Methods, systems, and computer program products for selectively processing or redirecting signaling connection control part (SCCP) messages

• US 20070207802A1
• Filed: 02/15/2007
• Published: 09/06/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/15/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tekelec Global, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Tekelec
• Inventors: Agarwal, Devesh, Benedyk, Robby, Palmer, Jonathan
• Granted Patent: US 7,916,857 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/428
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13098 Mobile subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13103 Memory
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13176 Common channel signaling, CCS7
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0025 Provisions for signalling
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/08 Mobility data transfer
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/16 Gateway arrangements

Abstract

The subject matter described herein includes methods, systems, and computer program products for selectively processing or redirecting SCCP messages. According to one method, an SCCP message addressed to an STP and sent route-on-PC-SSN is received at the STP. It is determined whether the SCCP message can be processed locally by the STP. In response to determining that the SCCP message can be processed locally by the STP, the SCCP message is terminated, processed locally, and a response is sent to the message originator. In response to determining that the message cannot be processed locally at the STP, the SCCP message is redirected to a destination.

Claims

1. A method for selectively processing or redirecting signaling connection control part (SCCP) messages, the method comprising:

receiving, at a signal transfer point, an SCCP message addressed to the signal transfer point and sent route-on-point-code-subsystem-number (route-on-PC-SSN);

determining whether the query message can be processed locally by the STP;

in response to determining that the SCCP message can be processed locally by the STP, processing the SCCP message locally at the STP and sending a response to an originator of the query message; and

in response to determining that the SCCP message cannot be processed locally at the STP, redirecting the signaling message from the STP to a destination.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the SCCP comprises a mobility management message in a network that supports mobile subscriber migration between mobile signaling protocols.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein determining whether the SCCP message can be processed locally by the STP includes determining whether a subscriber associated with the query message has migrated or not migrated between the mobile signaling protocols.

4. The method of claim 3 where comprising determining that the SCCP message can be processed locally at the STP in response to determining that the subscriber has migrated between the mobile signaling protocols.

5. The method of claim 3 comprising determining that the SCCP message cannot be processed at the STP in response to determining that the subscriber has not migrated between the mobile signaling protocols.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein redirecting the SCCP message to a destination includes copying an SCCP called party point code into a message transfer part (MTP) routing label of the message and routing the query message to a destination corresponding to the copied point code.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein routing the SCCP message to a destination includes routing the message to a home location register (HLR).

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the SCCP message comprises a message requiring G-FLEX processing.

9. A system for selectively processing or routing signaling connection control part (SCCP) messages, the system comprising:

a signal transfer point including;

an interface module for receiving SCCP messages addressed to a point code of the STP and sent route-on-point-code-subsystem-number (route-on-PC-SSN) and for identifying the SCCP messages as requiring at least some internal processing by the STP;

a services module for receiving the SCCP messages that are identified as requiring at least some internal processing by the STP, for determining whether each of the SCCP messages can be processed locally by the STP, for messages identified as being able to be processed locally, for terminating and processing the query messages locally, and for messages identified as not being able to be processed locally by the STP, for redirecting such messages to a destination.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the services module is adapted to selectively process or redirect mobility management messages in a network allowing subscriber migration between mobile signaling protocols.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the services module is adapted to determine whether subscribers are migrated or non-migrated.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the services module is adapted to process and terminate mobility management messages directed to migrated subscribers.

13. The system of claim 10 wherein the services module is adapted to redirect mobility management messages directed to non-migrated subscribers.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein, in redirecting the mobility management messages, the services module is adapted to copy an SCCP called party point code in each message to a message transfer part (MTP) routing label of each message.

15. The system of claim 13 wherein the services module is adapted to route the redirected SCCP messages to an HLR.

16. The system of claim 13 wherein at least some of the SCCP messages comprises messages requiring G-FLEX processing.

17. A computer program product comprising computer-executable instructions embodied in a computer readable medium for performing steps comprising:

receiving, at a signal transfer point, an SCCP message addressed to the signal transfer point and sent route-on-point-code-subsystem-number (route-on-PC-SSN);

determining whether the SCCP message can be processed locally by the STP;

in response to determining that the SCCP message can be processed locally by the STP, processing the query message locally at the STP and sending a response to an originator of the query message; and

in response to determining that the SCCP message cannot be processed locally at the STP, redirecting the signaling message from the STP to a destination.