Method and apparatus for providing a virtual SS7 link in a communications system

• US 6,760,343 B1
• Filed: 05/20/1999
• Issued: 07/06/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: RPX Clearinghouse LLC (RPX Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nortel Networks Limited (Nortel Networks Corporation)
• Inventors: Racz, Steve William, Pathak, Jogen Kanubhai, Krishnamurthy, Shridhar
• Primary Examiner(s): Olms, Douglas
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, VAN KIM T
• Application Number:
  US09/315,170
• Time in Patent Office: 1,874 Days
• Field of Search: 370/410, 370/466, 370/467, 370/469, 370/328, 370/401, 370/402, 370/356, 370/355, 370/389, 370/385, 370/395.5, 370/395.51, 370/395.52
• US Class Current: 370/466
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0025 Provisions for signalling

Abstract

A method, apparatus, and instructions for establishing a virtual communication channel between applications on different nodes in which one node may be using a communication protocol stack based on one protocol, such as SS7, and another node may be using a communication protocol stack based on another protocol, such as IP. Alternatively, a virtual communication channel may be provided between applications on different nodes in which both nodes use a communication protocol stack based on IP to communicate with each other, but carry SS7 traffic through the communication channel. A gateway is provided in which both SS7 and IP are supported. The gateway allows for logical transport of signaling messages between peer applications on different nodes. Messages for SS7 are placed in data packets for transport to a destination using an IP connection or link to the destination. Header information also is placed into the data packet to allow for routing of the messages when the packet is received at the destination.

Claims

1. A method for transferring signaling data within a network, the method comprising:

receiving a message for transfer to a node, wherein the message is received using a first protocol;

placing the message in a data packet using a second protocol to create the data packet;

placing routing information into the data packet, wherein the routing information is used by the first protocol for processing of the packet at the node;

establishing a connection to the node, wherein the connection uses the second protocol to send data packets; and

sending the data packet to the node through the connection.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a data packet, wherein the data packet is a received data packet containing a message and routing information;

extracting the message and routing information from the received data packet; and

processing the message using the routing information.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein processing comprises:

sending the message to a node based on the routing information.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first protocol is a SS7 protocol.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the second protocol is an Internet protocol.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the method is executed in a signaling point in a signaling network.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first protocol is a connectionless protocol and wherein the second protocol is a connection oriented protocol.

8. A signaling system comprising:

a SS7 signaling network, wherein the signaling network uses messages to manage connections within a communications network, wherein the messages used to manage connections are transported within the SS7 signaling network using a SS7 protocol;

a first gateway connected to the signaling network, wherein the gateway receives a message used to manage connections, places the message in a data packet, transports the message over a connection governed by an Internet protocol, wherein the message remains formatted for use with the SS7 protocol after having been placed in the data packet; and

a second gateway in communication with the first gateway using the connection, wherein the second gateway receives the data packet, extracts the message from the data packet, and sends the message to a destination using the SS7 protocol, wherein the gateway includes;

a signaling connection control part and a message transfer part used to communicate with the SS7 network;

a transmission control protocol and a Internet protocol used to communicate with the gateway;

first processing means for placing messages into data packets for transport using the Internet protocol; and

second processing means for extracting messages from data packets for transport using the SS7 protocol, and wherein the first processing means comprises;

determining means for determining an Internet protocol address from a signaling connection control part address;

first creating mean for creating a gateway header containing data used to recreate the signaling connection control part address;

placing means for placing the message and the gateway header into a data packet; and

second creating means for creating a header of the data packet using the Internet protocol address.

9. The signaling system of claim 8, wherein the signaling connection control part address includes a point code and a subsystem number.

10. The signaling system of claim 8, wherein the SS7 signaling network includes a plurality of signaling points and wherein the first gateway and the second gateway provide a data channel between a plurality of signaling points within the SS7 signaling network.

11. The signaling system of claim 8, wherein the Internet protocol is a transport control protocol.

12. The signaling system of claim 8, wherein the Internet protocol is user datagram protocol.

13. The signaling system of claim 8, wherein the second gateway is connected to the SS7 signaling network and wherein the destination is a node in the SS7 signaling network.

