LOAD BALANCING FOR PACKET SWITCHED ALARM MONITORING

• US 20110040877A1
• Filed: 08/11/2010
• Published: 02/17/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/11/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tyco Fire & Security GmbH (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Original Assignee: Tyco Safety Products Canada Limited (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Inventors: Foisy, Stephane
• Granted Patent: US 8,825,857 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/226
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/10 actuating a signalling device
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0893 Assignment of logical groups to network elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4511 using domain name system [DNS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4557 Directories for hybrid networks, e.g. including telephone numbers

Abstract

Alarm panels are assigned to monitoring servers at a monitoring station by an allocation server. Each panel obtains the data network address of its assigned monitoring server by contacting the allocation server, upon installation/configuration. The provided data network address is stored at the panel for later use. This allows the allocation server to fairly and flexibly distribute monitoring responsibility for the many panels across multiple monitoring servers.

Claims

1. A method of configuring a panel of an alarm system that signals sensed conditions to a monitoring server over a packet switched data network, said method comprising:

a. contacting an allocation server over said data network, at a pre-programmed network address;

b. obtaining from said allocation server, the data network address of a monitoring server assigned to said panel;

c. storing said data network address of said monitoring server assigned to said panel at said panel, for future provision of alarm messages.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a unique identifier of said panel to said allocation server.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said monitoring server assigned to said panel is assigned to balance the load on a plurality of monitoring servers.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said monitoring server assigned to said panel is assigned based on the source data network address of said panel.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said monitoring server assigned to said panel is assigned based on features used by said panel.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said monitoring server assigned to said panel is assigned based on a software version executing at said panel.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising repeating said contacting, said obtaining, and said storing in response to receiving a reset datagram at said panel.

8. A method of allocating one of a plurality of available monitoring servers each having a data network address to a panel of an alarm system, comprising:

receiving a datagram requesting assignment of one of said monitoring servers over a data network;

determining an available one of said plurality of monitoring servers to be used to receive alarm messages from said panel;

dispatching a data network address of said one of said plurality of monitoring servers to said panel.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said datagram requesting assignment comprises a unique identifier of said panel to said allocation server.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein said determining is performed to balance the load on a plurality of monitoring servers.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein said determining is performed based on the source data network address of said panel.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein said determining is performed based on features used by said panel.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein said determining is performed based on a software version executing at said panel.

14. An alarm monitoring station comprising:

a plurality of monitoring servers for receiving alarm notifications from panels at monitored premises;

an allocation server comprising a processor, a network interface and memory storing processor executable instructions adapting said allocation server to receive a datagram from an alarm panel being initialized, requesting assignment of one of said monitoring servers over said data network;

determine an available one of said plurality of monitoring servers to be used to receive alarm messages from said alarm panel being initialized;

dispatch a data network address of said one of said plurality of monitoring servers to said alarm panel being initialized.