Communication network method and apparatus

• US 6,324,572 B1
• Filed: 05/14/1999
• Issued: 11/27/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Silverman, Shmuel, Stewart, Randall R., Liss, Raymond M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dinh, Dung C.
• Application Number:
  US09/312,099
• Time in Patent Office: 928 Days
• Field of Search: 709/201, 709/202, 709/203, 709/227, 709/228, 709/229, 709/213, 709/214, 709/215, 455/403, 455/432, 455/433, 455/435, 714/1, 714/2, 714/4, 714/6, 714/10, 714/15, 714/11, 714/12
• US Class Current: 709/215
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/503 Resource availability
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5027 the resource being a machine, e.g. CPUs, Servers, Terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/06 Management of faults, events, alarms or notifications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0811 by checking connectivity

Abstract

In a network communication system (300) a method and apparatus includes generating a record of state information (360) associated with a service connection (370), associating the record of state information (360) to a first (320-1) of an N processing units (320-1 through N), storing the associated record of state information (360) at a first (340-1) of an N memory units (340-1 through N) corresponding to the first processing unit (320-1), multicasting the associated record of state information (360) over an area network (310) to be received by at least one of a second through N (320-2 through N) of the N processing units (320-1 through N), and storing the associated record of state information (360) at one of the N memory units corresponding to the least one of the second through N processing units (320-2 through N).

Claims

1. In a network communication system that includes an area network connecting a plurality N of processing units to a plurality K of clients, and a plurality N of memory units each associated with one said plurality N of processing units, a method comprising the steps of:

generating a record of state information associated with a service connection, wherein said service connection is between a first of said K clients and a first of said N processing units;

associating said record of state information to said first of said N processing units;

storing, at a first of said N memory units corresponding to said first processing unit, said associated record of state information;

multicasting said associated record of state information over said area network to be received by at least one of a second through N of said N processing units;

storing, at one of said N memory units corresponding to said least one of said second through N processing units, said associated record of state information.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising the step of taking ownership of said associated record of state information.

3. The method as recited in claim 2 wherein said taking ownership is by said least one of said second through N processing units.

4. The method as recited in claim 2 wherein said taking ownership is by said first of said N processing units.

5. The method as recited in claim 2 further comprising the step of relinquishing ownership of said record of state information.

6. The method as recited in claim 5 wherein said relinquishing ownership is by said least one of said second through N processing units.

7. The method as recited in claim 5 wherein said relinquishing ownership is by said first of said N processing units.

8. The method as recited in claim 2 further comprising the step of identifying one of N processing units to take ownership of said record of state information.

9. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein said storing at said first of said N memory units step includes at least one of retrieving, comparing, adding, updating, and deleting said associated record of state information.

10. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein said storing at one of said N memory units corresponding to said least one of said second through N processing units step includes at least one of retrieving, comparing, adding, updating, and deleting said associated record of state to information.

12. The method as recited in claim 10 further comprising the step of:

multicasting said record of state information over said area network to be received by at least one of a second through N of said N processing units;

storing, at said first of said N memory segments of one of said N memory units corresponding to said least one of said second through N processing units, said record of state information.

13. The method as recited in claim 10 wherein said record of state information includes at least one of an owner of record, a handle of record, a version of record, a leader of record, and a data of record.

14. The method as recited in claim 13 wherein said owner of record identifies at least one of said N processing units as an owner of said record of state information.

15. The method as recited in claim 14 wherein said owner of said record of state information is said first processing unit.

16. The method as recited in claim 13 wherein said handle of record identifies a number of handling of said record of state information.

17. The method as recited in claim 13 wherein said version of record identifies a version of said record of state information.

18. The method as recited in claim 13 wherein said leader of record identifies said owner of said state record information as a leader of said state record information, or, if said owner of said state record is in an inactivated state, owner of said state record information that carries a highest said version of record.

19. The method as recited in claim 13 wherein said data of record includes information about said record of state information associated with said service connection.

20. The method as recited in claim 10 wherein said area network is at least one of a local area network and wide area network.

21. The method as recited in claim 10 wherein said storing step includes at least one of retrieving, comparing, adding, updating, and deleting said record of state information.

22. The method as recited in claim 12 wherein said storing step includes at least of retrieving, comparing, adding, updating, and deleting said record of state information.

27. The method as recited in claim 14 further comprising the step of relinquishing ownership of said record of state information.

28. The method as recited in claim 27 wherein said relinquishing ownership is by said least one of said second through N processing units.

29. The method as recited in claim 27 wherein said relinquishing ownership is by said first of said N processing units.

30. The method as recited in claim 27 further comprising the step of identifying one of N processing units to take ownership of said record of state information.

