Network Node and Method for Controlling Resources in a Communication Network

• US 20110307570A1
• Filed: 12/18/2008
• Published: 12/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Speks, Oliver
• Granted Patent: US 9,621,366 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/208
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/17343 wherein the interconnection is dynamically configurable, e.g. having loosely coupled nearest neighbor architecture reconfigurable processors arrays G06F15/7867
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/50 Allocation of resources, e.g. of the central processing unit [CPU]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5027 the resource being a machine, e.g. CPUs, Servers, Terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/00 Arrangements for maintenance, administration or management of data switching networks, e.g. of packet switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0654 using network fault recovery ring fault isolation or reconfiguration in loop networks without recovery actions by a network management system H04L12/437
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0893 Assignment of logical groups to network elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/30 Decision processes by autonomous network management units using voting and bidding

Abstract

A network node (10) controls resources (22) in a network. The node (10) includes processing units (12) and assigns, for each set of resources (22), to a unit (12) a master role consisting in reserving and releasing resources (22) and to two processing units (12), named controllers, the role of controlling resources (22). A controller (12c) operates in a first mode when a master role is assigned to a processing unit (12m) and the unit (12m) is available to reserve and release resources (22). A controller (12c) operates in a second mode when no master role is assigned or when a master role is assigned to a unit (12m) which is not available to reserve and release resources (22). In the second mode, a controller (12c) maintains a list (14) of resources (22) to be released and selects a resource (22) from the list (14) to reserve a resource (22).

Claims

1-17. -17. (canceled)

18. A network node for controlling at least one set of resources in a communication network,

the node including two or more processing units;

the node being configured, for each set of resources, to assign to each of the two or more processing units at least one of a master role, including reserving and releasing the resources, and a controller role, including controlling the resources, each of said processing units that is assigned a controller role being herein referred to as a controller;

each controller being configured

to operate in a first mode when a master role is assigned to one of the processing units and said processing unit assigned said master role is available to reserve and release the resources for the controller;

to operate in a second mode when no master role is assigned to any one of the processing units or when a master role is assigned to one of the processing units but said processing unit assigned said master role is not available to reserve and release the resources for the controller; and

when operating in the second mode, to maintain a list of the resources requested to be released by the controller, and to select one of the resources from the list when one resource is requested to be reserved by the controller.

19. The network node of claim 18, wherein the network node comprises a switching center in a signaling plane of the communication network for controlling at least one set of resources in a user plane of the communication network.

20. The network node of claim 18, wherein the resources comprise one of:

physical carriers; and

circuits or channels of a circuit-switched bearer network.

21. The network node of claim 18, further comprising a blade cluster including the two or more processing units, wherein each of the two or more processing units comprises a blade of the blade cluster.

22. The network node of claim 21, wherein each blade of the blade cluster further includes at least one memory unit.

23. The network node of claim 22, wherein the list is stored on the at least one memory unit of the corresponding blade.

24. The network node of claim 18, wherein each controller is further configured, when operating in the second mode, to remove the selected resource from the list after having selected one of the resources from the list.

25. The network node of claim 18, wherein each controller is further configured, when operating in the second mode and when detecting that a master role is assigned to one of the processing units and that said processing unit assigned said master role is available to reserve and release the resources for the controller:

to send, to the processing unit to which the master role is assigned, a release request, with respect to each one of the resources in the list; and

to remove the resources from the list.

26. A method for controlling, by a network node, at least one set of resources in a communication network, the node including two or more processing units, the method comprising:

assigning, by the node, for each set of resources to each of the two or more processing units at least one of a master role, including reserving and releasing the resources, and a controller role, including controlling the resources, each of said processing units that is assigned a controller role being herein referred to as a controller,

each controller operating in a first mode when a master role is assigned to one of the processing units and said processing unit assigned the master role is available to reserve and release the resources for the controller;

each controller operating in a second mode when no master role is assigned to any one of the processing units or when a master role is assigned to one of the processing units but said processing unit assigned the master role is not available to reserve and release the resources for the controller; and

when operating in the second mode, each controller maintaining a list of the resources requested to be released by the controller, and selecting one of the resources from the list when one resource is requested to be reserved by the controller.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the node comprises a switching center in a signaling plane of the communication network for controlling at least one set of resources in a user plane of the communication network.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein the resources comprise one of:

physical carriers; and

circuits or channels of a circuit-switched bearer network.

29. The method of claim 26, wherein the node includes a blade cluster including the two or more processing units, wherein each of the two or more processing units comprises a blade of the blade cluster.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein each blade of the blade cluster further includes at least one memory unit.

31. The method of claim 30, further comprising storing the list on the at least one memory unit of the corresponding blade.

32. The method of claim 26, further comprising each controller removing the selected resource from the list after having selected one resource from the list when operating in the second mode.

33. The method of claim 26, wherein each controller, when operating in the second mode and when detecting that a master role is assigned to one of the processing units and that said processing unit assigned the master role is available to reserve and release the resources for the controller:

sending, to the processing unit to which the master role is assigned a release request with respect to each one of the resources in the list; and

removing the resources from the list.

34. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions configured, when executed on a network node including at least two processing units, to cause the node to assign to each of the two or more processing units at least one of a master role, including reserving and releasing the resources, and a controller role, including controlling the resources, each of said processing units that is assigned a controller role being herein referred to as a controller, said instructions further configuring each controller:

to operate in a first mode when a master role is assigned to one of the processing units and said processing unit assigned said master role is available to reserve and release the resources for the controller;

to operate in a second mode when no master role is assigned to any one of the processing units or when a master role is assigned to one of the processing units but said processing unit assigned said master role is not available to reserve and release the resources for the controller; and

when operating in the second mode, to maintain a list of the resources requested to be released by the controller, and to select one of the resources from the list when one resource is requested to be reserved by the controller.

35. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 34, wherein the node includes a blade cluster including the two or more processing units, wherein each of the two or more processing units comprises a blade of the blade cluster.

36. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 34, wherein the instructions are further configured, when operating in the second mode, to remove the selected resource from the list after having selected one of the resources from the list.

37. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 34, wherein each controller, when operating in the second mode and when detecting that a master role is assigned to one of the processing units and that said processing unit assigned the master role is available to reserve and release the resources for the controller, wherein the instructions are further configured to:

send, to the processing unit to which the master role is assigned a release request with respect to each one of the resources in the list; and

remove the resources from the list.