IP telephony network using a configuration map for organizing sites in a tree-like hierarchy
View Patent ↗A system and method for managing an IP telephony network that uses a configuration map for organizing sites in a tree-like hierarchy. The system is capable of managing the addition, removal and movement of IP telephony elements within an IP telephony network and locating services and IP telephony elements within the IP telephony network in an efficient manner.
1. A system for managing an IP telephony network having a plurality of sites, the system comprising:
a configuration map including a location of each of the sites in the IP telephony network relative to at least one other site and organizing the plurality of sites in the IP telephony network according to a tree-like hierarchy;
a routine for managing the IP telephony network, the routine having access to the configuration map;
a first IP telephony element having a first association with a parent site, wherein a location of the first IP telephony element relative to other IP telephony elements in the IP telephony network is stored in the configuration map; and
a second IP telephony element having a second association with the first IP telephony element, wherein the routine (1) determines a parent site of the second IP telephony element based upon the first IP telephony element and (2) stores the second association, wherein the second association associates the determined parent site with the second IP telephony element in the configuration map.
2. The system for managing the IP telephony network of claim 1 , wherein the determined parent site is the parent site of the first IP telephony element.
3. The system for managing the IP telephony network of claim 1 , wherein the first IP telephony element is a switch and the second IP telephony element is an extension.
4. The system for managing the IP telephony network of claim 1 , wherein the routine updates the second IP telephony element to have a fourth association with a third IP telephony element at a second site and the fourth association associates the second IP telephony element with the third IP telephony element and the second site.
5. The system for managing the IP telephony network of claim 4 , wherein one or more of the first IP telephony element, the second IP telephony element and the third IP telephony element are moved in the IP telephony network and the routine updates the configuration map based on the moved IP telephony element and updates one or more IP telephony elements in the network of the movement of the moved IP telephony element based on the configuration map.
6. The system for managing the IP telephony network of claim 4 , wherein one or more of the first IP telephony element, the second IP telephony element and the third IP telephony element are moved in the IP telephony network and the routine detects a moved IP telephony element and updates one or more of the associations stored in the configuration map based on the movement.
7. The system for managing the IP telephony network of claim 4 , wherein one or more of the first IP telephony element, the second IP telephony element and the third IP telephony element are moved in the IP telephony network and the routine detects a moved IP telephony element and updates the configuration map based on the moved IP telephony element and updates one or more non-moved IP telephony elements in the IP telephony network of the movement of the moved IP telephony element based on the configuration map.
8. The system for managing the IP telephony network of claim 7 , wherein the moved IP telephony element comprises a switch having an associated site map used to locate IP telephony elements.
9. The system for managing the IP telephony network of claim 1 , wherein the second IP telephony element includes a fifth association with the parent site, wherein the fifth association is stored in the configuration map.
10. The system for managing the IP telephony network of claim 9 , wherein the second IP telephony element is an extension.
11. The system for managing the IP telephony network of claim 1 , wherein the first IP telephony network element has an IP address and the IP address is stored in the configuration map.
12. The system for managing the IP telephony network of claim 1 , wherein a communicative coupling between sites is different than logical coupling information stored in the configuration map describing the location of each of the sites in the IP telephony network relative to the at least one other site.
13. The system of claim 1 , wherein the tree-like hierarchy is non-circular.
14. A method of updating a first site to have a parent site in a configuration map, the method comprising:
organizing, with a processor, a plurality of sites into a tree-like hierarchy comprising an IP telephony element at the first site receiving services from a first server comprised in the tree-like hierarchy;
receiving, with the processor, the parent site for the first site;
updating, with the processor, the configuration map with the parent site for the first site; and
updating, with the processor, the IP telephony element in the network based on the updated configuration map to receive services from a second server comprised in the tree-like hierarchy that is identified by tracing the tree-like hierarchy to an older generation site that has the service available.
15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the tree-like hierarchy is non-circular.
16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the IP telephony element is updated subsequent to the configuration map being updated.
17. The method of claim 14 , wherein the configuration map is stored at a location on the IP telephony network other than a primary server.
18. A method of utilizing a plurality of sites organized into a tree-like hierarchy to identify the location of a service in an IP telephony network, the method comprising:
searching, with a processor, a configuration map containing the location of each of the sites in the IP telephony network relative to each other, to determine if a service is available at a first site; and
if the service is not available at the first site, tracing the tree-like hierarchy to an older generation site that has the service available.
19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the service identified is a backup service.
20. The method of claim 18 , wherein the tree-like hierarchy is non-circular.
21. The method of claim 18 , wherein the service identified is a voicemail service.
22. The method of claim 21 , wherein the voicemail service is identified to host a voicemail box associated with an extension.
23. The method of claim 18 , wherein the configuration map is stored at a location on the IP telephony network other than a primary server.
24. The method of claim 18 , wherein the configuration map is stored at a location on the IP telephone network other than headquarter site.
25. The method of claim 18 , wherein the service is provided to a switch.
26. The method of claim 18 , wherein a router is utilized to identify the location of the server when the configuration map is not accessible.