IN THE UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE
`
`Serial No.:
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`10/753,841
`
`01/08/2004
`
`Applicants: Raghu Anantharangachar §
`et al.
`§
`§
`§
`§
`§
`§
`Method And System
`§
`For Modelling A
`§
`Communications Network §
`
`Filed:
`
`For:
`
`Confirmation No.:
`
`6035
`
`Group Art Unit:
`
`2157
`
`Examiner:
`
`A. E. Salad
`
`Docket No.:
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`700205008-1
`
`RESPONSE TO OFFICE ACTION DATED AUGUST 10.2007
`
`Mail Stop Amendment
`Commissioner for Patents
`PO Box 1450
`Alexandria, VA 22313-1450
`
`Date: November 7, 2007
`
`Sir:
`
`AMENDMENT
`
`In response to the Office Action of August 10, 2007, please amend the
`
`above-identified application as follows:
`
`Amendments to the Claims are reflected in the listing of claims that begins on
`
`page 2 of this paper.
`
`Remarks/Arguments begin on page 8 of this paper.
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`Appl. No. 10n53,841
`Arndt. dated November 7, 2007
`Reply to Office Action of August 10, 2007
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`Amendments to the Claims:
`This listing of claims will replace all prior versions, and listings, of claims in
`
`the application:
`
`Listing of Claims:
`1.
`(Currently amended) A method of modelling a communications network
`
`using a computer system, the method including:
`
`generating a network representation using computer-readable code, the
`
`computer-readable code representing structured information;
`
`parsing the network representation;
`
`generating a network model using the parsed network representation, the
`
`network model including a plurality of network objects and relationships
`
`between the plurality of network objects; and
`
`storing the network model in memory: and
`
`processing a network event using the network model, wherein the
`
`processing includes identifying one or more network objects of the plurality of
`
`network obiects, and the processing iurther includes determining an order of
`
`operation on the one or more network objects.
`
`2.
`
`(Canceled).
`
`3.
`
`(Original) A method according
`
`to claim 1 wherein
`
`the network
`
`representation includes at least one of the following:
`
`circuit level index;
`
`circuit type identification;
`
`order of operation indication;
`
`delete circuit identification;
`
`underlying circuit index;
`
`underlying link index;
`
`delete object identification;
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`Appl. No. 10n53,841
`Arndt. dated November 7, 2007
`Reply to Office Action of August 10, 2007
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`parent circuit identification; and
`
`child circuit identification.
`
`4.
`
`(Original) A method according
`
`to claim 2 wherein
`
`the network
`
`representation is generated at startup.
`
`5.
`
`(Original) A method according
`
`to claim 2 wherein
`
`the network
`
`representation is generated at reconfiguration.
`
`6.
`
`(Original) A method according to claim 2 wherein the network event
`
`comprises at least one of provisioning, circuit provisioning, service provisioning,
`
`switch provisioning, rollback, and delete.
`
`7.
`
`(Original) A method according to claim 1 wherein the network model
`
`includes a middleware bus.
`
`8.
`
`(Original) A method according to claim 1 wherein
`
`the computer-
`
`readable code is in extensible mark-up language (XML).
`
`9.
`
`(Canceled).
`
`10.
`
`(Original) A method according to claim 1, further including:
`
`generating a graphical representation of the network model; and
`
`displaying the graphical representation on a display monitor.
`
`11 .
`
`(Original) A method according to claim 1 0 wherein the graphical
`
`representation is a graphical user interface, and wherein the graphical user
`
`interface is used to modify the network model.
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`Appl. No. 10n53,841
`Arndt. dated November 7, 2007
`Reply to Office Action of August 10, 2007
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`12.
`
`(Original) A method of modelling a communications network using a
`
`computer system, the method including:
`
`generating a network representation in extensible mark-up language
`
`(XML);
`
`parsing the network representation;
`
`generating a network model using the parsed network representation, the
`
`network model including a plurality of network objects and relationships
`
`between the plurality of network objects;
`
`storing the network model in memory; and
`
`processing a network event using the network model, wherein processing
`
`the network event includes identifying one or more of the plurality of network
`
`objects, and determining an order of operation on the one or more of the
`
`plurality of network objects.
