Software replacement method and related software replacement system

The present invention relates to a software replacement method as described in the preamble of claim 1 and the related software replacement system as described in the preamble of claim 2.

Such a method and related system are already known in the art, e.g. from U. S. Patent application with reference W00248877 with title <i>"REPLACING SOFTWARE AT A TELECOMMUNICATIONS PLATFORM"</i> from the inventor A. Lundback et. al., published in June 13, 2002.

Therein, the installation of a new software package replacing an old software package on a certain network element, called a telecommunications platform, e.g. a router, is disclosed. This replacement is done by first establishing a connection between an operator terminal and the command line interface of the network element. Subsequently a new software package replacing an old software package is installed via this established connection. At activation of the new software package, the connection to the network element is lost as the command handling interface forms part of the old, replaced software package which is deactivated. At activation of the new software package, a new command-handling interface forming part of the new package is activated at the same time. The operator may establish a new connection between the operator terminal and the new command-handling interface.

Since the command handling interface forms part of the old, software package the command line interface is stopped at deactivating the old software package.

An operator involved in this software package update is interested in keeping track of the progress of the software package update. However, this is not possible as no connection between the operator terminal and the network element is possible until the new software package including a new command-handling interface has started. Moreover there is a chance that it is not possible anymore to establish the connection because the new software is not of the required quality. Hence, the operator has no view on the status and progress of the activation of the software: he has to poll to know when he can reestablish the connection. No messages from the network element can be send to the operator while the new software is being activated.

An object of the present invention is to provide with a software replacement method of the above known type and a related system but wherein the operator is able to keep track of the software replacement process.

According to the invention, this object is achieved by the Software replacement method as described in claim 1 and the Software replacement system as described in claim 2.

Indeed, by contacting the command handling interface currently maintaining an open connection, by the second software package after activation of the second software package, the command handling interface is notified of the presence of a replacing, second software package, which is activated and thus is able to support the command handling interface and whereupon the command handling interface will switch, without being deactivated, from the first software package towards the second software package for supporting this command handling interface, and at the same time a persisting means is activated that is able to keep open the existing connection during the switching from the first software package to the second software package.

It is to be noticed that the term 'comprising', used in the claims, should not be interpreted as being restricted to the means listed thereafter. Thus, the scope of the expression 'a device comprising means A and B' should not be limited to devices consisting only of components A and B. It means that with respect to the present invention, the only relevant components of the device are A and B.

Similarly, it is to be noticed that the term 'coupled', also used in the claims, should not be interpreted as being restricted to direct connections only. Thus, the scope of the expression 'a device A coupled to a device B' should not be limited to devices or systems wherein an output of device A is directly connected to an input of device B. It means that there exists a path between an output of A and an input of B which may be a path including other devices or means.

The above and other objects and features of the invention will become more apparent and the invention itself will be best understood by referring to the following description of an embodiment taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein: <ul id="ul0001" list-style="none" compact="compact"><li>Fig. 1 represents a network element CS in a telecommunications system wherein the implementation of the present invention is realised.</li></ul>

In the following paragraphs, referring to the drawings, an implementation of software replacement method and the related system according to the present invention will be described. In the first paragraph of this description the main elements of the telecommunications system as presented in FIG. 1 are described. In the second paragraph, all connections between the before mentioned elements are defined. Subsequently, all relevant functional means of the network element CS are described followed by a description of all interconnections. In the succeeding paragraph the actual execution of the software replacement method is described.

In view of the present invention, the important elements of the telecommunications network wherein the network implementation is implemented are the network element CS and the operator position OP. For explaining the execution of the present invention only the described elements, a network element CS and the operator position OP are needed, although a common communications network usually consist of a large number of network elements and possible operator positions. The network element CS is responsible for routing calls through the network and the actual establishment of a connection. The operator position OP is responsible for provisioning the network elements with software update packages. The operator position OP is coupled to the network element CS over a network link L.

The network element CS contains a memory part MP that is able to store data and software. The memory part MP may for instance be a hard-disk. The network element CS contains a microprocessor µP being built up of an installation part IP that is able to install software package SP1, SP2 in the memory part MP of the network element CS and a software activation part SAP that is able to activate a software package SP1, SP2 which is installed in the memory part MP.

The network element CS further contains a command handling interface CHI that connects the network element CS to the operator position OP for purpose of exchange of amongst others software installation at the network element CS. The command handling interface CHI contains a communication persisting part CPP, a command handler CH and a switching part SP, that is able to switch the command handler CH from CH1 from the first, older, software package SP1 towards CH2 from the second, newer, software package SP2 for supporting the command handling interface CHI.

The second, and newer, software package contains a contacting part CP for contacting a command handling interface CHI after activation of the second software package SP2.

The microprocessor µP and the command handling interface CHI are coupled. Then, there is a coupling between the microprocessor µP and the memory part MP. Finally, there is a coupling between the command handling interface CHI and the memory part MP. The communication persisting part CPP from command handling interface CHI acts an input/output for the network element CS.

In order to explain the present invention it is assumed that there is a first software package SP1 installed and already active in the memory part MP of the network element CS. The Command handling interface CHI that is active currently is supported by the software of this first software package. The software package is being executed by the microprocessor µP. The command handling interface CHI maintains a connection between the network element CS and the operator position OP that is able to provide each network element of the entire communications network with new software packages if required.

It is further assumed that at a certain moment of time a, for some reason, an update of the software being active at the network element is required. A new, second software package SP2 is to be installed at the network element CS.

At first the operator position OP forwards the second software package SP2 over link L towards the network element CS. The installation part IP subsequently receives the software package SP2 and installs the second software package SP2 besides the first software package SP1, which is already present in the memory part MP of the network element CS. Subsequently, the software activation part SAP deactivates the first software package SP1, but without the CHI, and activates the second software package SP2. After activation of the second software package SP2, the contacting part CP of the second software package SP2 contacts the switching part SP of the command handling interface CHI.

Then the switching part SP switches the command handler CH that is CH1 from the first software package SP1 to CH2 of the second software package SP2 for supporting the command handling interface CHI without breaking the connection at contacting the command handling interface CHI by the second software package SP2.

The connection persisting part CPP then at the same time keeps open the existing connection after contacting the command handling interface CHI by the contacting part CP.

It is to be noted that the present invention is not restricted to a communications network as above described in the embodiment, but that the present invention is applicable in any computer system communicating with a software package provisioning element where a software replacement is executed.

A final remark is that embodiments of the present invention are described above in terms of functional blocks. From the functional description of these blocks, given above, it will be apparent for a person skilled in the art of designing electronic devices how embodiments of these blocks can be manufactured with well-known electronic components. A detailed architecture of the contents of the functional blocks hence is not given.

While the principles of the invention have been described above in connection with specific apparatus, it is to be clearly understood that this description is made only by way of example and not as a limitation on the scope of the invention, as defined in the appended claims.