Integration service and domain object for telecommunications operational support
In a particular embodiment, the disclosure is directed to an integration service. The integration service includes an interface layer, a logic layer, an object layer, and a resource layer. The interface layer includes a plurality of communications adapters. The logic layer includes a first interface and has access to a rules engine. The object layer includes a second interface, a transformation service, and an object. The resource layer includes a plurality of resource interface modules. The resource interface modules have access to a plurality of diverse resource systems. The resource interface modules may acquire a first data from the plurality of diverse resource systems. The transformation service transforms the data into the object. The logic layer accesses the object and provides a second data through one of the plurality of interface layer communications adapters.
1. An integration system comprising:
a business application services system adapted to receive customer service requests via a plurality of communication interfaces, the plurality of communication interfaces including at least one voice interface and at least one data interface;
a server system having processing logic and memory accessible to the processing logic, wherein the memory stores a business integration services application that includes:
an interface layer including a plurality of communication adapters;
a logic layer including a first interface and having access to a rules engine;
an object layer including a second interface, a transformation service, and an object; and
a resource layer including a plurality of resource interface modules, at least one of the plurality of resource interface modules having access to a plurality of diverse resource systems, at least one of the plurality of resource interface modules configured to receive a first data item from one of the plurality of diverse resource systems, wherein the transformation service is adapted to transform the first data item into the object, and wherein the logic layer has access to the object and is adapted to provide a second data item to the business application services system through at least one of the plurality of communication adapters;
wherein the interface layer, the logic layer, the object layer and the resource layer are integrated via a plurlaity of reusable infrastructure modules; and
wherein the business application services system communicates with the business integration services application via a plurality of infrastructure interfaces adapted to access the plurality of reusable infrastructure modules.
2. The integration system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of communication adapters are coupled to an application service, the application service accessible from a plurality of access channels.
3. The integration system of claim 1 , wherein the second data item represents usage data.
4. The integration system of claim 1 , wherein the second data item represents an address validation response.
5. The integration system of claim 1 , wherein the second data item represents a telephone number allocation.
6. The integration system of claim 1 , wherein the second data item represents customer information.
7. The integration system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of diverse resource systems is a business support system.
8. The integration system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of diverse resource systems is a regionally distributed trunk inventory management system.
9. The integration system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of communication interfaces include an interactive voice response interface and a web interface.
10. The integration system of claim 1 , wherein the business integration services application is adapted to provide bill preparation functions.
11. A method of interacting with a distributed resource system, the method comprising:
receiving a first communication from an integration service via an infrastructure interface communicating with a plurality of reusable infrastructure system services;
instantiating an object in response to receiving the first communication;
initiating an interaction with the distributed resource system; and
translating a response from a resource element within the distributed resource system into the object wherein the distributed resource system includes an operational support system.
12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising providing a second communication to the integration service.
13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the resource element is the operational support system, and wherein the operational support system includes dispatching functions.
14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the resource element is a regionally distributed trunk inventory management system.
15. A method for interacting with a distributed resource system, the method comprising:
requesting a transaction associated with the a distributed resource system using an object layer;
connecting to a resource element of the distributed resource system using a resource connection layer to facilitate the requested transaction, wherein the resource element is an external provider accessed through a shared distributed computing infrastructure;
translating a transaction result associated with the requested transaction into a fielded response using the resource connection layer; and
sending the fielded response to a business application service system via an infrastructure interface communicating with a plurality of reusable infrastructure system services.
16. The method of claim 15 further comprising providing the fielded response to the object layer.
17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the distributed resource system includes an operational support system and a business support system.
18. The method of claim 16 , wherein the distributed resource system includes a regionally distributed trunk inventory management system.