Arrangement for controlling congestion in an SS7 signaling node based on packet classification

• US 20060078008A1
• Filed: 11/29/2005
• Published: 04/13/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bordonaro, Frank G., Schmidt, Paul A., Watson, Glenn D., Das, Amitava
• Granted Patent: US 8,014,510 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/522
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0893 Assignment of logical groups to network elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0894 Policy-based network configuration management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0896 Bandwidth or capacity management, i.e. automatically increasing or decreasing capacities flow or congestion control using dynamic resource allocation, e.g. in-call renegotiation, H04L47/76
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5022 by giving priorities, e.g. assigning classes of service
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/00 Arrangements for monitoring or testing data switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0894 Packet rate
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/16 Threshold monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/10 Flow control; Congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0025 Provisions for signalling

Abstract

A signaling network node is configured for identifying a received signaling message as belonging to one of a plurality of prescribed originating node groups, based on prescribed message class selection criteria. Each originating node group has at least one originating node and is assigned at least one congestion threshold relative to a message rate (e.g., messages per unit time or number of bytes per unit time). The signaling network node determines the message rate for each corresponding originating node group; if the message rate for an originating node group exceeds the corresponding at least one congestion threshold, the signaling network node outputs a congestion signaling message to the originating node having sent the signaling message, for reduction of the corresponding message rate.

Claims

1. A signaling network node comprising:

network interfaces, each configured for receiving a packet from a corresponding signaling node of a signaling network; and

a processor configured for identifying each received packet as belonging to one of a plurality of groups of the signaling nodes, each group of signaling nodes including at least one signaling node, the processor configured for determining a corresponding message rate for each group of signaling nodes;

the processor further configured for executing a congestion control operation for any one group of signaling nodes if the corresponding message rate exceeds a corresponding predetermined threshold for the one group of signaling nodes.

2. The node of claim 1, wherein each network interface is configured for receiving each received packet according to SS7 protocol, the processor configured for identifying the received packet as belonging to the one group of signaling nodes based on applying a prescribed message class selection criteria including at least any one of an originating point code, a destination point code, a service indicator, a subsystem number, a calling party address, a called party address, a prescribed Message Transfer Part (MTP)-3 field value, a prescribed Signaling Connection Control Part (SCCP) field value, and a prescribed bit pattern at a corresponding prescribed location within the received packet.

3. The node of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured for selectively executing at least one of a plurality of the congestion control operations, based on user preference.

4. The node of claim 3, wherein the congestion control operations include dropping the received packet, and outputting a congestion message to the originating node from the one originating node group and having sent the received packet.

5. The node of claim 4, wherein each originating node group is assigned a plurality of the prescribed thresholds for successive priority levels, the processor configured for specifying, within the congestion message, the priority level corresponding to the prescribed threshold having been exceeded by the message rate.

6. The node of claim 5, wherein the processor is configured for selectively outputting the received packet to a specified destination based on the message rate relative to the prescribed thresholds, and based on a user preference.

7. The node of claim 6, wherein the processor is configured for selectively outputting the received packet to the specified destination further based on a specified priority within the received packet relative to the prescribed threshold having been exceeded by the message rate, and based on the user preference.

8. The node of claim 4, wherein the processor is configured for concurrently outputting the received packet to a specified destination and outputting the congestion message to the originating node having sent the received packet, based on a user preference.

9. The node of claim 4, wherein the processor is configured for outputting the congestion message as a Transfer Controlled (TFC) message.

10-36. -36. (canceled)

37. A method in a signaling network node, including:

determining a message rate for one of a plurality of groups of signaling nodes based on identifying a packet, received via a signaling network from one of the signaling nodes, as belonging to the one group of signaling nodes, each group of signaling nodes including at least one signaling node; and

executing a congestion control operation for the one group of signaling nodes if the message rate exceeds a predetermined threshold for the one group of signaling nodes.

38. The method of claim 37, further comprising receiving the packet according to SS7 protocol, the identifying of the packet including using, as a prescribed message class selection criteria, at least any one of an originating point code, a destination point code, a service indicator, a subsystem number, a calling party address, a called party address, a prescribed Message Transfer Part (MTP)-3 field value, a prescribed Signaling Connection Control Part (SCCP) field value, and a prescribed bit pattern at a corresponding prescribed location within the received packet.

39. The method of claim 37, wherein the executing includes selectively executing at least one of a plurality of available congestion control operations, based on user preference.

40. The method of claim 39, wherein the available congestion control operations include dropping the received packet, and outputting a congestion message to the originating node from the one originating node group and having sent the received packet.

41. The method of claim 40, further comprising specifying, within the congestion message, a priority level corresponding to one of a plurality of predetermined threshold having been exceeded by the message rate.

