EP1142355A2 - Interface de gestion d'abonnements entre un systeme administratif de clients et des elements de reseau de base de donnees d'un reseau de communication - Google Patents

Interface de gestion d'abonnements entre un systeme administratif de clients et des elements de reseau de base de donnees d'un reseau de communication

Info

Publication number
EP1142355A2
EP1142355A2 EP99964835A EP99964835A EP1142355A2 EP 1142355 A2 EP1142355 A2 EP 1142355A2 EP 99964835 A EP99964835 A EP 99964835A EP 99964835 A EP99964835 A EP 99964835A EP 1142355 A2 EP1142355 A2 EP 1142355A2
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
database
network
subscription
network elements
interface
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Withdrawn
Application number
EP99964835A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
Inventor
Roch Glitho
Christophe Gourraud
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson AB
Original Assignee
Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson AB
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson AB filed Critical Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson AB
Publication of EP1142355A2 publication Critical patent/EP1142355A2/fr
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04W—WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS
    • H04W8/00—Network data management
    • H04W8/18—Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04W—WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS
    • H04W4/00—Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
    • H04W4/24—Accounting or billing

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to communications networks and, in particular, to an enhancement of the interface between a customer administrative system and database network elements of a communications network to support a subscription handling functionality.
  • FIGURE 1 a block diagram illustrating a portion of a communications network 10 implementing a prior art transaction-based interface (IF) 12 between a customer administrative system (CAS) 14 and a plurality of database network elements (NE) 16.
  • the interface 12, customer administrative system 14, and database network elements 16 are interconnected using a network 18 preferably comprising a network, such as an X.25 network, separate and apart from the communications network 10.
  • the communications network 10 may comprise a wireless (for example, cellular) telecommunications system, with each database network element 16 then comprising, for example, a database storing permanent and temporary wireless subscriber data (e.g., a home location register (HLR)).
  • the permanent data stored in the database network element 16 comprises fixed information concerning the communications service subscripted to by each subscriber.
  • the temporary data stored in the database network element 16 comprises variable information, such as in the instance of a home location register information concerning the current location of each subscriber.
  • the customer administrative system 14 is utilized to engage in transactions relating to the administration of the permanent data stored in each database network element 16.
  • These administration activities relate to transactions performed for the purposes of customer (i.e., subscriber) creation or deletion, service activation, and the like, relating to a given customer. More particularly, the transactions relate to subscriber data administration tasks such as:
  • the transactions may further relate to authentication administration tasks such as authentication activation/change/deactivation/status. Additionally, the transactions relate to numbering plan configuration including number range assignment, numbering plan deletion and numbering plan viewing. To support these transactions, the customer administrative system 14 includes a database (not shown) for storing subscription and other related information.
  • reaction-based it is meant that the interface 12 receives orders originated at the customer administrative system 14 and directed (i.e., addressed) to a particular one of the database network elements 16, converts those orders to a proper format for communication to and/understanding by the addressed database network element, and routes the properly formatted orders to the addressed database network element. Similarly, the interface 12 receives any response to a transmitted order from the addressed database network element 16, converts the response to a proper format for communication to and/understanding by the customer administrative system 14 that originated the order, and routes to the originating customer administrative system. Thus, one order generated by the customer administrative system 14 which is sent through the interface 12 to an addressed database network element 16 produces one corresponding response. The interface 12 accordingly functions in an non-intelligent routing fashion to simply pass information (orders and responses) back and forth between the customer administrative system 14 and the database network elements 16.
  • the prior art interface 12 does not keep any permanent or semi-permanent record of the customer administrative system 14 orders or the corresponding database network element 16 responses. Because no record is kept of the orders and responses, the interface 12 has no real-time knowledge of what information is stored (or should be stored) in the database network elements 16 for each subscription. There are a number of drawbacks which arise from the failure to keep such records. First, in the event that a given database network element
  • the interface 16 does not support automatic roll-back following a failed customer administrative transaction, and when such a roll-back is needed for that given database network element, the interface cannot direct the roll-back and return the database network element to its prior state because it does not know what the state should be. Second, the interface 12 cannot perform subscription audits without the assistance and involvement of the customer administrative system 14 which presumably has access to the necessary information. There is a need then for a more intelligent interface capable of recording order and response information, and allowing these records to be utilized in supporting roll-back and audit operations.
  • the prior art interface 12 does not have any network over-view knowledge (also referred to "network modeling") concerning the subscriptions maintained in the database network elements 16.
  • network modeling also referred to "network modeling”
  • the interface does not understand the relationships between the following: the subscribers, their subscriptions, the included services within each subscription, the nodes of the network where service-related information is stored for each subscription, and the status of subscription and service activation.
  • the interface 12 cannot perform a roll-back or subscription audit without the assistance and involvement of the customer administrative system 14.