`
`13.
`
`(Currently amended) A system for modelling a communications network,
`
`the system including:
`
`one or more processors;
`
`one or more memories coupled to the one or more processors; and
`
`program instructions stored in the one or more memories, the one or
`
`more processors being operable to execute the program instructions, the
`
`program instructions including:
`
`generating a network representation using computer-readable
`
`code;
`
`parsing the network representation;
`
`generating a network model using
`
`the parsed network
`
`representation,
`
`the network model
`
`including a plurality of network
`
`objects; and
`
`storing the network model in the one or more memories~
`
`processing a network event using the network modeL wherein
`
`processing the network event includes identifying one or more network
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`Appl. No. 10n53,841
`Arndt. dated November 7, 2007
`Reply to Office Action of August 10, 2007
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`objects of the plurality of network objects, and determining an order of
`
`ooeration on the one or more network objects.
`
`14.
`
`(Original) A system according to claim 13 wherein the computer-
`
`readable code is in extensible mark-up language (XML).
`
`15.
`
`(Original) A system according
`
`to claim 13 wherein
`
`the network
`
`representation is generated at startup.
`
`16.
`
`(Original) A system according
`
`to claim 13 wherein
`
`the network
`
`representation is generated at reconfiguration.
`
`17.
`
`(Original) A system according to claim 13 wherein the network model
`
`includes a middleware bus.
`
`18.
`
`(Original) A system according
`
`to claim 13 wherein
`
`the program
`
`instructions further include:
`
`generating a graphical representation of the network representation; and
`
`displaying the graphical representation on a display monitor.
`
`19.
`
`(Original) A system according to claim 18 wherein
`
`the graphical
`
`representation is a graphical user interface, and wherein the graphical user
`
`interface is used to modify the network model.
`
`20.
`
`(Original) A system for modelling a communications network, the
`
`system including:
`
`one or more processors;
`
`one or more memories coupled to the one or more processors; and
`
`program instructions stored in the one or more memories, the one or
`
`more processors being operable to execute the program instructions, the
`
`program instructions including:
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`Appl. No. 10n53,841
`Arndt. dated November 7, 2007
`Reply to Office Action of August 10, 2007
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`generating a network
`
`representation
`
`in extensible markup
`
`language (XML);
`
`parsing the network representation;
`
`generating a network model using
`
`the parsed network
`
`representation, the network model including a plurality of network objects
`
`and relationships between the plurality of network objects; and
`
`processing a network event using the network model, wherein
`
`processing the network event includes identifying one or more of the
`
`plurality of network objects, and determining an order of operation on the
`
`one or more of the plurality of network objects.
`
`21 .
`
`(Original) A system according to claim 20 wherein the network event is
`
`selected from the group consisting of provisioning, rollback, and delete.
`
`22.
`
`(Original) A system according to claim 20 wherein, to process the
`
`network event, the program instructions further include:
`
`identifying one or more of the network objects in the network model; and
`
`determining an order of operation on the one or more network objects.
`
`23.
`
`(Currently amended) A computer program product for modelling a
`
`communications network, the computer program product including a computer
`
`usable medium having computer readable code embodied in the computer
`
`usable medium, the computer readable code including instructions to:
`
`generate a network
`
`representation,
`
`the network
`
`representation
`
`representing structured information;
`
`parse the network representation; arK~
`
`generate a network model using the parsed network representation, the
`
`network model including a plurality of network objects and relationships
`
`between the plurality of network objects; and
`
`process a network event using the network mode!, wherein processing
`the network event includes indentifying one or more network objects or the
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`Appl. No. 10n53,841
`Arndt. dated November 7, 2007
`Reply to Office Action of August 10, 2007
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`plurality of network objects. and further includes determining an order of
`
`operation on the one or more of the plurality of netvvork objects.