42. The method of claim 41, wherein the executing includes selectively outputting the received packet to a specified destination based on the message rate relative to the prescribed thresholds, and based on a user preference.

43. The method of claim 42, wherein the selectively outputting includes selectively outputting the received packet to the specified destination further based on a specified priority within the received packet relative to the prescribed threshold having been exceeded by the message rate, and based on the user preference.

44. The method of claim 40, wherein the executing includes concurrently Outputting the received packet to a specified destination and outputting the congestion message to the originating node having sent the received packet, based on a user preference.

45. The method of claim 40, wherein the selectively executing step includes outputting the congestion message as a Transfer Controlled (TFC) message.

46. A computer readable medium having stored thereon sequences of instructions for selectively routing a received packet by a signaling network node via a signaling network, the sequences of instructions including instructions for performing the steps of:

determining a message rate for one of a plurality of groups of signaling nodes based on identifying a packet, received via a signaling network from one of the signaling nodes, as belonging to the one group of signaling nodes, each group of signaling nodes including at least one signaling node; and

executing a congestion control operation for the one group of signaling nodes if the message rate exceeds a predetermined threshold for the one group of signaling nodes.

47. The medium of claim 46, further comprising instructions for receiving the packet according to SS7 protocol, the identifying of the packet including using, as a prescribed message class selection criteria, at least any one of an originating point code, a destination point code, a service indicator, a subsystem number, a calling party address, a called party address, a prescribed Message Transfer Part (MTP)-3 field value, a prescribed Signaling Connection Control Part (SCCP) field value, and a prescribed bit pattern at a corresponding prescribed location within the received packet.

48. The medium of claim 46, wherein the executing includes selectively executing at least one of a plurality of available congestion control operations, based on user preference.

49. The medium of claim 48, wherein the available congestion control operations include dropping the received packet, and outputting a congestion message to the originating node from the one originating node group and having sent the received packet.

50. The medium of claim 49, further comprising instructions for specifying, within the congestion message, a priority level corresponding to one of a plurality of predetermined threshold having been exceeded by the message rate.

51. The medium of claim 50, wherein the executing includes selectively outputting the received packet to a specified destination based on the message rate relative to the prescribed thresholds, and based on a user preference.

52. The medium of claim 51, wherein the selectively outputting includes selectively outputting the received packet to the specified destination further based on a specified priority within the received packet relative to the prescribed threshold having been exceeded by the message rate, and based on the user preference.

53. The medium of claim 49, wherein the executing includes concurrently outputting the received packet to a specified destination and outputting the congestion message to the originating node having sent the received packet, based on a user preference.

54. The medium of claim 49, wherein the selectively executing includes outputting the congestion message as a Transfer Controlled (TFC) message.

55. A signaling network node comprising:

means for determining a message rate for one of a plurality of groups of signaling nodes based on identifying a packet, received via a signaling network from one of the signaling nodes, as belonging to the one group of signaling nodes, each group of signaling nodes including at least one signaling node; and

means for executing a congestion control operation for the one group of signaling nodes if the message rate exceeds a predetermined threshold for the one group of signaling nodes.

56. The node of claim 55, further comprising means for receiving the packet according to SS7 protocol, the means for determining configured for identifying the packet using, as a prescribed message class selection criteria, at least any one of an originating point code, a destination point code, a service indicator, a subsystem number, a calling party address, a called party address, a prescribed Message Transfer Part (MTP)-3 field value, a prescribed Signaling Connection Control Part (SCCP) field value, and a prescribed bit pattern at a corresponding prescribed location within the received packet.

57. The node of claim 55, wherein the means for executing is configured for selectively executing at least one of a plurality of available congestion control operations, based on user preference.

58. The node of claim 57, wherein the available congestion control operations include dropping the received packet, and outputting a congestion message to the originating node from the one originating node group and having sent the received packet.

59. The node of claim 58, wherein the means for executing is configured for specifying, within the congestion message, a priority level corresponding to one of a plurality of predetermined threshold having been exceeded by the message rate.

60. The node of claim 59, wherein the means for executing is configured for selectively outputting the received packet to a specified destination based on the message rate relative to the prescribed thresholds, and based on a user preference.

61. The node of claim 60, wherein the means for executing is configured for selectively outputting the received packet to the specified destination based on a specified priority within the received packet relative to the prescribed threshold having been exceeded by the message rate, and based on the user preference.

62. The node of claim 58, wherein the means for executing is configured for concurrently outputting the received packet to a specified destination and outputting the congestion message to the originating node having sent the received packet, based on a user preference.

63. The node of claim 58, wherein the means for executing is configured for outputting the congestion message as a Transfer Controlled (TFC) message.