exercise restoration process can also be terminated by a command from the network management.

Method of exercising a distributed restoration process in an operational telecommunications network

A path verification message is integrated into a signal, or data stream, that traverses along a path connecting two end nodes of a distributed restoration network within a telecommunications network. To ensure that the integrated path verification message is transparent to equipment positioned along the path, the time period between the successive time intervals whereat the signal is probed by the nodes and the equipment is provisioned to have a predefined portion during which the value of at least one bit of each frame of the signal can be varied. The path verification message is subdivided into a number of parts so that successive parts are integrated into successive predefined portions of corresponding successive time periods. Upon receipt of the requisite successive time periods, the various parts of the path verification message are recombined to form the path verification message.

Integration of a path verification message within a signal

In a restoration network including a distributed restoration algorithm (DRA) enabled network of a telecommunications network, path verification messages are embedded onto traffic bearing signals entering the network and removed from the signals leaving the network. By adding path verification messages to the signals that traverse within the DRA enabled network, the integrity of any communications path that interconnects the various nodes within the restoration network are confirmed. Further, by removing the path verification messages from the signals leaving the restoration network, equipment outside the restoration network are spared of any possibility that their operations may be affected by the path verification messages.

Method and system therefor of confining path verification signals within

A system and method for restoring communication between at least one pair of nodes in a network. Distributed intelligence is provided by messaging between adjacent nodes in the network. The messages in combination with user-configurable timers and rules provide fault isolation, forward flooding, reverse linking and connection.

Implementation protocol for SHN-based algorithm restoration platform

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Plano, TX, United States of America

Bryan J McGlade