Dynamic load balancing during message processing in a wireless communication service network

• US 6,574,477 B1
• Filed: 10/06/1999
• Issued: 06/03/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: WSOU Investments, LLC (WSOU Holdings, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Rathunde, Dale Frank
• Primary Examiner(s): APPIAH, CHARLES NANA
• Application Number:
  US09/413,259
• Time in Patent Office: 1,336 Days
• Field of Search: 455/453, 455/424, 455/452, 455/8, 455/524, 455/525, 455/560, 455/561, 455/422, 370/216, 370/217, 370/219, 370/220, 370/221
• US Class Current: 455/453
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0861 between base stations
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/12 between access points and access point controllers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/20 between access points

Abstract

A system and method for performing dynamic load balancing during system operation between a pair of APs (AP pair) serving at least one cell in common. A first RCS instance runs as an active RCS instance on one member of the AP pair and a second RCS instance runs as a standby RCS instance on the other member of the AP pair. The first RCS instance is redesignated as a standby RCS instance for the cell and the second RCS instance is redesignated as an active RCS instance for the cell. Active message processing is then transferred from the first RCS instance to the second RCS instance during network operation and without service interruption to the cell.

Claims

1. In a wireless communication network that includes a message processing system providing operational, administrative and maintenance support for one or more cells in the network serving one or more radio units, the message processing system including at least two programmable application processors (APs), each of which runs one or more active radio control software (RCS) instances on behalf of a defined cell group and one or more standby RCS instances on behalf of at least one other cell group that is different than the cell group served by the AP'"'"'s active RCS instances, and further wherein each cell served by the message processing system is connected to a pair of APs, one of which runs an active RCS instance on behalf of the cell and the other of which runs a standby RCS instance on behalf of the cell, a method for performing dynamic load balancing during system operation between a pair of APs (AP pair) serving at least one cell in common, comprising the steps of:

selecting, relative to at least one cell served by the AP pair, a first RCS instance running on one member of the AP pair as an active RCS instance for said at least one cell and a second RCS instance running on the other member of the AP pair as a standby RCS instance for said at least one cell;

redesignating said first RCS instance as a new standby RCS instance for said at least one cell;

redesignating said second RCS instance as a new active RCS instance for said at least one cell; and

transferring active message processing from said first RCS instance to said second RCS instance during network operation and without service interruption to said at least one cell.

2. A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein said first RCS instance is originally designated as a primary RCS instance and said second RCS instance is originally designated as a secondary RCS instance, said primary designation indicating that upon initialization of said wireless communication network, an RCS instance should be run in the active mode, and said secondary designation indicating that upon initialization of said wireless communication network, an RCS instance should be run in the standby mode, said method further including the steps of:

redesignating said first RCS instance as a new secondary RCS instance for said at least one cell;

redesignating said second RCS instance as a new primary RCS instance for said at least one cell; and

utilizing said primary-secondary redesignations to make said active-standby redesignations persistent across reboots of said wireless communication network.

3. A method in accordance with claim 2 wherein said selecting and redesignating steps are initiated manually.

4. A method in accordance with claim 2 wherein said primary and secondary designations for said first and second RCS instances are stored in a database.

5. A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein said selecting and redesignating steps are initiated automatically.

6. A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein said first and second RCS instances communicate with said at least one cell on a pair of first and second communication links, said first communication link being an active link prior to said redesignation steps carrying message traffic between said at least one cell and said first RCS and said second communication link being a standby link prior to said redesignation steps that carries no message traffic between said at least one cell and said second RCS instance.

7. A method in accordance with claim 6 wherein said transferring step includes:

transferring the process space from said first RCS instance to said second RCS instance via an inter-AP network while continuing to communicate message traffic over said first communication link; and

notifying said at least one cell to begin communicating message traffic over said second communication link.

8. A method in accordance with claim 1 further including the step of relocating said first or second RCS instance from one member of said AP pair to a different AP so as to form a new AP pair running active and standby RCS instances on behalf of said at least one cell.

9. A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein said wireless communication network includes a first AP running plural active RCS instances on behalf of a defined cell group and at least two additional APs running standby RCS instances on behalf of said defined cell group, each of which is paired with one of said active RCS instances running on said first AP, whereby a distributed mated-pair processing arrangement is provided.

10. A method in accordance with claim 9 wherein said first AP is powered by a first power feed and said at least two additional APs are powered by a second power feed.

