METHODS, SYSTEMS AND COMPUTER READABLE MEDIA FOR PROVIDING A FAILOVER MEASURE USING WATCHER INFORMATION (WINFO) ARCHITECTURE

• US 20110167172A1
• Filed: 01/06/2011
• Published: 07/07/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/06/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tekelec
• Original Assignee: Tekelec
• Inventors: McMurry, Sam Eric, Roach, Adam Boyd, Sparks, Robert James, Campbell, Ben Allen, Deo, Ajay Padmakar
• Granted Patent: US 8,661,077 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/239
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1104 Session initiation protocol [SIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/54 Presence management, e.g. monitoring or registration for receipt of user log-on information, or the connection status of the users

Abstract

Methods, systems, and computer readable media system for collecting and distributing session initiation protocol (SIP) event watcher entity subscription information in a communications network are disclosed. According to one aspect, the method includes receiving, at a first notifier server from a watcher entity client, a first subscription request for SIP event information associated with one or more watched entity clients. The method also includes receiving, at a watcher information (WINFO) entity, SIP event subscription information that includes an identifier indicating that the first notifier server serves the watcher entity client, storing the SIP event subscription information in the WINFO entity, detecting the unavailability of the first notifier server. The method further includes sending an instruction message, based on the identifier in the stored SIP event subscription information, to direct the watcher entity to generate a second subscription request associated for the SIP event information.

Claims

1. A method for providing a failover measure in a communications network that includes a plurality of notifier servers, the method comprising:

receiving, at a first notifier server from a watcher entity client, a first subscription request for SIP event information associated with one or more watched entity clients;

receiving, at a watcher information (WINFO) entity, SIP event subscription information that includes an identifier indicating that the first notifier server serves the watcher entity client;

storing the SIP event subscription information in the WINFO entity;

detecting the unavailability of the first notifier server; and

sending an instruction message, based on the identifier in the stored SIP event subscription information, to direct the watcher entity to generate a second subscription request associated for the SIP event information.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the SIP event information includes presence state information.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the subscription request is a session initiation protocol (SIP) SUBSCRIBE message.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein in response to detecting the unavailability of the first notifier server, sending the SIP event subscription information associated with the first subscription request to the failover notifier server.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the SIP event subscription information further includes an association between the watcher entity client to each of the one or more watched entity clients from the first notifier server.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein sending an instruction message to the watcher entity includes sending the instruction message from the WINFO entity.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein sending an instruction message to the watcher entity includes sending the instruction message from the failover notifier server.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the watcher entity subscription information includes a watcher entity identifier and at least one of:

a SIP event subscription expiration time associated with the watcher entity or a pending SIP event subscription request from the watcher entity.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the first notifier server includes a resource list server.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the first notifier server includes a presence service server.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the SIP event subscription information includes at least one of presence service subscription information, dialog subscription information, voice mail subscription information, automatic callback subscription information, PSTN and Internet Internetworking (PINT) subscription information, conference state information, cryptographic certificates, pending consent information, http resource information, keypad markup language information, push-to-talk settings, registration state information, REFER operation progress information, policy documents, intelligent networking (IN) detection point information, user agent profile information, media statistics information, or XCAP document change information.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the SIP event subscription information includes presence service subscription information comprising a watcher entity identifier, a watched entity identifier, and subscription details.

13. A system for collecting and distributing session initiation protocol (SIP) event watcher entity subscription information in a communications network, the method comprising:

a first notifier server for receiving, from a watcher entity client, a first subscription request for SIP event information associated with one or more watched entity clients; and

a watcher information (WINFO) server for receiving, from the first notifier server, SIP event subscription information that includes an identifier indicating that the first notifier server serves the watcher entity client, for storing the SIP event subscription information in the WINFO entity; and

a detection module for detecting the unavailability of the first notifier and for sending an instruction message, based on the identifier in the stored SIP event subscription information, to direct the watcher entity to generate a second subscription request associated for the SIP event information.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the detection module resides in the WINFO server or a second notifier server in the communications network.

15. The system of claim 13 wherein the SIP event information includes presence state information.

16. The system of claim 13 wherein the first subscription request is a first session initiation protocol (SIP) SUBSCRIBE message.

17. The system of claim 13 wherein in response to detecting the unavailability of the first notifier server, sending the SIP event subscription information associated with the first subscription request to the failover notifier server.

18. The system of claim 13 wherein the SIP event subscription information further includes an association between the watcher entity client to each of the one or more watched entity clients from the first notifier server.

19. The system of claim 13 wherein the watcher entity subscription information includes a watcher entity identifier and at least one of:

a SIP event subscription expiration time associated with the watcher entity or a pending SIP event subscription request from the watcher entity.

20. The system of claim 13 wherein the first notifier server includes a resource list server.

21. The system of claim 13 wherein the first notifier server includes a presence service server.

22. The system of claim 13 wherein the SIP event subscription information at least one of presence service subscription information, dialog subscription information, voice mail subscription information, automatic callback subscription information, PSTN and Internet Internetworking (PINT) subscription information, conference state information, cryptographic certificates, pending consent information, http resource information, keypad markup language information, push-to-talk settings, registration state information, REFER operation progress information, policy documents, intelligent networking (IN) detection point information, user agent profile information, media statistics information, or XCAP document change.

23. The system of claim 13 wherein the SIP event subscription information includes presence service subscription information comprising a watcher entity identifier, a watched entity identifier, and subscription details.

24. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon executable instructions that when executed by the processor of a computer control the computer to perform steps comprising:

receiving, at a first notifier server from a watcher entity client, a first subscription request for SIP event information associated with one or more watched entity clients, wherein the first notifier server is associated with a plurality of notifier servers;

receiving, at a watcher information (WINFO) entity, SIP event subscription information that includes an identifier indicating that the first notifier server serves the watcher entity client;

storing the SIP event subscription information in the WINFO entity;

detecting the unavailability of the first notifier server; and

25. sending an instruction message, based on the identifier in the stored SIP event subscription information, to direct the watcher entity to generate a second subscription request associated for the SIP event information.