SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR DYNAMICALLY PARTITIONING CONTEXT SERVERS

• US 20080063165A1
• Filed: 01/08/2007
• Published: 03/13/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: VeriSign, Inc.
• Original Assignee: VeriSign, Inc.
• Inventors: Gallant, John Kenneth
• Granted Patent: US 8,295,459 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/133
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13103 Memory
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13106 Microprocessor, CPU
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13134 Coin boxes, payphone, prepaid
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13164 Traffic (registration, measurement,...)
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13166 Fault prevention
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13167 Redundant apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13345 Intelligent networks, SCP
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0029 Provisions for intelligent networking

Abstract

A system and method for dynamically partitioning context servers in a network in response to changes in network conditions. Context servers store information about calls in a telecommunications system. Network control elements can obtain call information from one or more partitions of the context servers to help make call control and reporting decisions.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining a partition number for a call based upon a data key of the call, the partition number corresponding to one or more context servers;

responsive to the determination, sending call data about the call to context servers in a partition corresponding to the partition number.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the partition number P is equal to (K mod Y)+N, where K is based upon the data key, Y is the number of partitions, and N is an integer.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining comprises:

calculating the partition number based on the data key;

searching a partitioning table for the calculated partition number, wherein the partitioning table maps each partition number to a partition and the corresponding one or more context servers in the partition; and

identifying, from the partitioning table, the context servers in the partition mapped to the calculated partition number.

4. A method comprising:

determining a partition number for a call based upon a data key of the call, the partition number corresponding to one or more context servers;

responsive to the determination, sending a request for context information about the call to context servers in a partition corresponding to the partition number.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the partition number P is equal to (K mod Y)+N, where K is based upon the data key, Y is the number of partitions, and N is an integer.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the determining comprises:

calculating the partition number based on the data key;

searching a partitioning table for the calculated partition number, wherein the partitioning table maps each partition number to a partition and the corresponding one or more context servers in the partition; and

identifying, from the partitioning table, the context servers in the partition mapped to the calculated partition number.

7. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

if re-partitioning is in progress,

determining an old partition number for the call based upon the data key of the call, the old partition number corresponding to one or more context servers, and

responsive to the determination, sending a request for context information about the call to context servers in an old partition corresponding to the old partition number.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the old partition number P_old is equal to (K mod X)+N, where K is based upon the data key, X is the number of old partitions, and N is an integer.

9. A method comprising:

responsive to a change in network condition, partitioning a plurality of context servers into partitions, each partition including one or more of the context servers;

generating a partitioning table that maps each partition to a partition number and the one or more context servers in the partition; and

providing partitioning logic to determine a partition number for a call based upon a data key of the call.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the partitioning logic includes a deterministic mathematical function that calculates a partition number based on the data key.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

transmitting the partitioning table and the partitioning logic to a plurality of network control elements that receive calls having data keys.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

determining whether the change in network condition has occurred.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the determining comprises:

receiving a signal that the change in network condition has occurred.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the determining comprises:

monitoring network parameters; and

determining that the change in network condition has occurred based on the monitored network parameters.

15. A system comprising:

a plurality of context devices configured to provide context information about call messages;

at least one partitioning device configured to, responsive to a change in network condition, partition the context devices into a plurality of partitions, wherein each partition includes one or more of the context devices; and

at least one control device configured to select a partition based on the call messages and to access the one or more context devices in the selected partition regarding the context information.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the partitioning device is configured to:

provide partitioning logic based on the call messages to the control device to be used to select the partition.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the control device is configured to:

access the one or more context devices in the selected partition to at least one of send context information and receive context information.

18. A method comprising:

receiving, from a telecommunications switch, a call message that pertains to a call;

determining to which partition of context servers to send a request for information about previously processed call messages that pertain to the call;

sending the request for information to the context servers in the determined partition;

receiving the information from the context servers; and

processing the call message based on the information received from the context servers.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the determining comprises:

calculating a partition number based on a data key included in the request; and

identifying the context servers in the partition having the determined partition number.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

determining to which partition of context servers to send the processed call message for later retrieval in response to a subsequent request for information; and

sending the processed call message to the context servers in the determined partition.