Method, Apparatus, and System for Disaster Recovery of IMS

• US 20100039930A1
• Filed: 10/16/2009
• Published: 02/18/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: LIANG, Feng, SHEN, Linfei, SHI, Shufeng
• Granted Patent: US 8,228,787 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/216
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1016 IP multimedia subsystem [IMS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/30 Network data restoration; Network data reliability; Network data fault tolerance

Abstract

A method, apparatus, and system for disaster recovery of an IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) are provided. The method includes: triggering a redundant Call Session Control Function (CSCF); obtaining, by the redundant CSCF, user backup data of registered IMS Private User Identities (IMPIs) that are associated with IMPUs and user service configuration data of IMS Public User Identities (IMPUs) in an IMS subscription from a network storage entity of a user; and recovering, by the redundant CSCF, a corresponding service according to the obtained user backup data of the registered IMPIs and user service configuration data of the IMPUs in the IMS subscription. With the present invention, the one-IMPU multi-IMPI, one-IMPI multi-IMPU, or multi-IMPI multi-IMPU service can be recovered, and this enables the user to have better service continuity experiences.

Claims

1. A method for disaster recovery, comprising:

obtaining, when a redundant Call Session Control Function (CSCF) is triggered, by the redundant CSCF, user backup data of registered IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) Private User Identities (IMPIs) that are associated with IMS Public User Identities (IMPUs) and user service configuration data of the IMPUs in an IMS subscription from a network storage entity of a user; and

performing, by the redundant CSCF, a corresponding service according to the obtained user backup data of the registered IMPIs and user service configuration data of the IMPUs in the IMS subscription.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of obtaining, by the redundant CSCF, the user backup data of the registered IMPIs that are associated with the IMPUs and the user service configuration data of the IMPUs in the IMS subscription from the network storage entity of the user comprises:

obtaining, by the redundant CSCF through interacting with the network storage entity of the user for at least once, the user backup data of the registered IMPIs that are associated with the IMPUs and the user service configuration data of the IMPUs in the IMS subscription transmitted by the network storage entity of the user after the network storage entity determines that disaster recovery needs to be performed for the CSCF.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the determining that disaster recovery needs to be performed for the CSCF comprises:

determining that disaster recovery needs to be performed for the CSCF according to a recovery indication carried in a Server Assignment Request (SAR) message, after receiving the SAR message carrying the recovery indication from the redundant CSCF;

or

determining that disaster recovery needs to be performed for the CSCF when the CSCF where the user is registered changes and when the network storage entity of the user originates a Registration Termination Request (RTR) message to an original CSCF where the user is registered, but does not receive a Registration Termination Answer (RTA) message from the original CSCF;

or

determining that disaster recovery needs to be performed for the CSCF when the CSCF where the user is registered changes and when the network storage entity of the user determines that the original CSCF where the user is registered fails, without sending an RTR message to the original CSCF.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of obtaining, by the redundant CSCF through interacting with the network storage entity of the user for once, the user backup data of the registered IMPIs that are associated with the IMPUs and the user service configuration data of the IMPUs in the IMS subscription transmitted by the network storage entity of the user comprises:

obtaining, by the redundant CSCF, the user backup data of the registered IMPIs and the user service configuration data of the IMPUs in the IMS subscription by receiving an extended Push Profile Request (PPR) message that supports multiple User-Data AVPs;

or

obtaining, by the redundant CSCF, the user backup data of the registered IMPIs and the user service configuration data of the IMPUs in the IMS subscription by receiving an extended Service Restore Answer (SRA) or Server Assignment Answer (SAA) message that supports multiple User-Data AVPs.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of obtaining, by the redundant CSCF, the user backup data of the registered IMPIs that are associated with the IMPUs and the user service configuration data of the IMPUs in the IMS subscription from the network storage entity of the user comprises:

obtaining, by the redundant CSCF, the information of the registered IMPIs that are associated with the IMPUs in the IMS subscription transmitted by the network storage entity of the user;

