Registration redirect server

• US 20060013147A1
• Filed: 12/31/2004
• Published: 01/19/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Level 3 Communications LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Level 3 Communications Incorporated (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Terpstra, Richard D., Hearty, John
• Granted Patent: US 8,089,972 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/252
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1073 Registration or de-registration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1094 Inter-user-equipment sessions transfer or sharing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1001 for accessing one among a plurality of replicated servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1004 Server selection for load balancing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/141 Setup of application sessions admission control or resource allocation in data switching networks H04L47/70
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/563 Data redirection of data network streams

Abstract

Systems and methods for dynamically registering a communication device are disclosed. As one example, a communication network architecture is disclosed that includes multiple feature servers, multiple registration redirect servers (RRSs), and multiple communication devices. The feature servers provide services to the communication devices. The RRSs each service a shared virtual Internet Protocol (IP) address and perform load balancing of registration requests on behalf of multiple feature servers located geographically proximate to the RRS. The communication devices are configured to issue initial registration requests intended for any of the feature servers to the shared virtual IP address, whereby upon issuing an initial registration request, a communication device is directed to a particular feature server that is associated with a RRS that is closest to the communication device, and where the particular feature server is selected by a load balancing routine executing on the RRS.

Claims

1. A method for dynamically provisioning feature server access in a communication network, the method comprising:

a plurality of registration redirect servers advertising a shared virtual Internet Protocol (IP) address common to the plurality of registration redirect servers;

each of the plurality of registration redirect servers periodically updating a local network service resource list, wherein the respective local network service resource lists indicate at least one feature server accessible via the registration redirect server; and

responsive to receiving a registration request from a client directed to the shared virtual IP address, the closest registration redirect server of the plurality of registration redirect servers causing the registration request to be redirected to the at least one feature server by providing an indication of the at least one feature server from the local network service resource list.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the network service resource list is an ordered list, and wherein the at least one feature server is provided based at least in part upon a location in the network service resource list.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the at least one feature server is, paired with a Network Address Translation (NAT) traversal manager.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the network service resource list includes a plurality of Network Address Translation (NAT) traversal managers paired with a plurality of feature servers, and wherein the at least one feature server is one of the plurality of feature servers.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one feature server comprises a SIP Registrar.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the network service resource list includes a plurality of Network Address Translation (NAT) traversal managers paired with a plurality of feature servers, wherein the at least one feature server is one of the plurality of feature servers, and wherein the providing an indication of the at least one feature server from the network service resource list in response to the registration request comprises:

providing a list of at least two Network Address Translation (NAT) traversal manager and feature server pairs.

7. A method for dynamically registering a communication device with a communication network, the method comprising:

issuing a registration request to a closest load balancer of a plurality of load balancers all servicing a shared virtual Internet Protocol (IP) address by directing the registration request to the shared virtual IP address;

in response to the registration request, receiving a network service resource list from the closest load balancer, wherein the network service resource list indicates at least one feature server; and

accessing the at least one feature server.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the network resource list includes a first Network Address Translation (NAT) traversal manager and feature server pair and a second NAT traversal manager and feature server pair, and wherein the at least one feature server is included with the first NAT traversal manager and feature server pair, and wherein accessing the at least one feature server includes accessing a NAT traversal manager included in the first NAT traversal manager and feature server pair.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the at least one feature server is a first feature server;

wherein the network resource list includes a first Network Address Translation (NAT) traversal manager and feature server pair including a first NAT traversal manager and the first feature server, and a second NAT traversal manager and feature server pair including a second NAT traversal manager and the first feature server; and

wherein accessing the at least one feature server includes accessing the first NAT traversal manager.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein accessing the at least one feature server fails, and wherein the method further comprises:

based at least in part on the failed access, accessing the first feature server and the second NAT traversal manager.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the at least one feature server is a first feature server;

wherein the network resource list includes a first Network Address Translation (NAT) traversal manager and feature server pair including a first NAT traversal manager and the first feature server, and a second NAT traversal manager and feature server pair including the first NAT traversal manager and a second feature server; and

wherein accessing the at least one feature server includes accessing the first NAT traversal manager.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein the method is performed as a result of one or more processors executing instructions stored on a computer-readable medium.

13. A method comprising:

responsive to receiving a service request from a voice client of a plurality of geographically dispersed voice clients coupled to a communication network, causing the service request to be transmitted to a registration redirect server associated with a closest set of feature servers coupled to the communication network; and

causing the service request message to be directed to a particular feature server of the closest set of feature servers based on a load balancing routine executed by the registration redirect server.

14. A communication network comprising:

a plurality of feature servers providing services to communication devices within the communication network;

a plurality of registration redirect servers each servicing a shared virtual Internet Protocol (IP) address common to the plurality of registration redirect servers, each of the plurality of registration redirect servers performing load balancing of registration requests on behalf of two or more of the plurality of feature servers located geographically proximate to the registration redirect server; and

a plurality of geographically dispersed communication devices communicatively coupled with the plurality of registration redirect servers, each of the plurality of geographically dispersed communication devices configured to issue initial registration requests intended for any of the plurality of feature servers to the shared virtual IP address, whereby upon issuing an initial registration request, a communication device of the plurality of geographically dispersed communication devices is directed to a particular feature server of the plurality of feature servers that is associated with a registration redirect server of the plurality of registration redirect servers that is closest to the communication device, the particular feature server being selected by a load balancing routine executing on the registration redirect server.