  • incoherent it is meant that the order is not understandable by, or is inapplicable to, the addressed database network element 16 based on the network over- view knowledge.
  • An order may also be incoherent if it conflicts with another request received by that database network element 16 or conflicts with or must be processed in parallel with, for instance, a request made to another database network element.
  • the interface 12 does not possess any network over-view knowledge, it fails to recognize that the order is incoherent, and simply blindly passes the order on to the addressed database network element. At best, node, interface and network communications resources are wasted in processing (and thereafter rejecting) this incoherent order.
  • erroneous modification of stored information in the database network element 16 may occur as a result of order processing. In either case, this result is unacceptable, and there should exist some way for the interface to intelligently process the orders in accordance with some network over- view knowledge and intercept, before transmittal to the database network elements, any incoherent orders originated from the customer administrative system 14.
  • a present invention interface between a customer administrative system and one or more database network elements of a communications system includes a subscription handler functionality.
  • this functionality comprises a subscription handler service agent in communication with a database storing certain network over- view knowledge (network modeling) concerning the subscriptions maintained in the database network elements.
  • the service agent accordingly has access to information defining the relationships between subscribers, their subscriptions, the included services within each subscription, the nodes of the network where service-related information is stored for each subscription, and the status of subscription and service activation.
  • the service agent functions responsive to a received order originated by the customer administrative system to permanently or semi-permanently record in the database network over-view knowledge comprising customer administrative system orders and any corresponding database network element responses.
  • the service agent further functions responsive to a received order originated by the customer administrative system to evaluate the order against the database stored network over- view knowledge, and responsive to such an evaluation identify and intercept incoherent orders that are not understandable by, or are inapplicable to, the addressed database network element.
  • FIGURE 1 previously described, is a block diagram of a portion of a communications network implementing a prior art transaction-based interface between a customer administrative system and a plurality of database network elements;
  • FIGURE 2 is a block diagram of a portion of a communications network with a present invention subscription handler interface between a customer administrative system and a plurality of database network elements;
  • FIGURE 3 is a nodal operation and signal flow diagram illustrating interface operation for handling customer administrative system requests.
  • FIGURE 2 wherein there is shown a block diagram of a portion of a communications network 20 implementing a present invention subscription handler interface (IF) 22 between a customer administrative system (CAS) 24 and a plurality of database network elements (NE) 26.
  • the interface 22, customer administrative system 24, and database network elements 26 are interconnected using a network 28 preferably comprising a network, such as an X.25 network, separate and apart from the communications network 20.
  • the communications network 20 may comprise a wireless (for example, cellular) communications system, with each database network element 26 then comprising a database storing permanent and temporary wireless subscriber data (e.g., a home location register (HLR)) as previously described.
  • the database network elements 26 store permanent data comprising subscriber communications service information, and temporary data comprising the current location of each subscriber.
  • the communications network 20 comprises an Internet protocol (IP) type data communications network, with each database network element 26 then comprising an IP (IP) type data communications network, with each database network element 26 then comprising an IP (IP) type data
  • the interface 22 includes a subscription handler service agent 30 which supports not only conventional transaction-based processing in the same manner as the prior art interface 12 illustrated in FIGURE 1 and previously described, but also supports subscription handler processing in accordance with the present invention.
  • a database 32 is provided for the interface 22 for storing certain network over- view knowledge (network modeling) concerning the subscriptions maintained in the database network elements 26.
  • the service agent 30 is charged with overall subscription handling duties and thus coordinates customer administrative system 24 access to the database network elements 26 in the context of the stored network overview knowledge.
  • the service agent 30 accordingly functions to (a) store each received customer administrative system 24 order in the database 32, (b) identify for each order the database network element(s) 26 that must be accessed in order to implement the ordered activity, (c) identify the particular activation or management action(s) to be taken by each database network element in connection with that order, (d) identify the individual element specific command(s) needed to effectuate those actions, (e) determine whether each specific command presents a coherent request with respect to the identified database network element in view of the stored network over-view knowledge, (f) generate each of those coherent individual element specific commands in a proper format (i.e., tailored) for communication to and/understanding by the identified database network elements, (g) issue the individual element specific commands to each of those database network elements, and (h) store any responses received from the database network elements in the database, and sends the appropriate response to the customer administrative system.
  • a proper format i.e., tailored
  • the network model is modified as appropriate.
  • the appropriate ones of the plural database network elements 26 are identified and issued appropriately formatted and coherent individual element specific commands.
  • the agent 30 further receives any response to the individual element specific commands from the network elements 26, converts the responses (if necessary) to a single response in a proper format for communication to and/understanding by the customer administrative system