determining, by the redundant CSCF, an IMPI to be recovered according to the received information of the registered IMPIs, and requesting the network storage entity of the user to recover user backup data of the IMPI; and

receiving, by the redundant CSCF, the user backup data of the IMPI and user service configuration data of an IMPU associated with the IMPI carried in a response returned by the network storage entity of the user.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of obtaining, by the redundant CSCF, the user backup data of the registered IMPIs that are associated with the IMPUs and the user service configuration data of the IMPUs in the IMS subscription from the network storage entity of the user comprises:

obtaining, by the redundant CSCF, the information of the registered IMPIs that are associated with the IMPUs in the IMS subscription transmitted by the network storage entity of the user;

determining, by the redundant CSCF, an IMPU to be recovered according to the received information of the registered IMPIs, and requesting the network storage entity of the user to recover user service configuration data of the IMPU and user backup data of a registered IMPI directly associated with the IMPU; and

receiving, by the redundant CSCF, the user service configuration data of the IMPU and the user backup data of the registered IMPI directly associated with the IMPU carried in a response returned by the network storage entity of the user.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the step of obtaining, by the redundant CSCF, the information of the registered IMPIs that are associated with the IMPUs in the IMS subscription transmitted by the network storage entity of the user comprises:

obtaining, by the redundant CSCF, the information of the registered IMPIs that are directly associated with the IMPUs transmitted by the network storage entity of the user;

or

obtaining, by the redundant CSCF, the information of the registered IMPIs carried in existing Associated Private Identities of a Server Assignment Answer (SAA) message transmitted by the network storage entity of the user;

or

obtaining, by the redundant CSCF, the information of the registered IMPIs carried in a new parameter of an extended SAA message transmitted by the network storage entity of the user;

or

obtaining, by the redundant CSCF, the information of the registered IMPIs carried in a new parameter of an extended PPR message transmitted by the network storage entity of the user.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of obtaining, by the redundant CSCF, the user backup data of the registered IMPIs that are associated with the IMPUs and the user service configuration data of the IMPUs in the IMS subscription from the network storage entity of the user comprises:

obtaining, by the redundant CSCF, the information of registered IMPUs that are associated with the IMPUs in the IMS subscription transmitted by the network storage entity of the user;

determining, by the redundant CSCF, an IMPU to be recovered according to the received information of the registered IMPUs, and requesting the network storage entity of the user to recover user backup data of an IMPI directly associated with the IMPU; and

receiving, by the redundant CSCF, the user backup data of the IMPI directly associated with the IMPU and user service configuration data of the IMPU carried in a response returned by the network storage entity of the user.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the obtaining, by the redundant CSCF, the information of the registered IMPUs that are associated with the IMPUs in the IMS subscription transmitted by the network storage entity of the user comprises:

obtaining, by the redundant CSCF, the information of the registered IMPUs carried in a new parameter of an extended SAA message transmitted by the network storage entity of the user;

or

obtaining, by the redundant CSCF, the information of the registered IMPUs carried in a new parameter of an extended SRA message transmitted by the network storage entity of the user.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the redundant CSCF is triggered in a process of service registration, or service origination, or service termination by a User Equipment (UE), or service origination by an Application Server (AS) in place of the UE.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the redundant CSCF is triggered in the process of service registration by the UE comprises:

receiving, by an Interrogating CSCF (I-CSCF) of the user, a service registration request originated from the UE; and

detecting, by the I-CSCF of the user, that an original CSCF serving the user is unavailable, and selecting a new CSCF to serve the user;

requesting, by the new CSCF functioning as the redundant CSCF, subscription information from the network storage entity of the user, and being triggered to perform disaster recovery;

or

receiving, by a restarted CSCF, a service registration request originated from the UE; and

requesting, by the restarted CSCF functioning as the redundant CSCF, subscription information from the network storage entity of the user, and being triggered to perform disaster recovery.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the redundant CSCF is triggered in the process of service origination by the UE comprises:

originating, by the UE, a service origination request;

