Media Gateway Communication Line Status Audit
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Solution Overview
Problem
Business communication networks face challenges in efficiently tracking and securing communication lines, particularly due to the labor-intensive process of identifying utilized lines and potential security risks from unsecured devices like fax machines and PC modems, which can lead to unwanted intrusions and nuisance communications.
Innovation Solution
An automated system that uses a media gateway to audit communication line status by dialing consecutive blocks of numbers, identifying connected devices, and employing a client application and audit dialing manager to track and secure lines, reducing the need for manual tracking and minimizing hardware limitations by emulating multiple PSTN modems.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If manual tracking methods are used to monitor communication line status, then implementation simplicity is maintained, but tracking efficiency and productivity deteriorate due to labor-intensive efforts
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables self-service automation where the media gateway automatically performs dialing operations to audit communication line status without requiring manual intervention. The audit dialing manager autonomously coordinates between multiple modems and the media gateway, allowing the system to self-monitor and report line utilization status, thereby dramatically improving productivity while maintaining manageable complexity through automated workflows
2Productivity
If multiple physical modems are deployed to audit numerous communication lines simultaneously, then auditing capability and coverage are improved, but hardware cost and device complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system creates virtual copies of modem functionality through software-based modem emulation on the media gateway. Instead of deploying multiple physical modems, the audit dialing manager utilizes virtual modem interfaces that replicate the dialing and communication capabilities of physical modems. This approach maintains high auditing capacity by simultaneously managing multiple virtual modem sessions while dramatically reducing hardware quantity and associated costs
Solution Approach 2:
The media gateway is designed with multi-functionality, serving both as a communication gateway and as a virtual modem bank for auditing purposes. The single media gateway device performs multiple functions: it acts as a communication interface, a dialing device, and a status monitoring system. This universal device replaces what would traditionally require multiple specialized hardware components, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining auditing productivity
3Reliability
If communication lines are left unmonitored to reduce operational overhead, then ease of operation is improved, but security reliability deteriorates due to potential unauthorized access
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements continuous feedback monitoring where the audit dialing manager regularly dials communication lines and receives status responses. This feedback loop provides real-time information about line utilization and connected devices, enabling the system to detect unauthorized access attempts or abnormal conditions. The automated feedback mechanism maintains high security reliability by continuously monitoring the network while requiring minimal operational intervention, thus not compromising ease of operation
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and apparatus to protect and audit communication line status are disclosed. An example method includes receiving a set of available communication lines from a media gateway, associating a plurality of destination numbers with respective ones of the available communication lines, and dialing the plurality of destination numbers from the media gateway to identify the communication line status information.