Patent ID: 7940682

Claim:
A data communications system comprising: a network including a plurality of network provider routers configured to support Open Shortest Path First circuits between customer edge routers outside the network; an automated diagnostic system coupled to the network provider routers wherein the automated diagnostic system is configured to automatically initiate one or more inquiries of one or more of the network provider routers in response to a customer Internet Protocol address identifying a customer edge router servicing a customer location from which a service failure has been reported and a circuit address identifying an Open Shortest Path First circuit related to the reported service failure, to automatically process results of the one or more inquiries to automatically identify whether an Open Shortest Path First protocol problem is present in the network, and to automatically generate a notification when an Open Shortest Path First problem is identified in the network, wherein the automated diagnostic system is configured to automatically initiate one or more inquiries of one or more routers of the network by automatically initiating a Show Internet Protocol interface command for an interface of a provider edge router of the network that is coupled to the customer edge router, wherein the automated diagnostic system configured to automatically process results of the one or more inquiries by automatically determining whether a physical link between the interface of the provider edge router and the customer edge router is down based on information received at the automated diagnostic system responsive to the Show Internet Protocol interface command, wherein the automated diagnostic system is configured to automatically generate the notification at the automated diagnostic system by automatically notifying a work center that the physical link between the interface of the provider edge router and the customer edge router is down in response to determining that the physical link is down, and wherein in response to determining that the physical link is not down, the automated diagnostic system is configured to automatically initiate a subsequent inquiry of the provider edge router of the network, to automatically process results of the subsequent inquiry to automatically identify whether an Open Shortest Path First protocol problem is present in the network, and to automatically generate a notification when an Open Shortest Path First problem is identified in the network.