  • the database 32 stored network over-view knowledge defines the relationships between the following: the subscribers, their subscriptions, the included services within each subscription, the nodes of the network where service-related information is stored for each subscription, and the status of subscription and service activation.
  • the network over-view knowledge stored in the database 32 identifies for each subscriber the relationship between that subscriber and the services to which that subscriber is subscripted. Furthermore, the network over-view knowledge stored in the database 32 identifies any relationships between two services.
  • An example of this may comprise the identification in the database 32 of a given service (such as flexible call forwarding) in a relationship which requires the subscriber to simultaneously be subscripted to another service (such as unconditional call forwarding) in order for the given service to be implemented. Still further, the network over-view knowledge stored in the database 32 identifies the relationship between each service and the node(s), such as database network elements 26, on which that service is provided. Additionally, the network over- view knowledge stored in the database 32 identifies the current status of service activations. An example of this is the storage of customer administrative system requests sent to a database network element and for which responses have not yet been received.
  • FIGURE 3 wherein there is shown a nodal operation and signal flow diagram illustrating interface 22 agent 30 operation for handling customer administrative system 24 requests.
  • the customer administrative system 24 sends a machine independent (i.e., generic) order 40 to the interface 22.
  • the agent 30 stores the received order in action 42 in the database 32.
  • the stored order accordingly becomes part of the database stored network over- view knowledge.
  • the agent 30 further identifies in action 44 which ones of the plurality of database network elements 26 need to be accessed in order to complete the requested service/subscription activation or management activity.
  • the agent 30 accesses the database stored network over- view knowledge concerning service, subscription and node relationships.
  • the agent 30 accordingly recognizes for the received order which database network element(s) 26 needs to be communicated with in order to effectuate a service/subscription related activation or management task.
  • the interface 22 next identifies in action 46 the particular action(s) to be taken by each database network element in connection with implementing that received request 40.
  • the actions to be taken may comprise, for example, activation or management actions to store certain data, modify certain data and/or delete certain data from each of the implicated database network elements 26.
  • the interface 22 next identifies in action 48 the element specific commands which are needed to effectuate those actions by each of the database network elements 26.
  • the interface determines in action 50 whether each specific command (relating to the original customer administrative system order) presents a coherent request with respect to the identified database network element in view of the stored network over- view knowledge.
  • the point of this processing action 50 is to identify whether the customer administrative system has inadvertently issued an incoherent order.
  • incoherent it is meant that the order (and/or its resulting command(s)) is not understandable by, or is inapplicable to, the identified database network element 26 based on the network over- view knowledge.
  • An order (or command) may also be incoherent if it conflicts with another order (or command) made to that identified database network element 26 or conflicts with or must be processed in parallel with an order (or command) made to the same or to another database network element.
  • These determined coherent, element specific commands are then formatted by action 52 in accordance with a certain format and protocol associated with each individual one of the identified database network elements 26 (such as a machine dependent language).
  • the original machine independent order 40 is converted into a plurality of machine dependent commands 54 tailored to the identified database network elements.
  • the interface 22 then issues the properly formatted device specific commands 54 to each of the implicated database network elements 26.
  • the agent 30 then stores the received response in action 60 in the database 32.
  • the stored response accordingly becomes part of the database stored network overview knowledge.
  • the responses 58 are further compiled, if necessary, and any resulting response 62 is returned to the customer administrative system 24.
  • FIGURE 2 Storage of network overview knowledge in the interface 22 facilitates the more efficient offering of a number of services.
  • a more efficient and comprehensive roll-back service may be offered as the stored network over- view knowledge is readily available at the interface 22 for its use in connection with directing roll-back to a prior state.
  • each database network element include specialized functionality for supporting roll-back.
  • the interface can accordingly operate to restore data in modified database network elements to former values.
  • a more efficient and comprehensive subscription audit service may be offered as the stored network over-view knowledge is readily available at the interface 22 for its use in auditing the network and responding to third party audit requests.
  • the interface can accordingly audit the database network elements, and compare its subscriptions and subscription data to that actually stored in the network.
  • coherence checks of all orders (or commands) may be made before sending commands to individual database network elements.
  • each subscription is now modeled within the interface rather than within the customer administrative system.
  • This architecture supports the use of a lightweight processing capability customer administrative system as the intelligence and processing functions now reside in the interface.
  • the customer administrative system has direct access to the interface resulting in direct visibility over each subscription.
  • network over-view knowledge maintained in the interface, it becomes a much easier task to coordinate dependent services support between multiple interfaces and multiple database network elements.
  • the interface with network over-view knowledge, may offer a common abstract model at the customer administrative system rather than just reproducing the specifics of the individual database network element possibilities.
  • clients of the interface may make enquiries and receive information concerning changes in status of a subscription being monitored by the interface.
  • clients of the interface may obtain information concerning the status of time consuming tasks initiated by the interface (like service activation/deactivation or subscription data modification).

