AU768733B2 - Autonomous coordinated distributed processing management information system - Google Patents

Description

(I If S&F Ref: 502480

AUSTRALIA

PATENTS ACT 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT

ORIGINAL

9* *.e Name and Address of Applicant: Actual Inventor(s): Address for Service: Invention Title: The following statement is a full performing it known to me/us:- NEC Corporation 7-1, Shiba Minato-ku Tokyo Japan Yoshio Nishidate Spruson Ferguson St Martins Tower 31 Market Street Sydney NSW 2000 Autonomous Coordinated Distributed Processing Management Information System description of this invention, including the best method of 5845c I Ij Specification Title of the Invention Autonomous Coordinated Distributed Processing Management Information System Background of the Invention The present invention relates to an autonomous coordinated distributed processing type management information system in which a plurality of distributed 10 processing type management information apparatuses, each .00.

constituted by an electronic private branch exchange :oO 0 having an ACD (Automatic Call Distribution) function and an external computer unit, are connected to each other Sthrough a network.

0.0 As disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Nos. 3-145892, 5-68105, and 10-51549, an autonomous processing type management information system operating as a system closed as one node is available as a conventional management information system (apparatus) for a private branch exchange. An autonomous distributed processing type management information system is constituted by a plurality of such autonomous processing type management information systems. In this case, since the autonomous processing type management information systems are completely independent of each other, each autonomous processing type management information system must perform management individually.

1 r Fig. 11 shows the above conventional autonomous processing type management information system.

In this case, the system includes three network end offices (nodes). Referring to Fig. 11, reference numeral 10 denotes an ACD system; 20, a management information system; 41, 42, and 43, a plurality of nodes, each including the ACD system 10 and management information system 20; and 51, a network link for connecting the ACD systems 10 of the respective nodes 41, 42, and 43 to each other.

In the conventional system typified in Fig. 11, no effect can be found in terms of a management function as an essential purpose of the management system, and more specifically, centralized management of the overall oooo network. That is, in a management information system in which a plurality of ACD systems are simply connected to each other through a network system, no effect can be found in terms of the management function for the overall network.

This is because the autonomous processing type management information system is designed without consciousness about a network. Even if, therefore, a plurality of autonomous processing type management information systems are installed, no effect can be found in terms of a management function for the overall network because the respective autonomous processing type management information systems are completely 2 11 independent of each other, although this arrangement produces a management function effect for each closed node in the network.

Under the circumstances, there have been proposed the centralized processing type management information system shown in Fig. 4 and the autonomous centralized processing type management information system shown in Fig. 5 which aim at a management function for an overall network. Referring to Fig. 12, 10 a centralized processing type management information system 70 performs centralized management of ACD systems of nodes 41, 42, and 43 through network links 71.

Referring to Fig. 13, an autonomous centralized processing type management information system 80 of a eeoc node 41 manages ACD systems 10 of nodes 42 and 43 through a network 71.

A centralized processing type information system like the one shown in Fig. 12 requires an external computer dedicated to manage the overall network. In addition, to meet the requirement for management of the state of the overall network at each node, a plurality of computer devices and network devices are further required. The system resources such as memory files which are required by the dedicated external computer increase in proportion to the number of nodes. If the centralized processing type management information system fails, the management function of the 3 overall network stops.

In the autonomous centralised processing type management information system, as shown in Fig. 13, the same problems as those in the above centralized processing type management information system arise except for the need for a dedicated external computer for managing the overall network.

In a network system including a plurality of ACD systems, as in the systems shown in Figs. 12 and 13, no effect can be found in terms of a management function for the overall network.

A need thus exists to provide an autonomous coordinated distributed processing 1o type management information system which can integrate the management information systems of a plurality of nodes connected to each other through a network.

