METHODS FOR PROVIDING A STATUS TO DEVICES IN A DISTRIBUTED SYSTEM

• US 20130294260A1
• Filed: 06/24/2013
• Published: 11/07/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ShoreTel Incorporated (Mitel Networks Corporation)
• Original Assignee: ShoreTel Incorporated (Mitel Networks Corporation)
• Inventors: Do, Nam, Hwang, Vu
• Granted Patent: US 9,325,599 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/250
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/10 Active monitoring, e.g. heartbeat, ping or trace-route
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/22 Synchronisation circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/20 hybrid systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/56 Arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities video conference systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/006 Networks other than PSTN/ISDN providing telephone service, e.g. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) , including next generation networks with a packet-switched transport layer H04L65/00 takes precedence; aspects not specific to the type of network H04M3/00; special services in those networks H04M3/42

Abstract

A method for providing a status to a plurality of devices in a distributed VoIP system includes circulating a first status data packet between each device in the first group of devices and circulating a second status data packet between each device in the second group of devices. One device in the first group of devices participates in circulating both the first status data packet and the second status data packet, while the other devices in the first group of devices circulate only the first status data packet. One device in the second group of devices participates in circulating both the first status data packet and the second status data packet, while the other devices in the second group of devices circulate only the second status data packet.

Claims

1. A method for providing a status to conference bridges in a distributed system, the status comprising a list of meetings hosted by one or more of the conference bridges, the method comprising:

at a second conference bridge;

receiving a status data packet, the status data packet sent from a first conference bridge to the second conference bridge and including the status of the first conference bridge;

saving the status of the first conference bridge to a memory of the second conference bridge;

updating the status data packet with a status of the second conference bridge;

obtaining a list of the conference bridges in the distributed system, the list associated with a sequence for circulating the status data packet between the conference bridges, wherein the sequence reduces a time required to provide a status to each of the conference bridges by minimizing a number of higher network lag communications between the conference bridges; and

sending the status data packet including the status of the first conference bridge and the status of the second conference bridge from the second conference bridge to a next conference bridge in the sequence.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising sending an acknowledgement of receipt of the status data packet from the second conference bridge to the first conference bridge.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising receiving an acknowledgement of receipt of the status data packet from the next conference bridge in the sequence.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the status data packet includes an ID of the first conference bridge and a time associated with receiving the status data packet at the second conference bridge.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the distributed system is a distributed VoIP system.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the next conference bridge is a last conference bridge in the sequence, and the last conference bridge sends the status data packet to the first conference bridge, the first conference bridge being a first conference bridge in the sequence.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising incrementing a circulation counter after receiving the status data packet.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the status data packet includes the list of the conference bridges in the distributed system.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

at the second conference bridge;

waiting a period of time;

determining that an acknowledgement of receipt of the status data packet is not received from the next conference bridge during the period of time; and

sending the status data packet to a following conference bridge in the sequence, the following conference bridge being after the next conference bridge in the sequence.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the period of time is determined based at least in part on a time duration required for the next conference bridge to receive the status data packet and send an acknowledgement of receipt of the status data packet.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

at the second conference bridge;

waiting a period of time after receiving the status data packet and before sending the status data packet to the next conference bridge, wherein the period of time is greater than a time duration required to save the status of the first conference bridge to the memory and obtain the list of the plurality of conference bridges in the distributed system.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the period of time is based at least in part on a number of the conference bridges.

13. A method for providing a status to a plurality of devices in a distributed VoIP system, the plurality of devices comprising at least a first group of devices and a second group of devices, the method comprising:

circulating a first status data packet between each device in the first group of devices;

circulating a second status data packet between each device in the second group of devices;

wherein one device in the first group of devices participates in circulating both the first status data packet and the second status data packet, while the other devices in the first group of devices circulate only the first status data packet; and

wherein one device in the second group of devices participates in circulating both the first status data packet and the second status data packet, while the other devices in the second group of devices circulate only the second status data packet.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the one device in the first group of devices that participates in circulating both the first status data packet and the second status data packet and the one device in the second group of devices that participates in circulating both the first status data packet and the second status data packet are the same device.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein the one device in the first group of devices that participates in circulating both the first status data packet and the second status data packet updates the first status data packet with a status of each of the devices in the second group of devices and updates the second status data packet with a status of each of the devices in the first group of devices.

16. The method of claim 13 wherein the one device in the first group of devices that participates in circulating both the first status data packet and the second status data packet is selected based on a device identification number of the one device compared to device identification numbers of the other devices in the first group of devices.

17. The method of claim 13 wherein each of the devices in the first group of devices has a network lag that on average is different from that of each of the devices in the second group of devices.

18. The method of claim 13 wherein the plurality of devices are conference bridges.

19. The method of claim 13 wherein the plurality of devices include a third group of devices, the method further comprising:

circulating a third status data packet between each of the devices in the third group of devices;

wherein one device in the third group of devices participates in circulating both the third status data packet and the second status data packet, while the other devices in the third group of devices circulate only the third status data packet.

20. A non-transitory computer readable medium including computer program code for providing a status to a plurality of devices in a distributed VoIP system, the plurality of devices comprising at least a first group of devices and a second group of devices, the computer readable medium comprising:

code for circulating a first status data packet between each of the devices in the first group of devices;

code for circulating a second status data packet between each of the devices in the second group of devices;

wherein one device in the first group of devices participates in circulating both the first status data packet and the second status data packet, while the other devices in the first group of devices circulate only the first status data packet; and

wherein one device in the second group of devices participates in circulating both the first status data packet and the second status data packet, while the other devices in the second group of devices circulate only the second status data packet.