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Computer Networks & Wireless Communication (AREA)
  • Signal Processing (AREA)
  • Business, Economics & Management (AREA)
  • Accounting & Taxation (AREA)
  • Databases & Information Systems (AREA)
  • Telephonic Communication Services (AREA)
  • Data Exchanges In Wide-Area Networks (AREA)
  • Mobile Radio Communication Systems (AREA)
  • Information Retrieval, Db Structures And Fs Structures Therefor (AREA)

Abstract

On met en interface un système (24) administratif de clients d'un système de communication sans fil avec un ou plusieurs éléments (26) de réseau de la base de données du système pour appuyer une fonctionnalité de gestion d'abonnements. Un agent (30) de service de gestion d'abonnements est compris dans l'interface (22) et est destiné à traiter des ordres reçus concernant une activité ou une tâche de gestion d'abonnements. L'interface (22) comprend en outre une base de données (32) mémorisant certaines connaissances générales du réseau (modélisation de réseau) concernant les abonnements compris dans les éléments (26) de réseau de la base de données. L'interface (22), par le biais de l'agent (30) de service, met à jour les connaissances générales du réseau pour enregistrer les ordres administratifs des clients et les réponses d'éléments de réseau de la base de données relatives aux activités ou tâches de gestion d'abonnements. En outre, en utilisant les informations contenant les connaissances générales du réseau, l'interface (22), de nouveau par le biais de l'agent (30) de service, évalue chaque ordre reçu par rapport aux connaissances générales du réseau mémorisées dans la base de données et en fonction de cette évaluation, intervient pour identifier et intercepter des ordres incohérents qui sont incompréhensibles pour les éléments (26) de réseau de la base de données ou que ces éléments sont incapables d'appliquer.
EP99964835A 1998-12-21 1999-11-30 Interface de gestion d'abonnements entre un systeme administratif de clients et des elements de reseau de base de donnees d'un reseau de communication Withdrawn EP1142355A2 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US21776898A 1998-12-21 1998-12-21
US217768 1998-12-21
PCT/SE1999/002233 WO2000038437A2 (fr) 1998-12-21 1999-11-30 Interface de gestion d'abonnements entre un systeme administratif de clients et des elements de reseau de base de donnees d'un reseau de communication

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP1142355A2 true EP1142355A2 (fr) 2001-10-10

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Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP99964835A Withdrawn EP1142355A2 (fr) 1998-12-21 1999-11-30 Interface de gestion d'abonnements entre un systeme administratif de clients et des elements de reseau de base de donnees d'un reseau de communication

Country Status (4)

Country Link
EP (1) EP1142355A2 (fr)
AU (1) AU3087800A (fr)
CA (1) CA2356892A1 (fr)
WO (1) WO2000038437A2 (fr)

Families Citing this family (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
ATE373908T1 (de) * 2002-07-18 2007-10-15 Ericsson Telefon Ab L M Verwaltungssystem umd methode zur erbringung von abonnementdienstleistungen
EP1825705B1 (fr) * 2004-12-14 2016-11-16 Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (publ) Procede et appareil de controle d'un processus d'approvisionnement dans un systeme de telecommunication
US9621716B2 (en) 2010-06-10 2017-04-11 Blackberry Limited Method and system for secure provisioning of a wireless device

Family Cites Families (5)

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Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5592664A (en) * 1991-07-29 1997-01-07 Borland International Inc. Database server system with methods for alerting clients of occurrence of database server events of interest to the clients
US5805886A (en) * 1994-09-26 1998-09-08 Intel Corporation Method for notifying client applications of events in a shared application in a computer system
US5781737A (en) * 1996-04-30 1998-07-14 International Business Machines Corporation System for processing requests for notice of events
US6094660A (en) * 1997-11-21 2000-07-25 Telefonaktiebolaget Lm Ericsson Customer administrative system management of redundant database network elements in a telecommunications system
US6041327A (en) * 1997-12-12 2000-03-21 Telefonaktiebolaget Lm Ericsson Implementation of notification capabilities in relational databases

Non-Patent Citations (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Title
See references of WO0038437A3 *

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
AU3087800A (en) 2000-07-12
WO2000038437A2 (fr) 2000-06-29
WO2000038437A3 (fr) 2000-11-02
CA2356892A1 (fr) 2000-06-29

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