James R Eads

US Patent:

6411955, Jun 25, 2002

Filed:

Dec 29, 1998

Appl. No.:

09/222514

Inventors:

James S. Eads - Conyers GA

Assignee:

ATT Corp. - New York NY

International Classification:

G06F 1730

US Classification:

707 10, 707200, 707202, 707204, 709220, 709226, 455 331, 455443, 455433

Abstract:

The present invention provides an improved technique to overcome the problems associated with a failed switch having service announcement capabilities. In one embodiment of the present invention, a copy of the complete service announcement set at a switch is provided in a database coupled to an announcement administration processing system (or an AAP) at a switch. In the event that a failure occurs with a memory device having stored therein the announcement set, the memory being part of an announcement controller or a Service Circuit Unit (SCU), the service announcement set residing within the AAP may be applied directly to the failed memory device, thereby avoiding the problems associated with techniques known in the art. Additionally, before a failed SCU is restored, the system compares the announcement sets in the restored memory device with a memory device at another SCU to ensure that there are no mismatches between the announcement sets. Advantageously the present invention provides a way to quickly restore failed switches without a requiring a labor-intensive procedure and ensures against mismatches of announcement sets between SCUs.