14. The signaling system of claim 8, wherein the destination is a node external to the SS7 signaling network.

15. A node comprising:

a signaling connection control part and a message transfer part used to communicate with a SS7 network, wherein messages are routed within the SS7 network using a signaling connection control address;

a transmission control protocol and a Internet protocol used to communicate with the gateway;

first processing means for placing messages into data packets for transport using the transmission control protocol and Internet protocol; and

second processing means for extracting messages from data packets for transport using the SS7 protocol, wherein the first processing means comprises;

creating a header containing data used to recreate the signaling connection control part address; and

placing the message and the header into a data packet.

16. The node of claim 15, further comprising:

determining means for determining an Internet protocol address from the signaling connection control part address; and

connection means for creating a connection using the Internet protocol address, wherein the connection is used to send data packets using the second protocol.

17. The node of claim 15, wherein the node is a signaling point in a SS7 network.

18. The node of claim 15, wherein the node is a gateway.

19. A data processing system for transferring signaling data within a network, the data processing system comprising:

receiving means for receiving a message for transfer to a node, wherein the message is received using a first protocol;

first placing means for placing the message in a data packet using a second protocol to create the data packet;

second placing means for placing routing information into the data packet, wherein the routing information is used by the first protocol for processing of the packet at the node;

establishing means for establishing a connection to the node, wherein the connection uses the second protocol to send data packets; and

sending means for sending the data packet to the node through the connection.

20. The data processing system of claim 19 further comprising:

receiving means for receiving a data packet, wherein the data packet is a received data packet containing a message and routing information;

extracting means for extracting the message and routing information from the received data packet; and

processing means for processing the message using the routing information.

21. The data processing system of claim 20, wherein the processing means comprises:

sending means for sending the message to a node based on the routing information.

22. The data processing system of claim 19, wherein the first protocol is a SS7 protocol.

23. The data processing system of claim 19, wherein the method is executed in a signaling point in a signaling network.

24. A computer program product for transferring signaling data within a network, the computer program product comprising:

first instructions for receiving a message for transfer to a node, wherein the message is received using a first protocol;

second instructions for placing the message in a data packet using a second protocol to create the data packet;

third instructions for placing routing information into the data packet, wherein the routing information is used by the first protocol for processing of the packet at the node;

fourth instructions for establishing a connection to the node, wherein the connection uses the second protocol to send data packets; and

fifth instructions for sending the data packet to the node through the connection.

25. A method in a network for transporting signaling data between a first node and a second node in the network, wherein signaling data is transmitted within the network using a first protocol, the method comprising:

receiving signaling data for transfer from the first node to the second node using the first protocol;

placing the signaling data into a data packet for transport using a second protocol;

establishing a communications link between the first node and the second node using a second protocol; and

sending the data packet from the first node to the second node using the second protocol, wherein placing the signaling data into a data packet for transport using a second protocol includes providing a gateway header in a payload area of the data packet, and wherein the gateway header includes information used to extract the signaling data from the data packet and route it to a destination using the first protocol.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the gateway header includes one or more of a network type, a protocol version, a universal data type data format, a sequence control, a SCCP class, return information, called party address, calling party address, and data length.

27. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

receiving the data packet at a gateway;

extracting the gateway header and signaling data from the payload area of the data packet;

formatting an SCCP address based on the information in the gateway header; and

routing the signaling data to the second node using the SCCP address.

28. A method in a network for transporting signaling data between a first node and a second node in the network, wherein signaling data is transmitted within the network using a first protocol, the method comprising:

receiving signaling data for transfer from the first node to the second node using the first protocol;

placing the signaling data into a data packet for transport using a second protocol;

establishing a communications link between the first node and the second node using a second protocol; and

sending the data packet from the first node to the second node using the second protocol, wherein placing the signaling data into a data packet for transport using a second protocol includes providing a gateway header in a payload area of the data packet, and wherein establishing a communications link between the first node and the second node includes;

receiving, in an SCCP-IP unit, a request from the first node, wherein the request includes a point code and subsystem number;

determining a gateway server address based on the point code and subsystem number;

opening a TCP socket with a keep-alive option;

establishing a connection with the gateway server using the TCP socket; and

recording the socket, point code and subsystem number against a transaction identifier.