Graphical user interface and method for customer centric network management

Abstract

A graphical user interface and method for customer centric network management. The graphical user interface includes a first view showing text input by a user indicative of customer identification data corresponding to a customer in a network. This data is received by a server connected to the user. The server retrieves stored information corresponding to the customer identification data from a database and provides the stored information and actual circuit path information corresponding to a customer service based on the stored information to the graphical user interface. A second view of the graphical user interface shows the stored information, and a third view shows a graphical representation of a customer path corresponding to the actual circuit path information.

1 - 17 . (canceled) 
     
     
         18 . A method for network management comprising the steps, performed by a processor, of:
 receiving identification data corresponding to a customer in a network;   accessing a database for stored information corresponding to the customer identification data; and   providing actual circuit path information corresponding to a customer service based on the stored information, wherein the actual path information is used to generate a graphical representation of heterogeneous network components supporting a specific service for the customer, wherein the graphical representation graphically distinguishes different types of intermediate heterogeneous network components that support the specific service for the customer.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the database stores information according to a generic information model. 
     
     
         20 . A method for network management in a network comprising the steps, performed by a processor, of:
 populating a database with network component information, the database storing the network component information according to a generic information model;   receiving customer identification data corresponding to a customer in the network;   accessing the database for network component information corresponding to the customer identification data; and   providing actual circuit path information corresponding to a customer service based on the stored information, wherein the actual path information is used to generate a graphical representation of heterogeneous network components supporting a specific service for the customer, wherein the graphical representation graphically distinguishes different types of intermediate heterogeneous network components that support the specific service for the customer.   
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20 , said populating step further comprising:
 sending component access information to an element management system, the element management system retrieving network component information from at least one component in the network;   receiving the network component information from the element management system; and   storing the network component information in the database.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 20 , further comprising:
 updating the database based on a manual event.   
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22 , said updating step further comprising:
 collecting new network component information;   storing the new network component information in a temporary database;   comparing the temporary database with the database storing the network component information according to the generic information model; and   modifying the database according to comparison rules and storing the network component information according to a generic information model.   
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 20 , further comprising:
 updating the database based on an automatic event.   
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24 , said updating step further comprising:
 collecting new network component information;   storing the new network component information in a temporary database;   comparing the temporary database with the permanent database storing the network component information according to the generic information model; and   modifying the database according to comparison rules and storing the network component information according to a generic information model.   
     
     
         26 . A method for network management comprising the steps, performed by a processor, of:
 receiving identification data corresponding to a customer in a network;   accessing a database for stored information corresponding to the customer identification data; and   providing actual path information corresponding to a customer based on the stored information, wherein the actual path information is used to generate a graphical representation of a customer path, wherein the graphical representation graphically distinguishes different types of intermediate heterogeneous network components in the customer path.