Efficient load balancing and heartbeat mechanism for telecommunication endpoints

• US 20060291400A1
• Filed: 06/28/2005
• Published: 12/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Arlington Technologies, LLC (Dominion Harbor Enterprises, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Avaya Technology Corporation Miami Lakes FLA US
• Inventors: Balasaygun, Mehmet C., Marwah, Manish, Boyle, Frank John, Moon, Sung H., Schmidt, Nancy Kathryn, Krahn, Renee F., Hendrick, Scott E.
• Granted Patent: US 7,668,100 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/242
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1104 Session initiation protocol [SIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1106 Call signalling protocols; H.323 and related
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1001 for accessing one among a plurality of replicated servers
• 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: H04L 67/1012 based on compliance of requirements or conditions with available server resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

The present invention is directed to load balancing call signaling channels at the times that they are established, the use of variable frequency keep alive mechanisms depending on the state of the call signaling channel, and the establishment of a call signaling channel when resources are available or otherwise based on need.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

(a) at a first time, at least one of a gatekeeper and server registering an endpoint;

(b) at a second later time, setting up a call signaling channel between an endpoint and a gatekeeper upon the occurrence of at least one of the following events;

(i) the endpoint signaling a subscriber operation on the endpoint;

(ii) at least one of the gatekeeper and server receiving an incoming call directed to the endpoint; and

(iii) at least one of the gatekeeper and server determining that maintenance is to be performed on the endpoint;

(c) after the second time, at least one of a gatekeeper and server selecting a gatekeeper for the call signaling channel; and

(d) after the second time, notifying the endpoint of the selected gatekeeper.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one of the following events is event (i).

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the subscriber operation is making a call and the endpoint notifies simultaneously multiple gatekeepers of the subscriber operation.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one of the following events is event (ii).

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the call is terminated to the endpoint before the call signaling channel is set up and wherein the termination messages are resent to the endpoint after the call signaling channel is established.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one of the following events is event (iii).

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the performance of steps (b) and (c) are not in response to step (a) and wherein at least one of a gatekeeper and server performs step (b).

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the gatekeeper selected is a currently least loaded gatekeeper.

9. A computer readable medium comprising executable instructions to perform the steps of claim 1.

10. A logic circuit operable to perform the steps of claim 1.

11. A method, comprising:

(a) at least one of a gatekeeper and server registering an endpoint;

(b) in response to the registering step, determining, based on resource availability, whether to set up a call signaling channel between at least one of a gatekeeper and server and the endpoint;

(c) when the occupancy level is less than a selected threshold, establishing the call signaling channel; and

(d) when the occupancy level is greater than the selected threshold, deferring establishment of the call signaling channel.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the resource is central processing unit occupancy level.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the occupancy level is based on an overload limit of a signaling channel other than the call signaling channel.

14. A computer readable medium comprising executable instructions to perform the steps of claim 11.

15. A logic circuit operable to perform the steps of claim 11.

16. A method, comprising:

(a) a first computational component determining whether a first channel has been established between the first computational component and a second computational component;

(b) when the first computational component determines that the first channel has been established, sending to a second computational component a keep alive signal at a first frequency; and

(c) when the first computational component determines that the first channel has not been established, sending to the second computational component a keep alive signal at a second frequency, wherein the first frequency is lower than the second frequency.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the first computational component is an endpoint, wherein the second computational is at least one of a gatekeeper and server, wherein the keep alive signals are sent on a second channel between the first and second computational components different from the first channel.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the first computational component has determined that the first channel has not been established and further comprising:

(d) determining whether the endpoint is currently being serviced by a primary server or an alternate server;

(e) when the endpoint is current being serviced by a primary server, the endpoint starts a Primary Search Timer (PST); and

(f) when the endpoint is current being serviced by an alternate server, the endpoint starts a Primary Migration Timer (PMT).

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the endpoint is current being serviced by a primary server and further comprising:

(g) sending a first registration request to a first gatekeeper on an Alternate Gatekeeper List (AGL);

(h) when no response is received within a determined time, selecting a further gatekeeper from the AGL;

(i) sending a further registration request to the further gatekeeper; and

(j) repeating steps (h) and (i) until the PST expires and/or a response is received within the determined time; and

(k) when a response is not received within the determined time and the PST expires, sending a registration request to an alternate server.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein when a response is received within a determined time and before the PST expires, further comprising:

(l) determining whether the response has been received from the second computational component and/or a third computational component;

(m) when a response has been received from the second computational component and/or the third computational component, starting a short keep alive timer;

(n) determining whether the first channel has been established;

(o) when the first channel has been established, starting a recovery procedure; and

(p) when the first channel has not been established, sending a registration request to a currently registered address associated with at least one of the second and third computational components.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein the endpoint is current being serviced by a primary server and further comprising:

(g) sending a registration request to an alternate server;

(h) determining whether a response is received within a determined time;

(i) when no response is received within a determined time, repeating steps (g) and (h) until the PMT expires or a response is received; and

(k) when a response is not received within the determined time and the PMT expires, sending a registration request to a primary server.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

(l) when a response is received within a determined time, cancelling the PMT and starting a short keep alive timer;

(m) determining whether the first channel has been established;

(n) when the first channel has been established, migrating to the alternate server; and

(o) when the first channel has not been established, sending a registration request to a currently registered address associated with at least one of the second and third computational components.

23. A computer readable medium comprising executable instructions to perform the steps of claim 16.

24. A logic circuit operable to perform the steps of claim 16.