METHODS, SYSTEMS, AND COMPUTER READABLE MEDIA FOR PROVIDING LOCAL APPLICATION ROUTING AT A DIAMETER NODE

• US 20110200054A1
• Filed: 02/11/2011
• Published: 08/18/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tekelec
• Original Assignee: Tekelec
• Inventors: Karmarkar, Kedar Kashinath, Sprague, David Michael, Tomar, Mahesh, Kanode, Mark Edward, Craig, Jeffrey Alan, McCann, Thomas M., Wallace, Donald E.
• Granted Patent: US 8,483,233 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/401
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0805 by checking availability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/028 Dynamic adaptation of the update intervals, e.g. event-triggered updates
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/28 using route fault recovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/304 Route determination for signalling traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/34 Source routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/60 Router architectures
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0892 by using authentication-authorization-accounting [AAA] servers or protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/08 Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion

Abstract

Methods, systems, and computer readable media for providing local application routing at a Diameter node are disclosed. One method includes receiving, at an ingress Diameter message processor associated with a Diameter signaling router (DSR), a Diameter message from a peer Diameter element. At the ingress Diameter message processor, application routing data is accessed to determine whether processing of the Diameter message by a Diameter application is required. In response to determining that Diameter application processing is required, the Diameter message is forwarded to a Diameter message processor hosting a Diameter application identified by the application routing data for processing. In response to determining that Diameter application processing is not required, the Diameter message is forwarded to an egress Diameter message processor associated with the DSR.

Claims

1. A method for routing Diameter messages between multiple Diameter message processors that comprise a Diameter signaling router (DSR), the method comprising:

receiving, at an ingress Diameter message processor associated with the DSR, a Diameter message from a peer Diameter element;

at the ingress Diameter message processor, using application routing data to determine whether processing of the Diameter message by a Diameter application is required;

in response to determining that Diameter application processing is required, forwarding the Diameter message to a Diameter message processor hosting a Diameter application identified by the application routing data for processing; and

in response to determining that Diameter application processing is not required, forwarding the Diameter message to an egress Diameter message processor associated with the DSR.

2. The method of claim 1 comprising returning the Diameter message that is forwarded to the Diameter application to the ingress Diameter message processor following processing by the Diameter application.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the Diameter application is a local application that is hosted by the DSR.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the Diameter application maintains state information for a Diameter session with which the Diameter message is associated.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the Diameter application is a remote application that is hosted by a Diameter element other than the DSR.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein forwarding the Diameter message to an egress Diameter message processor associated with the DSR, includes accessing a Diameter peer-routing module on the ingress Diameter message processor in order to determine to which egress Diameter message processor the Diameter message is to be forwarded.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein the Diameter peer-routing modules associated with the ingress and egress Diameter message processors share common Diameter peer-routing information.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein forwarding the Diameter message to a Diameter application identified by the application routing data for processing includes selecting one of many Diameter applications based on the availability status of the many Diameter applications.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein forwarding the Diameter message to a Diameter application identified by the application routing data for processing includes selecting one of many Diameter applications based on the congestion status of the many Diameter applications.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein forwarding the Diameter message to a Diameter application identified by the application routing data for processing includes selecting one of many Diameter applications based on the message processing capacity of the many Diameter applications.

11. A Diameter signaling router comprising:

an egress Diameter message processor associated with the DSR; and

an ingress Diameter message processor associated with the DSR and configured to;

receive a Diameter message from a peer Diameter element;

determine whether processing of the Diameter message by a Diameter application is required, wherein determining whether processing of the Diameter message by a Diameter application is required includes accessing application routing data;

forward the Diameter message to a Diameter message processor hosting a Diameter application identified by the application routing data for processing in response to determining that Diameter application processing is required; and

forward the Diameter message to the egress Diameter message processor in response to determining that Diameter application processing is not required.

12. The DSR of claim 11 comprising returning the Diameter message that is forwarded to the Diameter application to the ingress Diameter message processor following processing by the Diameter application.

13. The DSR of claim 11 wherein the DSR element hosts a local Diameter application.

14. The DSR of claim 13 wherein the Diameter application maintains state information for a Diameter session with which the Diameter message is associated.

15. The DSR of claim 11 wherein the Diameter application is a remote application that is hosted by a Diameter element other than the DSR element.

16. The DSR of claim 11 wherein the egress Diameter message processor is configured to access a Diameter peer-routing module on the ingress Diameter message processor in order to determine to which egress Diameter message processor the Diameter message is to be forwarded.

17. The DSR of claim 15 wherein the ingress and egress Diameter message processors share common Diameter peer-routing information.

18. The DSR of claim 11 wherein the ingress Diameter message processor is configured to select one of many Diameter applications based on the availability status of the many Diameter applications.

19. The DSR of claim 11 wherein the ingress Diameter message processor is configured to select one of many Diameter applications based on the congestion status of the many Diameter applications.

20. The DSR of claim 11 wherein the ingress Diameter message processor is configured to select one of many Diameter applications based on the message processing capacity of the many Diameter applications.

21. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising computer executable instructions embodied in a computer readable medium and when executed by a processor of a computer performs steps comprising:

receiving, at an ingress Diameter message processor associated with the DSR, a Diameter message from a peer Diameter element;

at the ingress Diameter message processor, using application routing data to determine whether processing of the Diameter message by a Diameter application is required;

in response to determining that Diameter application processing is required, forwarding the Diameter message to a Diameter message processor hosting a Diameter application identified by the application routing data for processing; and

in response to determining that Diameter application processing is not required, forwarding the Diameter message to an egress Diameter message processor associated with the DSR.