Patent ID: 8620259

Claim:
An apparatus for modeling a service in a network, the apparatus comprising: a design part configured to create a model of the service, the model including service information comprising logical operational subsystems of the network associated with effecting the service in the network; and a communication part configured to output representations of a plurality of views of the model in response to a request from a respective subsystem in the network that is implementing a new or modified service, wherein individual ones of the plurality of views are associated with the respective subsystem in the network and include portions of the service information specific to the respective subsystem to effect the service, wherein individual ones of the plurality of views are representative of a functionality that the respective subsystem provides as well as interfaces and attributes common between the respective subsystem and other network components with interfaces to the respective subsystem, and wherein the individual ones of the plurality of views are configured for use by the respective subsystem: to interpret the individual ones of the plurality of views to define actions of the respective subsystem with respect to the new or modified service to define attributes to be communicated between the respective subsystem and the network, and to determine integration of the new or modified service at the respective subsystem with respect to the network.