Network support system

Claim 2

A support system for a telecommunications network which provides communication channels between locations, the system comprising: a plurality of databases which store route specifications for the respective channels and information about the physical paths taken by the channels between successive locations on the routes specified in the corresponding route specifications, the route specifications and the information about the physical paths being stored in different databases; a respective data acquisition means associated with each of the databases, for receiving requests for specific data stored in its associated database, interrogating its associated database in response to receipt of such requests, and outputting the requested specific data; user interface means having a graphical display device and input means which permits the inputting to the system of user requests, each identifying a said channel, for information about the route specification of that channel and the physical path taken by that channel between each pair of successive locations on the route specified in the route specification; selection means for selecting the databases in which the data corresponding to the information requested in an inputted user request is stored and directing requests for this data to the data acquisition means associated with these databases; and combining means for combining the data outputted by the data acquisition means in response to the inputted user request and displaying the route specification and the physical path taken by the channel between each pair of successive locations on the route specified in the route specification as a single graphical display via the display device.

Claim 3

A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the combining means is arranged to display the specified logical and physical routes in the form of a map.

Claim 4

A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said selection means form part of the user interface means.

Claim 5

A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the selection means is arranged to respond to the inputting of a user request by directing a request for the route specification of the channel identified in the user request to the data acquisition means associated with the database in which this route specification is stored, and to respond to the outputting of this route specification by directing a respective request for information about the physical path taken by the channel between each pair of successive locations on the outputted route specification to the data acquisition means associated with the database in which that information is stored.

Claim 6

A system as claimed in claim 4, wherein said selection means form part of the user interface means.

Claim 7

A system as claimed in claim 4, wherein the combining means is arranged to display the route specification and the physical path taken by the channel between each pair of successive locations on the route specified in the route specification in the form of a map.

Claim 8

A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the combining means is arranged to display the route specification and the physical path taken by the channel between each pair of successive locations on the route specified in the route specification in the form of a map.

Claim 9

A system as claimed in claim 7 wherein the combining means is arranged to display the route specifications and the physical paths in response to user requests for at least two channels between the same two locations such that diversity or separacy of two physical paths between the two locations can be ascertained.

Claim 10

A support system for a telecommunications network which provides communication channels between locations, the system comprising: a plurality of databases which store route specifications for the respective channels and information about the physical paths taken by the channels between successive locations on routes specified in the corresponding route specifications, the route specifications and the information about the physical paths being stored in different databases; a respective data acquisition means associated with each of the databases, for receiving requests for specific data stored in its associated database, interrogating its associated database in response to receipt of such requests, and outputting the requested specific data; user interface means having a graphical display and input means which permits the inputting to the system of user requests, each identifying a said channel, for information about the physical route of that channel; selection means for selecting the databases in which the route specification of the channel identified in an inputted user request and the information about the physical path taken by that channel between each pair of successive locations on the route specified in the route specification are stored, responding to the inputting of a user request by directing a request for the route specification of the channel identified in the inputted user request to the data acquisition means associated with the database in which this route specification is stored, and responding to the outputting of this route specification by directing a respective request for information about the physical path taken by the channel between each pair of successive locations on the route specified in the route specification to the data acquisition means associated with the database in which that information is stored; and combining means for combining the data outputted by the data acquisition means in response to the said respective requests directed to the data acquisition means in response to first and second inputted user requests and displaying the physical paths of the channels identified in these user requests as a single graphical display via the display.

Claim 11

A support system for a telecommunications network which provides communication channels between locations, the system comprising: a plurality of databases which store route specifications for the respective channels and information about the physical paths taken by the channels between successive locations on routes specified in the corresponding route specifications, the route specifications and the information about the physical paths being stored in different databases; a respective data acquisition means associated with each of the databases, for receiving requests for specific data stored in its associated database, interrogating its associated database in response to receipt of such requests, and outputting the requested specific data; user interface means having a graphical display and input means which permits the inputting to the system of user requests, each identifying a said channel, for information about the physical route of that channel; selection means for selecting the databases in which the route specification of the channel identified in an inputted user request and the information about the physical path taken by that channel between each pair of successive locations on the route specified in the route specification are stored, responding to the inputting of a user request by directing a request for the route specification of the channel identified in the inputted user request to the data acquisition means associated with the database in which this route specification is stored, and responding to the outputting of this route specification by directing a respective request for information about the physical path taken by the channel between each pair of successive locations on the route specified in the route specification to the data acquisition means associated with the database in which that information is stored; and combining means for combining the data outputted by the data acquisition means in response to the said respective requests directed to the data acquisition means in response to first and second inputted user requests and displaying the physical paths of the channels identified in these user requests as a single graphical display via the display.