11. In a wireless communication network that includes a message processing system providing operational, administrative and maintenance support for one or more cells in the network serving one or more radio units, the message processing system including at least two programmable application processors (APs), each of which runs one or more active radio control software (RCS) instances on behalf of a defined cell group and one or more standby RCS instances on behalf of at least one other cell group that is different than the cell group served by the AP'"'"'s active RCS instances, and further wherein each cell served by the message processing system is connected to a pair of APs, one of which runs an active RCS instance on behalf of the cell and the other of which runs a standby RCS instance on behalf of the cell, a system for performing dynamic load balancing between a pair of APs (AP pair) serving at least one cell in common, comprising:

means for selecting, relative to at least one cell served by the AP pair, a first RCS instance running on one member of the AP pair as an active RCS instance for said at least one cell and a second RCS instance running on the other member of the AP pair as a standby RCS instance for said at least one cell;

first means for redesignating said first RCS instance as a new standby RCS instance for said at least one cell;

second means for redesignating said second RCS instance as a new active RCS instance for said at least one cell; and

transfer means for transferring active message processing from said first RCS instance to said second RCS instance during network operation and without service interruption to said at least one cell.

12. A system in accordance with claim 11 wherein said first RCS instance is originally designated as a primary RCS instance and said second RCS instance is originally designated as a secondary RCS instance, said primary designation indicating that upon initialization of said wireless communication network, an RCS instance should be run in the active mode, and said secondary designation indicating that upon initialization of said wireless communication network, an RCS instance should be run in the standby mode, said system further including:

third means for redesignating said first RCS instance as a new secondary RCS instance for said at least one cell;

fourth means for redesignating said second RCS instance as a new primary RCS instance for said at least one cell; and

utilizing said primary-secondary redesignations to make said active-standby redesignations persistent across reboots of said wireless communication.

13. A system in accordance with claim 12 wherein operation of said selecting means and said first, second, third and fourth redesignating means is initiated manually.

14. A system in accordance with claim 12 wherein said primary and secondary designations for said first and second RCS instances are stored in a database.

15. A system in accordance with claim 11 wherein operation of said selecting means and said first, second, third and fourth redesignating means is initiated automatically.

16. A system in accordance with claim 11 wherein said first and second RCS instances communicate with said at least one cell on a pair of first and second communication links, said first communication link being an active link prior to implementation of said first and second redesignation means carrying message traffic between said at least one cell and said first RCS and said second communication link being a standby link prior to operation of said redesignation means that carries no message traffic between said at least one cell and said second RCS instance.

17. A system in accordance with claim 16 wherein said redesignation means include:

means for transferring the process space from said first RCS instance to said second RCS instance via an inter-AP network while continuing to communicate message traffic over said first communication link; and

means for notifying said at least one cell to begin communicating message traffic over said second communication link.

18. A system in accordance with claim 11 further including the means for relocating said first or second RCS instance from one member of said AP pair to a different AP so as to form a new AP pair running active and standby RCS instances on behalf of said at least one cell.

19. A system in accordance with claim 11 wherein said wireless communication network includes a first AP running plural active RCS instances on behalf of a defined cell group and at least two additional APs running standby RCS instances on behalf of said defined cell group, each of which is paired with one of said active RCS instances running on said first AP, whereby a distributed mated-pair processing arrangement is provided.

20. A system in accordance with claim 19 wherein said first AP is powered by a first power feed and said at least two additional APs are powered by a second power feed.

21. A message processing system for a wireless communication service network, comprising:

a plurality of application processors;

a first group of said application processors being powered by a first power feed a second group of said application processors being powered by a second power feed;

each of said application processors running one or more radio control software instances;

a first one of said radio control software instances running on an application processor in said first group being mated with a second radio control software instance running on another application processor in said second group to provide message processing services on behalf of a cell in said wireless communication network;

said first and second radio control software instances being assigned respective primary/active and secondary/standby designations, said active and standby designations determining which of said first and second radio control software instances performs active message processing on behalf of said cell and said primary and secondary designations determining the operational mode (active or standby) of said first and second radio control software instances during system initialization;

first means for exchanging active and standby designations between said first and second radio control software instances during system operation, so that the message processing workload on behalf of said cell is transferred from one of said first and second radio control software instances to the other;

second means for exchanging primary and secondary designations between said first and second radio control software instances during system operation to effect a permanent transfer of message processing workload from one of said first and second radio control software instances to the other; and

whereby message processing can be transferred between said first and second radio control software instances without services interruption to said cell and said message processing transfer can be made persistent across reboots of said system.