Scalable, reliable session intiation protocol (SIP) signaling routing node

• US 20050147087A1
• Filed: 02/25/2005
• Published: 07/07/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Tekelec
• Original Assignee: Tekelec
• Inventors: Sternagle, Richard Henry
• Application Number:
  US11/065,900
• Publication Number:
  US 20050147087A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/24 Multipath
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/38 Flow based routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/122 by diverting traffic away from congested entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/125 by balancing the load, e.g. traffic engineering
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/26 using explicit feedback to the source, e.g. choke packets
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/30 in combination with information about buffer occupancy at either end or at transit nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1104 Session initiation protocol [SIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A scalable, reliable session initiation protocol (SIP) signaling router includes cluster nodes for performing SIP services. A location server replicates its database of SIP location information to each of the cluster nodes. Because each cluster node maintains its own local copy of the SIP location database, the time for routing SIP signaling messages is decreased. Load sharing is also performed among the cluster nodes by Ethernet switches that connect the cluster nodes to external networks. One Ethernet switch periodically sends messages to each of the cluster nodes to monitor the operational status of the cluster nodes. The Ethernet switch also maintains a connection tuple table containing information regarding active connections to each of the cluster nodes. Load sharing is performed based on the operational status and the connection tuple table.

Claims

1. A scalable, reliable, session initiation protocol (SIP) signaling router, comprising:

(a) a plurality of cluster nodes, each of the cluster nodes adapted to perform at least one SIP protocol function;

(b) a primary Ethernet switch coupled to each of the cluster nodes; and

(c) a secondary Ethernet switch coupled to each of the cluster nodes, wherein the primary Ethernet switch is adapted to send PING and health check messages to each of the cluster nodes to determine the operational status of each of the cluster nodes and perform a load sharing operation among the cluster nodes based on the operational status.

2. The SIP signaling router of claim 1 wherein the primary Ethernet switch is adapted to determine the operational status of each of the cluster nodes by measuring the response time of each of the cluster nodes to the messages.

3. The SIP signaling router of claim 1 wherein the primary Ethernet switch maintains a connection tuple table containing information regarding active connections with each of the cluster nodes.

4. The SIP signaling router of claim 3 wherein the primary Ethernet switch determines the operational status based on the number of active connections for each cluster node maintained in the connection tuple table.

5. The SIP signaling router of claim 3 wherein the primary Ethernet switch replicates the connection tuple table to the secondary Ethernet switch.

6. The SIP signaling router of claim 5 wherein, in response to failure of the primary Ethernet switch, the secondary Ethernet switches to function as the primary Ethernet switch.

7. The SIP signaling router of claim 1 wherein the messages include PING messages.

8. The SIP signaling router of claim 7 wherein the messages include health check messages.