Claim 12

A system as claimed in claim 9, wherein the selection means forms part of the user interface means.

Claim 13

A system as claimed in claim 9, wherein the combining means is arranged to display the physical paths of the identified channels in the form of a map.

Claim 14

A system as claimed in claim 11, wherein the selection means forms part of the user interface means.

Claim 15

A system as claimed in claim 11, wherein the combining means is arranged to display the route specifications and the physical paths in response to first and second user requests for two channels between the same two locations such that diversity or separacy of two physical paths between the two locations can be ascertained.

Claim 16

A system as claimed in claim 9, wherein the selection means forms part of the user interface means.

Claim 17

A telecommunications network support system for displaying a logical diagram of routes between geographic locations and the physical paths between geographic locations comprising: a user terminal including an interactive input means for a user to input requests and a graphical display device for displaying logical diagrams of routes and physical paths; a plurality of databases wherein one of the databases stores data specifying logical routes between locations and another one of the databases stores data specifying the physical paths between locations; a data acquisition means associated with each database for receiving requests for data stored in its associated database, interrogating its associated database in response to receipt of such a request, and outputting requested specific data; a processor for receiving user entered requests from the user terminal, directing the requests to the data acquisition means associated with the databases, receiving specific data outputted from the data acquisition means, and forwarding the specific data outputted to the user terminal for display on the graphical display device; and whereat in response to a user request for a communication channel between two geographic locations, a logical diagram of the route and a physical path between the two geographic locations are displayed on the graphical display device.

Claim 18

A telecommunications network support system for displaying a logical diagram of routes between geographic locations and the physical paths between geographic locations comprising: a user terminal including an interactive input means for a user to input requests and a graphical display device for displaying logical diagrams of routes and physical paths; a plurality of databases wherein one of the databases stores data specifying logical routes between locations and another one of the databases stores data specifying the physical paths between locations; a data acquisition means associated with each database for receiving requests for data stored in its associated database, interrogating its associated database in response to receipt of such a request, and outputting requested specific data; a processor for receiving user entered requests from the user terminal, directing the requests to the data acquisition means associated with the databases, receiving specific data outputted from the data acquisition means, and forwarding the specific data outputted to the user terminal for display on the graphical display device; and whereat in response to a user request for a communication channel between two geographic locations, a logical diagram of the route and a physical path between the two geographic locations are displayed on the graphical display device.

Claim 19

A support system as in claim 15, wherein in response to a user request for two communication channels between the said two geographic locations, logical diagrams of the routes and the physical paths between the two geographic locations are displayed whereby diversity and separacy may be ascertained.

Claim 22

A method as in claim 17, wherein the selecting step: responds to the inputting of a user request by directing a request for the route specification of the channel identified in the user request to the data acquisition means associated with the database in which this route specification is stored, and responds to the outputting of this route specification by directing a respective request for information about the physical path taken by the channel between each pair of successive locations on the outputted route specification to the data acquisition means associated with the database in which that information is stored.

Claim 23

A method as in claim 18, wherein the combining step displays the route specification and the physical path taken by the channel between each pair of successive locations on the route specified in the route specification in the form of a map.

Claim 24

A method as in claim 18, wherein said selecting step includes use of the user interface.

Claim 25

A method as in claim 17, wherein the wherein the combining step displays the specified logical and physical routes in the form of a map.

Claim 26

A method as in claim 17 wherein said selecting step includes use of the user interface.

Claim 27

A method as in claim 17, wherein the combining step displays the route specification and the physical path taken by the channel between each pair of successive locations on the route specified in the route specification in the form of a map.

Claim 28

A method as in claim 23 wherein the combining step displays the route specifications and the physical paths in response to user requests for at least two channels between the same two locations such that diversity or separacy of two physical paths between the two locations can be ascertained.

Claim 31

A method as in claim 25, wherein the selecting step includes use of part of the user interface.

Claim 32

A method as in claim 25, wherein the combining step displays the physical paths of the identified channels in the form of a map.

Claim 33

A method as in claim 27, wherein the selecting step includes use of the user interface.

Claim 34

A method as in claim 27, wherein the combining step displays the route specifications and the physical paths in response to first and second user requests for two channels between the same two locations such that diversity or separacy of two physical paths between the two locations can be ascertained.

Claim 35

A method as in claim 25, wherein the selecting step includes use of the user interface.

Claim 38

A method as in claim 31, wherein, in response to a user request for two communication channels between the said two geographic locations, logical diagrams of the routes and the physical paths between the two geographic locations are displayed whereby diversity and separacy may be ascertained.