Architecture for high availability conferencing

• US 10,021,347 B2
• Filed: 03/17/2016
• Issued: 07/10/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lifesize, Inc. (Enghouse Systems Limited)
• Original Assignee: Lifesize, Inc. (Enghouse Systems Limited)
• Inventors: Wamorkar, Vivek, Pullamkottu, Boby Skaria, Venkatasubramanian, Ramesh Krishnamani
• Primary Examiner(s): Wilson, Yolanda L
• Application Number:
  US15/073,379
• Publication Number:
  US 20160198123A1
• Time in Patent Office: 845 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0757 by exceeding a time limit, i.e. time-out, e.g. watchdogs
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/20 using active fault-masking, e.g. by switching out faulty elements or by switching in spare elements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2023 Failover techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2028 eliminating a faulty processor or activating a spare
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2038 with a single idle spare processing component
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2048 where the redundant components share neither address space nor persistent storage
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1818 Conference organisation arrangements, e.g. handling schedules, setting up parameters needed by nodes to attend a conference, booking network resources, notifying involved parties
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1827 Network arrangements for conference optimisation or adaptation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/4038 with floor control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/40 for recovering from a failure of a protocol instance or entity, e.g. service redundancy protocols, protocol state redundancy or protocol service redirection management of faults, events, alarms or notifications in data switching networks H04L41/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/08 Indicating faults in circuits or apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/56 Arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities video conference systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/562 where the conference facilities are distributed
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/15 Conference systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/152 Multipoint control units therefor

Abstract

Providing high availability multi-way conferencing. Separate signaling and media components may be provided within an MCU or among a cluster of MCUs. A signaling server may control signaling aspects of a conference while a media server may provide media support for the conference. In the event of media server failure, the signaling server may assign a new media server to provide media support for the conference. A backup signaling server may also monitor the signaling server and may provide signaling support for the conference in the event of signaling server failure.

Claims

1. A backup signaling server, comprising:

communication hardware; and

processing hardware coupled to the communication hardware, wherein the processing hardware and the communication hardware are configured to;

monitor one or more signaling servers that are configured to facilitate signaling between a plurality of endpoints and a plurality of media servers, wherein the one or more signaling servers are assigned respective floating IP addresses, and wherein the media servers are configured to provide media support for video conferences between endpoints, the media support including one or more of;

receiving, decoding, mixing, compositing, encoding, or transmitting media streams to and from endpoints;

detect that a first one of the one or more signaling servers assigned a first floating IP address has failed; and

reassign the first floating IP address to the backup signaling server in response to detecting that the first signaling server has failed.

2. The backup signaling server of claim 1,

wherein the plurality of endpoints remain connected to one or more established video conferences during reassigning of the first floating IP address.

3. The backup signaling server of claim 1, wherein the processing hardware is further configured to:

register the media servers;

establish one or more videoconferences with the endpoints;

select one or more media servers to provide media support for the videoconferences; and

monitor the one or more media servers for failure.

4. The backup signaling server of claim 1, wherein the processing hardware is further configured to:

subsequent to the first floating IP address being reassigned to the backup signaling server, maintain scheduling data and call context data for video conferences supported by the first signaling server.

5. The backup signaling server of claim 1,

wherein monitoring the one or more signaling servers comprises periodically receiving a respective heartbeat signal from the one or more signaling servers;

and

wherein detecting that the first signaling server has failed comprises detecting an absence of the respective heartbeat signal from the first signaling server.

6. A non-transitory, computer accessible memory medium storing program instructions, wherein the program instructions are executable by a processor of a backup signaling server to:

monitor one or more signaling servers that are configured to facilitate signaling between a plurality of endpoints and a plurality of media servers, wherein the one or more signaling servers are assigned respective floating IP addresses, and wherein the media servers are configured to provide media support for video conferences between endpoints, the media support including one or more of;

receiving, decoding, mixing, compositing, encoding, or transmitting media streams to and from endpoints;

detect that a first one of the one or more signaling servers assigned a first floating IP address has failed; and

reassign the first floating IP address to the backup signaling server in response to detecting that the first signaling server has failed.

7. The non-transitory, computer accessible memory medium of claim 6,

wherein the plurality of endpoints remain connected to one or more established video conferences during reassigning of the first floating IP address.

8. The non-transitory, computer accessible memory medium of claim 6, wherein the program instructions are further executable to:

register the media servers;

establish one or more videoconferences with the endpoints;

select one or more media servers to provide media support for the videoconferences; and

monitor the one or more media servers for failure.

9. The non-transitory, computer accessible memory medium of claim 6, wherein the program instructions are further executable to:

subsequent to the first floating IP address being reassigned to the backup signaling server, maintain scheduling data and call context data for videoconferences supported by the first signaling server.

10. The non-transitory, computer accessible memory medium of claim 9, wherein the program instructions are further executable to:

after reassigning the first floating IP address to the backup signaling server, reassign the scheduling data and call context data for the videoconferences supported by the first signaling server to the backup signaling server.

11. The non-transitory, computer accessible memory medium of claim 6,

wherein monitoring the one or more signaling servers comprises periodically receiving a respective heartbeat signal from the one or more signaling servers;

and

wherein detecting that the first signaling server has failed comprises detecting an absence of the respective heartbeat signal from the first signaling server.

12. A method of operating a backup signaling server, comprising:

monitoring one or more signaling servers that are configured to facilitate signaling between a plurality of endpoints and a plurality of media servers, wherein the one or more signaling servers are assigned respective floating IP addresses, and wherein the media servers are configured to provide media support for video conferences between endpoints, the media support including one or more of;

receiving, decoding, mixing, compositing, encoding, or transmitting media streams to and from endpoints;

detecting that a first one of the one or more signaling servers assigned a first floating IP address has failed; and

reassigning the first floating IP address to the backup signaling server in response to detecting that the first signaling server has failed.

13. The method of claim 12,

wherein the plurality of endpoints remain connected to one or more established video conferences during reassigning of the first floating IP address.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

registering the media servers;

establishing one or more videoconferences with the endpoints;

selecting one or more media servers to provide media support for the videoconferences; and

monitoring the one or more media servers for failure.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

subsequent to the first floating IP address being reassigned to the backup signaling server, maintaining scheduling data and call context data for videoconferences supported by the first signaling server.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

after reassigning the first floating IP address to the backup signaling server, reassigning the scheduling data and call context data for the videoconferences supported by the first signaling server to the backup signaling server.

17. The method of claim 12,

wherein monitoring the one or more signaling servers comprises periodically receiving a respective heartbeat signal from the one or more signaling servers;

and

wherein detecting that the first signaling server has failed comprises detecting an absence of the respective heartbeat signal from the first signaling server.