Abstract:
A method, system, and medium for presenting network-infrastructure information in an intuitive, easy-to-understand format is provided. The method includes retrieving data-routing information, retrieving equipment-location information, and then rendering on a map one or more line segments corresponding to the data-routing information and one or more equipment identifiers associated with said equipment-location information. A database is used to generate the map. This database is preferably a database that is also used to track communications pathways and equipment devices so that each map is dynamically generated from current data.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
   Not applicable. 
   STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
   Not applicable. 
   TECHNICAL FIELD 
   This invention relates to the field of computer programming. More particularly, the present invention provides a new and useful method to present in an intuitive format routing information and network-equipment information related to a communications network. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   Telecommunications networks transmit data through switches and other equipment devices such as routers, splitters, multiplexes, packetizers, signal-transfer points, and the like. Telecommunications networks are in a persistent state of flux. Carriers often add new routes, retire legacy routes, add new equipment, and take old equipment offline. Keeping track of this equipment requires detailed record keeping. Viewing network-infrastructure information related to the routes and equipment can be difficult. 
   Prior attempts of depicting network data include presenting the data in tabular form using a series of tables. But tables do not provide a readily observable macroscopic snapshot of desired network information. Rather, one must arduously scroll though many rows and columns of data to reach a desired data point. This process must be repeated for each data value to be observed. The current state of the art could be improved by presenting information regarding a telecommunications network and network components in an intuitive, easy-to-understand manner. 
   Communications networks are complex networks that are composed of a variety of equipment components and communications pathways. Historically, displaying information related to the various equipment devices and communications pathways in an easy-to-understand format has been difficult. For instance, if someone wanted to retrieve information related to the physical routes available on a communications network, that information would be provided in a text or tabular format. But a text or tabular format is not conducive to rapid internalization of data by a user. Because the different network devices and physical data routes of a communications network can possess a wide array of attributes, presenting this information in an intuitive format has been difficult. Accordingly, the state of the art can be improved by providing a method and system that displays physical network-equipment devices and routing information in a more intuitive and easy-to-understand format. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention solves at least the above problems by providing a system and method for displaying existing and forecasted network-equipped capacity and circuit information. The present invention has several practical applications in the technical arts including depicting on a map telecommunications network infrastructure. 
   In one aspect, the present invention provides quick access to Dense Wave Division Multiplexing (DWDM) work-build information. The present invention queries a database and displays routing information based on prescribed search criteria such as vendor, model, capacity, and the like. 
   In another aspect, one or more computer-readable media are provided to display on a map physical fiber routes at street level detail of a carrier&#39;s entire network. Quick access is provided to network information such as fiber-cut data, associated DWDM information, and equipment information. This information can be utilized to display existing and forecasted capacity on a line-rate basis, circuit information, visualization, and the like in a more effective manner. 
   The present invention provides a method and system for presenting an array of information related to the physical devices and routing pathways of a communications network in an easy-to-understand format. In a preferred embodiment, the routing information and equipment information are displayed on a geographical map, such as a map of the United States. On this map are provided segments that correspond to physical routes and equipment markers that correspond to physical equipment devices. The present invention has several practical applications in the technical arts including offering the option of graphically displaying network-infrastructure information in a pictorial format or in the conventional tabular or text format. 
   In a final aspect of the invention, information related to physical network routes and physical network-equipment devices is stored in a database and associated with equipment markers and segment identifiers. The equipment markers and segment identifiers are graphical components that can be displayed on a geographical map. Incident to a user initiating a query, the present invention dynamically retrieves the respective equipment markers and segment identifiers to provide an accurate representation in graphical format of the data requested. A key aspect of the present invention is that the maps generated are kept up-to-date as the database containing the information related to the physical devices is kept current. That is, as a carrier&#39;s network changes, maps that are generated will also be kept up-to-date without additional programming. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The present invention is described in detail below with reference to the attached drawing figures, wherein: 
       FIG. 1  is a block diagram depicting a suitable operating environment for practicing the present invention; 
       FIG. 2A  is a diagram depicting an embodiment of a relationship between physical network devices and routes, their stored attributes, and their presentation on a map; 
       FIG. 2B  is an illustrative rendered map depicting several tens of segments and multiple equipment devices associated with one or more networks; 
       FIG. 2C  is an actual map that illustrates an exemplary rendering of the present invention; and 
       FIG. 3  is an exemplary method of the present invention to render desired information on a map. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention is a method for providing the option of viewing network information on a map or in text format. Throughout the disclosure of the present invention, several acronyms and shorthand notations are used to aid the understanding of certain concepts pertaining to the associated system and services. These acronyms and shorthand notations are solely intended for the purpose of providing an easy methodology of communicating the ideas expressed herein and are in no way meant to limit the scope of the present invention. 