Summary According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided an autonomous coordinated distributed processing type management information system comprising an ACD system installed in each of a plurality of nodes and formed from a telephone exchange having an ACD (Automatic Call Distribution) function, a management information unit installed in each of the nodes and serving to execute and manage a current state display function, statistical S 00* 006.0 0°00 0..0 0 [R:\LIBQ]01942.doc:mxl

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function, and configuration change function of the ACD system, and a network for loosely coupling the management information units to each other, wherein the management information unit comprises an information processing unit for performing coordination function among the management information units by transmitting/receiving configuration change requests to/from the remaining nodes through the network.

Brief Description of the Drawings i Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing an autonomous coordinated distributed processing type management information system according to an embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 2A is a block diagram showing the hardware arrangement of an MIS in Fig. 1; Fig. 2B is a block diagram showing the functions of an MIS server (computer) in Fig. 2A; Fig. 3 is a schematic view showing storage of information in a network file system in each node in a network; Fig. 4 is a schematic view showing network file links among three network nodes; Fig. 5 is a flow chart showing configuration change operation for the ACD system of the self-node; Fig. 6 is a flow chart showing configuration change operation for the ACD node of another node; Fig. 7 is a flow chart showing how current 5 ,j 2. 1 state display information is stored in the network file system; Fig. 8 is a flow chart showing how statistical management information is stored in the network file system; Fig. 9 is a flow chart showing current state display operation; Fig. 10 is a flow chart showing statistical report output operation; 0 Fig. 11 is a block diagram showing a conventional autonomous distributed processing type information system; Fig. 12 is a block diagram showing a conventional centralized processing type information system; and Fig. 13 is a block diagram showing a conventional autonomous centralized processing type information system.

Description of the Preferred Embodiment The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Fig. 1 shows an autonomous coordinated distributed processing type management information system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to Fig. i, an autonomous coordinated distributed processing type management information 6 system 60 is comprised of telephone exchange systems (to be referred to as ACD systems hereinafter) 10 and management information systems (to be referred to as MISs hereinafter) 20 which are respectively installed in a plurality of nodes 41, 42, and 43. Each ACD system is formed from an electronic private branch exchange having an ACD function. Each MIS 20 includes an external computer unit for executing and managing the current state display function, statistical function, o 10 and configuration change function of the ACD system The autonomous coordinated distributed processing type management information system performs coordination function among the MISs 20 by connecting the MISs 20 to each other through high-speed network links 61 formed from high-speed communication paths (to be referred to as a network hereinafter) for loose coupling, thereby integrating the management information functions of the nodes coupled to each other through the network as a whole.

Fig. 2A shows the hardware arrangement of the MIS 20 in Fig. 1.

Referring to Fig. 2A, the MIS 20 includes an MIS server 21 serving as the main unit of a management information system having a network interface circuit (NIC) 23, a plurality of MIS clients 22 serving as terminal units of the management information system, and a local area network (LAN) 30 for mutually connecting 7 r~ II the MIS server 21 to the MIS clients 22. The MIS server 21 and each MIS client 22 have computers (CPUs) 21a and 22a operating by program control, respectively.

The ACD system 10 is connected to the local area network (LAN) 30 through a network interface circuit (NIC) 13. Reference numerals 11 denote a plurality of trunks for speech communication, which are connected to the ACD system 10; and 12, a plurality of telephones for ACD reception.

0* 0° 10 As shown in Fig. 1, the LANs 30 of the respective nodes 41 to 43 are connected to each other through a network routing device (router), and the MIS servers 21 are connected to each other through the network links 61 for information management by autonomous coordinated distributed processing.

Fig. 2B shows the functions of the MIS server 21 in Fig. 2A.

Referring to Fig. 2B, the MIS server 21 includes a current state display function storage section 101 for storing pieces of memory information for a current state display function as files in the hard disk at predetermined intervals, a statistical management function storage section 102 for storing pieces of memory information for a statistical management function as files in the hard disk at predetermined intervals, and a configuration change file storage section 103 for storing the contents of a 8 f. I 1.

request to perform a configuration change function for the ACD system 10 of another node as configuration change file information corresponding to the MIS 20 of the node managed by a network file system (NFS).

