Electronic supply chain management

Abstract

In some embodiments a method for correlating supply chain network information received from supply chain network components controlled by different entities includes receiving connection agent information indicating access point identifiers associated with network access points; receiving provisioning information including physical location identifiers identifying venues at which the network access points reside; receiving network authorization request and response records, wherein the network authorization request and response records include data associated with the connection agent information and the provisioning data. The method can also include determining an association between one of the physical location identifiers that identifies one of the venues and one of the access point identifiers associated with one of the network access points, the determining including, selecting, based on the common data, the physical location identifier from the provisioning information; and selecting, based on the common data, the one of the access point identifiers from the connection agent information.

Description

RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This application is a continuation of, and claims the priority benefit of, U.S. application Ser. No. 12 / 174,371 filed Jul. 16, 2008. The Ser. No. 12 / 174,371 application is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.TECHNICAL FIELD[0002]Embodiments of the inventive subject matter generally relate to the field of computer networking, and more particularly to managing supply chain networks.BACKGROUND[0003]Computer-related services often involve supply chains. For example, consider internet websites that offer subscription-based services accessible over the Internet. Before a website's subscribers can utilize its services, they must successfully connect to the website using supply chains including telephone / cable companies, Internet Service Providers (ISPs), long-haul telecommunications lines, and other telecommunications infrastructure. Even when the website is functioning properly, other supply chain components can affect how subscribers perceive the we...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The patent describes a method for combining information from different parts of a supply chain network, where different entities control different parts of the network. The method involves receiving information about access points and their physical locations, and then using this information to authenticate and authorize requests for network access. The method allows for better connection between different parts of the network and reduces the risk of unauthorized access. Overall, the invention improves the reliability and security of the supply chain network.

Problems solved by technology

As a result, the electronic services company may have difficulty identifying supply chain components that affect its quality of service (or how customers perceive its quality of service).

As noted, problems in the supply chain can affect how a service provider's customers perceive the service provider's quality of service.

For example, without the data processing and correlation, if supply chain actors identify problems at a given MAC address, they may have difficulty physically locating the access point.

In other instances, the connection agent may not receive a grant / denial message at all, as one or more supply chain components may be malfunctioning or otherwise unavailable.

In some cases, if the connection agent data includes an SSID, the non-responsive access point error may arise when the connection agent fails to associate with the access point.

If the connection agent data does not include an SSID, the error may arise for other reasons.

As the server discovers inconsistencies between the traffic data 1020 and provisioning data, the server can report problems in the supply chain network.

However, if the tables do not match, the provisioning data may be inaccurate.

Because the traffic table (C1) includes an element not in the provisioning table (M1), the provisioning data may be inaccurate.

A wrongly provisioned NAS has missing or incorrectly entered configuration data (e.g., incorrect IP address) or outdated provides information.

This will typically cause a no traffic condition.

However, using table C6 would allow alerting on changes to the network topology which are not justified with a corresponding change in the provisioning model.

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