Methods and systems for message transfer part (MTP) load sharing using MTP load sharing groups

• US 20050111442A1
• Filed: 11/19/2004
• Published: 05/26/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tekelec Global, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Tekelec
• Inventors: Eichler, Todd, Delaney, Robert J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,760,706 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/357
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0025 Provisions for signalling

Abstract

Methods and systems for load sharing signaling messages at the MTP level are disclosed. When a signaling message is received, it is determined whether the signaling message includes a routing indication indicating route-on-point-code-subsystem-number. If the routing indicator indicates route-on-point-code-subsystem-number, it is determined whether the signaling message belongs to an MTP level 3 load sharing group. If the signaling message belongs to an MTP level 3 load sharing group, the signaling message may be routed to any of the point codes in the MTP level 3 load sharing group. Routing the signaling message to a point code in the MTP level 3 load sharing group may include replacing the destination point code in the signaling message with the destination point code of the node to which the signaling message is to be routed. Once the point code has been replaced, the signaling message is routed to the destination associated with the point code.

Claims

1. A method for message transfer part (MTP) load sharing SS7 signaling message traffic in a telecommunications network, the method comprising:

(a) receiving a signaling message addressed to a first destination point code;

(b) determining whether a routing label in the signaling message indicates route-on-point-code-subsystem number; and

(c) in response to determining that the routing label indicates route-on-point-code-subsystem-number;

(i) determining whether the first destination point code is associated with an MTP level 3 load sharing group including a plurality of different SS7 point codes associated with a plurality of different destinations;

(ii) in response to determining that the first destination point code is associated with an MTP level 3 load sharing group, selecting one of the destination point codes in the MTP level 3 load sharing group, and

(iii) routing the message to the selected destination point code.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving a signaling message includes receiving a signaling connection control part (SCCP) message.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving a signaling message includes receiving an ISDN user part (ISUP) message.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving a signaling message includes receiving an Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) SIGTRAN protocol signaling message.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving a signaling message includes receiving a signaling message that has undergone a final global title translation.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving a signaling message includes receiving a signaling message at a network routing node.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving a signaling message includes receiving a signaling message sent route-on-point-code-subsystem-number.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the MTP level 3 load sharing group comprises a group of destination point codes associated with the same application.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein selecting one of the destination point codes includes selecting one of the destination point codes based on relative load sharing weights assigned to the destination point codes.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein routing the message to the selected destination point code includes replacing the destination point code in the message with one of the destination point codes in the MTP level 3 load sharing group.

11. A method for load sharing packet telephony signaling messages, the method comprising:

(a) receiving a packet telephony signaling message;

(b) determining whether the packet telephony signaling message is addressed to a destination address associated with a packet telephony load sharing group including a plurality of packet telephony destinations;

(c) in response to determining that the packet telephony signaling message is address to a destination address associated with a packet telephony load sharing group, selecting one of the packet telephony destinations in the packet telephony load sharing group; and

(d) routing the message to the selected packet telephony destination.

12. A method for performing network management for a message transfer part (MTP) load sharing group, the method comprising:

(a) maintaining network management status for an MTP load sharing group;

(b) detecting a network management event affecting status of a member of the MTP load sharing group;

(c) determining whether a status for the MTP load sharing group has changed; and

(d) in response to determining that a network management status for the MTP load sharing group has changed, performing a network management procedure for the MTP load sharing group.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein maintaining network management status for the MTP load sharing group includes maintaining network management status for a capability point code assigned to the MTP load sharing group.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein maintaining network management status for the MTP load sharing group includes maintaining network management status for an MTP load sharing group identifier assigned to the MTP load sharing group.

15. The method of claim 12 comprising, in response to detecting the network management event, updating the status for the MTP load sharing group member.

16. The method of claim 12 comprising, in response to determining that the network management status has not changed, inhibiting performance of the network management procedure for the MTP load sharing group.

17. The method of claim 12 wherein performing a network management procedure for the MTP load sharing group includes communicating network management status for the MTP load sharing group to an external node.