The MIS server 21 includes a current state display file computing section 201 for arithmetically processing file information for current state display with respect to the nodes 20 managed by the NFS, and a statistical management file computing section 202 for arithmetically processing file information for statistical management with respect to the MISs managed by the NFS.

The MIS server 21 further includes a configuration change request transmitting/receiving section 301 for notifying and receiving a configuration change request, a configuration change completion transmitting/receiving section 302 for notifying and receiving information indicating the completion of a configuration change, a configuration change request analyzing section 303 for referring to file information for a configuration change and analyzing the information, and a configuration change result storage section 304 for storing a configuration change result in file information for a configuration change.

As shown in Fig. 3, the current state display function storage section 101 reads out pieces of memory information indicating the current state of the 9 1 1.

resources (operator, queue, trunk, attendant board group, trunk group, and the like) of the ACD system 10 managed by the MIS 20 from the current state display memory 111 at predetermined intervals, and stores the pieces of information as files in the hard disk.

As shown in Fig. 3, the statistical management function storage section 102 reads out pieces of memory information indicating statistical information about the resources of the ACD system 10 managed by the MIS 10 from a statistical data memory 112 at predetermined intervals, and stores the pieces of information as files in the hard disk.

As shown in Fig. 3, the configuration change file storage section 103 reads out request contents by which the MIS 20 executes the configuration change function for the ACD system 10 of another node from a configuration change temporary memory 113, and stores the readout information as file information for a configuration change corresponding to the MIS 20 of the corresponding node managed by the NFS.

The current state display file computing section 201 arithmetically processes file information for current state display for the MISs 20 managed by the NFS, and displays the current states of all the nodes.

The statistical management file computing section 202 arithmetically processes file information for statistical management for the MISs 20 managed by the 10 NFS, and outputs statistical reports about all the nodes.

The configuration change request transmitting/receiving section 301 notifies and receive signal information indicating a configuration change request. The configuration change completion transmitting/receiving section 302 notifies and receives signal information indicating the completion of a configuration change. The configuration change request analyzing section 303 refers to file information for a 0 configuration change of the self-node, and analyzes the oeoo information.

The configuration change result storage section 304 stores a configuration change result in file information for a configuration change of the self-node.

The operation of the autonomous coordinated distributed processing type management information system 60 having the above arrangement will be described next.

First of all, in initialization processing for the MIS 20, network mount processing for the directories of other nodes corresponding to the link directories of other nodes preset in the hard disk of the MIS server 21 is performed by using a known NFS to let the NFS manage all the nodes in the network except for the self-node.

Note that this operation is executed for all the nodes in the network to form the network links 61 among the MISs 11 Fig. 4 shows network file links among the three nodes 41, 42, and 43 as network nodes. As shown in Fig. 4, the MIS 20 of each node can access file information in other nodes by tracing the link directories of other nodes which are set in the hard disk.

The ACD system 10 performs various processes for efficient processing of a speech call, thus connecting an available operator to the speech call. At 10 this time, the ACD system 10 notifies the MIS 20 of the oeoe state transition of the speech call and operator as event information. The MIS 20 analyzes the notified event information, and updates the current state display memory 111 and statistical data memory 112 corresponding to the resources of the ACD system 10, as needed.

Fig. 3 shows storage of information in the network file system in each node in the network.

Fig. 5 shows configuration change operation for the ACD system 10 in the self-node. Fig. 6 shows configuration change operation for the ACD system 10 in another node.