   Further, various telecom technical terms are used throughout this disclosure. A definition of such terms can be found in  Newton&#39;s Telecom Dictionary  by H. Newton, 19th Edition (2003). These definitions are intended to provide a clearer understanding of the ideas disclosed herein but are in no way intended to limit the scope of the present invention. The definitions and terms should be interpreted broadly and liberally to the extent allowed by the art and the meaning of the words offered in the above-cited reference. 
   As one skilled in the art will appreciate, the present invention may be embodied as, among other things: a method, system, or computer-program product. Accordingly, the present invention may take the form of a hardware embodiment, a software embodiment, or an embodiment combining software and hardware. In a preferred embodiment, the present invention takes the form of a computer-program product that includes computer-useable instructions embodied on a computer-readable medium. 
   Computer-readable media include both volatile and nonvolatile media, removable and nonremovable media, and contemplates media readable by a database, a switch, and various other network devices. Network switches, routers, and related components are conventional in nature, as are means of communicating with the same. By way of example, and not limitation, computer-readable media comprise computer-storage media and communications media. 
   Computer-storage media, or machine-readable media, include media implemented in any method or technology for storing information. Examples of stored information include computer-useable instructions, data structures, program modules, and other data representations. Computer-storage media include, but are not limited to RAM, ROM, EEPROM, flash memory or other memory technology, CD-ROM, digital versatile discs (DVD), holographic media or other optical disc storage, magnetic cassettes, magnetic tape, magnetic disk storage, and other magnetic storage devices. These memory components can store data momentarily, temporarily, or permanently. 
   Communications media typically store computer-useable instructions—including data structures and program modules—in a modulated data signal. The term “modulated data signal” refers to a propagated signal that has one or more of its characteristics set or changed to encode information in the signal. An exemplary modulated data signal includes a carrier wave or other transport mechanism. Communications media include any information-delivery media. By way of example but not limitation, communications media include wired media, such as a wired network or direct-wired connection, and wireless media such as acoustic, infrared, radio, microwave, spread-spectrum, and other wireless media technologies. Combinations of the above are included within the scope of computer-readable media. 
   Network-Data Presentation 
   As previously mentioned, the present invention is, among other things, a computer-program product that includes an application to intuitively display network-infrastructure information related to a communications network. In one embodiment, network-infrastructure information is pictorially displayed on a geographical map, which is easy to interpret by a human viewer. The visual components are preferably hyperlinked to provide additional information if desired while maintaining a clean user interface. 
     FIG. 1  represents an exemplary operating environment suitable for practicing the present invention.  FIG. 1  is a mere exemplary embodiment of the present invention and should not be construed as limited to the components or the arrangement of the components shown. Those skilled in the art will appreciate various components and subcomponents that are not included for simplicity sake. As shown, the present invention includes a user-interface component  112 , a dynamic-querying component  114 , a database component  116  and a mapping component  120  to display a map  122  on a display device  124 . The database component  116  is populated with network-equipment information and physical-route information which is representatively shown by reference number  118 . 
   User-interface component  112  provides a user-interface to receive one or more requests from a user regarding what information is to be displayed on map  122 . In some situations, a user may wish to display all the available types of routes of a certain technology on map  122 . In other situations, a user may wish to display various equipment devices that meet some certain criteria. For example, a user may wish to see all routers within a particular geographic area. A user may wish to display equipment by vendor. Although exemplary, embodiments of the present invention are provided with respect to displaying available physical routes, their technologies, and corresponding equipment, the present invention should not be construed as limited to merely displaying routing or equipment information relating to a communications network. 
   Dynamic-querying component  114  enables real-time querying of database component  116 . In one embodiment, it queries database component  116  for information requested by a user through user-interface component  112 . Thus dynamic-querying component  114  dynamically queries database  116  to produce a map that is as up-to-date as the database. This arrangement allows the most up-to-date information to be graphically rendered as other systems update database component  116 . Although an embodiment of the present invention includes caching or storing query results for rapid display, a new query is preferably run per information-display request. 
   Mapping component  120  processes the query results to render a map that displays certain segment identifiers  230  and/or equipment markers  226 . An exemplary mapping component is Autodesk Mapguide® offered by Autodesk, Inc. of San Rafael, Calif. The mapping component can be configured to display results at varying degrees of resolution, such as by world, continent, country, state, city, neighborhood, and the like. 
