Method and Apparatus For Controlling Traffic Entry In A Managed Packet Network

• US 20110145639A1
• Filed: 12/14/2009
• Published: 06/16/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ribbon Communications Operating Company, Inc. (Ribbon Communications, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Sonus Networks Incorporated (Ribbon Communications, Inc.)
• Inventors: Farahmand, Fardad, Asveren, Tolga, Bollapalli, Nagesh Kumar
• Granted Patent: US 8,676,977 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 714/25
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/125 by balancing the load, e.g. traffic engineering
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2416 Real-time traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1036 at the edge
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1073 Registration or de-registration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1008 based on parameters of servers, e.g. available memory or workload monitoring of computer activity G06F11/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1021 based on client or server locations
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1029 using data related to the state of servers by a load balancer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1031 Controlling of the operation of servers by a load balancer, e.g. adding or removing servers that serve requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1034 Reaction to server failures by a load balancer

Abstract

A method for control of real-time traffic entry of a managed packet network includes the step of receiving, from a border element processor, a first message indicative of a new active registration request associated with a client. The border element processor is one of a plurality of border element processors at an edge of a managed packet network controlling packets (e.g., relating to real-time multimedia traffic) entering the managed packet network. The method also includes the step of load balancing, by a load balancing engine, the new active registration request across the plurality of border element processors and assigning the client to a designated border element processor. A second message is generated in response to the new activation registration request. The second message includes a parameter identifying the designated border element processor assigned to the client.

Claims

1. A method for control of traffic entry of a managed packet network, the method comprising:

receiving, from a border element processor, a first message indicative of a new active registration request associated with a client, wherein the border element processor is one of a plurality of border element processors controlling data packets entering the managed packet network;

load balancing, by a load balancing engine, the new active registration request across the plurality of border element processors;

assigning the client to a designated border element processor; and

generating a second message in response to the new activation registration request, the second message including a parameter identifying the designated border element processor assigned to the client.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the second message further comprises a second parameter identifying that the client has been load balanced.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the load balancing engine is a standalone entity.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the load balancing engine coexists within the border element processors.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the border element processors reside in a geographical location or reside in different geographical locations.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising load balancing the new active registration request based on at least one of a number of active registrations on each border element processor, a capacity of each border element processor, a client usage pattern, a client class of service or an operator preference.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein load balancing comprises assigning one or more of the plurality of border element processors to the client.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a report including a number of active registrations being handled by each of the plurality of border element processors, traffic load levels of each of the plurality of border element processors, available capacity for each of the plurality of border element processors, or any combination thereof

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the new active registration request is associated with one or more clients.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a third message reflecting a register refresh request from the client;

reassigning the client from the designated border element processor to a second designated border element processor; and

transmitting, by the load balancing engine, a fourth message to the designated border element processor to migrate the client to the second designated border element processor.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

performing network initiated load balancing, by the load balancing engine, on at least one client corresponding to at least one active registration;

assigning the at least one client to a newly designated border element processor; and

transmitting, by the designated border element processor, a third message to redirect the at least one client to the newly designated border element processor.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising performing healthchecking of the plurality of border element processors to determine if any one of the plurality of border element processors has failed or recovered.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising receiving, from at least one of the plurality of border element processors, a third message reflecting that the at least one of the plurality of border elements processors are responsive and can handle calls for the managed packet network.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising receiving, from at least one of the plurality of border element processors, a third message reflecting at least one of calls being handled and resource usage levels.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising transmitting, to the plurality of border element processors, a third message requesting a response that provides information corresponding to at least one of calls being handled and resource usage levels of the plurality of border element processors.

16. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

determining that a previously failed border element processor has recovered; and

informing at least one of the plurality of border element processors to migrate at least one active registration to the recovered border element processor.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein informing comprises transmitting a third message to migrate at least one active registration, the third message including an identifier that is at least one of an area code, a directory number, a Session Initiation Protocol uniform resource identifier (SIP URI) or TEL uniform resource identifier (TEL URI).

18. A method for control of traffic entry of a managed packet network, the method comprising:

receiving, at a border element processor, an active registration request associated with a client, wherein the border element processor is one of a plurality of border element processors controlling data packets entering the managed packet network; and

transmitting a message indicative of the active registration request to a load balancing engine to load balance the active registration request across the plurality of border element processors.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

determining whether the active registration request associated with the client is a new active registration request or whether the active registration request includes a parameter identifying that the client has been previously load balanced by the load balancing engine; and

transmitting, to the load balancing engine, the message indicative of the active registration request if the active registration request is the new active registration request and does not include the parameter.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

receiving, from the load balancing engine, a second message in response to the active registration request identifying a designated border element processor assigned to the client; and

informing the client of the designated border element processor assigned to the client.

21. The method of claim 18, further comprising transmitting, by each of the plurality of border element processors, a second message to the load balancing engine identifying a number of active registrations being handled by each of the plurality of border element processors.

22. A computer program product, tangibly embodied in a computer readable storage medium for control of traffic entry of a managed packet network, the computer program product including instructions operable to cause a data processing apparatus to:

receive, from a border element processor, a first message indicative of a new active registration request associated with a client, wherein the border element processor is one of a plurality of border element processors controlling data packets entering the managed packet network;

load balance the new active registration request across the plurality of border element processors;

assign the client to a designated border element processor; and

generate a second message in response to the new activation registration request, the second message including a parameter identifying the designated border element processor assigned to the client.

23. The computer program product of claim 22, wherein the second message further comprises a second parameter identifying that the client has been load balanced.

24. A computer program product, tangibly embodied in a computer readable storage medium for control of traffic entry of a managed packet network, the computer program product including instructions operable to cause a data processing apparatus to:

receive an active registration request associated with a client; and

transmit a message indicative of the active registration request to a load balancing engine to load balance the active registration request across a plurality of border element processors controlling data packets entering the managed packet network.

25. The computer program product of claim 24, the computer program product including instructions operable to cause a data processing apparatus to:

determine whether the active registration request associated with the client is a new active registration request or whether the client has been previously load balanced by the load balancing engine; and

transmit, to the load balancing engine, the message indicative of the active registration request if the active registration request is the new active registration request.

26. A managed packet network system comprising:

a plurality of border element processors for controlling data packets entering the managed packet network, each border element processor configured to;

receive an active registration request associated with a client; and

transmit a first message indicative of the active registration request;

a load balancing engine configured to;

receive the first message indicative of a new active registration request associated with the client;

load balance the new active registration request across the plurality of border element processors;

assign the client to a designated border element processor; and

generate a second message in response to the new activation registration request, the second message including a parameter identifying the designated border element processor assigned to the client.

27. The managed packet network system of claim 26, wherein the load balancing engine and the border element processor coexist on a network device.

28. The managed packet network system of claim 26, wherein the load balancing engine is centralized and the load balancing engine and the plurality of border element processors exist on different respective network devices.

29. A managed packet network system comprising:

means for receiving, from a border element processor means, a first message indicative of a new active registration request associated with a client means, wherein the border element processor means is one of a plurality of border element processor means controlling data packets entering the managed packet network;

means for load balancing the new active registration request across the plurality of border element processor means;

means for assigning the client means to a designated border element processor means; and

means for generating a second message in response to the new activation registration request, the second message including a parameter identifying the designated border element processor means assigned to the client means.