18. A system for load sharing signaling message traffic in a telecommunications network, the system comprising:

(a) a link interface module for sending and receiving signaling messages;

(b) a message transfer part (MTP) load sharing group data structure associated with the link interface module for associating different MTP level 3 network addresses with MTP level 3 load sharing groups;

(c) a discrimination function for identifying signaling messages having routing indicators indicating route-on-point-code-subsystem-number; and

(d) a routing function operatively associated with the link interface module and the load sharing group data structure for receiving the signaling messages having a routing indicator indicating route-on-point-code-subsystem number, for extracting an MTP level 3 destination address from a received signaling message having a routing indicator indicating route-on-point-code-subsystem-number, for accessing the load sharing group data structure using the extracted MTP level 3 destination address, identifying an MTP level 3 load sharing group corresponding to the level 3 destination address and routing the message to a destination in the MTP level 3 load sharing group.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein the link interface module comprises an SS7 link interface module for sending and receiving SS7 signaling messages.

20. The system of claim 18 wherein the link interface module comprises a Sigtran link interface module for sending and receiving Sigtran signaling messages.

21. The system of claim 18 wherein the link interface module comprises an IP telephony link interface module for sending and receiving IP telephony signaling messages.

22. The system of claim 18 wherein the MTP load sharing group data structure is located on the link interface module.

23. The system of claim 18 wherein the MTP load sharing group data structure comprises an SS7 routing table for associating destination point codes in received signaling messages with the MTP load sharing groups.

24. The system of claim 23 wherein the routing function is adapted to replace destination point codes in received signaling messages addressed to MTP load sharing groups with destination point codes extracted from the MTP load sharing group table.

25. The system of claim 18 wherein the load sharing group data structure defines load sharing groups for the signaling messages sent route-on-point-code-subsystem-number.

26. The system of claim 18 wherein the link interface module, the MTP load sharing group data structure, and the routing function are components of an SS7 signal transfer point.

27. The system of claim 18 wherein the link interface module, the MTP load sharing group data structure, and the routing function are components of an SS7/IP gateway.

28. The system of claim 18 wherein at least one of the MTP load sharing groups includes a plurality of members being assigned different MTP load sharing weights, and wherein the routing function is adapted to select one of the members based on the weights.

29. A computer program product comprising computer-executable instructions embodied in a computer-readable medium for performing steps comprising:

(e) receiving a signaling message addressed to a first destination point code;

(f) determining whether a routing label in the signaling message indicates route-on-point-code-subsystem number; and

(g) in response to determining that the routing label indicates route-on-point-code-subsystem-number;

(i) determining whether the first destination point code is associated with an MTP level 3 load sharing group including a plurality of different SS7 point codes associated with a plurality of different destinations;

(ii) in response to determining that the first destination point code is associated with an MTP level 3 load sharing group, selecting one of the destination point codes in the MTP level 3 load sharing group, and

(iii) routing the signaling message to the selected destination point code.

30. The computer program product of claim 29 wherein receiving a signaling message includes receiving a signaling connection control part (SCCP) message.

31. The computer program product of claim 29 wherein receiving a signaling message includes receiving an ISDN user part (ISUP) message.

32. The computer program product of claim 29 wherein receiving a signaling message includes receiving an Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) SIGTRAN protocol signaling message.

33. The computer program product of claim 29 wherein receiving a signaling message includes receiving a signaling message that has undergone a final global title translation.

34. The computer program product of claim 29 wherein receiving a signaling message includes receiving a signaling message at a network routing node.

35. The computer program product of claim 29 wherein receiving a signaling message includes receiving a signaling message sent route-on-point-code-subsystem-number.

36. The computer program product of claim 29 wherein the MTP level 3 load sharing group comprises a group of destination point codes associated with the same application.

37. The computer program product of claim 29 wherein selecting one of the destination point codes includes selecting one of the destination point codes based on relative load sharing weights assigned to the destination point codes.

38. The computer program product of claim 29 wherein routing the message to the selected destination point code includes replacing the destination point code in the message with one of the destination point codes in the MTP level 3 load sharing group.

39. A computer program product comprising computer-executable instructions embodied in a computer-readable medium for performing steps comprising:

(a) receiving a packet telephony signaling message;

(b) determining whether the packet telephony signaling message is addressed to a destination address associated with a packet telephony load sharing group including a plurality of packet telephony destinations;

(c) in response to determining that the packet telephony signaling message is address to a destination address associated with a packet telephony load sharing group, selecting one of the packet telephony destinations in the packet telephony load sharing group; and

(d) routing the message to the selected packet telephony destination.