11. In a network communication system that includes an area network connecting a plurality N of processing units to a plurality K of clients, and a plurality N of memory units each associated with one said plurality N of processing units, a method comprising the steps of:

partitioning each of said N memory units to N memory segments wherein each of said N memory segments corresponds to a processing unit of said N processing units;

generating a record of state information associated with a service connection, wherein said service connection is between a first of said K clients and a first of said N processing units;

storing, at a first of said N memory segments of one of said N memory units corresponding to said first processing unit, said record of state information, wherein said first of said N memory segments corresponds to said first of said N processing units.

23. In a network communication system that includes an area network connecting a plurality N of processing units to a plurality K of clients, and a plurality N of memory units each associated with one said plurality N of processing units, a method comprising the steps of:

partitioning each of said N memory units to N memory segments wherein each of said N memory segments corresponds to a processing unit of said N processing units;

generating a record of state information associated with a service connection, wherein said service connection is between a first of said K clients and a first of said N processing units;

storing, at a first of said N memory segments of one of said N memory units corresponding to said first processing unit, said record of state information, wherein said first of said N memory segments corresponds to said first of said N processing units;

multicasting said record of state information over said area network to be received by at least one of a second through N of said N processing units;

storing, at said first of said N memory segments of one of said N memory units corresponding to said least one of said second through N processing units, said record of state information.

24. The method as recited in claim 23 further comprising the step of taking ownership of said record of state information.

25. The method as recited in claim 24 wherein said taking ownership is by said least one of said second through N processing units.

26. The method as recited in claim 24 wherein said taking ownership is by said first of said N processing units.

31. In a network communication system that includes an area network connecting a plurality N of processing units to a plurality K of clients, a method comprising the steps of:

generating a record of state information associated with a service connection, wherein said service connection is between a first of said K clients and a first of said N processing units;

associating said record of state information to said first of said N processing units;

multicasting said associated record of state information over said area network to be received by at least one of a second through N of said N processing units;

comparing a characteristic related to capacity and function of at least one of said N processing units with said associated record of state information to select one of N processing units as an owner of said associated record of state information.

32. The method as recited in claim 31 further comprising the step of taking ownership of said associated record of state information by said selected processing unit.

33. The method as recited in claim 32 wherein said selected processing unit is said least one of said second through N processing units.

34. The method as recited in claim 32 wherein said selected processing unit is said first of said N processing units.

35. The method as recited in claim 32 further comprising the step of relinquishing ownership of said record of state information.

36. The method as recited in claim 35 wherein said relinquishing ownership is by said selected processing unit.

37. The method as recited in claim 32 further comprising the step of identifying one of said N processing units to take ownership of said record of state information.

38. The method as recited in claim 31 wherein said plurality K of clients is a plurality of mobile stations.

39. The method as recited in claim 31 wherein said plurality N of processing units are of a type of at least one of a base-station transceiver station (BTS), a radio network controller (RNC), a selection and distribution controller (SDU), a voice coder (VC) and a gateway (GTWY).

40. The method as recited in claim 31 wherein said plurality of K of clients are a plurality of mobile stations, and said plurality N of processing units are of types of a base-station transceiver station (BTS), a radio network controller (RNC), a selection and distribution controller (SDU), a voice coder (VC) and a gateway (GTWY).

41. The method as recited in claim 40 further comprising the steps of:

comparing characteristics of at least one of said BTSs, one of said RNCs, one of said SDUs, one of said VCs and one of said GTWYs to provide their respective services as a primary owner of said service connection;

comparing characteristics of at least one other of said BTSs, one other of said RNCs, one other of said SDUs, one other of said VCs and one other of said GTWYs to provide their respective services as corresponding secondary owner for said service connection.

42. The method as recited in claim 41 further comprising the steps of:

detecting failure of one of said primary owners of BTS, RNC, SDU, VC and GTWY;

selecting one of said secondary owners of BTS, RNC, SDU, VC and GTWY to substitute support as a new primary owner for said service connection.

43. In a network communication system that includes an area network connecting a plurality N of processing units to a plurality K of clients, and a plurality N of memory units each associated with one said plurality N of processing units, an apparatus comprising:

means for generating a record of state information associated with a service connection, wherein said service connection is between a first of said K clients and a first of said N processing units;

means for associating said record of state information to said first of said N processing units;

means for storing, at a first of said N memory units corresponding to said first processing unit, said associated record of state information;

means for multicasting said associated record of state information over said area network to be received by at least one of a second through N of said N processing units;

means for storing, at one of said N memory units corresponding to said least one of said second through N processing units, said associated record of state information.

44. In a network communication system that includes an area network connecting a plurality N of processing units to a plurality K of clients, an apparatus comprising:

means for generating a record of state information associated with a service connection, wherein said service connection is between a first of said K clients and a first of said N processing units;

means for associating said record of state information to said first of said N processing units;

to means for multicasting said associated record of state information over said area network to be received by at least one of a second through N of said N processing units;

means for comparing a characteristic related to capacity and function of at least one of said N processing units with said associated record of state information to select one of N processing units as an owner of said associated record of state information.