`
`24
`
`(Canceled).
`
`25.
`
`(Original) A computer program product according to claim 23, the
`
`computer readable code further including instructions to generate a graphical
`
`representation of the network model; and display the graphical representation
`
`on a display monitor.
`
`26.
`
`(Original) A computer program product according to claim 25, wherein
`
`the graphical representation is a graphical user interface, and wherein the
`
`graphical user interface is used to modify the network model.
`
`27.
`
`(Original) An apparatus for modelling a communications network using
`
`a computer system, the apparatus including:
`
`means for representing a plurality of network objects and relationships
`
`between the plurality of network objects on the communications network;
`
`means for generating a network model using the representing means,
`
`the network model including the plurality of network objects and relationships
`
`between the plurality of network objects on the communications network;
`
`means for storing the network model; and
`
`means for processing a network event using the network model.
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`Appl. No. 10n53,841
`Arndt. dated November 7, 2007
`Reply to Office Action of August 10, 2007
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`REMARKS/ARGUMENTS
`
`Applicants have received the Office Action dated August 1 0, 2007
`
`(hereinafter "Office Action"), in which the Examiner rejected claims 1-27 under 35
`U.S.C. § 1 03(a) as being allegedly unpatentable over Wiles, Jr. (U.S. Pub.
`in view of Feldman
`(U.S. Pub.
`No. 2003/0055883, hereinafter "Wiles")
`
`No. 2002/0021675, hereinafter "Feldman"). With this Response, Applicants have
`
`amended claims 1 , 13 and 23 and canceled claims 2, 9 and 24. Based upon the
`
`amendments and arguments presented herein, Applicants believe all claims to be
`
`in condition for allowance.
`THE CLAIM REJECTIONS
`
`I.
`
`Applicants have amended
`
`independent claim 1
`
`to
`
`incorporate
`
`the
`
`limitations of dependent claim 2, and have canceled claim 2. Dependent claim 9,
`
`which included limitations similar in scope to those of claim 2, has also been
`
`canceled. As amended, independent claim 1 requires, among other things,
`
`"processing a network event using the network model. ... " Applicants respectfully
`
`note that although the Examiner stated that "Wiles is silent regarding: generating
`
`a network model using the parsed network representation" (Office Action, ~ 3,
`
`p. 3), the Examiner subsequently rejected dependent claim 2, stating that 'Wiles,
`
`Jr. discloses method according to claim 1 , further comprising processing a
`
`network event using the network model... (see paragraph 0184 and 0275)."
`
`Office Action, ~ 3, p. 3. Applicants respectfully submit that it is unclear how the
`
`systems and methods of Wiles can be used to process a network event, even in
`
`view of Feldman.
`
`As acknowledged by the Examiner, Wiles does not teach generating a
`
`network model using the parsed network representation. Applicants respectfully
`
`submit that Wiles in fact does not teach or even suggest a network model at all.
`
`Wiles instead teaches performing XML token parsing, and using XML data report
`
`contents to discover domain topology configuration information. Wiles, ~ [0132]
`
`and ~~ [0153-0154].
`discovered is stored in a domain topology table in XML format, and changes to
`
`information so
`
`The domain
`
`topology configuration
`
`the table are detected by the XML parser. Wiles, ~~ [0156-0161 ]. The domain
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`Appl. No. 10n53,841
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`topology table contains the layout of the site or sites that require monitoring, and
`
`include the domain name, web server names, Internet Protocol (I P) address, and
`port information. Wiles, 1f1f [0156-0160]. A domain view, representing the status
`of a domain, is generated based in part on the list of discovered domains. Wiles,
`1f1f [0184-0185]. Thus, Wiles does not teach or even suggest generating a
`network model or a model of any kind, nor processing events using such a
`
`network model. Wiles instead teaches parsing the received XML data as part of
`the process of generating and updating a representation of a domain.
