Patent ID: 7508920

Claim:
A method of scheduling automated tests in a telecommunication system having a plurality of switches interconnected by a plurality of trunk groups, each trunk group including a plurality of trunk circuits, said method comprising the steps of: creating a time slot array representing a plurality of potentially available time slots for conducting said automated tests between testing units respectively connected to said switches; marking a subset of said time slots as unavailable according to a plurality of respective maintenance windows corresponding to said switches; marking a remainder of said time slots as available; sequentially selecting each of said trunk groups for respectively scheduling said automated tests; initializing a counter after selecting a respective trunk group; identifying a particular time slot marked as available in said array for both of said testing units corresponding to said respective trunk group; marking said particular time slot as unavailable for both of said corresponding testing units; sequentially selecting each trunk circuit within said respective trunk group; designating a respective test for a selected trunk circuit during said particular time slot; incrementing said counter; checking whether said counter indicates that a number of said tests have been scheduled that fills a capacity of said testing units for running simultaneous tests; if said capacity is not filled, then repeating said designating step for a next selected trunk circuit using said particular time slot; and if said capacity is filled, then identifying a further time slot marked as available in said array for both of said testing units corresponding to said respective trunk group, marking said further time slot as unavailable for both of said corresponding testing units, and repeating said designating step for a next selected trunk circuit using said further time slot.