Referring to Fig. 5, the MIS server 21 receives a configuration change request notification signal from the MIS client 22 (step S501), and checks whether the request is an ACD request addressed to the self-node (step S502). If the request is an ACD request addressed to the self-node, the MIS server 21 transmits 12 the request notification signal to the ACD system 10 of the self-node (step S503). The ACD system 10 executes the received configuration change request, and transmits a result notification signal to the MIS server 21 of the self-node (step S504). Upon reception of the result notification signal from the ACD system 10, the MIS server 21 transmits a signal representing the configuration change result notification to the MIS client 22 of the self-node (step S505).

o 10 Referring to Fig. 6, the MIS server 21 ooo6 receives the configuration change request notification signal from the MIS client 22 (step S601), and checks whether the request is an ACD request addressed to the self-node (step S602). If the request is not an ACD request addressed to the self-node, the MIS server 21 writes the change request in a configuration change file in another node (step S603), and transmits the request notification signal to the MIS server 21 of another node (step S604). The MIS server 21 of another node reads the change request from the configuration change file and analyzes it (step S605), and transmits the request notification signal to the ACD system 10 of the self-node (step S606).

The ACD system 10 executes the received configuration change request, and transmits a result notification signal to the MIS server 21 of the self-node (step S607). The MIS server 21 writes the 13-

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received change result in a configuration change file (step S609), and transmits a signal representing a result notification to the MIS server 21 of the request source node (step S609). The MIS server 21 loads the change result from the configuration change file of another node (step S610), and transmits a signal representing the configuration change result notification to the MIS client 22 of the self-node (step S611).

'*9 0 Note that the configuration change request transmitting/receiving section 301, configuration change request analyzing section 303, configuration change result storage section 304, and configuration change completion transmitting/receiving section 302 respectively execute steps S604, S605, S608, and S609.

Concurrently with the above operation, as shown in Fig. 7, the current state display function storage section 101 checks whether a file storage time *4@4 has come (step S701), and reads out the contents of the current state display memory 111 at predetermined intervals and writes the contents in a corresponding area under NFS management (steps S702 and S703). As a consequence, information indicating the current state display state is stored as a file.

In addition, as shown in Fig. 8, the statistical management function storage section 102 checks whether a file storage time has come (step S801), 14and reads out the contents of the statistical data memory 112 at predetermined intervals and writes the contents in a corresponding area under NFS management (steps S802 and S803). As a consequence, information indicating the statistical management state is stored as a file.

As shown in Fig. 9, the current state display file computing section 201 loads the contents of the current state display area of the NFS (step S901), and o. S 10 performs arithmetic processing required for current state display to display the current state (steps S902 and S903). These processes are repeated until the processes for all the nodes are completed (step S904).

This allows the current state display memories 111 of all the nodes to perform processing by referring to the file information in the corresponding areas under NFS management.

As shown in Fig. 10, the statistical management file computing section 202 loads the contents of the statistical management area of the NFS (step S1001), and then performs arithmetic processing required for statistical report output operation to output a statistical report (steps S1002 and S1003). These processes are repeated until the processes for all the nodes are completed (step S1004). This allows the statistical management state memories of all the nodes to perform processing by referring to the file 15 information in the corresponding areas under the NFS management.

When the minimum unit of statistical management is to be decreased to improve current state display in terms of real time, predetermined intervals may be shortened. In addition, the configuration change file storage section 103 stores a configuration change request from the MIS client 22 as a file by storing the .96.contents of a request to the ACD system 10 of another 10 node as file information for a configuration change corresponding to the MIS of the corresponding node managed by the NFS.

Upon receiving a notification representing a configuration change request from the MIS server 21 of another node through the configuration change request transmitting/receiving section 301, the MIS server 21 refers to file information for a configuration change of the self-node managed by the NFS, and acquires the configuration change request to the ACD system 10 of the self-node through the configuration change request analyzing section 303, thereby executing the configuration change shown in Fig. Since the MIS server 21 includes the configuration change result storage section 304 and configuration change completion transmitting/receiving section 302, the MIS server 21 can notify the MIS client 22 of a configuration change result, and can perform 16 configuration change function processing of the ACD systems 10 among a plurality of nodes.

