SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING MEDIA SERVER REDUNDANCY IN A NETWORK ENVIRONMENT

• US 20120060053A1
• Filed: 09/04/2010
• Published: 03/08/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/04/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Scott, Jerry B., White, Christopher J., Cook, Daniel R., Morogan, Monica I.
• Granted Patent: US 8,510,591 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 714/6.3
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2025 using centralised failover control functionality
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2033 switching over of hardware resources
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2038 with a single idle spare processing component
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2048 where the redundant components share neither address space nor persistent storage
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0668 by dynamic selection of recovery network elements, e.g. replacement by the most appropriate element after failure
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0846 based on copy from other elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/40 for recovering from a failure of a protocol instance or entity, e.g. service redundancy protocols, protocol state redundancy or protocol service redirection management of faults, events, alarms or notifications in data switching networks H04L41/06

Abstract

A method is provided in one example embodiment and includes evaluating an active state of a media server configured to capture a media stream from one or more media sources. The method also includes determining a failure associated with the media server, and activating a failover media server to receive the media stream based on the failure. The method further includes replicating configuration data associated with the media server that experienced the failure. The configuration data can be provisioned in a suitable database. The failover media server is configured using the configuration data.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

evaluating an active state of a media server configured to capture a media stream from one or more media sources;

determining a failure associated with the media server;

activating a failover media server to receive the media stream based on the failure;

replicating configuration data associated with the media server that experienced the failure, wherein the configuration data is provisioned in a database; and

configuring the failover media server using the configuration data.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

communicating a last known recording data segment of the media server that experienced the failure to the failover media server; and

communicating a notification to an operations manager when the failover media server is activated.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the configuration data includes a network addresses of at least one of the media sources.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the configuration data includes one or more recording events associated with at least one of the media sources.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the configuration data includes one or more conditions for which at least one of the media sources are triggered for recording.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing a first set of media metadata in a first media database associated with the media server that experienced the failure, wherein the first set of media metadata comprises a start time and a stop time associated with a first portion of the media stream; and

storing a second set of media metadata in a second media database associated with the failover media server, wherein the second set of media metadata comprises a start time and a stop time for a second portion of the media stream, which is recorded by the failover media server.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving one or more updates associated with the configuration data, wherein existing configuration data in the media server that experienced the failure is not updated.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein portions of the media stream that were received by the failover media server are maintained by the failover media server after the media server that experienced the failure has been revived.

9. Logic encoded in one or more tangible media that includes code for execution and when executed by a processor operable to perform operations comprising:

evaluating an active state of a media server configured to capture a media stream from one or more media sources;

determining a failure associated with the media server;

activating a failover media server to receive the media stream based on the failure;

replicating configuration data associated with the media server that experienced the failure, wherein the configuration data is provisioned in a database; and

configuring the failover media server using the configuration data.

10. The logic of claim 9, the operations further comprising:

communicating a last known recording data segment of the media server that experienced the failure to the failover media server; and

communicating a notification to an operations manager when the failover media server is activated.

11. The logic of claim 9, wherein the configuration data includes a network addresses of at least one of the media sources.

12. The logic of claim 9, wherein the configuration data includes one or more recording events associated with at least one of the media sources.

13. The logic of claim 9, wherein the configuration data includes one or more conditions for which at least one of the media sources are triggered for recording.

14. The logic of claim 9, the operations further comprising:

storing a first set of media metadata in a first media database associated with the media server that experienced the failure, wherein the first set of media metadata comprises a start time and a stop time associated with a first portion of the media stream; and

storing a second set of media metadata in a second media database associated with the failover media server, wherein the second set of media metadata comprises a start time and a stop time for a second portion of the media stream, which is recorded by the failover media server.

15. The logic of claim 9, the operations further comprising:

receiving one or more updates associated with the configuration data, wherein existing configuration data in the media server that experienced the failure is not updated.

16. The logic of claim 9, wherein portions of the media stream that were received by the failover media server are maintained by the failover media server after the media server that experienced the failure has been revived.

17. An apparatus, comprising:

a memory element configured to store code;

a processor operable to execute instructions associated with the code; and

a failover module configured to interface with the memory element and the processor such that the apparatus can;

evaluate an active state of a media server configured to capture a media stream from one or more media sources;

determine a failure associated with the media server;

activate a failover media server to receive the media stream based on the failure;

replicate configuration data associated with the media server that experienced the failure, wherein the configuration data is provisioned in a database; and

configure the failover media server using the configuration data.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the configuration data includes one or more conditions for which at least one of the media sources are triggered for recording.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the apparatus is further configured to receive one or more updates associated with the configuration data, wherein existing configuration data in the media server that experienced the failure is not updated.

20. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein portions of the media stream that were received by the failover media server are maintained by the failover media server after the media server that experienced the failure has been revived.