Routing functionality application in a data communications network with a number of hierarchical nodes

• US 6,401,129 B1
• Filed: 05/05/2000
• Issued: 06/04/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/07/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Lenander, Jan
• Primary Examiner(s): Lim, Krisna
• Application Number:
  US09/566,182
• Time in Patent Office: 760 Days
• Field of Search: 709/238, 709/239, 709/240, 709/241, 709/242, 370/237, 370/408
• US Class Current: 709/238
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/02 Topology update or discovery

Abstract

A data communication network with a number or origination nodes, a number of destination nodes and a number of intermediate nodes, in which messages are sent from origination nodes via a number of intermediate nodes to destination nodes and in which nodes are added and/or removed in an unpredictable way, has a basic functionality software system accessible via a number of destination nodes. Through the basic functionality software system, a functionality application is made available in at least one destination node and a routing application is associated with the functionality application so that when the functionality application is installed in a node, the routing functionality is automatically provided whereupon the functionality application is presented/offered to other nodes in higher layers. When the functionality application is fetched by an overlying node, such node is also provided with the routing functionality so that the degree of controlling the availability in the network is gradually increased with the number of nodes fetching the functionality application. Methods of increasing the availability in a data communication network are also described.

Claims

1. A data communication network, comprising:

a number of origination nodes, destination nodes, and intermediate nodes, wherein the nodes are arranged in a hierarchy, messages are sent from origination nodes via a number of intermediate nodes to destination nodes, and nodes are added and/or removed in an unpredictable way; and

a functionality software system accessible by a number of destination nodes, wherein through the functionality software system, a functionality application is made available in at least one destination node;

a routing application is associated with the functionality application so that when the functionality application is installed in a node, routing functionality is automatically provided in the node, and the functionality application is offered to other nodes with which the node directly communicates;

whereby when the functionality application is fetched by an overlying node, the overlying node is also provided with the routing functionality, and the functionality application is offered to nodes directly communicating with the overlying node so that a degree of control of availability in the network gradually increases with the number of nodes fetching the functionality application,

wherein a number of parallel nodes in each of at least two different layers fetch the functionality application from a respective node in a lower layer, the nodes thereby getting access to the routing functionality for routing messages from origination nodes or from nodes in a higher layer.

2. The data communication network of claim 1, wherein the routing application selects a route at a receiving side.

3. The data communication network of claim 1, wherein the routing application implements routing algorithms for finding a best route to provide a desired degree of availability.

4. The data communication network of claim 1, wherein for a particular destination node, only routing information relevant for routing to the particular destination node is stored.

5. The data communication network of claim 1, wherein a number of destination nodes independently of each other offer at least one functionality application and associated routing application to overlying nodes respectively, thereby providing a separate high availability network relating to the respective destination node.

6. The data communication network according to claim 1, wherein the functionality application is an availability information application.

7. The data communication network of claim 2, wherein availability information is stored in a memory that communicates with at least one of an origination node and an overlying node, and the availability information is continuously updated by an availability information application.

8. The data communication network of claim 2, each provision of routing functionality in a node is given a unique identification address.

9. A data communication network, comprising:

a number of origination nodes, destination nodes, and intermediate nodes, wherein the nodes are arranged in a hierarchy, messages are sent from origination nodes via a number of intermediate nodes to destination nodes, and nodes are added and/or removed in an unpredictable way; and

a functionality software system accessible by a number of destination nodes, wherein through the functionality software system, a functionality application is made available in at least one destination node;

a routing application is associated with the functionality application so that when the functionality application is installed in a node, routing functionality is automatically provided in the node, and the functionality application is offered to other nodes with which the node directly communicates;

whereby when the functionality application is fetched by an overlying node, the overlying node is also provided with the routing functionality, and the functionality application is offered to nodes directly communicating with the overlying node so that a degree of control of availability in the network gradually increases with the number of nodes fetching the functionality application,

wherein routing functionality is provided to nodes in at least two different layers above a destination node and routing is controllable for messages sent from the destination node to an origination node.

10. A data communication network, comprising:

a number of origination nodes, destination nodes, and intermediate nodes, wherein the nodes are arranged in a hierarchy, messages are sent from origination nodes via a number of intermediate nodes to destination nodes, and nodes are added and/or removed in an unpredictable way; and

a functionality software system accessible by a number of destination nodes, wherein through the functionality software system, a functionality application is made available in at least one destination node;

a routing application is associated with the functionality application so that when the functionality application is installed in a node, routing functionality is automatically provided in the node, and the functionality application is offered to other nodes with which the node directly communicates;

whereby when the functionality application is fetched by an overlying node, the overlying node is also provided with the routing functionality, and the functionality application is offered to nodes directly communicating with the overlying node so that a degree of control of availability in the network gradually increases with the number of nodes fetching the functionality application,

wherein at least two routes for carrying duplicated data are provided between nodes in at least two different layers, and the routing functionality enables selecting a route from the at least two routes that best meets predetermined criteria.

