Patent ID: 6954520

Claim:
A method for developing a report relative to a specified piece of equipment of a network, or network path of said network, comprising the steps of: collecting call detail records (CDRs) having an identifier that permits segregating call detail records based on said specified piece of equipment or network path, which call detail records are adapted to yield call-beginning information, or call-ending information or both; conditioning said collected CDR by employing a process of culling CDRs that pertain to said specified piece of equipment or network path, and a process for permitting said CDRs to be considered in time-ordered manner, said conditioning executing said processes in any chosen order; and employing the conditioned CDR, considered in time-ordered manner, to update a count state; where said step of employing increments a counter when a considered CDR provides call-beginning information, and decrements said counter when said considered CDR provides call-ending information.