`
`Regarding the citations from Wiles provided by the Examiner in support of
`
`the rejection of claim 2 (and apparently in support of the proposition that Wiles
`
`does teach a network model), Applicants respectfully note that one citation
`
`describes the "domain view" used to represent the status of a domain, and how
`domains can be discovered using XML data reports (Wiles, 1f [0184]), and the
`other citation describes examples of dialog boxes for an embodiment of a web
`page editing tool (Wiles, 1f [0275]). Neither mentions a network model, much less
`a network model usable to process events.
`
`Applicants further respectfully submit that Feldman does not overcome the
`
`deficiencies of Wiles. Although Feldman does teach a data model, the data
`
`model taught is not used to process network events. The data model of Feldman
`
`is instead used "for providing a network-wide view of topology and configuration
`
`information in a packet-switched network," such that once the data model is
`
`populated, "[c]onsistency checks can then be performed against the data."
`Feldman, 1f [001 0]. Thus, it is the data within the data model of Feldman that is
`processed. Feldman makes no mention of receiving and processing events,
`
`much less processing such events using a network model, or any other type of
`
`model.
`
`Thus, neither Wiles nor Feldman teaches or even suggests "processing a
`
`network event using the network model," as previously required by dependent
`
`claim 2 and now required by amended independent claim 1. Because none of
`
`the cited art, either individually or together, teach or even suggest all of the
`
`elements of amended independent claim 1 , Applicants respectfully submit that
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`amended independent claim 1 is not obvious over Wiles in view of Feldman.
`
`Applicants thus respectfully submit that for at least these reasons, independent
`
`claim 1, as amended, as well as those claims that depend upon it, are all in
`
`condition for allowance.
`
`With regard to independent claims 12, 13, 20, 23 and 27, the Examiner
`
`rejected these claims under the same rationale as claims 1-11. See Office
`
`Action, ~ 3, p. 5. Applicants have amended independent claim 13 to include
`
`limitations similar to those of canceled dependent claim 2, and have amended
`
`independent claim 23 to include the limitations of dependent claim 24. Applicants
`
`have also canceled claim 24. Amended independent claims 13 and 23 thus
`
`require processing a network event using the network model.
`
`Independent
`
`claims 12, 20 and 27 already required such event processing. Applicants
`
`respectfully submit that for at least the same reasons as described above with
`
`regard to independent claim 1, independent claims 12, 13 (as amended), 20, 23
`
`(as amended) and 27, as well as those claims that respectively depend upon
`
`them, are all in condition for allowance.
`CONCLUSION
`In the course of the foregoing discussions, Applicants may have at times
`
`II.
`
`referred to claim limitations in shorthand fashion, or may have focused on a
`
`particular claim element. This discussion should not be interpreted to mean that
`
`the other limitations can be ignored or dismissed. The claims must be viewed as
`
`a whole, and each limitation of the claims must be considered when determining
`
`the patentability of the claims. Moreover, it should be understood that there may
`
`be other distinctions between the claims and the cited art which have yet to be
`
`raised, but which may be raised in the future.
`
`Applicants respectfully request reconsideration and that a timely Notice of
`
`Allowance be issued in this case. It is believed that no extensions of time or fees
`
`are required, beyond those that may otherwise be provided for in documents
`
`accompanying this paper. However, in the event that additional extensions of
`
`time are necessary to allow consideration of this paper, such extensions are
`
`hereby petitioned under 37 C.F.R. § 1.136(a), and any fees required (including
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`fees for net addition of claims) are hereby authorized to be charged to Hewlett(cid:173)
`
`Packard Development Company's Deposit Account No. 08-2025.
`
`Respectfully submitted,
`
`/Roberto de Leon/
`Roberto de Leon
`PTO Reg. No. 58,967
`CONLEY ROSE, P.C.
`(713) 238-8000 (Phone)
`(713) 238-8008 (Fax)
`ATTORNEY FOR APPLICANTS
`
`HEWLETT-PACKARD COMPANY
`Intellectual Property Administration
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