     FIG. 2A  is a block diagram providing greater detail of an embodiment of the present invention. Physical network-equipment devices are referenced generally by the numeral  210 . Exemplary network-equipment devices include switches  212 , routers  214 , and other equipment  216 . Other equipment  216  is representative of all of the various types of equipment devices that can be found on a communications network. Listing them all here would be impractical, but one with ordinary skill in the art would appreciate that a communications network is composed of hundreds or even thousands of different types of devices that facilitate communication throughout the network. Some exemplary devices include signal-transfer points, multiplexers, demultiplexers, packetizers, depacketizers, repeaters, digitizers, wave generators, pulse generators, and the like. 
   Two exemplary physical routes  218  are referenced in  FIG. 2A  as Route_ 1  and Route_ 2 . These physical routes represent real-world routes that exist on a communications network. For instance, a fiber-optic link may run from Minneapolis to Nevada. This route is considered a physical route, perhaps Route_ 1 . A physical route may exist as a transatlantic route from New York to Spain or span 250 meters from a first residential house to a second. Physical routes  218  are meant to be representative of communications pathways that physically exist within a communications network or networks. 
   These routes do not need to be operational. Various physical routes  218  may have different operational statuses, for example: active, inactive, in fault, forecasted, or to-be-retired routes. Thus, physical routes  218  should not be construed as limited to merely operational communications pathways. As will be described below, the different operational statuses allow an analyst to quickly view perhaps all available routes of a certain communications type, or all routes that are currently under construction, or all routes that will be built in the next five years. 
   The information relating to the network-equipment devices  210  is stored in database component  116  in one embodiment. Note with respect to  FIG. 2A  that although reference numeral  116  points to what appears to be two separate databases, these databases are shown in such a manner for clarity&#39;s sake. One skilled in the art would readily appreciate that both tables  220  and  222  can be stored in a single database. 
   First table  220  associates an equipment identifier  224  with an equipment marker  226 . Second table  222  associates a route identifier  228  with a segment identifier  230 . The equipment identifiers  224  include indicia that are associated with physical network-equipment devices  210 . The equipment markers may be serial numbers for instance. If a carrier has a specific naming convention then that naming convention could be the equipment identifiers  224 . Equipment markers  226  are markers that correspond to the equipment identifiers  224  and will be displayed on map  122 . 
   Three equipment markers are shown on  FIG. 2A  and twenty are shown on  FIG. 2B . If a piece of equipment is identified as “Switch_ 1 ” then it may have an equipment marker E 1  as shown in first table  220 . Likewise, equipment device “Router_ 1 ” corresponds to equipment marker “E 2 ” in this example and equipment identifier “STP_ 1 ” corresponds to equipment marker “E 3 ”. Tables  220  and  222  should not be construed as limited to associating the equipment markers with merely one item of data such as “Switch_ 1 ” as shown. 
   The association of equipment markers with the equipment identifiers eases implementing the present invention into existing communications networks. There is no need for a carrier or company to rename its various equipment devices that are its communications network. Rather, equipment markers can simply be associated with whatever identifying indicia are used to denote physical devices on a communications network. It is the equipment markers that will be displayed on map  122  in a preferred embodiment. 
   Similar to denoting equipment, a carrier may already have in place a scheme for denoting physical routes such as “Route_ 1 ” and “Route_ 2 ” shown in second table  222 . Whatever naming convention a carrier uses to denote its communications pathways can be used with the present invention by associating a segment identifier  230  with the currently implemented route identifier  228 . The segment identifiers, such as “S 1 ” and “S 2 ,” correspond to physical pathways in the communications network. Segment identifiers  230 , like equipment markers  226 , are displayable segments that are rendered on map  122 . These displayable segments correspond to physical pathways. 
   As shown on  FIG. 2A , an exemplary pictorial illustration  232  is provided that shows segments S 1  and S 2  along with equipment markers E 1 , E 2 , and E 3 . A more detailed explanation of rendering illustration  232  is provided below. Although  FIG. 2A  depicts a mere two segments and three pieces of equipment on map  122  for simplicity&#39;s sake,  FIG. 2B  illustrates that a map may display tens, hundreds, or thousands of segments and equipment devices. In a preferred embodiment, these segments and equipment markers are hyperlinked to additional information that is available by clicking on the respective segment or link. 
