Handling conferences using highly-distributed agents

• US 10,623,576 B2
• Filed: 04/09/2018
• Issued: 04/14/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 04/17/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Rosenberg, Jonathan D., Griffin, Keith
• Primary Examiner(s): Deane, Jr., William J
• Application Number:
  US15/948,661
• Publication Number:
  US 20180302514A1
• Time in Patent Office: 736 Days
• Field of Search: 37920201, 379158
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1827 Network arrangements for conference optimisation or adaptation
• 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 65/1093 by adding participants; by removing participants
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1008 based on parameters of servers, e.g. available memory or workload monitoring of computer activity G06F11/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/567 Multimedia conference systems

Abstract

Systems, methods, and non-transitory computer-readable storage media for directing conferences to on-premises media agents and cloud-based media agents. A centralized controller and a plurality of cloud-based media agents are disposed within a cloud or other remote or virtual network, and a plurality of on-premises media agents are provided on-premises. The centralized controller manages the directing and forwarding of conferences and is in communication with the cloud-based media agents and the on-premises media agents.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

sending from a client device a request to join a conference at a cloud-based controller;

storing, in response to a response from the controller, (a) a first address of a cluster of on-premises media agents disposed at a physical location of an enterprise and (b) a second address of cloud-based media agents disposed at a cloud location that is remote from the physical location of the enterprise;

selecting at least one on-premises media agent or at least one cloud-based media agent to handle the request, comprising;

selecting the first address in response to the cluster of on-premises media agents having sufficient capacity to handle the request; and

selecting the second address in response to the cluster of on-premises media agents lacking sufficient capacity to handle the request.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving, in response to the sending, a Simple Traversal of UDP (Universal Datagram Protocol) through NATs (Network Address Translators) (STUN) address of a STUN load balancer.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising creating, in response to the receiving, the first and the second address.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising setting the first address to a higher priority than the second address.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the selecting at least one on-premises media agent or at least one cloud-based media agent to handle the request comprises determining whether the cluster of on-premises media agents has enough available capacity to handle the request.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the selecting the first address is in response to at least a positive result of the determining.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the selecting the second address is in response to at least a negative result of the determining.

8. A device comprising:

a memory storing instructions;

a processor programmed to execute the instructions to perform operations comprising;

sending from a client device a request to join a conference at a cloud-based controller;

storing, in response to a response from the controller, (a) a first address of a cluster of on-premises media agents disposed at a physical location of an enterprise and (b) a second address of cloud-based media agents disposed at a cloud location that is remote from the physical location of the enterprise;

selecting at least one on-premises media agent or at least one cloud-based media agent to handle the request, comprising;

selecting the first address in response to the cluster of on-premises media agents having sufficient capacity to handle the request; and

selecting the second address in response to the cluster of on-premises media agents lacking sufficient capacity to handle the request.

9. The device of claim 8, the operations further comprising receiving, in response to the sending, a Simple Traversal of UDP (Universal Datagram Protocol) through NATs (Network Address Translators) (STUN) address of a STUN load balancer.

10. The device of claim 9, the operations further comprising creating, in response to the receiving, the first and the second address.

11. The device of claim 10, the operations further comprising setting the first address to a higher priority than the second address.

12. The device of claim 8, wherein the selecting at least one on-premises media agent or at least one cloud-based media agent to handle the request comprises determining whether the cluster of on-premises media agents has enough available capacity to handle the request.

13. The device of claim 12, wherein the selecting the first address is in response to at least a positive result of the determining.

14. The device of claim 12, wherein the selecting the second address is in response to at least a negative result of the determining.

15. A non-transitory computer readable media storing instructions that, when executed by a device, cause the device to perform operations comprising:

a memory storing instructions;

a processor programmed to execute the instructions to perform operations comprising;

sending from a client device a request to join a conference at a cloud-based controller;

storing, in response to a response from the controller, (a) a first address of a cluster of on-premises media agents disposed at a physical location of an enterprise and (b) a second address of cloud-based media agents disposed at a cloud location that is remote from the physical location of the enterprise;

selecting at least one on-premises media agent or at least one cloud-based media agent to handle the request, comprising;

selecting the first address in response to the cluster of on-premises media agents having sufficient capacity to handle the request; and

selecting the second address in response to the cluster of on-premises media agents lacking sufficient capacity to handle the request.

16. The media of claim 15, the operations further comprising receiving, in response to the sending, a Simple Traversal of UDP (Universal Datagram Protocol) through NATs (Network Address Translators) (STUN) address of a STUN load balancer.

17. The media of claim 16, the operations further comprising creating, in response to the receiving, the first and the second address.

18. The media of claim 17, the operations further comprising setting the first address to a higher priority than the second address.

19. The media of claim 15, wherein the selecting at least one on-premises media agent or at least one cloud-based media agent to handle the request comprises determining whether the cluster of on-premises media agents has enough available capacity to handle the request.

20. The media of claim 19, wherein the selecting the first address is in response to at least a positive result of the determining.