Graphical user interface and method for customer centric network management

1. A computer-implemented method for generating a user interface for network management, comprising:

providing, via a processor, a first view showing text input by a user indicative of customer identification data corresponding to a customer in a network, wherein the customer identification data is received by a server accessible by the user;

providing, via the processor, a second view showing stored information corresponding to the customer identification data, wherein the server accesses a database to retrieve the stored information and provides actual path information corresponding to a customer based on the stored information to the user interface;

providing, via the processor, a third view showing a graphical representation of a customer path corresponding to the actual path information, the graphical representation being generated in response to the actual path information retrieved from the database by the server, wherein the customer path includes heterogeneous network components that support a specific service for the customer and that are intermediately implemented between a services server and a client computer, wherein different types of the intermediate heterogeneous network components are graphically distinguished; and

displaying the first view, the second view, and the third view simultaneously on at least one tangible display.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:

providing, via the processor, a fourth view showing internet protocol (IP) addresses corresponding to components in the customer path.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:

means for showing detailed information on a component in the customer path.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the database stores information according to a generic information model.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:

means for testing a component in the customer path.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the first view, second view, and third view are displayed simultaneously.

7. A computer-implemented method for generating a user interface for network management, comprising:

providing, via a processor, a first view showing text input by a user indicative of customer identification data corresponding to a customer in a network, wherein the customer identification data is received by a server accessible by the user;

providing, via the processor, a second view showing stored information corresponding to the customer identification data, wherein the server accesses a database to retrieve the stored information and provides actual path information corresponding to a customer based on the stored information to the user interface;

providing, via the processor, a third view showing a graphical representation of heterogeneous network components supporting a specific service for the customer corresponding to the actual path information and that are intermediately implemented between a services server and a client computer, the graphical representation being generated in response to the actual path information retrieved from the database by the server, wherein different types of the intermediate heterogeneous network components are graphically distinguished as part of the graphical representation; and

displaying the first view, the second view, and the third view simultaneously on at least one tangible display.