11. The data communication network of claim 10, wherein at least some of the nodes are included in an intranet.

12. The data communication network of claim 10, wherein at least some of the nodes are included in a global data communication network.

13. The data communication network of claim 10, wherein at least one origination node comprises a customer administration system.

14. The data communication network of claim 13, wherein a WEB-client addresses the network via one of an Internet and an intranet.

15. The data communication network of claim 10, wherein at least one destination node comprises a service management system.

16. The data communication network of claim 10, wherein at least a number of intermediate nodes comprise proxies.

17. The data communication network of claim 10, wherein each of at least a number of nodes includes a server.

18. A data communication network, comprising:

a number of origination nodes, destination nodes, and intermediate nodes, wherein the nodes are arranged in a hierarchy, messages are sent from origination nodes via a number of intermediate nodes to destination nodes, and nodes are added and/or removed in an unpredictable way; and

a functionality software system accessible by a number of destination nodes, wherein through the functionality software system, a functionality application is made available in at least one destination node;

a routing application is associated with the functionality application so that when the functionality application is installed in a node, routing functionality is automatically provided in the node, and the functionality application is offered to other nodes with which the node directly communicates;

whereby when the functionality application is fetched by an overlying node, the overlying node is also provided with the routing functionality, and the functionality application is offered to nodes directly communicating with the overlying node so that a degree of control of availability in the network gradually increases with the number of nodes fetching the functionality application,

wherein at least some of the nodes are included in a global data communication network, and high availability routing is provided for at least one of communication of messages towards a destination node and communication of messages towards an origination node.

19. A data communication network, comprising:

a number of origination nodes, destination nodes, and intermediate nodes, wherein the nodes are arranged in a hierarchy, messages are sent from origination nodes via a number of intermediate nodes to destination nodes, and nodes are added and/or removed in an unpredictable way; and

a functionality software system accessible by a number of destination nodes, wherein through the functionality software system, a functionality application is made available in at least one destination node;

a routing application is associated with the functionality application so that when the functionality application is installed in a node, routing functionality is automatically provided in the node, and the functionality application is offered to other nodes with which the node directly communicates;

whereby when the functionality application is fetched by an overlying node, the overlying node is also provided with the routing functionality, and the functionality application is offered to nodes directly communicating with the overlying node so that a degree of control of availability in the network gradually increases with the number of nodes fetching the functionality application,

wherein the routing functionality is provided by a JAVA™

program comprising an interface towards a WEB-server, a calculation part for selecting a node where to route a message, and a sender for sending the message to the selected node.

20. A method of providing high availability communication in a data communication network including a number of hierarchically arranged origination nodes, destination nodes, and intermediate nodes, in which a functionality application is made available at least to one node and with the functionality application a routing functionality is associated, the method comprising the steps of.

fetching the functionality application to a destination node;

installing the functionality application and the associated routing application in the destination node,

presenting the functionality application to at least one possible sending node or node arranged in a higher hierarchical layer that directly communicates with the destination node;

fetching the functionality application to at least some of the hierarchically higher arranged nodes;

continuously offering the functionality application to nodes in a higher hierarchical layer that communicate directly with a node when the node has fetched the functionality application so that the routing functionality is installed in a number of nodes;

using the routing functionality for sending messages in the data communication network;

adding a number of new nodes to the network in an unpredictable manner;

to each added node, presenting the functionality application from a node arranged in a lower hierarchical layer;

fetching the functionality application to at least one added node; and

informing at least one of a node in a higher hierarchical layer and a possible sending node about possible new routing alternatives.

21. A data communication network, comprising:

a number of origination nodes, destination nodes, and intermediate nodes, wherein the nodes are arranged in a hierarchy, messages are sent from origination nodes via a number of intermediate nodes to destination nodes, and nodes are added and/or removed in an unpredictable way; and

a functionality software system accessible by a number of destination nodes, wherein through the functionality software system, a functionality application is made available in at least one destination node;

a routing application is associated with the functionality application so that when the functionality application is installed in a node, routing functionality is automatically provided in the node, and the functionality application is offered to other nodes with which the node directly communicates;

whereby when the functionality application is fetched by an overlying node, the overlying node is also provided with the routing functionality, and the functionality application is offered to nodes directly communicating with the overlying node so that a degree of control of availability in the network gradually increases with the number of nodes fetching the functionality application,

wherein the routing application selects a route at a receiving side, each provision of routing functionality in a node is given a unique identification address, and high availability routing is provided for at least one of communication of messages towards a destination node and communication of messages towards an origination node.