Method for extending the use of SIP (Session Initiated Protocol) for providing debug services

• US 20070130345A1
• Filed: 12/01/2005
• Published: 06/07/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: X Corp. (f/k/a Twitter, Inc.) (X Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Muschett, Brien, Nusbickel, Wendi, Da Palma, William, Gavagni, Brett
• Granted Patent: US 7,752,315 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1104 Session initiation protocol [SIP]
• 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

Abstract

A method (200) for providing debug services between two SIP compliant endpoints is presented. The method extends SIP compliance by including a SIP DEBUG message (370). The method (200) extends the SIP protocol for allowing SIP compliant endpoints to configure themselves for providing debug capabilities. The endpoints can be a SIP client (110), a SIP server (120), or a SIP proxy (115). The method can include the steps of sending a SIP INVITE request from a first device to a second device to initiate a SIP session, receiving a SIP INVITE response from the second device, sending a SIP DEBUG request from the first device to the second device to initiate a debug session, receiving a SIP DEBUG response from the second device, and providing encrypted debugging services during the SIP session between the first SIP compliant device and the second SIP compliant device. The SIP DEBUG message can include a debug header field for invoking a method call on a second SIP compliant product which includes a list of variables accessible to the first SIP compliant product as a result of the method call.

Claims

1. A method for extending the use of SIP (Session Initiated Protocol) to enable debugging services comprising the steps of:

sending a SIP INVITE request from a first SIP compliant device to a second SIP compliant device to initiate a SIP session; and

configuring said first SIP compliant device and said second SIP compliant devices during said SIP session for providing debugging capabilities;

wherein a SIP compliant device can be one of a SIP client, a SIP proxy, and a SIP server.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of sending a SIP INVITE request further comprises:

indicating a DEBUG method in an Allow header field of said SIP INVITE request,

wherein said DEBUG method permits said second SIP compliant device to debug said first SIP compliant device.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a SIP INVITE response from said second SIP compliant device; and

identifying a SIP DEBUG method in an Allow header field of said SIP INVITE response,

wherein said DEBUG method permits said first SIP compliant device to debug said second SIP compliant device.

4. The method of claim 1, said step of providing debugging services further comprising:

sending a SIP DEBUG request from said first SIP compliant device to said second SIP compliant device to initiate a debug session; and

receiving a SIP DEBUG response at said first SIP compliant device from said second SIP compliant device to acknowledge said debug session,

wherein said debug session supports at least one debug capability.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said debug capability supports VoIP debugging of a call placed over a telephone.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein said SIP DEBUG request includes a debug header field for invoking a method call on said second SIP compliant device, wherein said SIP DEBUG response includes a list of variables accessible to said first SIP compliant device as a result of said method call.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein said SIP DEBUG request includes debug header fields with corresponding entries of method, Component, and Action.

8. The method of claim 4, wherein said SIP DEBUG request includes a Caller-ID header field for specifying a caller-ID to receive debug support, wherein said debug session directs said debug capability to a device of said caller-ID.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein said SIP DEBUG request further includes an application method to identify a list of values associated with said list of variables at a unique event time.

10. The method of claim 1, further including:

encrypting confidential sections of a SIP message using Secure/Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions (S/MIME).

11. A SIP debugger for providing SIP debugging services, the SIP debugger comprising:

a SIP compliant product supporting a debug capability; and

a SIP DEBUG message for configuring said debug capability;

wherein said SIP debugger communicates with said SIP compliant product for sending said SIP DEBUG message to a second SIP compliant product for configuring said debug capability between said first SIP compliant product and said second SIP compliant product.

12. The SIP debugger of claim 11, wherein said SIP DEBUG message includes a debug header field for invoking a method call on said second SIP compliant product.

13. The SIP debugger of claim 11, wherein said SIP DEBUG message includes a list of variables accessible to said first SIP compliant product as a result of a method call.

14. The SIP debugger of claim 11, wherein the SIP DEBUG message configures a client and server to provide VoiceXML debug interpretation services during a live VoiceXML SIP session.

15. The SIP debugger of claim 11, wherein said first SIP compliant product and said second SIP compliant product are separated by a SIP proxy, and said SIP debugger provides interoperable debug capabilities through said SIP proxy.

16. The SIP debugger of claim 11, wherein said SIP DEBUG message permits a mutual debugging capability between said first SIP compliant product and said second SIP compliant product.

17. A machine readable storage, having stored thereon a computer program having a plurality of code sections executable by a portable computing device for causing the portable computing device to perform the steps of:

sending a SIP INVITE request from a first device to a second device to initiate a SIP session;

receiving a SIP INVITE response from said second device;

sending a SIP DEBUG request from said first device to said second device to initiate a debug session;

receiving a SIP DEBUG response from said second device; and

providing encrypted debugging services during said SIP session between said first SIP compliant device and said second SIP compliant device.

18. The machine readable storage according to claim 17, wherein said SIP INVITE request identifies a DEBUG method in an Allow header field of said SIP INVITE request, and wherein said DEBUG method permits said second device to debug said first device.

19. The machine readable storage according to claim 17, wherein said SIP DEBUG request identifies whether said second device supports debugging capabilities.

20. The machine readable storage according to claim 17, wherein said SIP DEBUG request includes a debug header field for invoking a method call on said second device,

wherein said SIP DEBUG response includes a list of variables accessible to said first device as a result of said method call.

21. The machine readable storage according to claim 17, wherein said SIP DEBUG request includes a Caller-ID header for specifying a caller-ID to receive debug support, wherein said debug session directs said debug capability to a device of said caller-ID.