The present invention has the following effects.

In an autonomous distributed processing type management information system constituted by an ACD system and a plurality of MISS, since a network is formed among the MISS, the MISS of a plurality of nodes o9o:44, coupled to each other through the network can be integrated by performing coordination function among the

MISS.

In addition, this system includes a means for storing memory information for a current state display function of each MIS as a file in the hard disk at eve$ predetermined intervals, and a means for arithmetically *.Ge processing file information for current state display about the MIS of a plurality of nodes managed by an NFS, 0:00 current state display function processing of the MISS of see* a plurality of nodes can also be performed.

This system further includes a means for storing memory information for a statistical management function of each MIS as a file in the hard disk at predetermined intervals, and a means for arithmetically processing file information for statistical management about the MIS of a plurality of nodes managed by an NFS, statistical management function processing of the MISS of a plurality of nodes can also be performed.

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This system also includes a means for storing the contents of a request to perform a configuration change function held by an MIS with respect to the ACD system of another node as file information for a configuration change corresponding to the MIS of another node managed by the NFS, a means for notifying the MIS of the corresponding node of the reception of a configuration change request, and receiving it, a means for, when receiving a notification indicating the 10 reception of a configuration change request from the MIS 0 of another node, referring to file information for a S. configuration change of the self-node managed by the NFS, and analyzing it, a means for storing the configuration

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.,change result in file information for a configuration o••o change of the self-node managed by the NFS, and a means for notifying the MIS of the configuration change request source node of the completion of the configuration change, and receiving it. With this *fee arrangement, the system can perform ACD configuration change function processing among a plurality of nodes.

In addition, since files (link files except for the self-node) managed by the NFS are used, system resources such as memories and files required for the MISs of the respective nodes can be implemented by minimum resources corresponding to one node.

Furthermore, the MISs of the respective nodes in the network are equally ranked, and the MIS of each node 18 requires no control from the MISs of other nodes and the like. Even if, therefore, the MIS of a given node in the network fails, the MISs of the remaining normal nodes can integrally operate.

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Claims (4)

1. An autonomous coordinated distributed 2 processing type management information system 3 comprising: 4 an ACD system installed in each of a plurality of nodes and formed from a telephone exchange having an 6 ACD (Automatic Call Distribution) function; S. 7 a management information unit installed in goo 8 each of said nodes and serving to execute and manage a o• 9 current state display function, statistical function, 10 and configuration change function of said ACD system; 11 and 12 a network for loosely coupling said management 13 information units to each other, 14 wherein said management information unit comprises an information processing unit for performing 16 coordination function among said management information 17 units by transmitting/receiving configuration change 18 requests to/from said remaining nodes through said 19 network.

2. A system according to claim i, wherein 2 said information processing unit comprises: 3 file storage means for storing memory 4 information for the current state display function held by said management information unit as a file in an 20 6 external storage unit at predetermined intervals; and 7 file computing means for arithmetically 8 processing file information for current state display 9 associated with said management information unit managed by a network file system, said network file system 11 performing file management for each node through said 12 network, and 13 said network file system manages a file stored 14 in said file storage means, and said file computing 15 means arithmetically processes network file information 16 from said management information units of other nodes 17 connected to said network, thereby performing current .oooo 18 state display function processing for said management 19 information unit of each node.

