Remote redundant voice server system

• US 20080267062A1
• Filed: 11/29/2007
• Published: 10/30/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Net2Phone, Inc. (IDT Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Net2Phone, Inc. (IDT Corporation)
• Inventors: Lando, David, Feuer, David E., Morris, Joe
• Granted Patent: US 8,111,614 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/219
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/45 public-private interworking, e.g. centrex
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42314 in private branch exchanges
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0084 Network monitoring; Error detection; Error recovery; Network testing
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13034 A/D conversion, code compression/expansion
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13222 PBX circuits in public exchange, centrex
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13389 LAN, internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0045 involving hybrid, i.e. a mixture of public and private, or multi-vendor systems

Abstract

During normal operation, a user terminal supported by an IP-PBX server establishes a call by resolving the name of the IP-PBX server using a DNS server. When the DNS server provides the address of the IP-PBX server, the IP-PBX server can be contacted. However, if the SIP controller learns that the IP-PBX is no longer operating, the information stored by the service provider environment may be used to build or configure an IP-Centrex server at a remote site which takes over for the failing IP-PBX server. The newly configured IP-Centrex server then registers itself with the SIP controller and either the SIP controller or the IP-Centrex server then informs the DNS server of the IP address of the IP-Centrex and tells the DNS server that the IP-Centrex server will respond to messages for the failed IP-PBX server. The newly configured IP-Centrex server then handles the messages and control flow previously handled by the IP-PBX server. When the IP-PBX server is repaired or replaced, the IP-PBX server informs the SIP controller that it is back online and either the SIP controller or the IP-PBX server then informs the DNS server that the IP-PBX server will again be handling the call requests for the IP-PBX server.

Claims

1. A method of providing back-up voice services, comprising:

detecting that an IP-PBX server serving plural user voice terminals has become unresponsive;

configuring an IP-Centrex server remote from the IP-PBX server to handle voice calls for the unresponsive IP-PBX;

handling calls from the plural user voice terminals at the IP-Centrex server;

detecting that the previously unresponsive IP-PBX server serving plural user voice terminals has come back online; and

handling calls from the plural user voice terminals at the IP-PBX server.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein detecting that an IP-PBX server serving plural user voice terminals has become unresponsive comprises detecting that a registration time period expired without a SIP controller receiving a registration message from the IP-PBX.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein detecting that an IP-PBX server serving plural user voice terminals has become unresponsive comprises receiving a message at a SIP controller that the IP-PBX server is non-responsive.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising receiving information about the IP-PBX server needed to configure the IP-Centrex server prior to the IP-PBX server becoming unresponsive.