Rule based capacity management system for an inter office facility

Abstract

A rule based capacity management system for an inter office facility is provided. The system includes a presentation layer for providing a graphical user interface to a user. The presentation layer is capable of receiving one or more rules from the user and for providing one or more analytical reports of the equipment based on the rules. The system also includes a data layer for storing rules, including the rules received from the user, and for connecting to an inventory system such as trunks integrated record keeping system (TIRKS). The system also includes a business layer interfacing between the presentation layer and the data layer. The business layer creates the analytical reports responsive to the rules and the raw data.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A system for monitoring equipment in a telecommunications network, the system comprising: 
 a monitor set including at least one of either a subset of the equipment, a review period, or a configuration for the equipment;    a plurality of rules related to the monitor set, wherein the rules include at least one rule usable to predict exhaustion of the equipment;    means for obtaining data related to the monitor set; and    a program for creating one or more analytical reports about the monitor set based on the rules and the data, wherein the analytical report includes a prediction of exhaustion of the equipment, wherein the program includes: 
 an inference engine having instructions for retrieving the data from a data layer of an inventory retrieval system, determining if a match exists between the data and one or more of the rules, if a match exists, firing the rule on the data to produce an analysis and formatting the analysis into the analytical reports.  
   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the at least one rule usable to predict exhaustion of the equipment includes a projected lifetime of the equipment.  
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2  wherein the at least one rule usable to predict exhaustion of the equipment includes a capacity of the equipment.  
     
     
         4 . A method for monitoring equipment in a telecommunications system and predicting when the equipment will be exhausted, the method comprising: 
 selecting a configuration for the equipment;    defining a review for the selected configuration, the review identifying one or more rules usable to calculate exhaustion of the equipment;    obtaining equipment related data using a separate inventory system;    requesting the retrieval of the obtained data for the defined review so that the data can be compared to the one or more rules; and    receiving a comparison of the data and the review.    
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4  wherein identifying the one or more rules usable to calculate exhaustion of the equipment includes identifying at least one of a lifetime of the equipment and a capacity of the equipment.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 4  wherein the review further identifies a review interval and/or a notification preference and wherein the data can also be compared to the review interval and/or the notification preference.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 4  wherein the configuration is selected from a list of predetermined possible configurations.  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 4  wherein identifying one or more rules comprises: 
 selecting a rule from a rule tree according to a rule set definition, the rule comprising an antecedent and a consequent; and  
 modifying either or both of the antecedent and the consequent of the selected rule.  
 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 4  further comprising receiving the comparison as an analyzed conclusion provided through an email operation.  
     
     
         10 . A system for monitoring equipment in a telecommunications network, the system comprising: 
 a monitor set including at least one of either a subset of the equipment, a review period, or a configuration for the equipment;    a plurality of rules related to the monitor set, wherein at least one rule enables a prediction of equipment exhaustion;    means for obtaining data related to the monitor set; and    a program for creating one or more analytical reports about the monitor set based on the rules and the data, wherein at least one of the analytical reports details a relationship between demand and capacity for at least a portion of the equipment.    
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 10  further comprising a graphical user interface for receiving additional rules from a user and for providing the additional rules to the program.  
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 10  wherein the program comprises an inference engine comprising instructions for retrieving the data from a data layer of an inventory retrieval system, determining if a match exists between the data and one or more of the rules, if a match exists, firing the rule on the data to produce an analysis, and formatting the analysis into the analytical reports, wherein the analytical report includes a prediction of equipment exhaustion.