Methods, systems, and computer readable storage devices for adjusting the use of virtual resources providing communication services based on load

• US 10,523,822 B2
• Filed: 02/05/2018
• Issued: 12/31/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2015
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Yasrebi, Mehrad, Jackson, James E., Daddona, Art
• Primary Examiner(s): Yuen, Kan
• Application Number:
  US15/888,357
• Publication Number:
  US 20180159986A1
• Time in Patent Office: 694 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4511 using domain name system [DNS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4557 Directories for hybrid networks, e.g. including telephone numbers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for supporting real-time applications in data packet communication real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM] H04L51/04; selective video distribution H04N21/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1016 IP multimedia subsystem [IMS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/128 Details of addressing, directories or routing tables

Abstract

The use of virtual resources providing communication services is adjusted based on load. A determination is made, for a specific number range, whether the virtual telephone number mapping service instances dedicated to the specific number range are being underutilized. If the virtual telephone number mapping service instances dedicated to the specific number range are being underutilized, a virtual telephone number mapping service instance dedicated to the specific number range is selected for removal. A determination is also made, for the specific number range, whether a number of virtual telephone number mapping service instances dedicated to the specific number range is sufficient to handle requests for communication services. If the number of virtual telephone number mapping service instances dedicated to the specific number range is not sufficient to handle the requests, instantiation of a virtual telephone mapping instance is initiated.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a processor, information indicative of performance of virtual telephone number mapping service instances dedicated to a specific number range associated with requests for communication services;

determining, by the processor, for the specific number range, whether the virtual telephone number mapping service instances dedicated to the specific number range are sufficient to handle the requests for the communication services; and

responsive to determining that the virtual telephone number mapping service instances dedicated to the specific number range are not sufficient to handle the requests for the communication services, initializing, by the processor, instantiation of a new virtual telephone number mapping service instance for the specific number range.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the virtual telephone number mapping service instances dedicated to the specific number range are sufficient to handle the requests comprises determining whether an available capacity of the virtual telephone number mapping service instances has at least reached a predetermined threshold.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the virtual telephone number mapping service instances dedicated to the specific number range are sufficient to handle the requests for the communication services comprises determining whether a utilization rate of a processor of a physical machine hosting the virtual telephone number mapping service instances has at least reached a predetermined threshold.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the new virtual telephone number mapping service instance for the specific number range comprises a reserved virtual telephone number mapping service instance for the specific number range that was previously removed.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the reserved virtual telephone number mapping service instance for the specific number range was previously removed based on a determination that the reserved virtual telephone number mapping service instance was being underutilized.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein initializing instantiation of the new virtual telephone number mapping service instance for the specific number range comprises initializing re-instantiation of the reserved virtual telephone number mapping service instance for the specific number range that was previously removed.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the reserved virtual telephone number mapping service instance for the specific number range that was previously removed is re-instantiated using data associated with the reserved virtual telephone number mapping service instance saved when the reserved virtual telephone number mapping service instance was removed.

8. A system comprising:

a processor; and

a memory having stored thereon instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising;

receiving information indicative of performance of virtual telephone number mapping service instances dedicated to a specific number range associated with requests for communication services,

determining, for the specific number range, whether the virtual telephone number mapping service instances dedicated to the specific number range are sufficient to handle the requests for the communication services, and

responsive to determining that the virtual telephone number mapping service instances dedicated to the specific number range are not sufficient to handle the requests for the communication services, initializing instantiation of a new virtual telephone number mapping service instance for the specific number range.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein determining whether the virtual telephone number mapping service instances dedicated to the specific number range are sufficient to handle the requests comprises determining whether an available capacity of the virtual telephone number mapping service instances has at least reached a predetermined threshold.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein determining whether the virtual telephone number mapping service instances dedicated to the specific number range are sufficient to handle the requests for the communication services comprises determining whether a utilization rate of a processor of a physical machine hosting the virtual telephone number mapping service instances has at least reached a predetermined threshold.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the new virtual telephone number mapping service instance for the specific number range comprises a reserved virtual telephone number mapping service instance for the specific number range that was previously removed.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the reserved virtual telephone number mapping service instance for the specific number range was previously removed based on a determination that the reserved virtual telephone number mapping service instance was being underutilized.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein initializing instantiation of the new virtual telephone number mapping service instance for the specific number range comprises initializing re-instantiation of the reserved virtual telephone number mapping service instance for the specific number range that was previously removed.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the reserved virtual telephone number mapping service instance for the specific number range that was previously removed is re-instantiated using data associated with the reserved virtual telephone number mapping service instance saved when the reserved virtual telephone number mapping service instance was removed.

15. A computer readable storage device having stored thereon instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

receiving information indicative of performance of virtual telephone number mapping service instances dedicated to a specific number range associated with requests for communication services;

determining, for the specific number range, whether the virtual telephone number mapping service instances dedicated to the specific number range are sufficient to handle the requests for the communication services; and

responsive to determining that the virtual telephone number mapping service instances dedicated to the specific number range are not sufficient to handle the requests for the communication services, initializing instantiation of a new virtual telephone number mapping service instance for the specific number range.

16. The computer readable storage device of claim 15, wherein determining whether the virtual telephone number mapping service instances dedicated to the specific number range are sufficient to handle the requests comprises determining whether an available capacity of the virtual telephone number mapping service instances has at least reached a predetermined threshold.

17. The computer readable storage device of claim 15, wherein determining whether the virtual telephone number mapping service instances dedicated to the specific number range are sufficient to handle the requests for the communication services comprises determining whether a utilization rate of a processor of a physical machine hosting the virtual telephone number mapping service instances has at least reached a predetermined threshold.

18. The computer readable storage device of claim 15, wherein the new virtual telephone number mapping service instance for the specific number range comprises a reserved virtual telephone number mapping service instance for the specific number range that was previously removed.

19. The computer readable storage device of claim 18, wherein the reserved virtual telephone number mapping service instance for the specific number range was previously removed based on a determination that the reserved virtual telephone number mapping service instance was being underutilized.

20. The computer readable storage device of claim 18, wherein initializing instantiation of the new virtual telephone number mapping service instance for the specific number range comprises initializing re-instantiation of the reserved virtual telephone number mapping service instance for the specific number range that was previously removed, and wherein the reserved virtual telephone number mapping service instance for the specific number range that was previously removed is re-instantiated using data associated with the reserved virtual telephone number mapping service instance saved when the reserved virtual telephone number mapping service instance was removed.