System and method for bi-directional mapping between customer identity and network elements

1. An object-oriented system that relates network components with a customer, the system comprising:

a mapping module in communication with a network component data module and with a customer data module to create an object-oriented model of the network components, wherein the network component data module contains network component data arranged in a form that can be manipulated using an object-oriented application, wherein the object-oriented model includes:

at least one output of the mapping module, the at least one output comprising:

a plurality of sub-tree layers, wherein each layer represents a layer of abstraction, wherein a root represents the highest sub-tree layer and the highest level of abstraction; and

a plurality of customer identifiers assigned to network components to relate each identified customer with network components servicing that identified customer at a lowest abstraction layer.

2. The system of claim 1 , further comprising the network component data module.

3. The system of claim 1 , further comprising the customer data module.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the customer identifiers are unique relative to other customer numbers.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the mapping module provides a bi-directional mapping that relates network components to the customer and that relates the customer with network components.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the network component data module and the customer data module are a network management system in communication with the mapping module.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the mapping module is configured to assign the customer identifier to the network component at a second lowest abstraction layer when all of the network components in the lowest abstraction layer provide service to the same customer.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one output of the mapping module further comprises:

a service management sub-tree layer wherein each supported service has a set of instances corresponding to the network components that provide the service.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein each customer identifier in the plurality of customer identifier comprises a predetermined character string, and wherein each character string has a series of substrings, and wherein each substring corresponds to a network component having a relationship with the customer.

10. An object-oriented system that relates network components with a customer, the system comprising:

a mapping module in communication with a network component data module and with a customer data module, the mapping module comprising:

means for creating an object-oriented model of network components from network component data arranged in a form that can be manipulated using an object-oriented application, and wherein the object-oriented model includes:

a plurality of sub-tree layers, wherein each layer represents a layer of abstraction, wherein a root represents the highest sub-tree layer and the highest level of abstraction; and

a plurality of customer identifiers assigned to network components to relate each identified customer with network components servicing that identified customer at a lowest abstraction layer.

11. The system of claim 10 , further comprising the network component data module.

12. The system of claim 10 , further comprising the customer data module.

13. The system of claim 10 , wherein the customer identifiers are unique relative to other customer numbers.

14. The system of claim 10 , wherein the mapping module provides a bi-directional mapping that relates network components to the customer and that relates the customer with network components.

15. The system of claim 10 , wherein the mapping module includes:

means for assigning the customer identifier to the network component at a second lowest abstraction layer when all of the network components in the lowest abstraction layer provide service to the same customer.

16. The system of claim 10 , wherein the mapping module further comprises:

means for creating a service management sub-tree layer, wherein each supported service has a set of instances corresponding to the network components that provide the service.

17. The system of claim 10 , wherein the mapping module further comprises:

means for a creating a customer identifier that indicates the relationship between a plurality of network components and the customer.

18. A method for relating network components with a customer, the method comprising:

creating a mapping module in communication with a network component data module and a customer data module;

creating an object-oriented model of network components from network component data arranged in a form that can be manipulated using an object-oriented application, wherein the object-oriented model includes a plurality of sub-tree layers, wherein each layer represents a layer of abstraction, and wherein a root represents the highest sub-tree layer and the highest level of abstraction; and

assigning a customer identifier at a lowest abstraction layer to a network component for identifying the customer associated with that network component.

19. The method of claim 18 , further comprising:

gathering the network component data; and

arranging the network component data into the form that can be manipulated using the object-oriented application.

20. The method of claim 18 , further comprising:

gathering customer data for use in assigning the customer identifier to the network components.

21. The method of claim 18 , wherein the customer identifier is unique relative to other customer identifiers.

22. The method of claim 18 , further comprising:

relating a customer to a service when a network component may provide multiple services.

23. The method of claim 18 , further comprising:

updating the relationships between the network components and the customer identifiers based on gathering network component data and gathering customer data.

24. The method of claim 18 , further comprising:

updating the relationships between the network components and the customer identifiers in accordance with the assigning step.

25. An object-oriented system that relates network components with a customer, the system comprising:

a mapping module in communication with a network component data module and a customer data module, the mapping module comprising:

means for creating an object-oriented model of network components from network component data arranged in a form that can be manipulated using an object-oriented application, wherein the object-oriented model includes a plurality of sub-tree layers, wherein each layer represents a layer of abstraction, and wherein a root represents the highest sub-tree layer and the highest level of abstraction; and

means for assigning a customer identifier at a lowest abstraction layer to a network component for identifying the customer associated with that network component.

26. The system of claim 25 , further comprising:

means for gathering the network component data; and

means for arranging the network component data into the form that can be manipulated using the object-oriented application.

27. The system of claim 25 , further comprising:

means for gathering customer data for use in assigning the customer identifier to the network components.

28. The system of claim 25 , wherein the customer identifier is unique relative to other customer numbers.

29. The system of claim 25 , further comprising:

means for relating a customer to a service when a network component may provide multiple services.

30. The system of claim 25 , further comprising:

means far updating the relationships between the network components and the customer identifiers based on gathering network component data and gathering customer data.

31. The system of claim 25 , further comprising:

means for updating the relationships between the network components and the customer identifiers in accordance with the assigning step.

32. A computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform the at least the following:

create a mapping module in communication with a network component data module and a customer data module;

create an object-oriented model of network components from network component data arranged in a form that can be manipulated using an object-oriented application, wherein the model includes a plurality of sub-tree layers, wherein each layer represents a layer of abstraction, and wherein a root represents the highest sub-tree layer and the highest level of abstraction; and

assign a customer identifier at a lowest abstraction layer to a network component for identifying the customer associated with that network component.

33. The medium of claim 32 , having stored thereon instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform at least the following:

gather the network component data; and

arrange the network component data into the form that can be manipulated using the object-oriented application.

34. The medium of claim 32 , having stored thereon instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform at least the following:

gather customer data for use in assigning the customer identifier to the network components.

35. The medium of claim 32 , wherein the customer identifier is unique relative to other customer identifiers.

36. The medium of claim 32 , having stored thereon instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform at least the following:

relate a customer to a service when a network component may provide multiple services.

37. The medium of claim 32 , having stored thereon instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform at least the following:

update the relationships between the network components and the customer identifiers based on gathering network component data and gathering customer data.

38. The medium of claim 32 , having stored thereon instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform at least the following:

update the relationships between the network components and the customer identifiers in accordance with the assigning.