detecting, by a network, that an original CSCF serving the user is unavailable, and instructing the UE to perform registration;

originating, by the UE, registration;

detecting, by an I-CSCF of the user, that the original CSCF serving the user is unavailable, and selecting a new CSCF to serve the user;

requesting, by the new CSCF functioning as the redundant CSCF, subscription information from the network storage entity of the user, and being triggered to perform disaster recovery;

or

receiving, by a restarted CSCF, a service origination request originated from the UE;

requesting, by the restarted CSCF functioning as the redundant CSCF, subscription information from the network storage entity of the user, and being triggered to perform disaster recovery.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the redundant CSCF is triggered in the process of service termination by the UE comprises:

originating, by the UE, a service termination request; and

detecting, by an I-CSCF, that an original CSCF serving the user is unavailable, adding a disaster recovery flag to a session setup request, and forwarding the session setup request to a new CSCF, the new CSCF functioning as the redundant CSCF, and being triggered to perform disaster recovery;

or

receiving, by a restarted CSCF, the service termination request originated from the UE, the restarted CSCF functioning as the redundant CSCF, and being triggered to perform disaster recovery.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the redundant CSCF is triggered in the process of service origination by the AS in place of the UE comprises:

originating, by the AS in place of the UE, a service origination request;

assigning, by an I-CSCF of the user, a new CSCF;

requesting, by the new CSCF functioning as the redundant CSCF, subscription information from the network storage entity of the user, and being triggered to perform disaster recovery;

or

originating, by the AS in place of the UE, a service origination request;

requesting, by a restarted CSCF that receives the service origination request and functions as the redundant CSCF, subscription information from the network storage entity of the user, and being triggered to perform disaster recovery.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the redundant CSCF comprises one of a newly selected CSCF that serves the user when an original CSCF that serves the user fails and a restarted CSCF that serves the user.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the user backup data comprises;

an address of a Proxy CSCF (P-CSCF), a contact address of a UE, and registration state subscription data of the UE during UE registration; and

the performing, by the redundant CSCF, a corresponding service according to the obtained user backup data of the registered IMPIs and the user service configuration data of the IMPUs in the IMS subscription comprises;

sending, by the redundant CSCF, a NOTIFY message to all or certain related registered UEs according to the contact address and the registration state subscription data of the UE in the user backup data, to notify the UE to register with a network.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the performing, by the redundant CSCF, a corresponding service according to the obtained user backup data of the registered IMPIs and the user service configuration data of the IMPUs in the IMS subscription comprises:

when receiving a related service request of the user, judging, by the redundant CSCF, the service type according to the obtained user service configuration data and performing a related service of the user according to the user backup data.

18. A Call Session Control Function (CSCF), comprising:

a disaster recovery data obtaining unit, adapted to obtain user backup data of registered IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) Private User Identities (IMPIs) that are associated with IMS Public User Identities (IMPUs) and user service configuration data of the IMPUs in an IMS subscription from a network storage entity of a user; and

a disaster recovery processing unit, adapted to perform a corresponding service according to the user backup data of the registered IMPIs and the user service configuration data of the IMPUs in the IMS subscription that are obtained by the disaster recovery data obtaining unit.

19. The CSCF of claim 18, wherein the disaster recovery data obtaining unit comprises:

a parsing unit, adapted to parse the information of the registered IMPIs that are associated with the IMPUs in the IMS subscription transmitted by the network storage entity of the user;

a judging unit, adapted to determine an IMPI to be recovered according to the received information of the registered IMPIs;

a requesting unit, adapted to request the network storage entity of the user to recover user backup data of the IMPI to be recovered, which is determined by the judging unit, and user service configuration data of an IMPU associated with the IMPI; and

a receiving unit, adapted to receive the user backup data of the IMPI and the user service configuration data of the IMPU associated with the IMPI carried in a response returned by the network storage entity of the user.

