FAILOVER/FAILBACK TRIGGER USING SIP MESSAGES IN A SIP SURVIVABLE CONFIGURATION

• US 20090245098A1
• Filed: 03/26/2008
• Published: 10/01/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Arlington Technologies, LLC (Dominion Harbor Enterprises, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Inventors: Balasaygun, Mehmet C., Brunson, Gordon, Boyle, Frank J., Lauber, Pamela J., Baker, Al, Jenkins, Benjamin
• Granted Patent: US 7,995,466 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/221
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/046 comprising network management agents or mobile agents therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0817 by checking functioning
• 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

Provided are methods, devices, and systems for maintaining a SIP survivable network. The present invention may utilize messages, such as SIP NOTIFY messages, to trigger various network components to failover and failback based on the determined status of the SIP network.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

determining that a state of a component in a communication system has changed from a first state to a second state;

generating a message comprising information related to the determined second state of the component; and

transmitting the message to a User Agent associated with the component.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the component comprises a first Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) controller for the User Agent, wherein the first state comprises an operational SIP state, and wherein the second state comprises a failed SIP state.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the message prompts the User Agent to attempt re-registration with the first SIP controller.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the first controller comprises a primary controller of the User Agent.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein generating the message further comprises:

generating instructions for execution by the User Agent; and

incorporating the instructions in the message.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the instructions identify the first SIP controller such that the User Agent can reference an internally maintained list of SIP controllers to identify the first SIP controller as a SIP controller with which it is to attempt re-registration.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein the message comprises a standard SIP NOTIFY message that causes the User Agent to attempt re-registration with all controllers in its internally maintained list of SIP controllers and wherein the internally maintained list of controllers comprises the first SIP controller.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a reply message from the User Agent indicating that the User Agent believes the component is in the first state; and

in response to receiving the reply message, re-checking the state of the component.

9. A computer readable medium comprising processor executable instructions operable to perform the method of claim 1.

10. A communication device, comprising:

a discovery module operable to determine that a state of a component in a communication system has changed from a first state to a second state, generate a message comprising information related to the determined second state of the component, and transmit the message to a User Agent associated with the component.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein the component comprises a first Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) controller for the User Agent, wherein the first state comprises an operational SIP state, and wherein the second state comprises a failed SIP state.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein the message prompts the User Agent to attempt re-registration with the first SIP controller.

13. The device of claim 11, wherein the first controller comprises a primary controller of the User Agent.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the discovery module is further operable to generate instructions for execution by the User Agent and incorporate the instructions in the message.

15. The device of claim 14, wherein the instructions identify the first SIP controller such that the User Agent can reference an internally maintained list of SIP controllers to identify the first SIP controller as a SIP controller with which it is to attempt re-registration.

16. The device of claim 11, wherein the message comprises a standard SIP NOTIFY message that causes the User Agent to attempt re-registration with all controllers in its internally maintained list of SIP controllers and wherein the internally maintained list of controllers comprises the first SIP controller.

17. The device of claim 10, wherein the discovery module is further operable to receive a reply message from the User Agent indicating that the User Agent believes the component is in the first state and in response to receiving the reply message, re-check the state of the component.

18. A communication system, comprising:

means for determining that a state of a component in a communication system has changed from a first state to a second state;

means for generating a message comprising information related to the determined second state of the component; and

means for transmitting the message to a User Agent associated with the component.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the component comprises a first Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) controller for the User Agent, wherein the first state comprises an operational SIP state, and wherein the second state comprises a failed SIP state, wherein the message prompts the User Agent to attempt re-registration with the first SIP controller, and wherein the first controller comprises a primary controller of the User Agent.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the means for generating is further operable to generate instructions for execution by the User Agent and incorporate the instructions in the message, and wherein the instructions identify the first SIP controller such that the User Agent can reference an internally maintained list of SIP controllers to identify the first SIP controller as a SIP controller with which it is to attempt re-registration.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein the message comprises a standard SIP NOTIFY message that causes the User Agent to attempt re-registration with all controllers in its internally maintained list of SIP controllers and wherein the internally maintained list of controllers comprises the first SIP controller.