Methods and Apparatus for Event Distribution in Messaging Systems

• US 20090161548A1
• Filed: 12/24/2007
• Published: 06/25/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/24/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Zhu, Zhongwen, Zhang, Huiping
• Granted Patent: US 7,817,544 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/237
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2035 without idle spare hardware
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5083 Techniques for rebalancing the load in a distributed system
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0681 Configuration of triggering conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0893 Assignment of logical groups to network elements

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for distributing events among a set of traffic processor in a telecommunication network. The methods and apparatus determines a traffic processor from the set of traffic processors with the lowest traffic load, the traffic load is determined for each traffic processor of the set of traffic processors based on a weighting factor, an event queue length of a traffic processors and a current traffic load. Events are re-distributed when a change occurs in the set of traffic processors. The re-distribution is based on a determination of an allowable event queue length for each traffic processor of the set of traffic processors, which is based on the current traffic load, an optimal traffic load and a maximum event queue length.

Claims

1. A method for distributing event delivery for a set of traffic processors in a telecommunication network, the method comprising the steps of:

obtaining a status for each active traffic processors of the set of processors in the telecommunication network;

determining a traffic processor from the set of traffic processors with the lowest traffic load, the traffic load is determined for each traffic processor of the set of traffic processors based on a weighting factor, an event queue length of a traffic processors and a current traffic load;

sorting each traffic processor from the set of traffic processors;

selecting an event group manager, the event group manager is an event scheduler that manages the traffic processor of the set of traffic processors with the lowest traffic load;

retrieving a time slot table for each traffic processor of the set of traffic processors;

determining an allowable event queue length for each traffic processor of the set of traffic processors, the event queue length being a determined threshold for redistributing event delivery, wherein the allowable event queue length based on the current traffic load, an optimal traffic load and a maximum event queue length; and

re-distributing the event among the set of traffic processors starting with the traffic processor having the lowest traffic load.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of obtaining includes a step of detecting a failure in at least one traffic processor in the set of traffic processors, the at least one traffic processor being permanently unavailable.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of sorting includes the steps of:

sorting each traffic processor from the set of traffic processors that remain from the failure; and

storing the results of the sorting in a database.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of retrieving includes a step of retrieving a time slot table for the at least one traffic processor.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the event scheduler group manager is an event scheduler that manages the traffic processor of the set of traffic processors with the lowest traffic load.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the step of determining an allowable event queue length includes a step of storing the results of the determination in a database of the event group manager.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of obtaining includes a step of detecting that at least one traffic processor in the set of traffic processors is temporarily unavailable.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the step of sorting includes the steps of:

sorting each traffic processor from the set of traffic processors that remain from the unavailability of the at least one traffic processor; and

storing the results of the sorting in a database.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the step of retrieving includes a step of retrieving a time slot table for the at least one traffic processor.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of traffic processors is a set of messaging servers.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the event scheduler manages one or more traffic processors.

25. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of traffic processors is a set of messaging servers.

10. A method for distributing event delivery for a set of traffic processors in a telecommunication network, the method comprising the steps of:

adding a traffic processor to the a set of traffic processors;

selecting the event scheduler of the added traffic processor as event scheduler group manager;

obtaining a status for each active traffic processors of the set of processors in the telecommunication network;

determining the average of event queue length for each traffic processor of the set of traffic processors;

determining a traffic processor from the set of traffic processors with the lowest traffic load, the traffic load is determined for each traffic processor of the set of traffic processors based on a weighting factor, an event queue length of a traffic processors and a current traffic load;

sorting each traffic processor from the set of traffic processors; and

re-distributing the event among each traffic processors of the set of traffic processors starting with the traffic processor having the lowest traffic load.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of adding a traffic processor includes a step of creating a time slot for the added traffic processor.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of determining the average includes a step of storing the results of the determination in a database of the event scheduler group manager.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of determining a traffic processor includes a step of storing the results of the determination in a database of the event scheduler group manager.

16. A communication node for managing event delivery in a telecommunication network, the communication node comprising:

an event scheduler group for distributing event delivery to a set of traffic processors;

wherein the event scheduler group comprises an event scheduler group manager for managing the communication node and the set of traffic processors, determining a traffic processor from the set of traffic processors with the lowest traffic load, the traffic load is determined for each traffic processor of the set of traffic processors based on a weighting factor, an event queue length of a traffic processors and a current traffic load, sorting each traffic processor from the set of traffic processors, selecting an event group manager, retrieving a time slot table for each traffic processor of the set of traffic processors, determining an allowable event queue length for each traffic processor of the set of traffic processors, the event queue length being a determined threshold for redistributing event delivery, wherein the allowable event queue length based on the current traffic load, an optimal traffic load and a maximum event queue length and re-distributing the event among the set of traffic processors starting with the traffic processor having the lowest traffic load.

17. The communication node of claim 16, wherein the event scheduler group selects an event scheduler group manager, the event group manager is an event scheduler that manages the traffic processor of the set of traffic processors with the lowest traffic load.

18. The communication node of claim 17, wherein the event scheduler group manager is selected based on the following:

Min<sub>inside—

group</sub>{δ

*Traffic Load+(1−

δ

)*the_length_of_eventQueue}, with 0<

δ

<

1 and where δ

is the weighting factor.

19. The communication node of claim 16, wherein the event scheduler group manager determined the allowable event length for redistributing event delivery based on the following, where L_C is the current traffic load, (L_O) the optimal/design traffic load:

$\mathrm{EventQueueLength}=\max <br><br>\left\{0,\left[1-\frac{1+\mathrm{sign}<br><br>\left(L_C-L_O\right)}{2}<br><br>\frac{\left(L_C-L_O\right)}{L_O}\right]\right\}*\max <br><br><br><br>\mathrm{EventQueueLength}$ $<br><br>\mathrm{Where}$ $<br><br>\begin{array}{c}\mathrm{sign}<br><br>\left(L_c-L_o\right)=1<br><br><br><br>\mathrm{if}<br><br><br><br>L_C\ge <br><br>L_O\\ =-1<br><br><br><br>\mathrm{if}<br><br><br><br>L_C<<br><br>L_O\end{array}$

20. The communication node of claim 16, wherein the event scheduler group manager detects a failure in at least one traffic processor in the set of traffic processors, the at least one traffic processor being permanently unavailable.

21. The communication node of claim 16, wherein the event scheduler group manager detecting that at least one traffic processor in the set of traffic processors is temporarily unavailable.

22. The communication node of claim 16, wherein the event scheduler group manager adds a traffic processor to the a set of traffic processors, selects the event scheduler of the added traffic processor as event scheduler group manager, obtains a status for each active traffic processors of the set of processors in the telecommunication network, determines the average of event queue length for each traffic processor of the set of traffic processors, determines a traffic processor from the set of traffic processors with the lowest traffic load, the traffic load is determined for each traffic processor of the set of traffic processors based on a weighting factor, an event queue length of a traffic processors and a current traffic load, sorts each traffic processor from the set of traffic processors and re-distributing the event among each traffic processors of the set of traffic processors starting with the traffic processor having the lowest traffic load.

23. The communication node of claim 16, wherein the event scheduler manages one or more traffic processors.

24. The communication node of claim 16, wherein the communication node is a messaging system.