20. The CSCF of claim 18, wherein the disaster recovery data obtaining unit comprises:

a parsing unit, adapted to parse the information of the registered IMPIs that are associated with the IMPUs in the IMS subscription transmitted by the network storage entity of the user;

a judging unit, adapted to determine an IMPU to be recovered according to the received information of the registered IMPIs;

a requesting unit, adapted to request the network storage entity of the user to recover user backup data of a registered IMPI directly associated with the IMPU to be recovered, which is determined by the judging unit, and user service configuration data of the IMPU; and

a receiving unit, adapted to receive the user backup data of the registered IMPI directly associated with the IMPU and the user service configuration data of the IMPU carried in a response returned by the network storage entity of the user.

21. The CSCF of claim 18, wherein the disaster recovery data obtaining unit comprises:

a parsing unit, adapted to parse the information of registered IMPUs that are associated with the IMPUs in the IMS subscription transmitted by the network storage entity of the user;

a judging unit, adapted to determine an IMPU to be recovered according to the received information of the registered IMPUs;

a requesting unit, adapted to request the network storage entity of the user to recover user backup data of a registered IMPI directly associated with the IMPU to be recovered, which is determined by the judging unit, and user service configuration data of the IMPU; and

a receiving unit, adapted to receive the user backup data of the registered IMPI directly associated with the IMPU and the user service configuration data of the IMPU carried in a response returned by the network storage entity of the user.

22. A network storage entity, comprising:

a user data storing unit, adapted to store user service configuration data, user backup data for recovering user services, and information of a Call Session Control Function (CSCF) where a user is registered;

a disaster recovery data transmitting unit, adapted to transmit the user backup data to a CSCF;

a message encapsulating unit, adapted to encapsulate a response that carries information of one of registered IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) Private User Identities (IMPIs) and IMS Public User Identities (IMPUs); and

a message sending unit, adapted to send the response that carries the information of one of the registered IMPIs and IMPUs to the CSCF.

23. The network storage entity of claim 22, wherein the response comprises one of a Server Assignment Answer (SAA) message and a Service Restore Answer (SRA) message.

24. A network storage entity, comprising:

a user data storing unit, adapted to store user service configuration data, user backup data for recovering user services, and information of a Call Session Control Function (CSCF) where a user is registered; and

a disaster recovery processing unit, which comprises;

a judging unit, adapted to judge whether to perform disaster recovery for a CSCF; and

a data transmitting unit, adapted to transmit user backup data of registered IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) Private User Identities (IMPIs) that are associated with the user and user service configuration data of IMS Public User Identities (IMPUs) in an IMS subscription to a redundant CSCF by interacting with the redundant CSCF at least once if a judgment result of the judging unit is to perform disaster recovery for the CSCF.

25. The network storage entity of claim 24, wherein the judging unit comprises:

a parsing unit, adapted to parse one of a Server Assignment Request (SAR) message and a Service Restore Request (SRR) message carrying a recovery indication that is sent by the CSCF so as to determine whether one of the SAR message and the SRR message carries recovery indication information; and

a determining unit, according to a parsing result of the parsing unit, adapted to determine that disaster discovery needs to be performed for the CSCF if the SAR message carries the recovery indication information.

26. The network storage entity of claim 24, wherein the judging unit comprises:

a detecting unit, adapted to detect whether a CSCF where the user is registered changes and whether the network storage entity of the user receives a Registration Termination Answer (RTA) message returned by the CSCF after sending a Registration Termination Request (RTR) message to the original CSCF where the user is registered; and

a determining unit, adapted to determine that disaster recovery needs to be performed for the CSCF if a detection result of the detecting unit shows that the CSCF where the user is registered changes and the network storage entity of the user does not receive an RTA message returned by the CSCF.

27. The network storage entity of claim 24, wherein the judging unit comprises:

a detecting unit, adapted to detect whether the CSCF where the user is registered changes and whether the original CSCF where the user is registered fails; and

a determining unit, adapted to determine that disaster recovery needs to be performed for the CSCF if a detection result of the detecting unit shows that the CSCF where the user is registered changes and the original CSCF where the user is registered fails.