Abstract: A method is provided for determining whether the state of a telecommunications switch (110) is adequate for a software upgrade or retrofit. A report stream of text messages relating to the state of, and events occurring on, the telecommunications switch is stored (200) by a server (102). Predetermined messages are detected in the report stream, including messages indicating hardware errors, alarms and other errors (202). The predetermined messages have a numerical value associated therewith (204). The numerical value reflects a probability of failure of a retrofit if the message is detected. As the predetermined messages are detected, their numerical values are accumulated into an accumulated value (206). The time period the report stream covers is determined and compared against an expected time (216). If the time period covered by the report stream does not exceed an expected time, then a determination regarding suitability for upgrade may not be reliable (222).

Abstract: A system and methods are provided for collecting, analyzing, and reporting data supplied on the report data stream of an electronic switching system or other generator of a report or log data stream or file. Local data storage facilities are provided to receive and store report data stream information for one or more switches. A centralized data storage and analysis facility receives the data collected by the local facilities. A parser parses the collected report data to select and reformat report items of interest according to predefined selection triggers. A post processing facility includes pattern identification and pattern classification components. The pattern identification component reads the parsed, selected report items and extracts a pattern comprising the selection triggers and function call addresses associated with each event. The pattern classification component determines whether the identified pattern for each event is old or newly encountered.