Call redundancy for a packet-based network

• US 20070002842A1
• Filed: 06/05/2006
• Published: 01/04/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ribbon Communications Operating Company, Inc. (Ribbon Communications, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Sonus Networks Incorporated (Ribbon Communications, Inc.)
• Inventors: Riley, Kevin, Wung, Joseph, St. Pierre, Mark, Globerson, Mark
• Granted Patent: US 8,913,520 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/103 in the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/104 in the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1043 Gateway controllers, e.g. media gateway control protocol [MGCP] controllers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/1225 Details of core network interconnection arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/1255 where the switching fabric and the switching logic are decomposed such as in Media Gateway Control
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/126 Interworking of session control protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0025 Provisions for signalling

Abstract

Methods, systems, and computer program products are described associated with call redundancy for a packet-based network. The described call redundancy involves a receiver module in communication with the packet-based network adapted to receive or transmit data associated with a plurality of calls from one or more signaling links. The data includes signaling information based on a publicly-switched telephone network (“PSTN”) standard. A first processor module is in communication with the receiver module and is adapted to process the data associated with the plurality of calls. A second processor module is in communication with the receiver module and the first processor module. The second processor module is adapted to receive at least a portion of the data associated with the plurality of calls. At least a portion of data maintained on the second processor module is synchronized with the corresponding data processed by the first processor module.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a receiver module in communication with a packet-based network adapted to receive or transmit data associated with a plurality of calls from one or more signaling links, the data including signaling information based on a publicly-switched telephone network (“

PSTN”

) standard;

a first processor module in communication with the receiver module, the first processor module adapted to process the data associated with the plurality of calls; and

a second processor module in communication with the receiver module and the first processor module, the second processor module adapted to receive at least a portion of the data associated with the plurality of calls, wherein the at least a portion of data maintained on the second processor module is synchronized with the corresponding data processed by the first processor module.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the second processor module is adapted to process the data associated with the plurality of calls when the first processor module does not process the data.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein a media gateway comprises the receiver module, the first processor module, and the second processor module.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the first processor module, the second processor module, or both are servers adapted to process the data.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the number of calls the system is capable of processing does not diminish when the first processor module does not process the data associated with the plurality of calls.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the synchronized data comprises link-state data, call-state data or sequence data associated with the one or more signaling links.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the synchronized data is communicated between a first Message Transfer Part 2 (“

MTP2”

) layer of a first protocol stack in the first processor module and a second MTP2 layer of a second protocol stack in the second processor module.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the synchronized data is communicated between a first Message Transfer Part 3 (“

MTP3”

) layer of a first protocol stack in the first processor module and a second MTP3 layer of a second protocol stack in the second processor module.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a communication channel in communication with the receiver module and the first processor module, the second processor module, or both, the communication channel adapted to transmit the data from the receiver module to the first processor module, the second processor module, or both.

10. The system of claim 1, further comprising a communication channel for transmitting the data and information associated with the plurality of calls between the first and second processor modules.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the communication channel transmits the signaling information between a first sub-processor module of the first processor module and a first corresponding sub-processor module of the second processor module to facilitate processing of the signaling information by the first sub-processor.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the first corresponding sub-processor of the second processor module does not process the signaling information while the first sub-processor is processing the signaling information.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the first sub-processor module performs processing operations on a first digital signal processor and the first corresponding sub-processor module performs processing operations on a second digital signal processor.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the first processor module and the second processor module are associated with the same point code.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the first processor module and the second processor module are associated with different point codes.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the first processor module and the second processor module are associated with the same network address.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein the first processor module and the second processor module are associated with different network addresses.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein the receiver module and at least one of the first processor module, the second processor module, or both are associated with the same network address.

19. A method comprising:

receiving at a receiver module in communication with a packet-based network data associated with a plurality of calls on one or more signaling links, the data including signaling information based on a publicly-switched telephone network (“

PSTN”

) standard; and

providing the data associated with the plurality of calls to a first processor module and a second processor module, wherein the first processor module processes the data associated with the plurality of calls and the second processor module is adapted to process the data associated with the plurality of calls when the first processor module does not process the data.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising maintaining at least a portion of the data on the second processor module, the data being synchronized to the corresponding data processed by the first processor module

21. A computer program product, tangibly embodied in an information carrier, the computer program product including instructions being operable to cause data processing apparatus in communication with a packet-based network to:

receive data associated with a plurality of calls from one or more signaling links, the data including signaling information based on a publicly-switched telephone network (“

PSTN”

) standard;

provide the data associated with the plurality of calls to a first processor module for processing the data and to a second processor module adapted to process the data associated with the plurality of calls when the first processor module does not; and

maintain at least a portion of the data on a second processor module, the data being synchronized to the corresponding data processed by the first processor module.