   Additional information related to a segment may be presented by following a hyperlink or in some other way (mouse over, hotspot, etc.). This additional information is not limited to: Dense Wave Division Multiplexing (DWDM) information; communications-media information; forecasted-routing information; which of said communications pathways are available to communicate data through said network; optical-fiber information; fiber-cut information; a listing of the availability of said communications pathways; a description of the physical nature of said communications pathways; a description of the bandwidth limitations of said communications pathways; a listing of the physical location of said communications pathways; and/or designation of whether said communications pathways are capable of accommodating a prescribed technology. The aforementioned list is illustrative in nature. A skilled artisan would readily appreciate that any information about routes  228  can be associated with segment identifiers down to the color of the wire if desired. Queries can be performed based on what information is stored. 
   Dense Wave Division Multiplexing (DWDM) is a technology to use a single channel to efficiently communicate multiple signals. Not all segments of a communications network may be equipped with DWDM capability. In one embodiment of the preferred embodiment, DWDM routes are tracked for easy display on demand. 
   Similarly, greater detail of various equipment devices may also be presented, including but not limited to: identifying indicia; information related to the technical capabilities of the respective equipment devices; vendor information; model information; a physical location of the equipment; a listing of technologies offered by the element; a vendor associated with the device; and/or an operational status of the device. An actual map that illustrates portions of the aforementioned functionality is provided in  FIG. 2C . 
     FIG. 3  provides an illustrative method of the present invention to render infrastructure diagram  232  on map  122 . In one embodiment, two preliminary steps are completed, steps  312  and  314 . At step  312 , the physical-route information is stored in a first storage device, which can be database component  116 . A storage device is well known and conventional in the art. The physical-route information can include any information related to physical routes. As previously mentioned, exemplary physical-route information may include the status of a route, the bandwidth capacities of a route, the route&#39;s physical location, different technologies associated with the route, the length of the route, the communication speed of the route, and/or any other information that a vendor wishes to associate with the physical routes  218 . 
   Also at step  312 , network-equipment information that is related to the physical network-equipment devices  210  is stored in either the same or other storage devices. The network-equipment information can also be any information related to the various physical network-equipment devices  210 . Exemplary network-equipment information may include the vendor that the device is manufactured by and/or the technological capabilities of the physical device as mentioned above. 
   At step  314  the physical-route information is associated with segment identifiers  230 , and the network-equipment information is associated with equipment markers  226 . An exemplary embodiment of associating the physical components with displayed identifiers is provided in  FIG. 2A  by tables  220  and  222 . As briefly mentioned above, equipment markers  226  can be associated with an array of information relating to physical network-equipment devices  210 . 
   Equipment markers  226  are preprogrammed to display at certain locations on map  122 . Similarly, the segment identifiers  230  are displayable segments that can be turned on and off to render image  232  on map  122 . Route identifier “Route_ 1 ” is associated with segment S 1 , which is programmed as a segment to be displayed on map  122 . If a user wishes to display Route_ 1 , then segment identifier S 1  will be turned on. In one embodiment, different segments are associated with different layers. A first layer may include all the segments of a desired segment range. A second layer may include a different arrangement of segments that are turned on pursuant to a user request. 
   In a step  316 , a request is received from a user interface to display route and/or equipment information. A useful aspect of the present invention is its ability to render equipment markers and segment identifiers dynamically in response to a users query. This is accomplished via dynamic-rendering component  114 . Thus, at a step  318  the dynamic-querying component identifies respective equipment markers and segment identifiers that are associated with the physical-equipment devices and routes as requested in step  316 . By referencing database component  116 , dynamic-querying component  114  can retrieve the equipment markers and segment identifiers that need to be activated and rendered on map  122 . At a step  320 , the retrieved equipment markers  226  and segment identifiers  230  are rendered. Images can be rendered on a conventional display device as well as a printer or other display component. 
   As can be seen, the present invention and its equivalents are well adapted to provide a new and useful method for displaying information related to network components. Many different arrangements of the various components depicted, as well as components not shown, are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. 
   The present invention has been described in relation to particular embodiments, which are intended in all respects to be illustrative rather than restrictive. Alternative embodiments will become apparent to those skilled in the art that do not depart from its scope. Many alternative embodiments exist but are not included because of the nature of this invention. A skilled programmer may develop alternative means of implementing the aforementioned improvements without departing from the scope of the present invention. 
   It will be understood that certain features and subcombinations are of utility and may be employed without reference to other features and subcombinations and are contemplated within the scope of the claims. Not all steps listed in the various figures need be carried out in the specific order described.