Scalable gatekeepers in an internet telephony system and a method of operation

• US 6,519,249 B1
• Filed: 12/23/1998
• Issued: 02/11/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: RPX Clearinghouse LLC (RPX Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nortel Networks Limited (Nortel Networks Corporation)
• Inventors: Thomas, Michael Flynn, Graham, Gregory Scott, Ma, Patrick SzeChing, Bennefeld, Brian Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin, Wellington
• Assistant Examiner(s): PHAM, BRENDA H
• Application Number:
  US09/220,549
• Time in Patent Office: 1,511 Days
• Field of Search: 370/230, 370/252, 370/259, 370/270, 370/285, 370/352, 370/402, 370/392, 370/389, 370/401, 370/411, 370/437, 370/465
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4511 using domain name system [DNS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1046 Call controllers; Call servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1073 Registration or de-registration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1083 In-session procedures
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1106 Call signalling protocols; H.323 and related
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/203 composed of PSTN and data network, e.g. the Internet

Abstract

An Internet Protocol (IP) telephony system manages Gatekeeper subscriber load by assigning subscriber load among a plurality of Gatekeepers during the Gatekeeper discovery and registration process. A Registration Load Management Unit (RLMU) is primarily responsible for assigning subscriber load to the plurality of Gatekeepers. In one embodiment, the plurality of Gatekeepers are organized without a hierarchy structure and are made up of a plurality of Gatekeeper service nodes and a plurality of Gatekeeper Database nodes. The Gatekeeper service nodes provide the Registration, Admission, Status, Location, Call Set Up and other operating functions of the Gatekeeper while the plurality of Gatekeeper Database nodes store subscriber information. In a second embodiment, the plurality of Gatekeepers are organized in a hierarchy with a Root Gatekeeper at the top of the hierarchy and a plurality of Gatekeepers residing below the Root Gatekeeper in the hierarchy.

Claims

1. In an Internet Telephony system that includes a plurality of Gatekeepers, a method of distributing subscriber load on the plurality of Gatekeepers comprising:

receiving a Gatekeeper record request from a subscriber that includes a domain name of the Internet Telephony system;

determining an assigned Gatekeeper from the plurality of Gatekeepers;

sending an address of the assigned Gatekeeper to the subscriber;

the assigned Gatekeeper receiving a Registration Request from the subscriber; and

the assigned Gatekeeper registering the subscriber, wherein;

a domain name server receives the Gatekeeper record request from the subscriber;

the domain name server initiates operation of a registration load management unit to identify the assigned Gatekeeper; and

the domain name server returns the address of the assigned Gatekeeper to the subscriber.

27. The method of claim 1, wherein the assigned Gatekeeper is determined based upon a round-robin assignment methodology.

28. The method of claim 1, wherein the assigned Gatekeeper is determined based upon prior assignments that have been made to each of the plurality of Gatekeepers.

29. The method of claim 1, wherein the assigned Gatekeeper is determined based upon a username of the subscriber.

30. The method of claim 1, wherein the assigned Gatekeeper is determined based upon an address of the subscriber.

31. The method of claim 1, each of the plurality of Gatekeepers corresponds to the domain name of the Internet Telephony system.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein each of the plurality of Gatekeepers may also be accessed by its own unique domain name.

2. In an Internet Telephony system that includes a plurality of Gatekeepers, a method of distributing subscriber load on the plurality of Gatekeepers comprising:

receiving a Gatekeeper record request from a subscriber that includes a domain name of the Internet Telephony system;

sending an address of a Root Gatekeeper of the plurality of Gatekeepers to the subscriber;

the Root Gatekeeper receiving a Gatekeeper Request from the subscriber;

the Root Gatekeeper determining an assigned Gatekeeper from the plurality of Gatekeepers for the subscriber;

the Root Gatekeeper sending an address of the assigned Gatekeeper to the subscriber;

the assigned Gatekeeper receiving a Registration Request from the subscriber; and

the assigned Gatekeeper registering the subscriber.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein:

a domain name server receives the Gatekeeper record request from the subscriber; and

the domain name server returns the address of the Root Gatekeeper to the subscriber.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein in determining an assigned Gatekeeper from the plurality of Gatekeepers for the subscriber, a round-robin assignment methodology is employed.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the assigned Gatekeeper is determined based upon a round-robin assignment methodology and a number of prior assignments that have been made to each of the plurality of Gatekeepers.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the assigned Gatekeeper is determined based upon prior assignments that have been made to each of the plurality of Gatekeepers.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein the assigned Gatekeeper is determined based upon a username of the subscriber.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein the assigned Gatekeeper is determined based upon an address of the subscriber.

9. The method of claim 2, each of the plurality of Gatekeepers corresponds to the domain name.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein each of the plurality of Gatekeepers may also be accessed by its own unique domain name.

11. An Internet Telephony system that provides telephony service to a subscriber via an Internet Protocol network, the Internet Telephony system comprising:

a plurality of Gatekeepers coupled to the Internet Protocol network;

a registration load management unit that is initiated during a subscriber registration procedure; and

the registration load management unit selecting an assigned Gatekeeper from the plurality of Gatekeepers so as to distribute subscriber load on the plurality of Gatekeepers.

12. The Internet Telephony system of claim 11, wherein the registration load management unit resides upon a domain name server that serves the Internet Protocol network.

13. The Internet Telephony system off claim 11, wherein the assigned Gatekeeper is determined based upon a round-robin assignment methodology.

14. The Internet Telephony system of claim 11, wherein the assigned Gatekeeper is determined based upon prior assignments that have been made to each of the plurality of Gatekeepers.

15. The Internet Telephony system of claim 11, wherein:

each of the plurality of Gatekeepers provides service to a segment of possible user identities; and

the assigned Gatekeeper is determined based upon a user identity of the subscriber.

16. The Internet Telephony system of claim 11, wherein:

each of the plurality of Gatekeepers provides service to a respective address range; and

the assigned Gatekeeper is determined based upon an address of the subscriber.

17. The Internet Telephony system of claim 11, each of the plurality of Gatekeepers corresponds to the domain name.

18. The Internet Telephony system of claim 11, further comprising a Root Gatekeeper, wherein the Registration Load Management Unit resides on the Root Gatekeeper.

19. The Internet Telephony system of claim 11, wherein:

each of the plurality of Gatekeepers provides service to a respective subscriber segment; and

the Root Gatekeeper assigns the subscribers to the plurality of Gatekeepers based upon a characteristic of the subscriber.

20. The Internet Telephony system of claim 19, wherein the Root Gatekeeper assigns a subscriber to the plurality of Gatekeepers based upon the subscriber'"'"'s identity.

21. The Internet Telephony system of claim 19, wherein the Root Gatekeeper assigns a subscriber to the plurality of Gatekeepers based upon the subscriber'"'"'s address.

22. The Internet Telephony system of claim 19, wherein the plurality of Gatekeepers are organized in a hierarchy below the Root Gatekeeper.

23. The Internet Telephony system of claim 11, wherein the plurality of Gatekeepers comprise:

a plurality of Gatekeeper service nodes that provide Gatekeeper operating functions; and

a plurality of Gatekeeper Database nodes that store subscriber registration information.

24. The Internet Telephony system of claim 23, wherein each of the plurality of Gatekeeper service nodes couples to each of the plurality of Gatekeeper Database nodes.

25. The Internet Telephony system of claim 23, wherein each of the plurality of Gatekeeper Database nodes corresponds to a respective subscriber segment.

26. The Internet Telephony system of claim 23, wherein each of the plurality of Gatekeeper service nodes corresponds to a respective subscriber segment.