3. A system according to claim i, wherein 2 said information processing unit comprises: o:00 3 file storage means for storing memory 4 information for the statistical management function held by said management information unit as a file in a hard 6 disk at predetermined intervals; and 7 file computing means for arithmetically 8 processing file information for statistical management 9 associated with said management information unit managed by a network file system, said network file system 11 performing file management for each node through said 12 network, and

21- 13 said network file system manages a file stored 14 in said file storage means, and said file computing means arithmetically processes network file information 16 from said management information units of other nodes 17 connected to said network, thereby performing 18 statistical management function processing for said 19 management information unit of each node. 4. A system according to claim i, wherein 2 said system further comprises: 3 file storage means for, in generating a -4 request to said ACD system of another node so as to execute a configuration change function held by said S6 management information unit, storing contents of the 7 request as file information for a configuration change o.ee 8 corresponding to said management information unit of 9 each request destination node managed by a network file system, said network file system performing file 11 management for said respective nodes through said 12 network; 13 first notification transmitting/receiving 14 means for transmitting/receiving a notification indicating a configuration change request to/from said 16 management information unit of each request destination 17 node; 18 request analyzing means for, when a 19 configuration change request is notified from said 22 C- management information unit of another node, analyzing 21 the request by referring to file information for a 22 configuration change in said self-node management by 23 said network file system; 24 result storage means for, when said ACD system of said self-node performs a configuration change, 26 storing a configuration change result in file 27 information for a configuration change in said self-node 28 managed by said network file system; and D 29 second notification transmitting/receiving 30 means for transmitting/receiving a notification o 31 indicating completion of a configuration change to/from 32 said management information unit of a request source 33 node, and 34 performs configuration change function processing of said ACD system among said respective 36 nodes. A system according to claim i, wherein 2 said information processing unit comprises: 3 first file storage means for storing memory 4 information for a current state display function held by said management information unit as a file in an 6 external storage unit at predetermined intervals; 7 first file computing means for arithmetically 8 processing file information for current state display 9 associated with said management information unit managed 23 by a network file system, said network file system 11 performing file management for said respective nodes 12 through said network; 13 second file storage means for storing memory 14 information for a statistical management function held by said management information unit as a file in a hard 16 disk at predetermined intervals; 17 second file computing means for arithmetically 18 processing file information for statistical management o. 19 associated with said management information unit managed 20 by said network file system; 21 third file storage means for, in generating a 22 request to said ACD system of another node so as to 23 execute a configuration change function held by said 24 management information unit, storing contents of the request as file information for a configuration change 26 corresponding to said management information unit of o oo 27 each request destination node managed by said network 28 file system; 29 first notification transmitting/receiving means for transmitting/receiving a notification 31 indicating a configuration change request to/from said 32 management information unit of each request destination 33 node; 34 request analyzing means for, when a configuration change request is notified from said 36 management information unit of another node, analyzing 24 37 the request by referring to file information for a 38 configuration change in said self-node management by 39 said network file system; result storage means for, when said ACD system 41 of said self-node performs a configuration change, 42 storing a configuration change result in file 43 information for a configuration change in said self-node 44 managed by said network file system; and 0 0° 45 second notification transmitting/receiving o o 46 means for transmitting/receiving a notification 47 indicating completion of a configuration change to/from S 48 said management information unit of a request source 49 node, and performs configuration change function 51 processing of said ACD system among said respective 52 nodes, 53 said network file system manages the file 54 stored in said file storage means, and said first and second file computing means perform current state 56 display and statistical management function processing 57 for said management information unit of each node by 58 arithmetically processing network file information from 59 said management information unit of another node connected to said network, and 61 said first and second notification 62 transmitting/receiving means, said request analyzing 63 means, and said result storage means perform 25 -26- configuration change function processing for said ACD systems among said respective nodes. 6. A system according to claim 1, wherein the system resources including memories and files required for said management information units of said respective nodes are resources corresponding to at least one node. 7. A system according to claim 1, wherein when said management information unit of one node in said network fails, autonomous coordinated distributed processing type management is performed among normal nodes. 8. A system according to claim 1, wherein said information processing unit comprises a computer unit including a CPU. 9. An autonomous coordinated distributed processing type management information system substantially as herein described with reference to Figs. 1-10 of the accompanying drawings. DATED this Fourth Day of April, 2000 NEC Corporation Patent Attorneys for the Applicant SPRUSON FERGUSON [R:\LIBQ]00205.doc:bfd