System and method for managing network traffic load upon outage of a network node

• US 20070127363A1
• Filed: 12/02/2005
• Published: 06/07/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Hossain, Asif, Chaudry, Shahid
• Granted Patent: US 8,619,557 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/216
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/62 Establishing a time schedule for servicing the requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/40 for recovering from a failure of a protocol instance or entity, e.g. service redundancy protocols, protocol state redundancy or protocol service redirection management of faults, events, alarms or notifications in data switching networks H04L41/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/19 Connection re-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/30 Connection release

Abstract

In one embodiment, a scheme is disclosed for managing network traffic load upon outage of a network node disposed in a wireless packet data network, wherein the network node is adapted to serve a substantially large number of mobile nodes using respective data connections. Upon encountering an outage-causing condition, the network node releases the data connections and generates session termination messages for transmission to the mobile nodes. Responsive to receiving the session termination messages, the mobile nodes variably delay their data session reconnect requests based on randomization.

Claims

1. A method of managing network traffic load upon outage of a network node disposed in a wireless packet data network, wherein said network node is adapted to serve a plurality of mobile nodes using respective data connections, comprising:

generating session termination messages by said network node for transmission to said mobile nodes and releasing said respective data connections by said network node upon encountering an outage-causing condition; and

responsive to receiving said session termination messages, delaying generation of data session reconnect requests by at least a portion of said mobile nodes, wherein said delaying is modulated based on randomization for each of said at least a portion of said mobile nodes.

2. The method of managing network traffic load upon outage of a network node disposed in a wireless packet data network as recited in claim 1, wherein said outage-causing condition comprises at least one of a power failure, a race condition experienced by service logic of said network node, a manual reset, and an automatic shutdown.

3. The method of managing network traffic load upon outage of a network node disposed in a wireless packet data network as recited in claim 1, wherein said delaying is modulated based on generating a random time variable that is bounded by a predetermined limit.

4. The method of managing network traffic load upon outage of a network node disposed in a wireless packet data network as recited in claim 3, wherein said predetermined limit is optimized for a minimum number of data connections that are released by said network node.

5. The method of managing network traffic load upon outage of a network node disposed in a wireless packet data network as recited in claim 3, wherein said predetermined limit is optimized for a maximum number of data connections that are released by said network node.

6. The method of managing network traffic load upon outage of a network node disposed in a wireless packet data network as recited in claim 1, wherein said network node comprises a Packet Data Serving Node (PDSN) and said respective data connections are operable to effectuate Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP) sessions with respect to said mobile nodes.

7. The method of managing network traffic load upon outage of a network node disposed in a wireless packet data network as recited in claim 1, wherein said network node comprises a Gateway GPRS (General Packet Radio Service) Support Node (GGSN) and said respective data connections are operable to effectuate Packet Data Protocol (PDP) sessions with respect to said mobile nodes.

8. The method of managing network traffic load upon outage of a network node disposed in a wireless packet data network as recited in claim 1, wherein said delaying is modulated based on a total number of data connections being released by said network node.

9. The method of managing network traffic load upon outage of a network node disposed in a wireless packet data network as recited in claim 9, wherein said network node transmits information pertaining to said total number of data connections being released to said mobile nodes.

10. A method of managing network traffic load upon outage of a network node disposed in a wireless packet data network, wherein said network node is adapted to serve a plurality of mobile nodes using respective data connections, comprising:

receiving a session termination message by a mobile node pursuant to releasing said mobile node'"'"'s data connection by said network node upon encountering an outage-causing condition at said network node; and

responsive to receiving said session termination message, delaying generation of a data session reconnect request by said mobile node, wherein said delaying is modulated based on generating a random time variable by said mobile node.

11. The method of managing network traffic load upon outage of a network node disposed in a wireless packet data network as recited in claim 10, wherein said outage-causing condition comprises at least one of a power failure, a race condition experienced by service logic of said network node, a manual reset, and an automatic shutdown.

12. The method of managing network traffic load upon outage of a network node disposed in a wireless packet data network as recited in claim 10, wherein said random time variable is bounded by a predetermined limit.

13. The method of managing network traffic load upon outage of a network node disposed in a wireless packet data network as recited in claim 12, wherein said predetermined limit is optimized for a minimum number of data connections that are released by said network node.

14. The method of managing network traffic load upon outage of a network node disposed in a wireless packet data network as recited in claim 12, wherein said predetermined limit is optimized for a maximum number of data connections that are released by said network node.

15. The method of managing network traffic load upon outage of a network node disposed in a wireless packet data network as recited in claim 10, wherein said random time variable is modulated based on a total number of data connections being released by said network node.

16. The method of managing network traffic load upon outage of a network node disposed in a wireless packet data network as recited in claim 15, wherein said network node transmits information pertaining to said total number of data connections being released to said mobile node.

17. A system for managing network traffic load upon outage of a network node disposed in a wireless packet data network, wherein said network node is adapted to serve a plurality of mobile nodes using respective data connections, comprising:

means associated with a mobile node for receiving a session termination message that is generated pursuant to releasing said mobile node'"'"'s data connection by said network node upon encountering an outage-causing condition at said network node; and

means associated with said mobile node, operable responsive to receiving said session termination message, for delaying generation of a data session reconnect request by said mobile node, wherein said delaying is modulated based on generating a random time variable by said mobile node.

18. The system for managing network traffic load upon outage of a network node disposed in a wireless packet data network as recited in claim 17, wherein said random time variable is bounded by a predetermined limit.

19. The system for managing network traffic load upon outage of a network node disposed in a wireless packet data network as recited in claim 18, wherein said predetermined limit is optimized for a minimum number of data connections that are released by said network node.

20. The system for managing network traffic load upon outage of a network node disposed in a wireless packet data network as recited in claim 18, wherein said predetermined limit is optimized for a maximum number of data connections that are released by said network node.

21. The system for managing network traffic load upon outage of a network node disposed in a wireless packet data network as recited in claim 17, wherein said random time variable is modulated based on a total number of data connections being released by said network node.

22. The system for managing network traffic load upon outage of a network node disposed in a wireless packet data network as recited in claim 19, wherein said network node transmits information pertaining to said total number of data connections being released to said mobile node.

23. A mobile node operable in a wireless packet data network, comprising:

a logic structure adapted for processing a session termination message that is received pursuant to releasing said mobile node'"'"'s data connection by a network node upon encountering an outage-causing condition at said network node; and

a logic structure, operable responsive to processing said session termination message, for delaying generation of a data session reconnect request by said mobile node, wherein said delaying is modulated based on generating a random time variable by said mobile node.

24. The mobile node as recited in claim 23, wherein said random time variable is bounded by a predetermined limit.

25. The mobile node as recited in claim 24, wherein said predetermined limit is optimized for a minimum number of data connections that are released by said network node.

26. The mobile node as recited in claim 24, wherein said predetermined limit is optimized for a maximum number of data connections that are released by said network node.

27. The mobile node as recited in claim 23, wherein said random time variable is modulated based on a total number of data connections being released by said network node.

28. The mobile node as recited in claim 27, wherein said network node transmits information pertaining to said total number of data connections being released to said mobile node.